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Dan Darkes, Type 1 Diabetes Reversal

Hi, first I was shocked when first diagnosed!, Especially when I had just come out the army and it had been 4 weeks, you don't think it would happen to you, I've never really heard much diabetes, not knowing the full ins and outs.
But not needing insulin is incredible! I still can't get my head around it, why me! Now it's been 16 months I'm confident it will go on now
, more than anything I want hope for all type 1s to have a cure
 
If I were you I'd keep on exactly what you're doing until they cure the rest of us, just in case.
 
Hey Daniel, my little brother who’s 3 years old now have 1st type diabet. Unfortunately he had it when he was 1 years old. We don’t know reason why. So i have couple of questions to you.
  1. How much c-peptide you had when you diagnosed diabetes for the first time?
  2. Which insulin you used? Did you used pump or syringe pen?
  3. What type of diet you followed? Low carbohydrate or diet number “9”?
 
Hello there, off the top of my head at first diagnose my C-PEPTIDE level was at 0.06 (nmol/L) , I've always had a syringe pen, when I use to inject, I was on Novo rapid and lantus for background/night time insulin, my diet was low in carbohydrates, unless a day before or so before a long run, I'd top it with a portion of pasta, rice ,sweet potatoes, depending
 
Good info.

Dan, did you get a lot of night-time sugar highs from periodically spiking those carbs? Or was your high insulin sensitivity enough to keep insulin requirements reasonable.

From my personal experience, I can tolerate more carbs only on the same day after I do vigorous exercise. Of course nowhere near as vigorous as yours.

I also wanted to ask, for those of us who simply do not have enough spare time to run that many hours a week, do you think running faster for less distance would be effective?

Or is it really about the distance travelled (or duration). For instance, what do you think about running one hour, really fast, every day, on the treadmill, and trying to maintain a catabolic state as long as possible through periodic intermittent fasting to prolong the stress period of the run. I often feel like I'm floating on a cloud for hours after a good run, but if I don't eat more than an hour after I start getting the shakes, no matter what I do I become a mess. Must be my insulin on board, surely.

If I can follow in your footsteps (no pun intended) but using a more reasonable / moderate training regimen, that might help more people do it. I have very low antibody levels and other tricks up my sleeve to reduce auto-immunity (pills, foods, etc) so I'm more concerned with trying to replicate your "reboot" of the signalling and beta cell numbers and proper functioning.

My latest CP was 0.051 nmol / L, which is down from 0.11 nmol / L last year before I stopped taking GLP-1 (no insurance to pay for it). I just got some samples of Ozempic that'll last a few months so I'm fairly sure my next CP test will be higher again. The highest I ever got was 0.17 nmol / L using a combination of drugs, with 0.26 nmol/l the low end of normal range (one could get by with such numbers with zero external insulin, presumably, if eating low carb and having high insulin sensitivity). So, to anyone out there who thinks it's impossible to significantly alter their own beta cell function: that's provably false. The easiest way is taking GLP-1 meds, and with that you can see the results right away.

I'm following your supplements listed, plus GABA 750mg twice a day, (any more than that and it feels awful). Still haven't added glycine yet, since GABA + glycine are apparently required for natural GLP-1 production which is implicated in glucose-mediated insulin release in the pancreas, which in turn releases serotonin which puts on the breaks on alpha cells releasing glucagon at the same time (no use pushing the gas and the breaks at the same time, to make an analogy). I'd much rather stimulate natural GABA production than take it in a pill, and of course GLP-1 meds are super expensive. All natural is best (diet + exercise) but I know for sure that certain meds help too. And by that I mean, meds other than insulin, to reduce insulin requirements. Of course the easiest way to reduce your insulin needs is simply the tried and true method of low carbing and intense exercise, as you've done, so I congratulate you again! Most of us are going to need a bit more help I think than some zinc + other multi-vitamins. But I'm convinced those are probably necessary too.
 
Fascinating to hear about this, thanks for sharing. I have more questions if you have time:
  • Could you give us a bit of history of what your control was like when you were on insulin? (frequency and levels of highs/lows, HbA1c readings if you have them).
  • How long ago did you last inject insulin?
  • What is the highest blood glucose reading you've had since you stopped insulin?
  • What was the reduction in your insulin requirements like? did it just gradually taper down? over what period?
 
Hi, I rarely got night time sugar highs, probably a couple, but not as high as you would think. My old sugar went to around 9.8 not much higher than that, maybe 10.With the running situation, it's having the time, to build those miles up, I started little, but I didn't have diabetes then, I was diagnosed in 2011, by then I was running maximum of 15 miles a day, 80 s week. I can see what your saying though, quick fast runs, may trigger something to happen eventually, I don't know to be honest, it's only in the last 4 years I've taken my running to long distance, ie over 45 miles , I would run continuesy , slowing down when I need to, I think some of my big ultra marathons have a key part in my type 1, reversal, with a strong link to the gene I carry. My advice is build the miles up slowly, and up the pace every week. What are you running now distance wise? What do you eat daily? Go easy with carbs, take on only what you train for portion wise,
 
Hi, so when I was injecting, i was very cautious of what I would eat carb wise, you know I had to make it work with my running, I was learning new methods, techniques, on how to control my insulin to my running etc, it was always a learning process. The highest blood sugar reading while of been off insulin is 9.8, and that was back in march 2017, I last injected in January 2017, that was just on the lantus, background insulin, I was ceased of taking Novo rapid,in the November before. I did gradually taper down, it wasn't a sudden stop, it was decreased over 3 to 4 months
Dan
 
Hi @Daniel Darkes how are you doing, so pleased to read your story and hope it co tinues for you
my son was diagnosed end of March after feeling thirsty, his pal is a doctor ...checked him over and sent him to hospital, his BS was 17
He is 30 slim, they said they though he was type 1 and sent him home with 1x 6units of insulin to take nightly, but after a couple of days his sugars went to low....he was told by the diabetic nurse/ doctor to come off insulin, he has not had any insulin for nearly 5 months....5 months on we're still waiting for his GAD test.
My question to you is ....
Do you have any faith in the NHS regarding Diabetstes???

My sons reading are showing readings of , morning 3-4 ....after lunch 5 after dinner between 5-6
Eating any thing he wants and keeping an eye on carbs
He excercises a lot, running, biking, and football training...I'm sure this is what is helping him

still after five months waiting for a GAD test, after they messed his first one up

Update 19/9/2018 ... 4 test done 3 negative and 1 positive for ZnT8
 
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Hi Daniel - Congratulations on your cure, it's really amazing news. Obviously, Diabetes, particularly Type 1 Diabetes is providing countless jobs in North America (where I'm from), and the leading form of revenue for the pharmaceutical companies. I'm sure you've been directed to say your running and healthy lifestyle was your cure...and I don't doubt for a second it kept you healthy. But the rare gene thing must have been what you were directed to say to the rest of the world....would you ever be willing to tell the truth? I know of others who have cured themselves with homeopathic treatments, and some spiritual treatments as well. I'm 30 years T1D and would love to know how to turn my iselts "back on" and stimulate those parts that have been shut off for so long into working again, but I feel like so many people with the answers are controlled by those who are continuing to grow this terrible disease. Blessings, Kate.
 
This latest bit of news seems to like it can't be a coincidence with Dan's extreme exercise reversing his type 1:

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/201...after-type-1-diabetes-diagnosis-91710031.html

If you exercise you extend your honeymoon period 5-fold. That's better than ANY DRUG STUDY I've come across, and I read the cure news religiously and daily, since 2011. I've read hundreds of PDFs and articles and not once have I seen anything comparable to extending the honeymoon period by five-fold. I was diagnosed at age 15, got fat from insulin ODing the first six months, then cut long-lasting out completely and exercised 2 hours a day. By the time I was 18 I was in the best shape of my life, doing Kung Fu three times a week and biking everywhere and lifting weights and running a lot, and I didn't need much insulin to maintain decent sugars and felt great. So I'm sure my extreme levels of exercise helped prolong my honeymoon period. And those of you who many not know this, but it's been shown that many type 1s experience, at later stages of their lives "mini honeymoons", so it's possible for c-peptides to rise temporarily, towards a reversal but never quite making it, before falling back again. I think the term "honeymoon period" is really a misnomer, given these facts, and I believe extreme exercise can help partially reverse your condition. Beta cells regrow continuously, just are attacked by anti-bodies. But exercise seems to not only make your insulin sensitivity rise, but also your signaling, such that your ability to control your sugars doesn't disappear. I've even read that most beta cells don't literally die but go into a dormant or inactive state and can be switched back on. I have that paper saved somewhere. Anyway, I'm convinced that a full cure is possible in people without Dan's "Miracle DNA for a backup immune system". Immune systems can be retrained and much of what happens there depends on what's going on in your gut, which also implies your diet has an influence too. Lots of studies show correlations between anti-bodies and food. Not only are inflammation and sugar intimately tied, but inflammation and various other things like blood PH, stress, and sleep are too.

I just thought this study on exercise stalling type 1 better than any drug including immune suppression is amazing. It's not hopeless. All it takes is one more person to reverse their type 1 through extreme exercise + whatever other drugs / supplements / diet, to open the floodgates. If anything, Dan's magic DNA seems to be counterproductive to R&D into ultra-marathons as a Type 1 therapy. Does anyone know of any other interesting studies on the topic?

Especially ones that track antibody levels and c-peptide levels.
 
Hi Daniel , can I ask how long you was a type 1 for before this all happened ?just curious x
 
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