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HONEYMOON PERIOD

C

caitycakes

Well-Known Member
Hi all, was just wondering if there are any figures regarding honeymoon periods. Is there an average time for it lasting? Can blood tests reveal how much of your own insulin still being produced as opposed to the insulin being injected? Sorry if it's a stupid question, but I am curious to know if my honeymoon period is over or not. I started off upon diagnosis eating around 200g cho per day and taking 10u am and 10u pm humalog 25 pre-mix. Whilst still eating the 200g cho per day my insulin requirements came down to 3u am and 6u pm. I then went lower carb and I am now on 1.5u am and 6.5 pm but carb consumption is now around the 70g cho per day mark. Would this indicate that my honeymoon is now significantly over?

Caitycakes x
 
Hi,
The trouble is there isn't really any answer! You maybe coming to the end of your 'honeymoon' or it might be a temporary 'blip'. Theres an article here
http://www.isletsofhope.com/diabetes/problems/honeymooning_1.html

Notice it says 'young children are the least likely to honeymoon significantly, and those with latent onset autoimmune diabetes of adulthood ([LADA], also called slow-onset or type 1.5), older teens, and young adults more likely to honeymoon than are preteens and young children'

I have LADA and I was much older than most when diagnosed. I often think that I still have some residual beta function even thought I've now been using insulin for 4 years and had quite a lengthy undiagnosed period. However, I have read that the Joslin insitute has found that some people with diabetes for 50+ years continue to have a little insulin production.
 
Thanks for replying phoenix.

It's really frustrating not knowing. I remember when diagnosed being told "you are in the honeymoon phase". Didn't feel much like a honeymoon to me lol! You would think that there would be "average" figures for length of honeymoon at least. Tending to think that mine is mostly over. No wildly fluctuating BG levels, no hypos for months now, although that's probably more to do with lower carb regime! Ah well, just have to keep going as I am and see what happens.

Caitycakes x
 
HI Caitycakes

It sounds to me like you are still on honeymoon - only 8 units per day doesnt sound like your pancreas has packed up yet! I was led to believe that when it stops, I'll know- because my insulin requirements will increase quite considerably.

I know why you'd come to this conclusion in terms of the dropped carbs but if you think about it, thats like thinking that if you cut out all carbs then you wouldnt need insulin at all (wouldnt that be nice). Im only on 9 u per day and carbs must be roughly similar each day but I know that if I cut out my mid morning snack or had a no carb breakfast I dont think my insulin would change that much.

One way to find out would be to increase or decrease carbs and see, but given you are so settled and getting good figures, I would go with the flow.

I actually dread any change and will be devastated when my honeymoon ends cause for now am keeping things quite stable and weight stable. All this on a premix too.

We must be the premix queens of this forum :oops: :D

L x
 
Hi Caitycakes,
Not sure if i'm correct, so someone can step in if i'm not. I assumed T1's honeymoon period was over when they required 1u of insulin to every Kg they weighed.
I remember Andrew attending a Duk weekend and explaining Andrews insulin requiremnts had jumped significally, back then he was taking Mixtard 20 twice a day and totally 22u he =21Kg, i felt a great sorrow when he told me that Andrews honeymoon period was well and truely over. It felt as if "yes" he's definately diabetic, that sounds stupid now, but its the only way i can explain it. His honeymoon period had lasted for 8 months and at the time he was 7 yrs old. Its different for every individual, but i think i'm not far off the mark, hope this has helped and not confused you
Best regards
Suzi x
 
Hi lilibet, I think you are right, we must be the pre-mix queens :mrgreen: I dread any increase in insulin. I hate the stuff. I was never one for taking even a painkiller for a headache so insulin is a nightmare for me. I just can't understand how I was eating about 200g cho before and since dropping lots of carb consumption my insulin has stayed more or less the same. Weird or what?

Suzi, I weight 55kg. Ye gods the thought that I might have to inject 55u of insulin is horrifying! but I suppose if I have to eventually do it I will just have to. It just seems such a massive amount. Maybe with low carb it won't equate to as much as that.

WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO FIND A CURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Caitycakes x
 
Hi everyone,

As far as I know, the lengh of any honeymoon period is extremely variable and dependant on lots of different things. Bernstein has written about it and his conclusions are that high bg levels are toxic to remaining beta cell function but once insulin therapy begins, the remaining islets have a chance to survive because they no longer have to work overtime any more.

He has T1 patients whose honeymoon has been prolonged indefinitely through a reduction in the demand for insulin due to a low-carb diet. The only way to keep an eye on it would be to measure c-peptide regularly to see how much insulin production remains. It's a pricey test though and there's often some reluctance from doctors to do it.

I don't think there's necessarily any association between body weight and insulin use though - the biggest factor by far is carb intake. I weigh 80kg for example and did, at one time, use 80 units a day. Nowadays I only use 20-22 unit a day even though my blood glucose levels are a helluva lot better. That difference is entirely down to carbs.

fergus
 
Fergus you give me hope. I don't know why I have such an aversion to larger amounts of insulin. I think it's that I feel that things will be getting out of control the more I take (daft really). I think also that I have gotten used to only taking such a small amount. The **** stuff still frightens me. It even smells medicinal!!!!

Caitycakes x
 
I think that average insulin needs depend on many things, age, exercise levels,diet , gender etc An adolescent boy in the middle of a growth spurt probably requires more energy, more carbs and therefore more insulin
As I dose adjust, my bolus insulin requirements are dependent upon what I eat and vary from day to day, my basal less so though it varies according to exercise levels. At the moment I eat about 150-160 carbs a day, take about 40% basal, 60% bolus and have a daily dose of about 24 units. I'm very happy with that. I don't need to restrict carbs unduly and hence do not have to adopt a higher protein or fat regime. I have a low HbA1c.
 
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