"Honeymoon" period

[R0SS]

Hello everyone,
Has anyone ever experienced the "honeymoon" period and has any tips/experiences they can share?

I was diagnosed Type 1 a year ago when it was discovered by the offchance when I visited an out hours doctor to check some bizarre meningitis like spots on my back. They checked my urine and found sugars in it. Hats off to the NHS as by the next day I had Blood tests (HBA1C) and also had consistent 20+ mmol blood sugars and was diagnosed Type 1 and put on insulin all within 24 hours.
They put me on 10 units Lantus and a fixed amount of humalog to start with. This was too much as I was experiencing hypos many times per day. After various adjustments to my insulin doses over the months I settled down with 3mmol Lantus and 1 unit of humalog per 30g carbs.

This worked well and I was also able to enjoy many treats in between a balanced diet without worrying too much about my sugars. I always doubted if I was diagnosed correctly but was always reassured it was what they call the honeymoon period and it would come to an end at some point. Maybe a week, month or even years.

A year later, dam I think they were right. It's coming to an end.

Last week I increased my insulin dose to 1:15 humalog. We haven't touched my Lantus with the fear of re introducing daytime hypos.

My readings usually:
Breakfast: 7.5-11
lunch: 4-8.5
dinner: 4-8.5
Bedtime: 8-12

I noticed a peak an hour after breakfast of 14.7 so I started taking my humalog earlier which knocked it to approx 10ish. My peaks are usually 10 or 11. And I can swing 5-6 from pre to post.

I have a reassessment on Friday but just wondering how does this compare to other people who have gone through the honeymoon period? Should I be concerned with post meal readings of 10? Also Id like to be nearer 6 at breakfast time but how can I achieve that without having more Lantus?

Look forward to hearing back,
Ross

P.s I am 9.5 stone 5ft 11 male of 23 years.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hello Ross, I'm afraid I can't help with 'the honeymoon period' as this term wasn't used when I was diagnosed. But I know a lot of other people have been through this. Good luck.

 

[Spiker]

Same here, unfortunately. I think in hindsight I did have a honeymoon period but I was not aware of the term. Also I did not do any ratios then, and only the most basic bolus dose adjustments. You have an excellent grasp of your condition and very good data. It is a shame that the honeymoon period is coming to and end.

 

[R0SS]

Thanks for coming back! Is this quite a new term then? How long have you been diagnosed? It's nice to see looking across the forum that I am not the only one who went through this.

I look forward to it settling down again so I can maintain more stable numbers! I probably over monitor and as not very nice it is to see the post meal numbers it's a really awesome feeling when you get the insulin dose right for pre meal.

 

[Spiker]

Oh no it's as old as the hills, like me. It just wasn't part of diabetes education when I was diagnosed in the 90s.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hi same here. I was diagnosed in the late 1980's and the only problem I had was when I came out of hospital. I had my first hypo whilst walking about shopping with my sister. In hospital I didn't do very much at all so when out and about ( exercise) my sisters GP told me to reduce Insulin by 2 units ( syringes I remember). It seems to be different nowadays, but I'm always learning Take care.

 

[noblehead]

Much like RRB and Spiker I wasn't aware of the term 'The Diabetic Honeymoon Period' but do remember my insulin doses being up and down like a yo yo....... so probably did go through this period in the initial stages of my diagnosis.

There's some useful advice in the following about controlling and preventing postprandial spikes which might/might not work for you:

http://www.mendosa.com/insulin_timing.htm

 

[colin k]

my daughter when first diagnosed was just like you, it got to the stage where i actually wondered if she was diabetic as the doses were so small and she cheated quite a bit. I think as she was diagnosed really early the honeymoon stage lasted longer, slowly after about 18 months the doses of nova rapid and lantus kept creeping up. We were told that eventually the total daily doses of both shold be around her weigt so if she was 50kg the total of both novarapid and lantus per day would be 50 units.

 

[Wurst]

I low carb around ~30 grams a day and exercise strenuously each and everyday, my doctor still suggests that I am in the honeymoon period because of my BS results are in the non-diabetic range (last HB1AC was 5 % and haven't been over 5.5 mmol for weeks).

I recently tried to increase my carb intake but my BS is much harder to control and with the attempted carb increase comes some weight gain (abdominal fat) which results in insulin sensitivity and a subsequent rise in insulin requirements. I have recently started muscle building and seen some excellent results after only a few weeks.

So even if your honeymoon period is ending there are still a number of ways to keep your BS in range.

 

[hels]

I think I'm in the honeymoon period (or slow onset, if that is different). I take long-acting insulin (levemir) twice a day and novorapid according to what I eat. I eat low carb and mostly don't need novorapid.
I know some people find the honey moon period unpredictable but luckily mine is quite steady.


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[gibbo86]

Hi Ross,

I'm a not too different from you by the sounds of it. Mid twenties, 5'11 and 10.5 stone. I was diagnosed this Feb as T1 after going into hospital in the USA with DKA. I was started on 20u lantus and 1u humalog to 20g carbs. I kept going low and this has been reduced loads since coming home to blighty as the doc says I'm in the honeymoon phase. I now have 10u lantus and 1u humalog to 80g carbs (I've got a 0.5u pen though).

I take my long acting in the morning, but adjusting this dose has helped keep my morning readings between 5-6.5. Your nurse should be able to help make changes to it for you.

Like other people say, exercise really helps keep the BS down. I run 5 miles or so every other day and it stops my sugars peaking from peaking above 8 or 9.



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[lummocks]

Hi Ross,

This sounds like a very similar situation I've been/going through, I'm also full of praise for the NHS as like you I was diagnosed after a visit to a GP very quickly. I'm 33 Years old and was diagnosed last January. I also have been and still do to a certain extent question my diagnosis. I also reached around a year before my blood glucose levels started to raise and certainly the first 6 months I could almost get away with eating pretty much anything) I was at the time taking around 16 units of background and very little humalog insulin with meals.

You appear to have a very strong grasp and have either been well educated or been keen to learn the ropes yourself.

At around after the year mark it crept up so much I had to have a lot of visits to the specilist nurses/consultants as I didn't know where to start with getting it back on track! I tried and just kept getting it wrong, mostly due to the only time I was injecting background was at night.

I've come on here to ask some questions myself about the honemoon period as I still wonder if i'm still in it as two weeks ago I was taking 24 units of background at night before bed and 22 in the morning, with 10/10/28 at meal times which suddenly i've had to reduce quite a bit.

 

[simonkit]

Hi,

I was diagnosed Type 1 around 18 months ago and think I'm still in the honeymoon period. When leaving the hospital I was told to take 20units Lantus per day but as you, suffered daytime hypos, I've tweaked it gradually over the months and now take just 4 units and maintain good levels.

I'm currently battling with having to take large amounts of fast acting carb when exercising despite taking no insulin whatsoever before or during so I can only assume that I'm still producing some insulin and that exercise is increasing my sensitivity to it even more.

Simon

 

[Scoobyzoo]

Hi my daughter was diagnosed 6 weeks ago after 5 weeks they took her off all insulin due to hypos. She gets readings of between 4.0 and 12.0 and if any insulin is used she becomes ill. She is not to take any until her blood sugar is over 17.0. When it's 12.0 her body will bring it back down to under 7. I'm finding is a nightmare, the hospital have also said it's a honeymoon period.


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[Spiker]

Hi my daughter was diagnosed 6 weeks ago after 5 weeks they took her off all insulin due to hypos. She gets readings of between 4.0 and 12.0 and if any insulin is used she becomes ill. She is not to take any until her blood sugar is over 17.0. When it's 12.0 her body will bring it back down to under 7. I'm finding is a nightmare, the hospital have also said it's a honeymoon period.

That is really awful for you. :-(

Did they try using tiny doses like just half a unit?

 

[Scoobyzoo]

She is being monitored in hospital for 48 hrs. Hopefully they will come up with some plan!


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[donnellysdogs]

They may well suggest a pump as you can stop insulin and have much smaller doses. All newly diagnosed under 12 years old are being given an immediate option of a pump... Well at least the patents are.... It sounds as if this would be an option that would be worth your consultants considering.
The only thing with hospitals stays is that they give different readings to day to day levels when at home. I was sent out during the daytime when I was in hospital diagnosed 30 years ago...(ended up going to visit my workplace!).. So there may well be more tweaks needed when she gets home...


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[Scoobyzoo]

Yea that's the problem, she is so active but has sat all day doing nothing so it is really pointless the readings will change when she gets home . I just don't get the 4.8 to 12.2 random readings!


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[donnellysdogs]

Like Spiker mentioned.. Have 1/2 unit insulin pens been used or have you had to use adult 1 unit pens?

It seems total madness to me that your daughter not to be given any insulin unless 17....

How do you mean insulin makes her ill? Do you mean that insulin gives her low levels?


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[Scoobyzoo]

Yes she has a 1/2 unit but the hospital said to take 1 unit as she takes no long lasting insulin. The 1 unit caused her sugar to drop to 2.8 it took 3 hypo treatments to bring her over 4 and it peaked at 7.9. It made her really ill for 12 hours after with headache, blurred vision, heart racing, dizzy and shaky. It was awful. I'm not sure they know how to handle it, they have never had a child come totally off insulin. I think 17 is to high to wait and treat also.


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