New member

[annieblade]

Just joined the forum to celebrate my first year of being a T1 - in honeymoon. Diagnosed at 55 years old and suffered from GPs not knowing about the honeymoon period so the first three months were really hard but getting used to things now.

Any other mature onset T1 diabetics out there? and any advice about the honey moon period would be appreciated!

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @annieblade I am a mature type 1 ! Never thought i'd hear myself saying that, currently 6 years diagnosed this month, my honeymoon lasted around 8 months, but we are all different, my consultant at the time said that if you can maintain good control then it helps to prolong the honeymoon phase as you're not stressing the pancreas. Testing really is the key as well as recording results to watch for trends and being adaptable to making changes. I found the DAFNE course brilliant for helping me to really take control of my type 1 and to not rely on healthcare professionals so see if your nurse can sign you up ?

 

[becca59]

Diagnosed at 54. Four years on exactly, and I feel that the honeymoon may have just come to an end. To be honest, the continual fluctuations between pancreas working and not working were an utter nightmare and I am in a better place with control now. Albeit with increased insulin dosages.
As regards advice, be flexible and prepared to keep monitoring basal regularly.

 

[Circuspony]

Diagnosed 6 months ago at 43. October was interesting as my pancreas decided it would like to start helping out again and I had hypo after hypo until I realised what was going on and dropped my dosages. Didn't last though.

I'm actually on a trial with Guy's Hospital looking at whether a drug designed for rheumatoid arthritis patients (another autoimmune disease) can slow down the progression of T1 by prolonging the honeymoon period. Time will tell!

http://www.address2.org/

 

[Kbarbaracollins_]

Diagnosed T1 at 48 17 years ago. Roughly following Dr Bernstein’s method. Found his book the best I’ve read and changed my life
Managed to keep honeymoon period going - Bernstein says you can keep it going indefinitely with good blood sugar control

 

[annieblade]

I'm glad I asked! Currently not on insulin which is hard work. Controlling sugar levels with weight loss, exercise and diet. Just really started to explore low carb eating where previously i had just reduced intake of higher carbs. That has been interesting as my pancreas isn't sure whether it should work or not and I verge from hypos to unpleasant highs. I will try to get a course on carb control as I am sure that will help. Is it easier to control once I am on insulin?

 

[karen8967]

diagnosed at 49 8 months ago im now 50 and think my honeymoon period has well and truely ended .myself personally would say that with insulin it is easier to control im on a basal/bolus regime although it is a lot to take in i am waiting to start a dafne course in april hopefully that will lead to much tighter control of bgs anyway enough about me welcome to the forum it is a wealth of information

 

[Jc3131]

I was 42 when I was diagnosed 7 months ago. I am still honeymooning and somedays it's fine. But others, like today its a bit of a nightmare. My pancreas sometimes can't be bothered and somedays it's too helpful.

I've got ok control with my blood but I take small units of insulin now and again, depending on what I eat. I also tend to eat the same foods that I know that my body can cope with. This is either with 2 units of novorapid or if the carb content is under 50g I do without insulin. This is because my pancreas and the long lasting insulin I take copes with the food.

Cutting down on sugars and sweets has helped. Also testing all the time and making notes about blood sugar levels at regular times during the day. Especially after food and new foods you want to try.

Good luck


Ps I have coped better with the help of small units of insulin than I did without. You have more flexibility with food, which is a good thing.

 

[NoKindOfSusie]

I'm actually on a trial with Guy's Hospital looking at whether a drug designed for rheumatoid arthritis patients (another autoimmune disease) can slow down the progression of T1 by prolonging the honeymoon period. Time will tell!

AND I GET ON THIS HOW?!

 

[Circuspony]

AND I GET ON THIS HOW?!

I think its closed now - I had a look on the Address 2 website and they aren't taking any more people through for the study. They had limited funding and only needed 15 people I think. BUT you should have a look at that link because I was too old for quite a lot of the studies when I first registered with them (T1 being a young persons disease and all that....)

Can't say I've noticed any difference in terms of insulin usage though since taking the arthritis drug. They do c-peptide tests every few months which are a lot more sensitive to see how much insulin my pancreas is still making, so it will be interesting to see if it improves / stabilises / worsens etc. If I'm honest with myself then I suspect my pancreas is already stuffed. My HBa1C on diagnosis was 147, which doesn't really imply a pancreas that was pumping much insulin.

 

[Kathypumpkin]

Just joined the forum to celebrate my first year of being a T1 - in honeymoon. Diagnosed at 55 years old and suffered from GPs not knowing about the honeymoon period so the first three months were really hard but getting used to things now.

Any other mature onset T1 diabetics out there? and any advice about the honey moon period would be appreciated!

Hi Annie, I have been searching for anything like my experience as my doctor just shrugged. Age 60. Diagnosed T1, six months ago. Hb1ac at time was over 100. Four months later it was 58. Inject insulin 2x a day. Over last month had to reduce day dose by 40% and evening dose by 50% due to hypos. Don’t know what to expect next. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[annieblade]

Hi Kathy

No one knows what to expect. The trick seems to be to observe carefully what you eat and the effect it has on your BG levels. I am great on high carbs for breakfast and I gradually eat less through the day. Rice kills me at any time! I have to eat high carb to cope with exercise and then snack half way through if it is very energetic. Today in a walk i had a hypo, ate dextrose and an apple and then had to eat chocolate and a carb energy bar just to get home.

This forum has been a lifesaver for me. I also downloaded the carb guide from the site and that has been really helpful. I have also demanded a referral to the consultant and I will be asking for the DAFNE course.

Make sure you have access to a diabetes specialist. If your GP does not provide one get a referral to the hospital diabetes service. The nurses are wonderful and will give you much more confidence about all this.

And finally I felt really overwhelmed and confused at the start. I was misdiagnosed twice and then the GP had not heard of the honeymoon period lasting months after diagnosis (14 months so far, still no insulin) and was doing her best but not helping. 14 months in I have lost 5 1/2 stones. I am really fit and I eat an amazing healthy diet. Most of the time I feel fantastic. It really will get better!