New Type 1 Diagnosis - Honeymooning Heavily

[tomrose]

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with type 1 at the start of the July and have since been slowly reducing my insulin down and down and down…

After my first couple of hypos last week I am now not taking any novarapid with meals and only 2 units of Levemir when I wake up and 2 when I go to bed. So a total of 4 units each day. My levels are pretty stable at the moment (between 4-8) and I exercise regularly. I do notice spikes depending on what I eat.

My queries are related to this honeymoon phase…

At the moment I am eating pretty much whatever I feel like, excluding really high sugar items like sweets, coke etc. Does anyone know if what I eat will affect how long this honeymoon phase will last…? Should I be watching the amount of carbs I eat, or just making the most of eating whatever I like without thinking about it while my pancreas can still kick out a good amount of insulin?

I also exercise regularly and I have read somewhere that frequent exercise can prolong the honeymoon period. Has anyone had experience of this or know if it’s true?

Hope you can help and I look forward to “meeting” some of you!

 

[Juicyj]

Hi and welcome @tomrose

The best advice I can give you re: the honeymoon is to just keep a close eye on your levels and prepare to adjust where necessary, who knows how long it will last as we are all different but the longer you can maintain good control the better as it means your pancreas isnt stressed and will carry on producing, so exercise will certainly help, however it is inevitable that it will stop at some point.

 

[scotteric]

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with type 1 at the start of the July and have since been slowly reducing my insulin down and down and down…

After my first couple of hypos last week I am now not taking any novarapid with meals and only 2 units of Levemir when I wake up and 2 when I go to bed. So a total of 4 units each day. My levels are pretty stable at the moment (between 4-8) and I exercise regularly. I do notice spikes depending on what I eat.

My queries are related to this honeymoon phase…

At the moment I am eating pretty much whatever I feel like, excluding really high sugar items like sweets, coke etc. Does anyone know if what I eat will affect how long this honeymoon phase will last…? Should I be watching the amount of carbs I eat, or just making the most of eating whatever I like without thinking about it while my pancreas can still kick out a good amount of insulin?

I also exercise regularly and I have read somewhere that frequent exercise can prolong the honeymoon period. Has anyone had experience of this or know if it’s true?

Hope you can help and I look forward to “meeting” some of you!

I think as long as you keep your blood sugars as close to normal as possible you will prolong your honeymoon. Of course, this is paradoxal since you will have the best chance of having good numbers as long as you're honeymooning! I got a pump a few months after diagnosis and tried to maintain the best control I could. Like you, I avoided (and still avoid) sweet drinks and certain things, but never fully restricted my diet and my honeymoon lasted 2-3 years. I was diagnosed at 19 and I think the older you are diagnosed the longer it will last.

 

[KK123]

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with type 1 at the start of the July and have since been slowly reducing my insulin down and down and down…

After my first couple of hypos last week I am now not taking any novarapid with meals and only 2 units of Levemir when I wake up and 2 when I go to bed. So a total of 4 units each day. My levels are pretty stable at the moment (between 4-8) and I exercise regularly. I do notice spikes depending on what I eat.

My queries are related to this honeymoon phase…

At the moment I am eating pretty much whatever I feel like, excluding really high sugar items like sweets, coke etc. Does anyone know if what I eat will affect how long this honeymoon phase will last…? Should I be watching the amount of carbs I eat, or just making the most of eating whatever I like without thinking about it while my pancreas can still kick out a good amount of insulin?

I also exercise regularly and I have read somewhere that frequent exercise can prolong the honeymoon period. Has anyone had experience of this or know if it’s true?

Hope you can help and I look forward to “meeting” some of you!

Hi there, I was diagnosed as type 1 a year ago and like you, was on novarapid and Lantus (4 units of each). After a few days I was always low so dropped to 2 units of each. I am now on 2 units of lantus and sometimes use 1 unit of nov rapid if I am eating something higher carb. I don't eat what I want when I want though as I feel that even though I have the option of insulin to combat it, I am conscious of the fact that as a diabetic (of any type), my body does NOT process carbs as I do not have a sufficient amount of my own insulin. Thus, I keep the carbs fairly low so that, combined with a continuing honeymoon period means I can stay on the odd unit of insulin (for now anyway). Also I always wonder whether fewer carbs helps what beta cells you do have left not have to work so hard x

 

[tomrose]

I think as long as you keep your blood sugars as close to normal as possible you will prolong your honeymoon. Of course, this is paradoxal since you will have the best chance of having good numbers as long as you're honeymooning! I got a pump a few months after diagnosis and tried to maintain the best control I could. Like you, I avoided (and still avoid) sweet drinks and certain things, but never fully restricted my diet and my honeymoon lasted 2-3 years. I was diagnosed at 19 and I think the older you are diagnosed the longer it will last.

Thanks for your reply. I am 27, so I guess I have been diagnosed fairly lateish. The things that cause a high reading a long time after eating for me are things high in carbs and high in fat (like pizza or fish and chips), so I have been avoiding these a bit too. Probably not a bad thing since they aren't the most healthy of foods!

 

[tomrose]

Hi there, I was diagnosed as type 1 a year ago and like you, was on novarapid and Lantus (4 units of each). After a few days I was always low so dropped to 2 units of each. I am now on 2 units of lantus and sometimes use 1 unit of nov rapid if I am eating something higher carb. I don't eat what I want when I want though as I feel that even though I have the option of insulin to combat it, I am conscious of the fact that as a diabetic (of any type), my body does NOT process carbs as I do not have a sufficient amount of my own insulin. Thus, I keep the carbs fairly low so that, combined with a continuing honeymoon period means I can stay on the odd unit of insulin (for now anyway). Also I always wonder whether fewer carbs helps what beta cells you do have left not have to work so hard x

Hi KK123 -
This is really useful, thank you. To be honest, since I have been diagnosed if someone brings cake into work for example I will generally avoid eating it... What do you do for snacks if you are avoiding so many carbs? I have been eating a lot more nuts, which are great, but it seems that pretty much every other type of snacky food is full of carbs!

 

[KK123]

Hi KK123 -
This is really useful, thank you. To be honest, since I have been diagnosed if someone brings cake into work for example I will generally avoid eating it... What do you do for snacks if you are avoiding so many carbs? I have been eating a lot more nuts, which are great, but it seems that pretty much every other type of snacky food is full of carbs!

Hi Tomrose, I was diagnosed at the grand old age of 57!!!! As a snack, I tend to eat low carb stuff such as nuts, cheese, dips with cucumber etc. Now I know that's not exactly exciting so I also have low carb nut type bars and low carb brownies. You can get them from just about anywhere but be sure to check the carb content, I make sure mine are around 5 or 6 carbs. They are great to have with a coffee at work especially when people are bringing in cakes!!

 

[margarett89]

Honeymoon affects about 75% of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetics, and its course varies depending on the person. S it can last several months, several years, or several dozen.

 

[scotteric]

Thanks for your reply. I am 27, so I guess I have been diagnosed fairly lateish. The things that cause a high reading a long time after eating for me are things high in carbs and high in fat (like pizza or fish and chips), so I have been avoiding these a bit too. Probably not a bad thing since they aren't the most healthy of foods!

Yeah, but it's good to learn how to eat these foods because you will want to eat them now and then and it's better to know how to deal with them than to avoid them forever I think. If you're able to get Actrapid/Regular insulin it has a profile that works better for foods high in protein/fat. If I was eating pizza for example I would take a few units of NovoRapid to cover the initial spike and a few units of Regular at the same time to cover the spike that will happen 2-3 hours later. The actual doses are trial and error of course and will be low for you since you are honeymooning. You might not even need the NovoRapid up front for now, just the Regular. This is what people on insulin pumps are taught to do, take insulin up front and then set a program to extend a dose over a few hours. It's not taught as well on MDI which I think is a shame. Some people are taught to take a split dose of NovoRapid/Humalog, and this can work, but not as well in my opinion and not always possible if you eat a late dinner before going to sleep for example. There are certain foods that will spike 6-8 hours later and these can be dealt with by taking more Regular before going to sleep and increasing the nighttime Levemir dose, similar to how pump users set a temporary basal increase.

 

[Deleted Account]

I am 27, so I guess I have been diagnosed fairly lateish.

This is a myth: more than half of people with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed as adults. See https://blogs.diabetes.org.uk/?p=5184.
Unfortunately, this is not widely known leading to many adults being incorrectly diagnosed with type 2.
So I am making it my obsession to mention it whenever I read anyone describing type 1 as a "childhood disease" (or something along those lines).

 

[Jouni1974]

There is some new research how to possibly extend honeymoon phase, even some clinical trials.
Most promising ones are natural product GABA and blood pressure medicine Verapamil
My advices for you are simply google them, especially GABA is very interesting, some research are published in Cell magazine.

 

[jamesfitz]

Tom i got diagnosed 3 years ago. The best advice i got off here was to stay on insulin through the honeymoon. Apparently if levels are kept below 7.8 then this prevents the remaining cells from being attacked.

I currently only use novorapid for meals as my fasting level is 5-5.8.

Ignore the consultants and stay on your insulin. Otherwise your honeymoon wont last long at all.

 

[Clueless 2]

HI new at this.

Half an hour in jym or walk partially up hill, resets my blood sugars from 8.5 to 9.5 to factory norms 5.0 or lower.

Replaces 1 unit of nova Rapid for meals, if i allow 2-3 hours for digestion

 

[cz_dave]

There is some new research how to possibly extend honeymoon phase, even some clinical trials.
Most promising ones are natural product GABA and blood pressure medicine Verapamil
My advices for you are simply google them, especially GABA is very interesting, some research are published in Cell magazine.

I have just googled GABA. Seems interesting. Do you take it? Have you noticed any benefits?

 

[Chandradev819]

I also diagnosed with type 1 before 3 year. I am also able to manage my diabetes with 2 unit(Mixtard) insulin in morning and 2 unit in evening. My hb1c always come below 6.

If you will take proper diet + exercise + some insulin then you can extend it for long periods.

 

[Christinaw]

Hello all,

I have also recently been diagnosed with type 1 at the end of July. I don’t understand how you can only be on that much insulin I take 14 units of levemir and novorapid with meals. I’m struggling with my carb to insulin ratio as it seems to change all the time.

 

[BrixtonType1]

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with type 1 at the start of the July and have since been slowly reducing my insulin down and down and down…

After my first couple of hypos last week I am now not taking any novarapid with meals and only 2 units of Levemir when I wake up and 2 when I go to bed. So a total of 4 units each day. My levels are pretty stable at the moment (between 4-8) and I exercise regularly. I do notice spikes depending on what I eat.

My queries are related to this honeymoon phase…

At the moment I am eating pretty much whatever I feel like, excluding really high sugar items like sweets, coke etc. Does anyone know if what I eat will affect how long this honeymoon phase will last…? Should I be watching the amount of carbs I eat, or just making the most of eating whatever I like without thinking about it while my pancreas can still kick out a good amount of insulin?

I also exercise regularly and I have read somewhere that frequent exercise can prolong the honeymoon period. Has anyone had experience of this or know if it’s true?

Hope you can help and I look forward to “meeting” some of you!

I my self was diagnosed in July and my self I been finding I do not need as much insulin and I’m staying between 4 10. I’m on novorapid with meals but I now just take it with dinner because breakfast and lunch I never spike over 10 and with the novorapid I drop to low.And im on 8 units levemir morning and nights but now I feel I don’t need as much as 8 in the night because after a heavy night meal it still finds space to drop. And 2 months in I have not yet had a hypo not sure if I’ve been low and quickly had some sugar and I have not noticed but really I have not had nothing that I can look back on and call a hypo so far all is good.

 

[Jouni1974]

I have just googled GABA. Seems interesting. Do you take it? Have you noticed any benefits?

I did try it, no instant help, but it should help regen b-cells and protect them, just takes time. At that time my sugars were a lot better. I am starting it again soon.
Some research I read was related the GABA timing, taking it with food can help cells to reidentify to alphacells. Not sure is that anything to do with humans too...

 

[tomrose]

I my self was diagnosed in July and my self I been finding I do not need as much insulin and I’m staying between 4 10. I’m on novorapid with meals but I now just take it with dinner because breakfast and lunch I never spike over 10 and with the novorapid I drop to low.And im on 8 units levemir morning and nights but now I feel I don’t need as much as 8 in the night because after a heavy night meal it still finds space to drop. And 2 months in I have not yet had a hypo not sure if I’ve been low and quickly had some sugar and I have not noticed but really I have not had nothing that I can look back on and call a hypo so far all is good.

Hi Brixton - I think not having a hypo for a long time at the start is relatively normal. It took me around 6 weeks to have my first one, quickly followed a couple of days later by a second, and that's when I dropped out my novorapid unless I was eating something particularly carby. I think I was eating to feed the extra insulin for a while and my two hypos occurred when I 1. had a late low carb meal combined with a bit of extra exercise and 2. missed my mid morning snack. Since I have reduced my insulin I have had no hypos and sugars have actually been much more stable as I haven't been having to eat so many carbs in between meals. If you feel like you need to reduce your Levemir either try it for a few days and see what happens, or give the clinic a call and see what your nurse thinks?

 

[tomrose]

Tom i got diagnosed 3 years ago. The best advice i got off here was to stay on insulin through the honeymoon. Apparently if levels are kept below 7.8 then this prevents the remaining cells from being attacked.

I currently only use novorapid for meals as my fasting level is 5-5.8.

Ignore the consultants and stay on your insulin. Otherwise your honeymoon wont last long at all.

Hi Jamesfitz. Thanks for your advice. I have started up again with novorapid for particularly carb heavy meals, but I found I was having hypos using it for every meal (even at 2 units per meal!). I am sticking to my Levemir and at the moment my sugars are pretty stable (pretty much all below 8, apart from the occasional high before bed after a big meal). Keeping an eye on them so that when they do rise I can up my dose to try and keep in the normal range.