Is my honeymoon THIS good???
Both doctors didn't take 2 minutes to look at my chart and say you have type 1. They explained the honeymoon, and I have read all about it. I got approved for Dexcom, and Omnipod, my thinking about the omnipod is that I could bolus in fine increments and that would help me stay consistent.
Because I knew my basal would be soooo low, I just started at the minimum 0.05 u/h. I:C is 1:125 and I put that 1 unit of insulin reduces 300 bs (I used an insulin sensitivity calculator to obtain those.) My fasting blood sugar is around 70, after meals, I frequently dip into the 50's and 60's. My post meal spikes top out at 150. I guess I am just asking if my honeymoon is that good or should I be looking elsewhere? Should I ask about getting off insulin completely? I swear I think I could totally get off it and I would be fine. Just see the point in taking basically the minimum amount of insulin, and still having to eat from lows. I read that quitting insulin has bad consequences like when I would start up having allergic reactions. I also heard that taking some sort of insulin helps preserve my beta cells, but at a cost of going down to 60 after many meals?
Any advice, professional or personal experience is greatly appreciated.
Ben
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by LASmith2 on -
The thing is, the 1:40 ratio? sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Depends on the type of carbs I'm eating and Zoe, you are right, it may be that I need a different ratio for each meal. So much to keep up with. I hope my endo works with me tomorrow so we can make some changes and I can feel better. The BG swings are awful!
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Permalink Reply by Benjamin McLaughlin on -
I'm not sure. I read multiple things that some people that started insulin treatment, then quit totally altogether, their body rejected it when they tried starting it back. I don't know. I am about ready to just start experimenting and just try a week or so without insulin and see where my needs are. If I did that, you guys are saying it is best to start with small boluses once my spikes get too large? Then I won't need a basal until my fasting bg starts to rise?
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Permalink Reply by awg0681 on -
I don't know about being allergic to insulin after coming off it for a while, but I think I may be having some type of reaction to my Novolog (or a delayed reaction to Levemir possibly). I use between 3-5u depending on when and what I eat. I just recently started having a breakout all over my neck, chest, and back shortly after starting my Novolog. Now, I've never had perfect skin and still get the occasional blemish here and there, but this is pretty bad outbreak for me. Then last night I seem to have developed a slight rash on my neck that is itchy. I've looked around and can't find many posts about Novolog causing a breakout or rash, but it was the newest thing in my life, and as such was my first thought. I'll certainly be asking about it at my next visit in a few weeks whether or not things improve. Then again, maybe I've just become celiac as well! Hard to say with stuff like this.
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Permalink Reply by Shawnmarie on -
Reminded me of this discussion:
http://www.tudiabetes.org/forum/topics/apidra-and-skin-problems?com...
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Permalink Reply by awg0681 on
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Yeah, I found that discussion and read through it when all this started happening. That's what makes me wonder if maybe I'm celiac now or not even though I don't have the more severe symptoms. Could just be Dermatitis herpetiformis (also caused by gluten intolerance). Easy solution would be to cut out gluten and see what happens. Or, conversely, I could load up on gluten and see if things get worse! That wouldn't be good for the BG levels for sure.
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Permalink Reply by palomino on -
Every time you break out.. have you just eaten something or eaten something in the last few hours? If so, is it a similar meal each time? Maybe it's something in the meal that you are consuming; not necessarily gluten but a food allergy...
Have you changed laundry detergents?
Is there any other reason that would make you break out?
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Permalink Reply by still_young_at_heart on -
Hi -
I was 57 when I was diagnosed. I was started on 10 Lantus and 3 Humalog with meals and gradually built up to 14 and 5. Then my beta cells began working a bit again and my insulin use went as low as 5 units of Humalog and an insulin to carb ratio of 1:25. I've never stopped taking insulin and my total daily dose has been around 25 units per day for the past couple of years.
I would not go off insulin even if you can maintain basic control for a while without it; keeping tight control may help preserve remaining beta cells which may provide dividends years out. I was diagnosed five years ago and still get some assist from the survivors.
Maurie
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Permalink Reply by Tim on -
There are some immunological theories (not sure they were ever proven) that taking even small amounts of insulin during the honeymoon, even if numbers would stay reasonable without the extra insulin, may prolong the honeymoon.
There are also some psychological factors, the docs really don't want us to think that we're "cured" during the honeymoon. Because otherwise we might have to go through the whole acceptance process again once the honeymoon is over. Keeping us on even tiny doses throughout helps us learn when things are easy, before they get hard again, by this theory.
All that said, if you're going around equipped with an Omnipod and a Dexcom you're way way beyond any of the technology that was even imagined when I was in my honeymoon. (Literally, that technology was pretty much up there with jet pants, the hovercar, warp speed, and all the other good stuff that would come to us in the future.) If the honeymoon seems to be long lasting, more than just a month or two, and you're starting to ask why you have to go around with all this fancy equipment, I don't think it would be unreasonable to take things down a couple notches to maybe just occasional bg tests and tiny insulin shots via syringe.
Of course, the other mindset is that the honeymoon is chaotic, variable, and a PITA overall and has little to do with real diabetes control. (That last part, I'm not so sure of, but I'm just putting the viewpoint out there.). Getting over it faster, by this mindset, is just like ripping the band-aid off quickly rather than prolonging the process.
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Permalink Reply by LASmith2 on
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Good analogy Tim (ripping the bandaid off quickly)..............I mean it's great that I'm on a low dose of bolus only, it really is. But having your pancreas have a mind of it's own and not knowing when it will spit out insulin can throw a person's day off with no warning. I think, but am not sure, that not having your pancreas produce any insulin is easier to control? I don't mean to make light of anyone's diabetes, I just know that being in the honeymoon stage is hard to control because you can't control your pancreas. someone enlighten me if I'm wrong.
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Permalink Reply by Benjamin McLaughlin on
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Tim, That is exactly where I am at in my thinking right now. Again, with all respect to those who have diabetes their whole life and I'm sure would give an arm to have a few beta cells, I am to the point where I am tired of taking 5 separate one unit shots, or seeping .05 units out every our, with a gargantuan .25 units for a bolus. This disease is not psychological with me. I understand it's lifetime, so I am thinking, if I have to do this for the rest of my life, I would rather have 1 normal year, or for that matter 1 normal MONTH before having to get on insulin full time. I would easily trade a couple of years of milking the few remaining beta cells for just a few months of "normalcy", at least then, when I DO have to have it, I feel lucky for the short amount of time I got left. Almost like a bucket list of diabetes, but not to the extreme of eating whatever I want, just the satisfaction of being a little more care free than I will be forever. When my doctor said some people never go off their honeymoon (not sure if he was just trying to cheer me up or was being real,) my thinking was awesome! Now not so much. I just want consistency, one way or another.
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Permalink Reply by Shawnmarie on
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It's such a relief to hear that others feel the same way I've been feeling. When I was first diagnosed, I became super strict with myself and thought I'd never eat certain foods again. As my honeymoon has continued and it's clear my pancreas is still helping me out a great deal, I've started to add some foods back in now and then that I might have to give up later on, such as pizza, pancakes and other carb goodness. It's like I'm climbing up the first hill of a rollercoaster and I know that huge drop to greater insulin need is coming and sometimes I just wish it would happen to stop the anticipation.
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Permalink Reply by Sam on -
Ben and Shawnmarie, again just wanted to say you both seem to be going through exactly the same things I am, only a few weeks ahead of me. Learning from you both. Glad this website exists, can you imagine how much worse our plight would have been even just ten years ago where we couldn't all network like this?
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