Honeymoon rollercoaster?

[RobinKop]

Hello all - The honeymoon has me a bit perplexed & I hope you all have some advise for me.

Kim was diagnosed 4/24/06. She started coming out of the honeymoon about 6 weeks ago. We doubled her daily insulin within about a 2 week time period. No big deal - I was expecting that. Endo says she is still within her norm for her weight and still producing some insulin on her own - but yes the honeymoon is likely ending. Ok - I'm fine with that.

Things were going alone just fine - now BAM! - Lows! Scarry lows! We couldn't seem to keep her out of the 60s. :eek: We've backed way off of the insulin again and it's getting better again - but I'm just so surprised by this. I was expecting the honeymoon to just be over in one clean cut. I didn't expect a roller coaster.

Did anyone else experience anything like this?

[AmyMcCracken]

Robin - we've had this happen a couple times. Kaylie has been diagnosed close to 2 years. Occassionally we will get crazy lows and have to lower her insulin then it creeps back up. Kaylie is pumping so it's a little easier. It must be hard to deal with this using the longer lasting insulins. In the last few months she went from using a average of 15-16 units down to 11 units and now we are back up to 14 units. She hasn't been sick. Its a constant juggling act but it sounds like you keep a good eye on it.

[EmmasMom]

The honeymoon can come and go for quite awhile... unfortunately! This roller coaster of insulin needs can go on anywhere from weeks to a year or more. With my husband it was on and off for over a year. There were a couple of times that he had to stop taking insulin completely because of the crazy lows. Eventually his body stopped making any insulin, and his management did become a little easier.
Emma never had a time that she needed less insulin after dx's, her needs only went up, and continue to gradually increase as she grows. I believe her insulin production ended very suddenly, as she was perfectly healthy and growing well one week before dx's, then very sick and completely insulin dependent the next week. She only had obvious symptoms for 24 hrs before dx's.
It's all so crazy!!! The only thing you can do is test often, be very cautious and keep close contact with your endo. This too shall pass.:cwds:

[kwesty]

We experience the same thing. Zachary is going to turn 5 in September and is coming up on two years since diagnosis. We have a basal set which is is "normal" basal with a total daily dose around 13-15. Then out of the blue we get hit with lows and have to set a temporary basal sometimes as low as 30% less than normal. This will work for a few days and them Boom! back up to the "normal" basal rate.

Our physician tested us for Celiac and Thyroid as they can cause these types of lows, but ended with the conclusion that his body was still producing some insulin.

It makes management a bit difficult, but we are starting to see trends and get an idea what is going on. I don't know how I would handle it without the pump!!

Kristen
Mother of Zachary Born 9/01 Dx 9/04

[Animan]

We had the same. Disturbingly enough, the body's ability to kill off its own beta cells is not consistent or totally predictable. It will win, of course, later. I think the younger the sooner the honeymoon ends.

Some people have reported that it got harder to manage after the honeymoon, since more insulin was needed. It was the opposite for us and some others. It became more predictable.

[RobinKop]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! As always, it is comforting knowing that others have experienced the same things.

I learn so much from all of you! Thanks!