Curious on honeymoon and insulin???

[mom23boys]

My son so the doctor says is still in his honeymoon. It has been 18 months since diagnosis. I didn't think they last this long, but he said because of my sons dosing of insulin, that he must be.

Just curious for those of you with teens or puberty age what is an average dose of units your child takes per meal. My son is about 4-5 units for about 80 carbs.

Terri wife to Tony 18 yrs
Mom to
Christian 13, dx-d 4-06
Gunner 11 and Micah 7
Expecting a new munchkin at age 41:confused:

[wilf]

If your son is getting less than 1/2 insulin unit (total daily bolus and basal) per kg body weight, then he is by definition still in his honeymoon.

So for example our DD weighs 44 kg, and is getting about 20 insulin units per day on average. She is just transitioning out of the honeymoon. By the way, she is getting 1 bolus insulin unit for every 25-35 carbs (depending on time of meal)..

[Lee]

I am in the same spot...they say we are still in honeymoon - I don't know how - for 22 months...based on her insulin dosages...

[SamsMom]

Sam takes very little insulin. Maybe 1-2 units at meals (depending on what he eats and his bs going in) and has low basals.

I hope 18 months into we are still honeymooning!

[frizzyrazzy]

we're just over 2 years into this and Ian has only just recently started getting to the point where he's taking the standard dose for his weight - barely. So is he still honeymooning? who knows. I do know that he never gets ketones..so maybe..but he can go quite high if we mess up..so maybe not.

[Amy C.]

My son so the doctor says is still in his honeymoon. It has been 18 months since diagnosis. I didn't think they last this long, but he said because of my sons dosing of insulin, that he must be.

Just curious for those of you with teens or puberty age what is an average dose of units your child takes per meal. My son is about 4-5 units for about 80 carbs.

I found this definition of honeymoon used for a study:

The honeymoon period was defined as a period with insulin requirements of less than 0.5 U/kg/day and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of less or equal to 6%.

You don't say what your son's total daily dose of insulin is. Most determine the honeymoon status by that amount. If your son is getting 4-5 units of insulin at a single meal of 80 grams that is a ratio of about 1:17. That particular ratio is about average.

Add up all the insulin he receives per day -- for meals, snack, and as basal.
Next, deterimine your son's weight in kilograms. (weight/2.2). Take the number of units of insulin taken per day (TDD) and divide by his weight. If that number is less than .5, your son is still honeymooning.

For example, my son weighs 139 lbs and takes 60 units of insulin a day.

139/2.2 = 63.18 (weight in lbs/2.2)
60/63.18= .95 (TDD/weight in KG)

My son is not in his honeymoon. After 10 years, I would not expect him to still be honeymooning.

[EmmasMom]

I think it's very likely that he's still producing some insulin, even 18 months later. Research shows that the older you are at dx's, the slower the beta cell destruction is, (usually). He may continue to have a small amount of insulin production for years.

My husband was dx'd type 1 at 26, and still has some insulin production 7 years later. (based on C-peptide results)

My daughter was dx'd at 9 months and had no insulin production within 2 months of her dx's. (also based on C-peptide results)

Wilf is correct about the Total daily dose. TDD and carb ratios are more significant than the number of units per meal. Most type 1's require about 1 unit per kilo, per day once insulin production is completely gone.


My daughter weighs 15 kilograms and her average TDD is right at 15 units, (it can go up significantly if she eats a lot). She gets 1 unit of insulin for 10g of carb.

[AJsmom]

My son was in the honeymoon stage for 4 years! 13 years later and age 15 he still only gets 1 unit for every 15 grams.

[Boo]

At the endo's office 2 years after my son's diagnosis, I recall her saying, "Well, he has had a pretty nice honeymoon!". So I guess his lasted about 2 years before he reached the point that his insulin requirements were what they would expect given his size and weight. For him, it was just a steady gradual increase in insulin doses over the 2 year period.

[Amy C.]

My son was in the honeymoon stage for 4 years! 13 years later and age 15 he still only gets 1 unit for every 15 grams.

I hate to burst your bubble, but I think a ratio of 1:15 is very common for Type 1 diabetics. My son gets about that much at a meal as well.

Sometimes teens develop insulin resistance and need more insulin. If your son is very active, this will help lower his insulin needs.

[Ali]

I think you need both the lower insulin needs and the A1c below 6%. I have been type one for 36 years and my insulin needs are below or right at the 1/2 unit mark. This is a general rule. I know as a female hormones can cause my insulin needs to plummet while my appetite and food intake go way up and they can cause extreme insulin resistance for a few days a month as well. In general I run around 20 to 25 units for 115 pounds. Also my pump needs are less than when on shots so this quick calcuation may be based on shots and older insulins. Ali