December 9, 2004
Honeymoon, Type 2
Question from Karachi, Pakistan:
A patient has type 2 diabetes and used oral medication for six years. Four months ago, when the doctor gave him insulin, he had hypoglycemia for some time and, later, his blood sugar level become stable. Is this a honeymoon period? How can such patients be treated? What should their follow-up be? Should they be on oral medications or insulin? What dosage? In sum, what is the general criteria for treating such patients?
Answer:
It is unlikely a honeymoon period. This term is reserved for those with true autoimmune diabetes. However, it has been shown that any intervention that lowers blood sugars and reduces the glucose toxicity has the benefit of improving insulin secretion. The improvement in blood sugars can come from the use of oral medications, insulin, or lifestyle changes. It is not uncommon in patients with type 2 diabetes.
JTL
