May 19, 2007
Daily Care, Honeymoon
Question from Frankfort, Illinois, USA:
My son was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two weeks ago. His blood sugar levels are usually pretty good….a few lows and highs here and there. He’s only 18 months old and the doctor said he could go into a “honeymoon” period. It seems like every time he goes to bed, his readings are normal or just above 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L]. When he wakes up, his readings are ALWAYS under 100 mg/dl [5.6 mmol/L], usually around 60 mg/dl [3.3 mmol/L] to 80 mg/dl [4.4 mmol/L]. He takes Lantus at night, but only one unit. Many times, we don’t even give him Humalog after breakfast, because his reading is lower than 100 mg/dl [5.6 mmol/L]. Is this his “honeymoon” period in action? Should I be concerned that he doesn’t need an insulin shot after EVERY breakfast and sometimes lunch?
Answer:
Yes, it looks like your son is currently facing the transient honeymoon phase and you shouldn’t be concerned if he might not need a shot of lispro after every meal. I’d stick to the glargine, even if it’s just a very low dosage. Be ready for a short duration of this mild period given the very young age of your son.
MS
