June 14, 2007
Diagnosis and Symptoms, Honeymoon
Question from United Kingdom:
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two weeks ago after I was taken to the hospital with high levels of ketones in my urine and my blood sugar at 12.0 mmol/L [216 mg/dl]. I was told I was in DKA and hence diagnosed with type 1. However, after being discharged from the hospital, my doctor decreased my insulin from eight units to two and then, a week ago, I was told to stop insulin as my sugar levels dropped a lot. I have been checking my sugar levels seven times per day for the last five days and they are in the normal range. Is there any chance that I don’t have type 1 diabetes or is it a so called honeymoon period? Also, what other conditions except diabetes can bring on DKA?
Answer:
It is unlikely that you do not have diabetes after having an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis. What happens to explain your improved blood sugars is that the insulin-producing cells that remain and have not been destroyed are able to function more appropriately in a normal glucose environment. You are most likely in the honeymoon phase of type 1 diabetes. The good news is that the honeymoon tends to last longer with better glucose levels. Unfortunately, the underlying disease that destroys the insulin-producing beta cells usually destroys the remaining insulin-producing cells over time.
JTL
