My 18 year old boyfriend, who has had type 1 diabetes for a little less than a year, has recently lost a lot of weight (15 pounds) and I am concerned. His glucose levels are right around 120 mg/dl [6.7 mmol/L] with some low readings of 70-90 mg/dl [3.9 -5 mmol/L]. He missed a dose of insulin and ate the same amount of food as he always does, and when I tested his blood glucose, it was 118 mg/dl [6.6 mmol/L]. Does this sound like the honeymoon stage? Do the low readings mean that he needs to cut back on insulin? Why has he gone from 150 to 135 pounds in a month? (He is 5 feet 11 inches tall.) What is a normal weight for him to set as a goal? What do you suggest I feed him to help him gain weight?

Your boyfriend’s blood sugar levels sound pretty normal to me. Frequently in the honeymoon phase of type�1 diabetes when insulin doses are pretty low, you may see an after meal blood sugar that is in the normal range even when an insulin dose is missed (which is not recommended!) because the pancreas is still secreting some insulin.

I would suggest that weight management and goals be discussed with his physician as there are so many factors that may influence that decision including body and bone structure, activity level, family history, etc. It sounds like you may also benefit by talking to a dietitian who can help sort through some of these issues.

MSB

[Editor’s comment: He should get his thyroid gland’s function checked for the possibility of hyperthyroidism.

WWQ]