Type 1 Diabetes: Insulin
Insulin is a hormone that is used to treat type 1 diabetes and some people with type 2 and gestational diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes require insulin therapy because the beta cells of their pancreas are no longer manufacturing sufficient amounts of insulin to control their blood sugar levels. Insulin allows glucose to leave the bloodstream and enter the cells of the body, where it’s used for energy.
How much insulin you need and when you take it depends on several factors—the type of insulin your doctor has prescribed, your nutrition and exercise habits, other co-existing medical conditions and medications you may be taking, and how much insulin (if any) your pancreas is still producing.
How sensitive you are to insulin also plays a role. For people with type 1 diabetes, insulin doses may vary day-to-day depending on all of the above factors.
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Insulin Needs and Honeymoons
At first diagnosis, many people experience what is known as “the honeymoon phase.” The honeymoon or remission phase occurs after blood glucose levels have been brought under control and is characterized by a decrease in insulin doses. The length of a honeymoon period is variable (days, weeks, months, and rarely—years), and not everyone has one. As a general rule, the younger the patient at diagnosis, the shorter the “honeymoon.”
