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A Life-Changing Moment in a Patient with Type 1 Diabetes: Insulin Holiday

Muhammad Imran Butt, Noha Mukhtar, Muhammad Riazuddin, Lama Amer, Tarek Elsayed

Background: The diagnosis of type 1 diabetes can be a life-changing moment for our patients particularly having to live with the idea of taking insulin all their life and the barriers it can bring about. Case report: We report a patient with ten years of autoimmune type 1 diabetes treated with insulin. He was able to stop insulin in favour of oral diabetes agents after dynamic endocrine tests confirmed micro insulin secretion despite autoimmunity. Our case demonstrates that a detailed history and thorough investigations adopting a holistic approach can sometimes change the course of disease management and can leave a positive impact on the life of our patients. Conclusion: Patients with partial retention of beta-cell function in type 1 diabetes can temporarily stop insulin safely with ongoing surveillance. [GMJ.2020;9:e1769] 

Autoimmunity; Insulin Secretion; Type 1 Diabetes; Autoimmune Diabetes; Islets of Langerhans; Diabetic Ketoacidosis
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.31661/gmj.v9i0.1769

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