T1D glossary

Honeymoon phase

Also called honeymoon period, partial remission.

The honeymoon phase is a period soon after a type 1 diagnosis when the pancreas makes more of its own insulin again, once insulin treatment has brought glucose down. During it, less insulin is often enough, and ADA notes that lower glucose goals may be possible. It is temporary, and no approved therapy yet makes it last longer. (ADA Standards of Care 2026, section 14; ADA Standards of Care 2026, section 9)

Worked example

In the first months after diagnosis, a child's numbers may stay in range on less insulin than the starting plan. When the honeymoon ends, the same meals start to spike and insulin needs go up.

Related terms

• Basal insulin
• Bolus
• Time in range

Sources, quoted

• ADA Standards of Care 2026, section 14: “The honeymoon phase, also referred to as partial remission, refers to a transient period of increased endogenous insulin secretion shortly after diagnosis when initiation of insulin therapy resolves glucotoxicity and allows for improved insulin secretion from residual β-cells.”
• ADA Standards of Care 2026, section 9: “with lower doses often sufficient in those with continued endogenous insulin production (during the partial remission phase or “honeymoon” period”
• ADA Standards of Care 2026, section 14: “Lower goals may be possible during the honeymoon phase of type 1 diabetes and in those with access to CGM and AID.”
• ADA Standards of Care 2026, section 9: “There are currently no approved therapies for preservation of C-peptide or prolongation of the partial remission (honeymoon) phase in individuals with established stage 3 type 1 diabetes.”

Every quote above is checked against its source page before each update of this site; last checked 2026-10-06. The worked example is our own arithmetic. This page explains a term; it is not advice for a person's treatment.