reliable metre readings

January 10, 2014 10:41

novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate
NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts

so your eating carbs with no bolus yet your still dropping.......?

that would suggest basal issues.....no?

you could maybe try temp basals to avoid the carbs..... Smile

January 10, 2014 10:46

Vickyp DAFNE Graduate
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 137 posts

Novorapidboi....I am heading into hospital next week for tests as I have no basal from midnight until 5pm and still dip! I dip everyday between 10am and 11am, and usually between 4pm and 5pm regardless of what have had for breakfast or lunch. I do bolus at lunch, with another recent increase of ratio to 60g:1U, which has helped a bit, but take no bolus at anytime before midday!!!
I have to temp basal the pump of off for 17hours a day. My endo cant explain either, hence the tests...possibly to do with the chronic pancreatitis?!

January 10, 2014 10:53

novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate
NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts

So you cant be a normal type 1, you must be MODY maybe, still producing your own insulin...?

And if so, why the pump......

I realize you may have explained this before on here, but I cant remember if you have....

January 10, 2014 10:58

Vickyp DAFNE Graduate
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 137 posts

im sure I explained it somewhere. I am on the pump as need insulin in such small amounts and am insulin sensitive. On MDI I was having major hypos (1.7 etc) and that was with tiny ratios and a half-unit pen. I now average 4 units of insulin a day! They think I may produce small amount of insulin over night but as they day wears on I need more and more insulin from the pump!
Endo also mentioned glygogen/glucagon and possibly also reactive hypoglycaemia...I am weird!
But also one of the best controlled he has..HBA1c currently at 42 ( was 54 last year!)
They class it as secondary diabetes, post-parandial diabetes has also been mentioned but then my BGs should go up in the mornings not down!!

January 10, 2014 10:59

Vickyp DAFNE Graduate
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 137 posts

I also went straight on insulin die to cholesterol and triglyceride levels (18 and 39 respectively at diagnosis!!)

January 10, 2014 11:04

novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate
NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts

So the pump is down to your insulin sensitivity........?

I thought that maybe you could have given yourself a few units of long acting insulin for the day, but I could see how that would be unsuitable.....

You really are very special eh...?

(I vaguely remember your story now..).... Smile

January 10, 2014 11:11

Vickyp DAFNE Graduate
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 137 posts

insulin sensitivity, and the fact am trying for a family and they prefer pregnant/preconceptive females to be on the pump!

January 10, 2014 14:01

youone DAFNE Graduate
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 102 posts

novorapidboi26 said:
I think that the technology used to actually determine blood glucose from a sample of blood is a lot more advanced than what the pump actually does.

A lot of the success of the pump is down to the user. Of course the way it delivers the insulin, slowly over time, does help a lot, as absorption is much more efficient and it helps with varying digestion times.

I think in your case something has went wrong with the meter, maybe the strips, but I think a replacement of the strips or meter would fix your problem.

Does your meter wirelessly transmit the reading to the omnipod?

the omnipod has a built in meter, which works along side the PDM, yes your correct the success of the pump is down to how the user uses it, I've adapted very quickly and use all the omnipod options to control my condition over a very varying day. with good results.
the question I asked was the pump technology out of sync with present BG testing, since the omnipod can survive and work to a very accurate level in a very demanding real world.
I understand what many say about dirty hands and other elements that send readings out of spec,
I don't want to argue over points that I Recognize people on here know and have a better understanding.
The omnipod has given me freedom to do things that I couldn't do before so it 's put me in situations where although the pod can handle it with ease the meter or the present way of testing for your BG is out of sync ( ie its off putting), so where you gained freedom to do things with the pump your held back with the present setup for BG testing.
I like you re test if I aren't happy with a reading I said that in the original question, in this case I used a 2nd meter which gave a different reading by far, I re tested on the omnipod with a similar result,
both the omnipod PDM and the strips where replaced in a space of days.
I found both companies very understanding and helpful,
I may be asking for to much but unless we ask things don't happen or change, its time in my opinion the a better method was used to test BG levels
In a very demanding world we type 1's are always put under stress to cope with normal day life, I expect many of us have seen the expression on Dafne students when the nurse askes them to test 4 to 6 times a day.
you know its a body blow to them, the 1 thing that can help you control your condition is the most off putting,
hence weather its faulty strips or dirty hands a better friendly way of testing is needed.

January 10, 2014 15:31

novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate
NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts

I think there have been some attempts at non invasive blood glucose measurement.

I think currently the blood meters use light/laser at the moment, its passes through the sample and then the light that returns is measured/analysed, and its that which gives the result. I think that's how they do it...

And I think recently they have been experimenting with similar technology where you shine light of longer wavelengths through your finger and that will give a reading, so I think we may be on the right track.

I still believe that an insulin pump is a pretty simple device though, in comparison to blood meters. Its just a tiny motor hooked up to a microchip which is programmed.

Have there been different models of omnipod, like a 2nd generation etc, upgrades, if not, they may have scope to refine any technology it currently uses like the built in meter....

Very Happy

January 10, 2014 16:16

Vickyp DAFNE Graduate
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 137 posts

The omnipod has relatively recently been updated...with the new smaller pod!

January 10, 2014 10:41 novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts	so your eating carbs with no bolus yet your still dropping.......? that would suggest basal issues.....no? you could maybe try temp basals to avoid the carbs.....
January 10, 2014 10:46 Vickyp DAFNE Graduate County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 137 posts	Novorapidboi....I am heading into hospital next week for tests as I have no basal from midnight until 5pm and still dip! I dip everyday between 10am and 11am, and usually between 4pm and 5pm regardless of what have had for breakfast or lunch. I do bolus at lunch, with another recent increase of ratio to 60g:1U, which has helped a bit, but take no bolus at anytime before midday!!! I have to temp basal the pump of off for 17hours a day. My endo cant explain either, hence the tests...possibly to do with the chronic pancreatitis?!
January 10, 2014 10:53 novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts	So you cant be a normal type 1, you must be MODY maybe, still producing your own insulin...? And if so, why the pump...... I realize you may have explained this before on here, but I cant remember if you have....
January 10, 2014 10:58 Vickyp DAFNE Graduate County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 137 posts	im sure I explained it somewhere. I am on the pump as need insulin in such small amounts and am insulin sensitive. On MDI I was having major hypos (1.7 etc) and that was with tiny ratios and a half-unit pen. I now average 4 units of insulin a day! They think I may produce small amount of insulin over night but as they day wears on I need more and more insulin from the pump! Endo also mentioned glygogen/glucagon and possibly also reactive hypoglycaemia...I am weird! But also one of the best controlled he has..HBA1c currently at 42 ( was 54 last year!) They class it as secondary diabetes, post-parandial diabetes has also been mentioned but then my BGs should go up in the mornings not down!!
January 10, 2014 10:59 Vickyp DAFNE Graduate County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 137 posts	I also went straight on insulin die to cholesterol and triglyceride levels (18 and 39 respectively at diagnosis!!)
January 10, 2014 11:04 novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts	So the pump is down to your insulin sensitivity........? I thought that maybe you could have given yourself a few units of long acting insulin for the day, but I could see how that would be unsuitable..... You really are very special eh...? (I vaguely remember your story now..)....
January 10, 2014 11:11 Vickyp DAFNE Graduate County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 137 posts	insulin sensitivity, and the fact am trying for a family and they prefer pregnant/preconceptive females to be on the pump!
January 10, 2014 14:01 youone DAFNE Graduate Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 102 posts	novorapidboi26 said: I think that the technology used to actually determine blood glucose from a sample of blood is a lot more advanced than what the pump actually does. A lot of the success of the pump is down to the user. Of course the way it delivers the insulin, slowly over time, does help a lot, as absorption is much more efficient and it helps with varying digestion times. I think in your case something has went wrong with the meter, maybe the strips, but I think a replacement of the strips or meter would fix your problem. Does your meter wirelessly transmit the reading to the omnipod? the omnipod has a built in meter, which works along side the PDM, yes your correct the success of the pump is down to how the user uses it, I've adapted very quickly and use all the omnipod options to control my condition over a very varying day. with good results. the question I asked was the pump technology out of sync with present BG testing, since the omnipod can survive and work to a very accurate level in a very demanding real world. I understand what many say about dirty hands and other elements that send readings out of spec, I don't want to argue over points that I Recognize people on here know and have a better understanding. The omnipod has given me freedom to do things that I couldn't do before so it 's put me in situations where although the pod can handle it with ease the meter or the present way of testing for your BG is out of sync ( ie its off putting), so where you gained freedom to do things with the pump your held back with the present setup for BG testing. I like you re test if I aren't happy with a reading I said that in the original question, in this case I used a 2nd meter which gave a different reading by far, I re tested on the omnipod with a similar result, both the omnipod PDM and the strips where replaced in a space of days. I found both companies very understanding and helpful, I may be asking for to much but unless we ask things don't happen or change, its time in my opinion the a better method was used to test BG levels In a very demanding world we type 1's are always put under stress to cope with normal day life, I expect many of us have seen the expression on Dafne students when the nurse askes them to test 4 to 6 times a day. you know its a body blow to them, the 1 thing that can help you control your condition is the most off putting, hence weather its faulty strips or dirty hands a better friendly way of testing is needed.
January 10, 2014 15:31 novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts	I think there have been some attempts at non invasive blood glucose measurement. I think currently the blood meters use light/laser at the moment, its passes through the sample and then the light that returns is measured/analysed, and its that which gives the result. I think that's how they do it... And I think recently they have been experimenting with similar technology where you shine light of longer wavelengths through your finger and that will give a reading, so I think we may be on the right track. I still believe that an insulin pump is a pretty simple device though, in comparison to blood meters. Its just a tiny motor hooked up to a microchip which is programmed. Have there been different models of omnipod, like a 2nd generation etc, upgrades, if not, they may have scope to refine any technology it currently uses like the built in meter....
January 10, 2014 16:16 Vickyp DAFNE Graduate County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 137 posts	The omnipod has relatively recently been updated...with the new smaller pod!