Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Jul 31, 2015

Whyters 2 posts

I live in Maidstone Kent and I order a sharps box on my repeat prescription and then call the council to pick up my full one the council store my details of where to find them if I am out I just give address and they usually collect from my front porch normally on a Tuesday morning I usually call when I have 4 of the 1 ltr boxes this is my choice as I feel collecting one is wasting the council time and money never had any issues with this superb service.

Jul 31, 2015

Warwick 434 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Low Carb

My basal insulin needs went from 10 in the morning and 16 at night to two doses of 6 each. There were a few hypos involved. Just test more often and gradually lower basal. You'll find a sweet spot, but your risk of hypos will increase a bit.

Fat has twice the energy of carbs, so you probably don't need to worry about weight loss too much. I lost a bit of weight, but I weighed more than I did at diagnosis so I was quite happy with that. You don't need a lot of extra fat in the diet to maintain your weight. Go for the healthy fats like avocados and olives, but you don't need very much.

I don't tell other people what I am doing unless they notice. It is difficult eating out (especially as I am vegetarian too), but assuming you eat meat, if you order a steak, or salmon steak etc with a side salad then that will be low carb and higher fat. I need to eat out at a pub next week and looking at the menu, I'm going to be ordering a side salad and the cheese board. :-) Also, just because you are served carbs at a restaurant doesn't mean you have to eat them. Eating out with some other diabetics who are practicing LCHF, we were served quiche in pastry. We just ate the quiche part, without eating the pastry, and bundled the pastry into napkins for a bin on the way home.

The transition will be trial and error with insulin needs, but once you are there, it will be much easier on your long bike rides.

Jul 31, 2015

Pippa Mc 4 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Greenwheat Freekeh

Just been doing a little googling and found below - working on this logic would it be fair to consider that I should consider halving insulin - might give this a go and see how I get on..

"Low carb" food. Resistant starch plus high in fiber (up to 16.5% fiber). Available carbs are about 45 units / 100.

Jul 31, 2015

Pippa Mc 4 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Greenwheat Freekeh

Hello,

I am looking for some advice in relation to Greenwheat Freekeh.

Nutritional information suggests that 100g of the stuff equates to 6-6.5 CP - however as a low GI food I'm not sure what to do with it - I can't find anything specifically related to this grain..

Any help greatly appreciated - lunch is calling!

Thanks,

Pippa

Jul 31, 2015

Phil Maskell 194 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Low Carb

Warwick,

Quick question, like I said above I often go out on 5+ hour rides (sometime 15+), while trying to become fat adapted how did you deal with low BG? For the interim did you cut insulin to allow BG to run higher? I like the idea of not needing so many gels in my pockets, but until I am fat adapted do I ease off the exercise?

With all the exercise I do I am also on the low end of my ideal weight, being fat adapted, will this cause more weight loss? I just want to stay the same weight... What did you notice?

How do you deal with the stigma from family/friends? What do you order when eating out?

Sorry for all the questions, nice to find a diabetic that's actually done it.

Thanks,

Phil

Jul 31, 2015

Warwick 434 posts

Topic: Questions ? / High BG's after fracture

Stress hormones getting released at the time of the break can also increase BGLs until they stop being produced.

And if you need a cortisone injection, then that will likely increase them too.

Jul 31, 2015

Warwick 434 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Low Carb

Everyone is different. Some get "Keto flu" while adapting. I didn't. In fact, my body responded really positively to it and I very quickly felt much better than I do when chomping on lots of carbs. It will all be a case of try it and see :-)

Jul 30, 2015

Phil Maskell 194 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Low Carb

Warwick, cheers for the info, just bought the kindle version.

I like the fact you say after only 1 month you did a half ironman on cheese and olives Very Happy

I am impatient and most things I have read say it can take 6 months to a year to become fat adapted...

Jul 29, 2015

AMcD 38 posts

Topic: Questions ? / High BG's after fracture

Would it be possible that

A) the lack of mobility and not burning off glucose naturally is resulting in the higher BG levels? Would you normally be on target and more mobile?

B) taking small snacks now that your laid up without qa dose

An infection may cause raised BG levels but assume this is not the case.

Hope you get back on track soon.

Andy

Jul 29, 2015

Warwick 434 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Night time Hypo - Depression!

Depending on how low I go, I can feel really rubbish after a night time hypo. I thought I had excellent hypo awareness, but having had a CGM on for the last 6 weeks, I'm totally shocked at how many hypos I am having without symptoms. I think I've just recently lost my symptoms, so I'll have to raise my target BGs for 6 weeks to try and get them back. Yuck. Not looking forward to that. I hate being high.

Jul 29, 2015

Warwick 434 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Low Carb

I strongly recommend reading "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" by Stephen D. Phinney and Jeff S. Volek. Both authors are medical doctors who have been practicing a LCHF diet for decades and covers what kind of fats to go for, and which to avoid, as well as common pitfalls. I wouldn't recommend trying this diet without reading it first.

Another book which covers similar material is Dr Bernstein's Complete Diabetes Solution which is also excellent.

I like to take part in triathlon, especially half ironman distance events. Usually, I'll take around 200-300 grams of carb during one (mainly sports drinks and gels), After being on LCHF for a month, I completed one with my only fuel being cheese, olives and a carb-less drink containing electrolytes (called NUUN). Usually I die during the run, but I felt fantastic at the end and my time for the run was only about 4 minutes slower than my usual time for a half marathon when I don't do the swim and cycle, and about 25 minutes faster than my usual run time. I calculated the number of carbs that I had prior to and during the half ironman, and it was less than 5g.

BGs are much easier to control too because less carbs = less required insulin, so less room for errors in estimation.

I don't think that LCHF is for everyone and if a high carb diet is working, then I'd suggest sticking with that, but if it isn't working then this is definitely worth trying. High carb doesn't work for me. I just can't stop eating carbs once I start with the resulting peaks and troughs in BGs, but a low carb, high fat diet makes it much easier to control my urges to snack and my BG graphs on my continuous glucose monitor are just gentle rises and falls - very different to when I am on high carb. It is important to increase fat while lowering carbs or you'll run out of fuel. I'd prefer to not say much more as it is an enormous subject and the books above are much better at explaining than I am.

Jul 29, 2015

Warwick 434 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Needle Bins

Here in Melbourne, Australia, the council provides sharp bins and a drop shute when they are filled. In New Zealand, I was told by my Diabetic Educator to put them in a plastic bottle, put a lid on when full and gaffer tape the lid closed.

Jul 28, 2015

Colin McC 15 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Needle Bins

I recently moved home & got in touch with my local Council (Gravesham, Kent). They do a drop-off pick-up service wit 500ml, 1 litre & 5 litre bins. 24 hours after I made contact they dropped of the Sharps bin. Don't know how true it is but I was told that GP's are not allowed to take them (?).

Jul 28, 2015

Colin McC 15 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Half unit pens

Received a back-up HumaPen Luxura HD Lilly pen, on prescription from my Diabetic doctor at my GP today.. So if you are insulin sensitive & want a HD pen try your GP, worked for me. By the by they cost @ Â£40+ (excl VAT).

Jul 27, 2015

marke 655 posts

Topic: General Discussion / JDRF Fund raisers

All we have been requested to promote a couple of upcoming Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) events on the site, so here they are. Please click on the links for more information

Ain't No Mountain High Enough Challenge - The link for the event is here - https://www.jdrf.org.uk/get-involved/join-in-an-event/treks/aint-no-mountain-high-enough and the deadline for people to sign up is the end of this week.

One Walk - The link for the event is here - https://www.jdrf.org.uk/get-involved/join-in-an-event/walks/one-walk-london-bridges and the deadline for people to sign up is the end of September.

Jul 24, 2015

Frazer 16 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

Anyone else having problems downloading the software from the website? I have Windows 7 and all the other stuff it says you need.
I know the reader should be connected to the laptop but all I get is a hand that flashes - I assume this means there is a problem.
I spoke to Abbott and they suggested right clicking and downloading as 'administrator' but that option doesn't appear when I right click.
Probably something very obvious as I am no great shakes on technology but I can't see what I'm doing wrong Rolling Eyes

Jul 23, 2015

AMcD 38 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Half unit pens

We received the half unit pens mentioned above at our dafne course named novo pen echo. The half unit delivery was a big help and the time display since last delivery is a useful featute of the pens. I am now on a pump after 25 years of pens. I don't know how available these are in your area but they deliver 0.05 units so could be worth thinking about if you have access to one. Andy

Jul 23, 2015

Susanf 29 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Totally confused

Hi,

I only started on Metformin about 6 weeks ago. Like David I was on close to 100 units per day. Within the 6 weeks my insulin requirements have dropped by almost 50% and I'm hoping that will get better. My weight has dropped by 9lb without dieting. Am getting a bit more hopeful that I can begin to lose the weight now. Good Luck

Jul 23, 2015

David01 10 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Totally confused

Hi BeccyB

It;s cefinitely worth discussing with your Diabetes Specialist Nurse. I started including Metformin in my regime something like 10 years ago. At the time I was probably on near enough 100 units total ever day. Over the years my doses have come down so that now on average I'm on less that half that - which has made it much easier for me to lose weight. Like a lot of T1s I've found that whatever claims are made about analog insulins by the manufacturers, the insulins I'm on definitely have made me gain weight. It's a problem that's very familiar to health professionals. My wife works for our local NHS trust and she's done various courses where it's been spedicically mentioned that for some diabetics (like me) insulin acts like an anabolic steroid - but without the nasty side effects. That doesn't mean I'm incredibly muscualr by the way. It just means that previously I was very fat. I saw a letter from a consultantto my GP a few years ago descibing me as clinically obese! That shocked me enough to make a determined effcort to lose weight - which is much easier than in the past because ofthe Metformin and the DAFNE regime of insulin doses, while still remianing well controlled.

Good luck at the clinic!

Jul 23, 2015

HelenH 9 posts

Topic: Questions ? / High BG's after fracture

Hi, I broke ankle Sunday 5pm, had manipulation to put back in place & then operation to reset Monday. Apart from Monday when BG controlled by infusions all of my readings have been ranging between 13 & 24. I have given a correction of 2 units at every meal & increased background by 1 unit am & pm. This seems to be having no effect. Any advice? I am now at home but quite immobile. Thanks

Jul 22, 2015

Susanf 29 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Totally confused

Jul 31, 2015 Whyters 2 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Needle Bins I live in Maidstone Kent and I order a sharps box on my repeat prescription and then call the council to pick up my full one the council store my details of where to find them if I am out I just give address and they usually collect from my front porch normally on a Tuesday morning I usually call when I have 4 of the 1 ltr boxes this is my choice as I feel collecting one is wasting the council time and money never had any issues with this superb service.

Jul 31, 2015 Warwick 434 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Low Carb My basal insulin needs went from 10 in the morning and 16 at night to two doses of 6 each. There were a few hypos involved. Just test more often and gradually lower basal. You'll find a sweet spot, but your risk of hypos will increase a bit. Fat has twice the energy of carbs, so you probably don't need to worry about weight loss too much. I lost a bit of weight, but I weighed more than I did at diagnosis so I was quite happy with that. You don't need a lot of extra fat in the diet to maintain your weight. Go for the healthy fats like avocados and olives, but you don't need very much. I don't tell other people what I am doing unless they notice. It is difficult eating out (especially as I am vegetarian too), but assuming you eat meat, if you order a steak, or salmon steak etc with a side salad then that will be low carb and higher fat. I need to eat out at a pub next week and looking at the menu, I'm going to be ordering a side salad and the cheese board. :-) Also, just because you are served carbs at a restaurant doesn't mean you have to eat them. Eating out with some other diabetics who are practicing LCHF, we were served quiche in pastry. We just ate the quiche part, without eating the pastry, and bundled the pastry into napkins for a bin on the way home. The transition will be trial and error with insulin needs, but once you are there, it will be much easier on your long bike rides.

Jul 31, 2015 Pippa Mc 4 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Greenwheat Freekeh Just been doing a little googling and found below - working on this logic would it be fair to consider that I should consider halving insulin - might give this a go and see how I get on.. "Low carb" food. Resistant starch plus high in fiber (up to 16.5% fiber). Available carbs are about 45 units / 100.

Jul 31, 2015 Pippa Mc 4 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Greenwheat Freekeh Hello, I am looking for some advice in relation to Greenwheat Freekeh. Nutritional information suggests that 100g of the stuff equates to 6-6.5 CP - however as a low GI food I'm not sure what to do with it - I can't find anything specifically related to this grain.. Any help greatly appreciated - lunch is calling! Thanks, Pippa

Jul 31, 2015 Phil Maskell 194 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Low Carb Warwick, Quick question, like I said above I often go out on 5+ hour rides (sometime 15+), while trying to become fat adapted how did you deal with low BG? For the interim did you cut insulin to allow BG to run higher? I like the idea of not needing so many gels in my pockets, but until I am fat adapted do I ease off the exercise? With all the exercise I do I am also on the low end of my ideal weight, being fat adapted, will this cause more weight loss? I just want to stay the same weight... What did you notice? How do you deal with the stigma from family/friends? What do you order when eating out? Sorry for all the questions, nice to find a diabetic that's actually done it. Thanks, Phil

Jul 31, 2015 Warwick 434 posts	Topic: Questions ? / High BG's after fracture Stress hormones getting released at the time of the break can also increase BGLs until they stop being produced. And if you need a cortisone injection, then that will likely increase them too.

Jul 31, 2015 Warwick 434 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Low Carb Everyone is different. Some get "Keto flu" while adapting. I didn't. In fact, my body responded really positively to it and I very quickly felt much better than I do when chomping on lots of carbs. It will all be a case of try it and see :-)

Jul 30, 2015 Phil Maskell 194 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Low Carb Warwick, cheers for the info, just bought the kindle version. I like the fact you say after only 1 month you did a half ironman on cheese and olives I am impatient and most things I have read say it can take 6 months to a year to become fat adapted...

Jul 29, 2015 AMcD 38 posts	Topic: Questions ? / High BG's after fracture Would it be possible that A) the lack of mobility and not burning off glucose naturally is resulting in the higher BG levels? Would you normally be on target and more mobile? B) taking small snacks now that your laid up without qa dose An infection may cause raised BG levels but assume this is not the case. Hope you get back on track soon. Andy

Jul 29, 2015 Warwick 434 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Night time Hypo - Depression! Depending on how low I go, I can feel really rubbish after a night time hypo. I thought I had excellent hypo awareness, but having had a CGM on for the last 6 weeks, I'm totally shocked at how many hypos I am having without symptoms. I think I've just recently lost my symptoms, so I'll have to raise my target BGs for 6 weeks to try and get them back. Yuck. Not looking forward to that. I hate being high.

Jul 29, 2015 Warwick 434 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Low Carb I strongly recommend reading "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" by Stephen D. Phinney and Jeff S. Volek. Both authors are medical doctors who have been practicing a LCHF diet for decades and covers what kind of fats to go for, and which to avoid, as well as common pitfalls. I wouldn't recommend trying this diet without reading it first. Another book which covers similar material is Dr Bernstein's Complete Diabetes Solution which is also excellent. I like to take part in triathlon, especially half ironman distance events. Usually, I'll take around 200-300 grams of carb during one (mainly sports drinks and gels), After being on LCHF for a month, I completed one with my only fuel being cheese, olives and a carb-less drink containing electrolytes (called NUUN). Usually I die during the run, but I felt fantastic at the end and my time for the run was only about 4 minutes slower than my usual time for a half marathon when I don't do the swim and cycle, and about 25 minutes faster than my usual run time. I calculated the number of carbs that I had prior to and during the half ironman, and it was less than 5g. BGs are much easier to control too because less carbs = less required insulin, so less room for errors in estimation. I don't think that LCHF is for everyone and if a high carb diet is working, then I'd suggest sticking with that, but if it isn't working then this is definitely worth trying. High carb doesn't work for me. I just can't stop eating carbs once I start with the resulting peaks and troughs in BGs, but a low carb, high fat diet makes it much easier to control my urges to snack and my BG graphs on my continuous glucose monitor are just gentle rises and falls - very different to when I am on high carb. It is important to increase fat while lowering carbs or you'll run out of fuel. I'd prefer to not say much more as it is an enormous subject and the books above are much better at explaining than I am.

Jul 29, 2015 Warwick 434 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Needle Bins Here in Melbourne, Australia, the council provides sharp bins and a drop shute when they are filled. In New Zealand, I was told by my Diabetic Educator to put them in a plastic bottle, put a lid on when full and gaffer tape the lid closed.

Jul 28, 2015 Colin McC 15 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Needle Bins I recently moved home & got in touch with my local Council (Gravesham, Kent). They do a drop-off pick-up service wit 500ml, 1 litre & 5 litre bins. 24 hours after I made contact they dropped of the Sharps bin. Don't know how true it is but I was told that GP's are not allowed to take them (?).

Jul 28, 2015 Colin McC 15 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Half unit pens Received a back-up HumaPen Luxura HD Lilly pen, on prescription from my Diabetic doctor at my GP today.. So if you are insulin sensitive & want a HD pen try your GP, worked for me. By the by they cost @ Â£40+ (excl VAT).

Jul 27, 2015 marke 655 posts	Topic: General Discussion / JDRF Fund raisers All we have been requested to promote a couple of upcoming Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) events on the site, so here they are. Please click on the links for more information Ain't No Mountain High Enough Challenge - The link for the event is here - https://www.jdrf.org.uk/get-involved/join-in-an-event/treks/aint-no-mountain-high-enough and the deadline for people to sign up is the end of this week. One Walk - The link for the event is here - https://www.jdrf.org.uk/get-involved/join-in-an-event/walks/one-walk-london-bridges and the deadline for people to sign up is the end of September.

Jul 24, 2015 Frazer 16 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) Anyone else having problems downloading the software from the website? I have Windows 7 and all the other stuff it says you need. I know the reader should be connected to the laptop but all I get is a hand that flashes - I assume this means there is a problem. I spoke to Abbott and they suggested right clicking and downloading as 'administrator' but that option doesn't appear when I right click. Probably something very obvious as I am no great shakes on technology but I can't see what I'm doing wrong

Jul 23, 2015 AMcD 38 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Half unit pens We received the half unit pens mentioned above at our dafne course named novo pen echo. The half unit delivery was a big help and the time display since last delivery is a useful featute of the pens. I am now on a pump after 25 years of pens. I don't know how available these are in your area but they deliver 0.05 units so could be worth thinking about if you have access to one. Andy

Jul 23, 2015 Susanf 29 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Totally confused Hi, I only started on Metformin about 6 weeks ago. Like David I was on close to 100 units per day. Within the 6 weeks my insulin requirements have dropped by almost 50% and I'm hoping that will get better. My weight has dropped by 9lb without dieting. Am getting a bit more hopeful that I can begin to lose the weight now. Good Luck

Jul 23, 2015 David01 10 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Totally confused Hi BeccyB It;s cefinitely worth discussing with your Diabetes Specialist Nurse. I started including Metformin in my regime something like 10 years ago. At the time I was probably on near enough 100 units total ever day. Over the years my doses have come down so that now on average I'm on less that half that - which has made it much easier for me to lose weight. Like a lot of T1s I've found that whatever claims are made about analog insulins by the manufacturers, the insulins I'm on definitely have made me gain weight. It's a problem that's very familiar to health professionals. My wife works for our local NHS trust and she's done various courses where it's been spedicically mentioned that for some diabetics (like me) insulin acts like an anabolic steroid - but without the nasty side effects. That doesn't mean I'm incredibly muscualr by the way. It just means that previously I was very fat. I saw a letter from a consultantto my GP a few years ago descibing me as clinically obese! That shocked me enough to make a determined effcort to lose weight - which is much easier than in the past because ofthe Metformin and the DAFNE regime of insulin doses, while still remianing well controlled. Good luck at the clinic!

Jul 23, 2015 HelenH 9 posts	Topic: Questions ? / High BG's after fracture Hi, I broke ankle Sunday 5pm, had manipulation to put back in place & then operation to reset Monday. Apart from Monday when BG controlled by infusions all of my readings have been ranging between 13 & 24. I have given a correction of 2 units at every meal & increased background by 1 unit am & pm. This seems to be having no effect. Any advice? I am now at home but quite immobile. Thanks

Jul 22, 2015 Susanf 29 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Totally confused