Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Jun 18, 2015

HelenP 218 posts

Hi Susan,

I have been taking Metformin now for about 6 months. Initially I was on one tablet (500mg) a day. After a short spell this was upped to three a day. On the one tablet I noticed no difference but on the three I noticed my total insulin dose per day had reduced somewhat (7%). However i experienced severe abdominal discomfort and problems with my bowels. I reduced the Metformin to two tablets a day and sure enough the insulin demand went back up but the abdominal stuff disappeared. I will see my specialist in about 10 days and one question I plan to ask him is whether or not it is worth continuing! It is winter here and insulin demand goes up (less salads) so I may wait until summer.

I am also on a pump.

All the best, Helen

Jun 17, 2015

AMcD 38 posts

Topic: General Discussion / think I cracked dawn phenomenon

Pump sales team??? I have recently moved to a pump. I had dawn phenomenon also and solved it very easily by increasing BI rate from 3 am to 7 am. Only trying to share my experiences which is what the forum is for. There is always more than one solution to any problem. ....

Jun 17, 2015

JayBee 587 posts

Topic: General Discussion / think I cracked dawn phenomenon

I'm glad you're happy with your work so far. Smile

Good work!

I'd imagine that your evening meal would not effect the dawn period though unless you were high over night post evening meal?
If you don't take 4 hours odd to digest food, it might be suggesting another health problem in the background (not dawn).
If not high post evening meal, are you correcting with your evening meal and finding you still rise during the night?

Are you able to share your BG diary to provide a clearer picture?

Sorry that the only replies you've had so far are pump sales people. Not everyone has the choice with their health team which some don't appreciate.

Take care.

Jun 17, 2015

JayBee 587 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Stinging insulin

Changing the needle every time can make a great difference too if you don't already.

Jun 17, 2015

Garry 328 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Glucophage

Sorry to show my ignorance Susanf. Needed me to look up Glucorpharge...afraid I only knew it as Metformin.
Might get you some more feedback now.
I'm not on a pump, but I find 2 x 500mg Metformin a day have helped me combat insulin resistance, in a limited way. Been using it for nearly 3 years now. I have been able to reduce my QA:CP ratios across the day by -0.5. Took some 4 or 5 days for me to be sure of it's positive influence and to reduce my QA. Through experimentation upping the dose, I discovered my personal limit...it's nickname is 'Metf*rtin' and it had that affect upon me at higher doses Embarassed

I was originally advised that I could take up to 3g per day by my Diabetologist but stay at 1g a day without any problems.
Hope that gives you some confidence.
Regards
Garry

Jun 17, 2015

Frazer 16 posts

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

Got my email yesterday to say I can order one next week!

Jun 17, 2015

Susanf 29 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Glucophage

Anyone

Jun 15, 2015

Pat N 13 posts

Topic: General Discussion / GLUCOMEN BLOOD GLUCOSE METER

Hello All,

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have been using my Abbots Freestyle Optium glucose meter for many years, I have also a spare that gets used if i forget and leave the other at work.

Today i received a letter from my GP informing me that i will now have to upgrade to a Glucomen Areo (different make) as they will no longer prescribe other test strips. Sad

Has anyone else had this happen to them? what was the outcome or what do they think of the new meter.

Dose the Areo take keytone test strips? (will i now need to use to different meters.)

Maybe its just the NHS way of forcing the other meter company's to reduce the test strip prices.

I am not sure if this is just happening in the South East Kent PCT., We no longer have DAFNE here its the post code lottery.

I look forward to your comments.

Jun 15, 2015

Susanf 29 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Weight

Hi Natalie, Just wondering how you are doing as I am having similar problems Very Happy

Jun 15, 2015

Susanf 29 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Glucophage

Hi, I have Type 1 on an insulin pump. I have recently started taking Glucophage to help improve insulin resistance. Can you tell me how long it takes before you see some improvement and has it helped anyone else Very Happy

Thanks Susan

Jun 14, 2015

Sean_H 1 post

Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Correction dose of QA on app

I have a similar problem. The correction does not not show if I have an over target BG when I add an entry. I'm using version 1.2.282 on Android. I spoke to my dietician and her app shows the correction but she has version 2.?.??? on an I-phone. I deleted the app from my phone & re-installed it but got the same version - 1...... I've tried different ratios in the correction settings but no change. I'm back using the paper diary.

Jun 14, 2015

Simon 578 posts

Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Correction dose of QA on app

Hi Mark, can you describe in a bit more detail the problem you are seeing? Is the calculation not correct?

Jun 13, 2015

Amanda Wilby 2 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Night time Hypo - Depression!

Oh Gosh! I have been on a right downer the past week with my Diabetes. I have been a type 1 diabetic for 34 years and usually very positive about it but have hit a wall the past week possibly as getting older at 48 years makes you re evaluate and think about what the future may have in store as I've had diabetes so long now and hear so many negative comments. Thank you guys and dolls.x you have reminded me that we diabetics are all facing the same or very similar problems with our diabetic control amidst working lives and family tribulations. We are doing really well all things considered and yes the odd hypo throws me out of kilter too and is most likely the reason I have been struggling the past week. A couple of hypos and then over eating and compensating insulin has resulted in swinging blood sugar which we all know can result in depressive mood. So thank you all for your comments on hypos you have actually helped me climb out the hole . I feel positive again and today is another day. I'm back in control literally. X

Jun 13, 2015

Alan 49 284 posts

Topic: General Discussion / ManageBGL

I've had an email from ManageBGL which welcomed me to their system. I have never heard of it before and certainly haven't signed-up to it. I Googled it and it is a diabetes management system. Has anybody else heard of it or signed-up to it? If so, what do you think of it?

Jun 12, 2015

Markr29 1 post

Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Correction dose of QA on app

How do you set the right ratio on the app for the correction dose. I have manually done this but it doesn't come through correctly to the dosage when using the diary page.

Jun 12, 2015

JamesW 24 posts

Topic: General Discussion / morning blood sugar rise

Hello Liz. How is the experimentation going? As you have seen, you are not alone in experiencing similar behaviour so it is always good to share your notes with others irrespective of the actual results. We are all ultimately trying to get a handle on things of a diabetic nature so anything that can be added to the collective knowledge can only be a good thing.

Jun 10, 2015

AMcD 38 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Stinging insulin

I checked out some forums on this and the concensus suggests that a) lantus may sting more than other insulin b) all suggest that you warm the vial to room temperature c) some say that injecting very slowly helped d) use 4 mm long needles helped instead of 6 mm needles.

Sorry can't be anymore help. Hope you get it sorted. Andy

Jun 10, 2015

AC2003 7 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Stinging insulin

Thanks for the replies. I use insulin which is room temperature and they are Lantus and novorapid. It stings no matter the amount I give. Maybe it's just me!!

Jun 10, 2015

alturn 78 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Stinging insulin

Might be related to needle sizes and amounts of insulin (I tend to bruise with BI - larger number of units but been using thighs which are probably tougher).
On cold insulin, I take it out of the fridge at least 24 hours before use then keep it at room temperature (still chilly in NE Scotland!)

Jun 10, 2015

Type1Bri 11 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Freestyle Libre

Well I am on my 4th sensor now
The 1st one was reading constantly 2 mmol lower than my actual levels, 2nd and 3rd were great for 9 days then fell off!!
But the information gained is so impressive, I now know I suffer from Dawn Phenomenon quite badly!!
These need to be on the NHS as soon as possible as they really are fantastic

Jun 10, 2015

Susanf 29 posts

Topic: General Discussion / My Weight Loss

Hi Derek,

Thanks for coming back. I will definitely give it a go Very Happy

Jun 10, 2015

derekh1965 95 posts

Topic: General Discussion / My Weight Loss

Hi Susan,
thanks for your reply.
My weight started gaining when I was 19 and bought my first flat which was a l;icense to eat whatever I wanted because staying with the parents the mother was always "Â£what are you eating now ?" My first night in my new flat |IO boiught a tub of haggen daz ice cream and it was bliss to eat with nobody criticizing me. It was downhill from then.
I took it too far and got depressed about being single and hearing comments about how I'm too fat to have a girlfriend etc so I would buy salted peanuts and ice cream and get even fatter.
In the beginning I maybe went up to about 12 - 13 stones and that was too fat to find love.

Tried dieting loads of times but when \ lost hardly anything I would just think why bother,
what's the point?

Bit of a long winded reply that and I apologize for that, sounds like I need a counsellor to chat with lol.

In reply to your question it is definitely calorie counting and not carb counting.

Eat whatever you want as long as you stick to yoiur calories.
For calorie counting you take the weight in pounds you want to be and multiply this by 10 and this gives you your daily calories eg: 10 stones is 140 pounds so you would consume 1400 calories a day.

Have a lovely day and best wishes
|Derek (50 and single)

Jun 10, 2015

Susanf 29 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Stinging insulin

Hi, I have to agree with Alan if my insulin is straight out of the fridge it can really sting. I normally leave it out of the fridge for the month and use in that time. Just date the insulin as to when you took it out.

Jun 18, 2015 HelenP 218 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Glucophage Hi Susan, I have been taking Metformin now for about 6 months. Initially I was on one tablet (500mg) a day. After a short spell this was upped to three a day. On the one tablet I noticed no difference but on the three I noticed my total insulin dose per day had reduced somewhat (7%). However i experienced severe abdominal discomfort and problems with my bowels. I reduced the Metformin to two tablets a day and sure enough the insulin demand went back up but the abdominal stuff disappeared. I will see my specialist in about 10 days and one question I plan to ask him is whether or not it is worth continuing! It is winter here and insulin demand goes up (less salads) so I may wait until summer. I am also on a pump. All the best, Helen

Jun 17, 2015 AMcD 38 posts	Topic: General Discussion / think I cracked dawn phenomenon Pump sales team??? I have recently moved to a pump. I had dawn phenomenon also and solved it very easily by increasing BI rate from 3 am to 7 am. Only trying to share my experiences which is what the forum is for. There is always more than one solution to any problem. ....

Jun 17, 2015 JayBee 587 posts	Topic: General Discussion / think I cracked dawn phenomenon I'm glad you're happy with your work so far. Good work! I'd imagine that your evening meal would not effect the dawn period though unless you were high over night post evening meal? If you don't take 4 hours odd to digest food, it might be suggesting another health problem in the background (not dawn). If not high post evening meal, are you correcting with your evening meal and finding you still rise during the night? Are you able to share your BG diary to provide a clearer picture? Sorry that the only replies you've had so far are pump sales people. Not everyone has the choice with their health team which some don't appreciate. Take care.

Jun 17, 2015 JayBee 587 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Stinging insulin Changing the needle every time can make a great difference too if you don't already.

Jun 17, 2015 Garry 328 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Glucophage Sorry to show my ignorance Susanf. Needed me to look up Glucorpharge...afraid I only knew it as Metformin. Might get you some more feedback now. I'm not on a pump, but I find 2 x 500mg Metformin a day have helped me combat insulin resistance, in a limited way. Been using it for nearly 3 years now. I have been able to reduce my QA:CP ratios across the day by -0.5. Took some 4 or 5 days for me to be sure of it's positive influence and to reduce my QA. Through experimentation upping the dose, I discovered my personal limit...it's nickname is 'Metf*rtin' and it had that affect upon me at higher doses I was originally advised that I could take up to 3g per day by my Diabetologist but stay at 1g a day without any problems. Hope that gives you some confidence. Regards Garry

Jun 17, 2015 Frazer 16 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) Got my email yesterday to say I can order one next week!

Jun 17, 2015 Susanf 29 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Glucophage Anyone

Jun 15, 2015 Pat N 13 posts	Topic: General Discussion / GLUCOMEN BLOOD GLUCOSE METER Hello All, Your advice would be greatly appreciated. I have been using my Abbots Freestyle Optium glucose meter for many years, I have also a spare that gets used if i forget and leave the other at work. Today i received a letter from my GP informing me that i will now have to upgrade to a Glucomen Areo (different make) as they will no longer prescribe other test strips. Has anyone else had this happen to them? what was the outcome or what do they think of the new meter. Dose the Areo take keytone test strips? (will i now need to use to different meters.) Maybe its just the NHS way of forcing the other meter company's to reduce the test strip prices. I am not sure if this is just happening in the South East Kent PCT., We no longer have DAFNE here its the post code lottery. I look forward to your comments.

Jun 15, 2015 Susanf 29 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Weight Hi Natalie, Just wondering how you are doing as I am having similar problems

Jun 15, 2015 Susanf 29 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Glucophage Hi, I have Type 1 on an insulin pump. I have recently started taking Glucophage to help improve insulin resistance. Can you tell me how long it takes before you see some improvement and has it helped anyone else Thanks Susan

Jun 14, 2015 Sean_H 1 post	Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Correction dose of QA on app I have a similar problem. The correction does not not show if I have an over target BG when I add an entry. I'm using version 1.2.282 on Android. I spoke to my dietician and her app shows the correction but she has version 2.?.??? on an I-phone. I deleted the app from my phone & re-installed it but got the same version - 1...... I've tried different ratios in the correction settings but no change. I'm back using the paper diary.

Jun 14, 2015 Simon 578 posts	Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Correction dose of QA on app Hi Mark, can you describe in a bit more detail the problem you are seeing? Is the calculation not correct?

Jun 13, 2015 Amanda Wilby 2 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Night time Hypo - Depression! Oh Gosh! I have been on a right downer the past week with my Diabetes. I have been a type 1 diabetic for 34 years and usually very positive about it but have hit a wall the past week possibly as getting older at 48 years makes you re evaluate and think about what the future may have in store as I've had diabetes so long now and hear so many negative comments. Thank you guys and dolls.x you have reminded me that we diabetics are all facing the same or very similar problems with our diabetic control amidst working lives and family tribulations. We are doing really well all things considered and yes the odd hypo throws me out of kilter too and is most likely the reason I have been struggling the past week. A couple of hypos and then over eating and compensating insulin has resulted in swinging blood sugar which we all know can result in depressive mood. So thank you all for your comments on hypos you have actually helped me climb out the hole . I feel positive again and today is another day. I'm back in control literally. X

Jun 13, 2015 Alan 49 284 posts	Topic: General Discussion / ManageBGL I've had an email from ManageBGL which welcomed me to their system. I have never heard of it before and certainly haven't signed-up to it. I Googled it and it is a diabetes management system. Has anybody else heard of it or signed-up to it? If so, what do you think of it?

Jun 12, 2015 Markr29 1 post	Topic: DAFNE Online Mobile / Correction dose of QA on app How do you set the right ratio on the app for the correction dose. I have manually done this but it doesn't come through correctly to the dosage when using the diary page.

Jun 12, 2015 JamesW 24 posts	Topic: General Discussion / morning blood sugar rise Hello Liz. How is the experimentation going? As you have seen, you are not alone in experiencing similar behaviour so it is always good to share your notes with others irrespective of the actual results. We are all ultimately trying to get a handle on things of a diabetic nature so anything that can be added to the collective knowledge can only be a good thing.

Jun 10, 2015 AMcD 38 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Stinging insulin I checked out some forums on this and the concensus suggests that a) lantus may sting more than other insulin b) all suggest that you warm the vial to room temperature c) some say that injecting very slowly helped d) use 4 mm long needles helped instead of 6 mm needles. Sorry can't be anymore help. Hope you get it sorted. Andy

Jun 10, 2015 AC2003 7 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Stinging insulin Thanks for the replies. I use insulin which is room temperature and they are Lantus and novorapid. It stings no matter the amount I give. Maybe it's just me!!

Jun 10, 2015 alturn 78 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Stinging insulin Might be related to needle sizes and amounts of insulin (I tend to bruise with BI - larger number of units but been using thighs which are probably tougher). On cold insulin, I take it out of the fridge at least 24 hours before use then keep it at room temperature (still chilly in NE Scotland!)

Jun 10, 2015 Type1Bri 11 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Freestyle Libre Well I am on my 4th sensor now The 1st one was reading constantly 2 mmol lower than my actual levels, 2nd and 3rd were great for 9 days then fell off!! But the information gained is so impressive, I now know I suffer from Dawn Phenomenon quite badly!! These need to be on the NHS as soon as possible as they really are fantastic

Jun 10, 2015 Susanf 29 posts	Topic: General Discussion / My Weight Loss Hi Derek, Thanks for coming back. I will definitely give it a go

Jun 10, 2015 derekh1965 95 posts	Topic: General Discussion / My Weight Loss Hi Susan, thanks for your reply. My weight started gaining when I was 19 and bought my first flat which was a l;icense to eat whatever I wanted because staying with the parents the mother was always "Â£what are you eating now ?" My first night in my new flat \|IO boiught a tub of haggen daz ice cream and it was bliss to eat with nobody criticizing me. It was downhill from then. I took it too far and got depressed about being single and hearing comments about how I'm too fat to have a girlfriend etc so I would buy salted peanuts and ice cream and get even fatter. In the beginning I maybe went up to about 12 - 13 stones and that was too fat to find love. Tried dieting loads of times but when \ lost hardly anything I would just think why bother, what's the point? Bit of a long winded reply that and I apologize for that, sounds like I need a counsellor to chat with lol. In reply to your question it is definitely calorie counting and not carb counting. Eat whatever you want as long as you stick to yoiur calories. For calorie counting you take the weight in pounds you want to be and multiply this by 10 and this gives you your daily calories eg: 10 stones is 140 pounds so you would consume 1400 calories a day. Have a lovely day and best wishes \|Derek (50 and single)

Jun 10, 2015 Susanf 29 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Stinging insulin Hi, I have to agree with Alan if my insulin is straight out of the fridge it can really sting. I normally leave it out of the fridge for the month and use in that time. Just date the insulin as to when you took it out.