Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Apr 14, 2014

celinep 3 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Counting Carbohydrates

thanks guys for your help

kind regards
celinep

Apr 14, 2014

Stew B 125 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / blood glucose monitoring diaries

I've bought DAFNE diaries from the DAFNE UK website a couple of times, and have taken the opportunity to get spare and up-dated carb portion booklets too (they're not expensive). The service is really good!

Apr 13, 2014

susanh 20 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / blood glucose monitoring diaries

Hi Glen4,

You can order DAFNE diaries through the shop page on the DAFNE UK website (http://www.dafne.uk.com/DAFNE_Shop-64.html).

For anyone in Australia, you can find out how to order more DAFNE diaries by visiting the OzDAFNE website (http://www.dafne.org.au/adults-with-type-1-diabetes/dafne-graduates/resource-ordering).

Cheers,
Susan

Apr 13, 2014

joanne78 8 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Levemir clogging needles

I use the BD 6mm but have also tried larger needles with no success i too thought it may be the needle but apparently its not. The ones i tried were 8mm. I defiantly think it has to be the insulin as this is this is the second pen ive used but the same result of no insulin unless i change needles

Apr 13, 2014

Alan 49 284 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Levemir clogging needles

Hello Joanne,
Yes I'm still getting the 'clogging' problem if I try to re-use a needle. I have to use a new needle for each Levemir injection. I'm glad in a way, that you're getting the same problem - I thought it was just me!
As you can see from my previous posting, I tried using my spare Novopen 4, which was OK for a couple of days, but then it started clogging.
I use BD Micro-Fine 5mm pen needles - what needles do you use?

Apr 13, 2014

joanne78 8 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Levemir clogging needles

Hi alan,
Ive been looking for an answer to the same problem (levemir clogging). I changed from lantus a few months ago and havent been able use the same needle twice when having a morning and evening dosage. I frustrates me alot as i originally thought that it was a faulty echo pen so i got a new one and the same problem occured. With lantus i used to use the needle several times (at least 3 times) before changing it now i change every single time as when you prime it nothing comes out, i hope to get an answer to this puzzling problem

Apr 13, 2014

marke 681 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Stem Cell Research

We have received the following request, which maybe you can help with !!

I am a final year Biology undergraduate at Edinburgh University, currently doing a project to evaluate the fact sheets about stem cell research on the website www.eurostemcell.org.
One of the fact sheets is about how stem cell science could help Type 1 diabetes in the future, so I would be really interested to get feedback from people with Type 1 diabetes and their family and friends.
Would you be willing to circulate my survey around your members? It only takes about 15 minutes and all respondents can enter a prize draw to win a Â£100 Amazon voucher. The deadline for entering is 24/4/14.

Here is the link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/factsheet_evaluation

Apr 11, 2014

Barbarals 1 post

Topic: General Discussion / How do I do BI check?

I wouldn't totally miss a meal but have a card free meal. If your BG is always high at lunch time, have a card free breakfast if your BG remains high you could be running out of your BI. Not if your on lantus as this lasts for 24hrs it may need increasing. Or have you considered changing your ratio. It's difficult for me to say what to do without seeing a pattern to your overall BGs.

Apr 11, 2014

alturn 78 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / blood glucose monitoring diaries

Contact your meter supplier first (I registered with them to order supplies via web-site).

I requested some from Aviva along with new meter batteries. There may a limit on the quantity as there was for the batteries (I tried to get double quantity in one request but it was bounced). Can't remember if I requested any from Abbott.

Happy recording Smile

Apr 11, 2014

glen4 46 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / blood glucose monitoring diaries

How do I get hold of some blood glucose monitoring diaries( Dafne booklets)!? Can I shop through this site?

Apr 10, 2014

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Counting Carbohydrates

I read but mostly scan the packaging and also weigh when I need to............

Apr 10, 2014

Garry 328 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Counting Carbohydrates

Welcome celinep Smile

Lets focus on potatoes, as you mentioned them.
Within your online Carb Counter list, which I think you have found by clicking the blue hyperlink near the top right of this page, there is a further hyperlink in the next list that appears for Potatoes.
If we look at this table in isolation we are able to see lots of values listed, which might seem a bit confusing, but lets only look at the ones for potatoes only, prepared in different ways, which show in the list as 100g.
So if we go to Potato(Raw) we see 1.5 CPs. Then compare that with mashed potato and boiled potato, further up the list, we see both contain 1.5 CPs...so the carbohydrate in the potato has not really changed even though it is cooked. OK so far?
However if we then look at 100g values for jacket potato and chips in the list, we see both contain 3.0 CPs! how can that be...the carbohydrate in the potato cannot increase...and it doesn't.
What has changed is that the amount of water remaining in the cooked potato has gone down during cooking. This effectively means that the 'carbohydrate density' has increased in the preparation of this food. Our 100g weight of finished chips have come from cooking 200g of raw potato...and going back to our first CP values...that is 2 x 100g or 2 x 1.5 CPs - 3 CPs...just what we see in the list. Our boiled potatoes, as they have had no water cooked out of them, are still 1.5 CPs.
Now 100 g is the normal weight measurement shown that you can see on packaged food labelling, to demonstrate the carbohydrate value of the product inside.
Say a packet shows that for every 100g of product we get 64g carbohydrate and the packet weighs 400g - we know we are buying 4 times our listed carbohydrate value so we need use 4 x 64g or 256g CHO...which is 256 divided by 10 or 25.6 CPs...an awful lot of carbohydrate...better not eat that on my own!
Lot to take in I know, but as Vickyp mentioned we all get it wrong sometimes....but mostly it becomes second nature after a while.
Don't worry. You will soon have it.
Regards
Garry

Apr 9, 2014

Vickyp 137 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Counting Carbohydrates

Each food contains a different amount of carbs.
I use carbs and cals to aid me. I weigh my food portion and then use the book/app to work out actual carbohydrate value of portion then divide by 10 to get cps.
It's not too difficult maths just remember that each food stuff carries it's own cp value. If you know 60g potatoes is 1cp and you weigh out 120g then you know you have 2cps of potatoes, but if you were having rice 60g 2cps.
It takes a bit of practice, been a year since I did my DAFNE course and I still get it wrong, but can kinda guess better now, especially when I am out...carbsandcals app if fab when out for meals. Stick at it Smile

Apr 8, 2014

celinep 3 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Counting Carbohydrates

Hi ive just completed dafne and im useless at math. Ive been lookin at labels and using my scales but im still confused. How exactly do o calcilate the cps? Wot is the formula? I just weigh on my scales nd divide the grams by 10 as 10gs is 1 cp. But den how is 60gs potatoes 1 cp if 30gs rice is 1 cp. Im so confused please help

Apr 8, 2014

Stew B 125 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Needles

Looks like it shouldn't be much of an issue then! Although I sometimes inject a relatively large dose ( have a bit too much liking for pizza, pasta etc.), if it's more than about 15 units I tend to split the dose into before and after (roughly 50/50) as I find this helps to iron out spikes.

Apr 7, 2014

Morganite 4 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Moderate changes, retinopathy

Thanks Marke, I've contacted DAFNE online in hope to get a centre number, I graduated in 2011 from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. When you say Diabetes expert do you mean a DSN or my consultant? It is difficult to know who to talk to regarding concerns about retinopathy. I attend the Diabetes clinic every 4 months and have started back into recording my BGs and CPs using the DAFNE diary in the mobile app which is very useful! After a couple of weeks I will email the DSN or here if I have any questions. Thank you for the encouragement, I feel a lot more optimistic about controlling my HBa1c Very Happy

, I probably struggle a bit as my routine can be quite fast paced at times and it can be difficult to maintain steady readings. I spoke to my optician last week and he showed me photos of the changes in my eyes and said he could see there was some retinopathy which is why I got referred to the clinic but it's nothing for me to panic about andas you said if I focus on controlling my diabetes I shouldn't worry about it.

Apr 7, 2014

marke 681 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Moderate changes, retinopathy

Hi, I would be more concerned that the advice you were given. Sorry but its not clear where you did DAFNE and who provides your Diabetes care. I am lucky in that my eye screening is reviewed by my consultant, I got a letter about changes in my eyes but he explained everything properly and in my case there were no real changes. You should be getting advice about this from a Diabetes expert who knows the full details about retinopathy, including how it develops and how it can be treated. It CAN be treated and given you obviously ARE taking it seriously then it really should not be a major problem. There are no guarantees in life about anything but if you control your HbA1c there really shouldn't be any reason to be worried Smile

To often we are told all the bad things but not given the whole picture. The reason for eye screening is to pick up issues early and treat them, just because you have started to develop a degree of retinopathy it doesn't mean you will go blind and indeed it will necessarily get worse. Keep positive and work on your control, if you struggle with this, ask questions on here or other Diabetes websites, also if in the UK talk to diabetes UK.

Apr 7, 2014

Warwick 423 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Needles

I switched from 8 mm to 4 mm a couple of years back and had no issues from doing it. As long as you allow the insulin long enough to absorb (min 6 seconds I think), there shouldn't be any issue.

Apr 6, 2014

Stew B 125 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Needles

Thanks alturn, good plan. My main concern is whether the shorter needles might affect absorption and thus effectiveness. I guess I'll give them a go and see what happens!

Apr 6, 2014

alturn 78 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Needles

I've gone from 8 to 6 to 4mm in 9 years. Main reason for smaller needles was lack of fat to inject into, less of a problem now, and to reduce bruising, which I think has worked. On our DAFNE course I think some users said that injecting large (not defined) numbers of units with smaller needles was painful sometimes, but max I inject is 13 which I don't consider large. Injection can sting a bit sometimes, but that could be technique and doesn't happen often

8mm needles now look massive and I think "How could I have used them Question

"

I would try them and see how you get on, but possibly it might be a supply issue with manufacturer or NHS/GP policy.

Happy injecting Very Happy


Apr 14, 2014 celinep 3 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Counting Carbohydrates thanks guys for your help kind regards celinep

Apr 14, 2014 Stew B 125 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / blood glucose monitoring diaries I've bought DAFNE diaries from the DAFNE UK website a couple of times, and have taken the opportunity to get spare and up-dated carb portion booklets too (they're not expensive). The service is really good!

Apr 13, 2014 susanh 20 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / blood glucose monitoring diaries Hi Glen4, You can order DAFNE diaries through the shop page on the DAFNE UK website (http://www.dafne.uk.com/DAFNE_Shop-64.html). For anyone in Australia, you can find out how to order more DAFNE diaries by visiting the OzDAFNE website (http://www.dafne.org.au/adults-with-type-1-diabetes/dafne-graduates/resource-ordering). Cheers, Susan

Apr 13, 2014 joanne78 8 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Levemir clogging needles I use the BD 6mm but have also tried larger needles with no success i too thought it may be the needle but apparently its not. The ones i tried were 8mm. I defiantly think it has to be the insulin as this is this is the second pen ive used but the same result of no insulin unless i change needles

Apr 13, 2014 Alan 49 284 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Levemir clogging needles Hello Joanne, Yes I'm still getting the 'clogging' problem if I try to re-use a needle. I have to use a new needle for each Levemir injection. I'm glad in a way, that you're getting the same problem - I thought it was just me! As you can see from my previous posting, I tried using my spare Novopen 4, which was OK for a couple of days, but then it started clogging. I use BD Micro-Fine 5mm pen needles - what needles do you use?

Apr 13, 2014 joanne78 8 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Levemir clogging needles Hi alan, Ive been looking for an answer to the same problem (levemir clogging). I changed from lantus a few months ago and havent been able use the same needle twice when having a morning and evening dosage. I frustrates me alot as i originally thought that it was a faulty echo pen so i got a new one and the same problem occured. With lantus i used to use the needle several times (at least 3 times) before changing it now i change every single time as when you prime it nothing comes out, i hope to get an answer to this puzzling problem

Apr 13, 2014 marke 681 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Stem Cell Research We have received the following request, which maybe you can help with !! I am a final year Biology undergraduate at Edinburgh University, currently doing a project to evaluate the fact sheets about stem cell research on the website www.eurostemcell.org. One of the fact sheets is about how stem cell science could help Type 1 diabetes in the future, so I would be really interested to get feedback from people with Type 1 diabetes and their family and friends. Would you be willing to circulate my survey around your members? It only takes about 15 minutes and all respondents can enter a prize draw to win a Â£100 Amazon voucher. The deadline for entering is 24/4/14. Here is the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/factsheet_evaluation

Apr 11, 2014 Barbarals 1 post	Topic: General Discussion / How do I do BI check? I wouldn't totally miss a meal but have a card free meal. If your BG is always high at lunch time, have a card free breakfast if your BG remains high you could be running out of your BI. Not if your on lantus as this lasts for 24hrs it may need increasing. Or have you considered changing your ratio. It's difficult for me to say what to do without seeing a pattern to your overall BGs.

Apr 11, 2014 alturn 78 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / blood glucose monitoring diaries Contact your meter supplier first (I registered with them to order supplies via web-site). I requested some from Aviva along with new meter batteries. There may a limit on the quantity as there was for the batteries (I tried to get double quantity in one request but it was bounced). Can't remember if I requested any from Abbott. Happy recording

Apr 11, 2014 glen4 46 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / blood glucose monitoring diaries How do I get hold of some blood glucose monitoring diaries( Dafne booklets)!? Can I shop through this site?

Apr 10, 2014 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Counting Carbohydrates I read but mostly scan the packaging and also weigh when I need to............

Apr 10, 2014 Garry 328 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Counting Carbohydrates Welcome celinep Lets focus on potatoes, as you mentioned them. Within your online Carb Counter list, which I think you have found by clicking the blue hyperlink near the top right of this page, there is a further hyperlink in the next list that appears for Potatoes. If we look at this table in isolation we are able to see lots of values listed, which might seem a bit confusing, but lets only look at the ones for potatoes only, prepared in different ways, which show in the list as 100g. So if we go to Potato(Raw) we see 1.5 CPs. Then compare that with mashed potato and boiled potato, further up the list, we see both contain 1.5 CPs...so the carbohydrate in the potato has not really changed even though it is cooked. OK so far? However if we then look at 100g values for jacket potato and chips in the list, we see both contain 3.0 CPs! how can that be...the carbohydrate in the potato cannot increase...and it doesn't. What has changed is that the amount of water remaining in the cooked potato has gone down during cooking. This effectively means that the 'carbohydrate density' has increased in the preparation of this food. Our 100g weight of finished chips have come from cooking 200g of raw potato...and going back to our first CP values...that is 2 x 100g or 2 x 1.5 CPs - 3 CPs...just what we see in the list. Our boiled potatoes, as they have had no water cooked out of them, are still 1.5 CPs. Now 100 g is the normal weight measurement shown that you can see on packaged food labelling, to demonstrate the carbohydrate value of the product inside. Say a packet shows that for every 100g of product we get 64g carbohydrate and the packet weighs 400g - we know we are buying 4 times our listed carbohydrate value so we need use 4 x 64g or 256g CHO...which is 256 divided by 10 or 25.6 CPs...an awful lot of carbohydrate...better not eat that on my own! Lot to take in I know, but as Vickyp mentioned we all get it wrong sometimes....but mostly it becomes second nature after a while. Don't worry. You will soon have it. Regards Garry

Apr 9, 2014 Vickyp 137 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Counting Carbohydrates Each food contains a different amount of carbs. I use carbs and cals to aid me. I weigh my food portion and then use the book/app to work out actual carbohydrate value of portion then divide by 10 to get cps. It's not too difficult maths just remember that each food stuff carries it's own cp value. If you know 60g potatoes is 1cp and you weigh out 120g then you know you have 2cps of potatoes, but if you were having rice 60g 2cps. It takes a bit of practice, been a year since I did my DAFNE course and I still get it wrong, but can kinda guess better now, especially when I am out...carbsandcals app if fab when out for meals. Stick at it

Apr 8, 2014 celinep 3 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Counting Carbohydrates Hi ive just completed dafne and im useless at math. Ive been lookin at labels and using my scales but im still confused. How exactly do o calcilate the cps? Wot is the formula? I just weigh on my scales nd divide the grams by 10 as 10gs is 1 cp. But den how is 60gs potatoes 1 cp if 30gs rice is 1 cp. Im so confused please help

Apr 8, 2014 Stew B 125 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Needles Looks like it shouldn't be much of an issue then! Although I sometimes inject a relatively large dose ( have a bit too much liking for pizza, pasta etc.), if it's more than about 15 units I tend to split the dose into before and after (roughly 50/50) as I find this helps to iron out spikes.

Apr 7, 2014 Morganite 4 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Moderate changes, retinopathy Thanks Marke, I've contacted DAFNE online in hope to get a centre number, I graduated in 2011 from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. When you say Diabetes expert do you mean a DSN or my consultant? It is difficult to know who to talk to regarding concerns about retinopathy. I attend the Diabetes clinic every 4 months and have started back into recording my BGs and CPs using the DAFNE diary in the mobile app which is very useful! After a couple of weeks I will email the DSN or here if I have any questions. Thank you for the encouragement, I feel a lot more optimistic about controlling my HBa1c , I probably struggle a bit as my routine can be quite fast paced at times and it can be difficult to maintain steady readings. I spoke to my optician last week and he showed me photos of the changes in my eyes and said he could see there was some retinopathy which is why I got referred to the clinic but it's nothing for me to panic about andas you said if I focus on controlling my diabetes I shouldn't worry about it.

Apr 7, 2014 marke 681 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Moderate changes, retinopathy Hi, I would be more concerned that the advice you were given. Sorry but its not clear where you did DAFNE and who provides your Diabetes care. I am lucky in that my eye screening is reviewed by my consultant, I got a letter about changes in my eyes but he explained everything properly and in my case there were no real changes. You should be getting advice about this from a Diabetes expert who knows the full details about retinopathy, including how it develops and how it can be treated. It CAN be treated and given you obviously ARE taking it seriously then it really should not be a major problem. There are no guarantees in life about anything but if you control your HbA1c there really shouldn't be any reason to be worried To often we are told all the bad things but not given the whole picture. The reason for eye screening is to pick up issues early and treat them, just because you have started to develop a degree of retinopathy it doesn't mean you will go blind and indeed it will necessarily get worse. Keep positive and work on your control, if you struggle with this, ask questions on here or other Diabetes websites, also if in the UK talk to diabetes UK.

Apr 7, 2014 Warwick 423 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Needles I switched from 8 mm to 4 mm a couple of years back and had no issues from doing it. As long as you allow the insulin long enough to absorb (min 6 seconds I think), there shouldn't be any issue.

Apr 6, 2014 Stew B 125 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Needles Thanks alturn, good plan. My main concern is whether the shorter needles might affect absorption and thus effectiveness. I guess I'll give them a go and see what happens!

Apr 6, 2014 alturn 78 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Needles I've gone from 8 to 6 to 4mm in 9 years. Main reason for smaller needles was lack of fat to inject into, less of a problem now, and to reduce bruising, which I think has worked. On our DAFNE course I think some users said that injecting large (not defined) numbers of units with smaller needles was painful sometimes, but max I inject is 13 which I don't consider large. Injection can sting a bit sometimes, but that could be technique and doesn't happen often 8mm needles now look massive and I think "How could I have used them " I would try them and see how you get on, but possibly it might be a supply issue with manufacturer or NHS/GP policy. Happy injecting