Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

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 44 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 1,816 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 135 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 123 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 646 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 430 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 123 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 6, 2014

Stew B 123 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Needles

Ever since I was diagnosed in 1999 I've been prescribed and used 6mm needles. My GP practice/ pharmacy seem to have switched suppliers, and the last box of needles I got were from a different manufacturer and are 5mm. I'm tempted to think "what's a mm here or there?", but I wonder if anyone else has a view and whether I should take it up with my GP?

Apr 4, 2014

GR8 5 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Alcohol, carb counting and insulin doses

Cheers mate much appreciated

Apr 4, 2014

GR8 5 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Alcohol, carb counting and insulin doses

Cheers mate much appreciated

Apr 4, 2014

Garry 328 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Need to lower BI in the morning, is it a problem?

Don't think that, not too good to be true - 9.0 is good. Progress toward sound HbA1c results evident.
Strive on!
Been doing this for 34+ years now...albeit only the last 4 under DAFNE guide lines!
Here are April results so far........
Not too impressive Huh.
Thanks for your reply.
Regards
Garry

Apr 4, 2014

Morganite 4 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Moderate changes, retinopathy

Thanks Vickyp. I''ve decided to ask to be on the waiting list for the pump, Seems to be the way forward for better diabetes control. In the meantime I've got back into recording my CPs and ratios to try and keep BG level

Apr 4, 2014

dunkers7 24 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Need to lower BI in the morning, is it a problem?

Nah, it was 9.0!

Relatively BGs are a lot better though, and BI held with a fasting BG of 7.8 this morning. so I'm happy with those results.

Have to say the green BGs through the day struck me as too good to be true, suppose the 9.0 added a realistic edge. Cool

Apr 4, 2014

Vickyp 135 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Moderate changes, retinopathy

Would recommend the DAFNE, this really helped maintain the tight bs control I am expected to have.
I attend preconception clinic and need to keep hba1c around the 6% mark...which is the target for a healthy pregnancy.
I have background retinopathy, which was diagnosed 2 months after my diabetes diagnosis. I am on the omnipod pump and find it so much better than MDI, both for control and coping with sensitivity. Definately worth looking into

Apr 4, 2014

Garry 328 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Need to lower BI in the morning, is it a problem?

I think that in the 4+ years since DAFNE I have had 3 green days. Good progress Very Happy

Like to know what your bedtime BG was and look forward to congratulating you if it was another green.
Regards
Garry

Apr 3, 2014

JayBee 582 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Carbohydrate Intolerance?

To be honest, I get the opposite responses usually. Carb frees are hard work for my energy levels. Sad

A brief google search suggests a possible link to celiac disease. Have you been tested for this?
Some times docs do a celiac test as part of the routine 3 or 6 monthly blood checks, but not all.
Maybe worth having a chat with your team if not.

Best wishes.

Apr 3, 2014

dunkers7 24 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Need to lower BI in the morning, is it a problem?

Thought it was worth an update to say I tried moving my morning QA site to Stomach, where the QA works faster. After that, the pattern changed and I initially started having a few hypos in the morning between 11 and 12am.

It seems part of the problem with the afternoon hypos was the morning QA taking longer to work than anticipated, which made it difficult to see the wood from the trees.

Glad to say today's BGs have been much better so far. A second pair of eyes definitely helped!

Apr 3, 2014

LadyNovo777 9 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Carbohydrate Intolerance?

Has anyone ever experienced or heard of carbohydrate intolerance? When I take very little carbs or have a carb free meal I feel good but when I eat 20g or more I feel very tired very quickly. I thought carbs gave you energy??? I just feel I don't want to eat carbs at all. Any advice?

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 44 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 1,816 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 135 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 123 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 646 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 430 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 123 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

Apr 6, 2014 Stew B 123 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Needles Ever since I was diagnosed in 1999 I've been prescribed and used 6mm needles. My GP practice/ pharmacy seem to have switched suppliers, and the last box of needles I got were from a different manufacturer and are 5mm. I'm tempted to think "what's a mm here or there?", but I wonder if anyone else has a view and whether I should take it up with my GP?

Apr 4, 2014 GR8 5 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Alcohol, carb counting and insulin doses Cheers mate much appreciated

Apr 4, 2014 GR8 5 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Alcohol, carb counting and insulin doses Cheers mate much appreciated

Apr 4, 2014 Garry 328 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Need to lower BI in the morning, is it a problem? Don't think that, not too good to be true - 9.0 is good. Progress toward sound HbA1c results evident. Strive on! Been doing this for 34+ years now...albeit only the last 4 under DAFNE guide lines! Here are April results so far........ Not too impressive Huh. Thanks for your reply. Regards Garry

Apr 4, 2014 Morganite 4 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Moderate changes, retinopathy Thanks Vickyp. I''ve decided to ask to be on the waiting list for the pump, Seems to be the way forward for better diabetes control. In the meantime I've got back into recording my CPs and ratios to try and keep BG level

Apr 4, 2014 dunkers7 24 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Need to lower BI in the morning, is it a problem? Nah, it was 9.0! Relatively BGs are a lot better though, and BI held with a fasting BG of 7.8 this morning. so I'm happy with those results. Have to say the green BGs through the day struck me as too good to be true, suppose the 9.0 added a realistic edge.

Apr 4, 2014 Vickyp 135 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Moderate changes, retinopathy Would recommend the DAFNE, this really helped maintain the tight bs control I am expected to have. I attend preconception clinic and need to keep hba1c around the 6% mark...which is the target for a healthy pregnancy. I have background retinopathy, which was diagnosed 2 months after my diabetes diagnosis. I am on the omnipod pump and find it so much better than MDI, both for control and coping with sensitivity. Definately worth looking into

Apr 4, 2014 Garry 328 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Need to lower BI in the morning, is it a problem? I think that in the 4+ years since DAFNE I have had 3 green days. Good progress Like to know what your bedtime BG was and look forward to congratulating you if it was another green. Regards Garry

Apr 3, 2014 JayBee 582 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Carbohydrate Intolerance? To be honest, I get the opposite responses usually. Carb frees are hard work for my energy levels. A brief google search suggests a possible link to celiac disease. Have you been tested for this? Some times docs do a celiac test as part of the routine 3 or 6 monthly blood checks, but not all. Maybe worth having a chat with your team if not. Best wishes.

Apr 3, 2014 dunkers7 24 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Need to lower BI in the morning, is it a problem? Thought it was worth an update to say I tried moving my morning QA site to Stomach, where the QA works faster. After that, the pattern changed and I initially started having a few hypos in the morning between 11 and 12am. It seems part of the problem with the afternoon hypos was the morning QA taking longer to work than anticipated, which made it difficult to see the wood from the trees. Glad to say today's BGs have been much better so far. A second pair of eyes definitely helped!

Apr 3, 2014 LadyNovo777 9 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Carbohydrate Intolerance? Has anyone ever experienced or heard of carbohydrate intolerance? When I take very little carbs or have a carb free meal I feel good but when I eat 20g or more I feel very tired very quickly. I thought carbs gave you energy??? I just feel I don't want to eat carbs at all. Any advice?