Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Aug 9, 2013

novorapidboi26 1,816 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Blood Glucose in the morning

Welcome to the forum...... Wink

Its sounds like the dawn phenomenon........

A lot of people will experience the rise as they wake, however some do not.........

There are 2 elements to the dawn phenomenon.....

1. Your body has been fasting and your stomach is empty, a few hours before waking your body releases hormones, one of which come from the pancreas, gulcagon, this arrives at the liver and instructs it to release some of it glucose stores to assist you in starting the day.

2. This process continues until you provide yourself with fuel and start the digestion process.

So basically, you will need to, or at least give it a try, having something to eat as soon as you wake.

When I was injecting [now pumping] I used to have a 125g pot of yogurt, 19g of carbs, low GI. As I was always in double figures because of the dawn phenomenon, this was all I could stomach. It worked well though.

So if you don't feel up to something substantial, something like a small yogurt would be ideal.....

Aug 9, 2013

lizgray46 4 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Blood Glucose in the morning

When I take my first blood glucose (at approx 7.30am) the readings are normally quite good, between 4 and 7. I don't eat until 9am when I get to work only having a cup of coffee but by 9am my blood glucose has on average risen by 5mmol. Why is this and how can I stop it happening Confused

Thanks

Aug 9, 2013

mum2westiesGill 502 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Increase of Lantus/BI

Might be a change too far to make when going on holiday though, as you will need focus on adequate BG control when away. Perhaps leave it for a while.
- I'm also thinking it may be best to do any needed changes when I'm back from hols. When I'm home I may do the same as I do with BI changes and leave it 3 days to let things settle, 3 days to see any effect and maybe a few more to see how things are going.

Regards
Gill

Aug 8, 2013

Warwick 430 posts

Topic: General Discussion / A bit of escapism - some fun

I suspect the reason for the preciseness is that it has been translated from American units of measurement where 16.7 mmol/L = 300 mg/dl which is a nice round number. However, almost certainly a whoops moment :-)

Aug 8, 2013

SA2010 69 posts

Topic: General Discussion / A bit of escapism - some fun

davidcragg said:
I was somewhat surprised by the following sentence:

It is important for patients to check their blood sugars, and where very low (< 3.9mmol/l) or very high (16.7mmol/l) they must eat.

Can someone explain to me why if my bg is a very precise 16.7mmol/L or more I must eat? I have never been told this and it seems contrary to everything I have been told.

Thanks

I see your comment there - presume it is yours. Must have been an edit of the text going wrong and no proofreading !

Aug 8, 2013

davidcragg 14 posts

Topic: General Discussion / A bit of escapism - some fun

On the Theresa May story, I was reading this article from Nursing In Practice today:

http://www.nursinginpractice.com/article/diabetes-come-what-may

There are a lot of things in the article I would love to discuss with the author, but when the article moved to discuss fasting I was somewhat surprised by the following sentence:

It is important for patients to check their blood sugars, and where very low (< 3.9mmol/l) or very high (16.7mmol/l) they must eat.

Can someone explain to me why if my bg is a very precise 16.7mmol/L or more I must eat? I have never been told this and it seems contrary to everything I have been told.

Thanks

Aug 8, 2013

meltow 78 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Cocoa

I might be very wrong with this [I don't have any in the cupboard either, so can't check!]............but I thought drinking chocolate had sugar/sweetener added into the chocolate powder. Whereas cocoa is in its natural state.

I certainly find drinking chocolate very sweet, and tend to avoid it at all costs. But no doubt its sweetness is the reason for its popularity Sad

Aug 8, 2013

Alan 49 280 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Cocoa

I was thinking of having one or two cups of hot chocolate every day at home.
I don't have any cocoa or hot chocolate to refer to the nutrition panel. I'll have to look at it on the supermarket shelf.
Do you think hot chocolate and cocoa are one same thing?

Aug 8, 2013

broch keith 3 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Lantus - times

8 units at 9pm
6 units at 9pm on nights I'm working
It's not a lot but done 3am tests and it is enough

Aug 8, 2013

Warwick 430 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Cocoa

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/hot-chocolate-keeps-brain-healthy/story-fneuz92c-1226693223284

Do you want the carb content of cocoa and hot chocolate? You would find them on the nutrition panel of the packet they come in. I won't give you the values I have as it likely differs here in Australia to what you have in the UK.

If you are buying a hot chocolate from a coffee shop, then it becomes guess work, especially if they add marshmellows.

Aug 8, 2013

novorapidboi26 1,816 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Cocoa

I think drinking chocolate has a few other ingredients thrown in but for the most part, yeah, I think it is the same.....

In what context will you be consuming the coca.....?

Aug 8, 2013

novorapidboi26 1,816 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / carbs

I didn't know what was happening in this thread till the last few posts...........lol.....

DAFNE encourages the use of CPs, I suppose to make the arithmetic seem easier, but you can deal solely in grams of carbs if you want.....

1 unit for 10g, initially........... Wink

Aug 8, 2013

novorapidboi26 1,816 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Background insulin (BI)

thanks for that Brian.........

after years of MDI, most folk should be in the habit of testing their BI every 2-3 weeks...... Wink

Aug 8, 2013

Alan 49 280 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Cocoa

I think I remember something on the radio this morning about Cocoa (is that the same as drinking chocolate?) helping older people's memories. I can find no mention of either in my copy of 'Carbs and Cals' nor in the DAFNE CP booklet.

Can anybody throw any light on this, please?

Aug 8, 2013

Garry 328 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Increase of Lantus/BI

Your late morning eating seems to sway things for you.
Why not try 10:00 am 12 u BI and 10:00 pm 10 u BI ... still 22, but split and once the time needed for your body to adjust has gone by, you may be able to see improved morning results.
Although a lot less insulin sensitive than you, I personally find that a change in Total Daily Dose of BI from 56 to 54 u makes a big difference across the whole day....so I am comparitively sensitive to BI adjustments and as a consequence I change these split doses only when my BG figures surely demonstrate the necessity. Might be a change too far to make when going on holiday though, as you will need focus on adequate BG control when away. Perhaps leave it for a while.
Regards
Garry

Aug 8, 2013

mum2westiesGill 502 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Increase of Lantus/BI

What happened Sunday Gill. Where did the morning go?
- I'm afraid the morning was a bit of a blur.

9.2 Sunday night and you list 3.5 CP. Your comment seems to suggest you consumed 2 x 1.7 CPs. But you take no QA and no BI. There must be info missing as how did you get to 3.4 BG at 08:18?
- Yes that's correct I did consume 2 x 1.7 CPs but I never take QA before going to bed to sleep I'm just so nervous of what the outcome would be if I did that. Re the BI I checked my meter and yes I did deffinitley take it.

I think an unbalanced split BI may help you overcome your morning hypos and help you flatten out your food intake pattern.
- By an unbalanced split BI what would you mean?

Aug 7, 2013

Kittycat789 10 posts

Topic: General Discussion / receeding gums

I only have one that is, i have an appointment on
27th so i will ask there and let you know on here what they say :-)

Aug 7, 2013

JayBee 582 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Insulin Pump Bug

You generally find you have to do the same for your blood testing kit too... What a silly (could even say lazy) person. :/

Stay safe y'all.

Aug 7, 2013

davidcragg 14 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Insulin Pump Bug

For a slightly more measured article on the issue, see http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-22/medical-device-hackers-find-government-ally-to-pressure-industry.html

In his complaint to the FDA, Radcliffe claims his Animas pump inaccurately calculates the amount of insulin to dispense after the battery is changed. The pump does not automatically factor in the amount of insulin it dispensed immediately before the battery was removed, he said.

That issue led to dosing errors that caused him to experience two low-blood-sugar episodes, which can be fatal, Radcliffe said.

The pump is designed to reset insulin levels following a battery change, said Brian Levy, medical director at Animas. The patient's insulin history is still stored on the device, and instructions for recalibrating the machine are in the owner's manual, he said. The company does not plan to make any changes.

Radcliffe said he's unsatisfied with the response and intends to push the company in public and private to fix the issue.

Essentially it seems Radcliffe didn't follow the manufactures instructions correctly and thinks the user shouldn't have to do the recalibration step after changing the batteries.

So in this case I would say it was more a case of user error than equipment malfunction, however I agree with you that checking your diabetes equipment is an important aspect to consider.

Aug 7, 2013

Plumcious 11 posts

Topic: General Discussion / receeding gums

Hi Kittycat,

My gums seem to be receding but it's been a problem for years so it's happening very slowly -- I didn't realise it could be diabetes related til I saw your message and I've just looked it up on www.diabetes.co.uk
My dentists have always said use a soft/sensitive brush and gently stroke downwards from gum to the biting edge. One once said to "scrub" or brush ulcers hard - this led to me losing a lot of gum over one tooth when I did it.
I hope other people reply - or have you tried phoning Diabetes UK - here's a link to their dental advice http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Introduction-to-diabetes/Other_associated_conditions/Dental-health/
It might be worth asking your GP or Consultant for advice...
Sorry none of this is conclusive - I'm sharing!

Aug 7, 2013

Adrienne 14 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Advice welcomed!

Hi Garry,
Yes that entry should have been for BI. My BI is Lantus, split dose because it wasn't lasting the full 24 hrs. I increased the dose this morning to 11 so I'll see how it's looking in a couple of days. Thanks

Aug 6, 2013

marke 646 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Insulin Pump Bug

Yes, but the article does not provide any details of what actually happened, it sensationalises the issue without providing any real details. All medical devices do go through a lot of testing and its hard to believe as you say they did not test for this, Without all the facts its easy to look at the worst case scenario. As
you say having an kind of technology doesn't move the responsibility away from the user to ensure correct operation. The article says HE mistakenly infused himself with the wrong dose, unless it gave a completely wrong BG reading why did he do this ? It makes no mention of this.

Aug 6, 2013

Garry 328 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Advice welcomed!

Take it that entry 03/08 18:40 should read BI 8?
Looking from afar, the majority of your entries are in the red. Personally speaking, I always see that as BI adjustment needed. If you need make lots of + compensation doses...that seems to say that BI needs upping.
What BI do you use?
Regards
Garry

Aug 6, 2013

Adrienne 14 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Advice welcomed!

I'm struggling to keep my readings in the green and was wondering whether anyone could offer me any advice please.
I've been doing different ratios on the weekends because I'm more active then. I'm not sure about my lunch ratio during the week and also my morning lantus dose. I did a carb free lunch on 1/8 which showed that my BI needs increasing but I guess I've been reluctant to do this. Also I thought it might be possible my high reading after the carb free lunch was due to a hypo reaction so my BI doses are still 10 (am) and 8 (pm). I do take my BI at the same time (8am and 8pm) even though my diary may say otherwise.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks :-)

Aug 5, 2013

Kittycat789 10 posts

Topic: General Discussion / receeding gums

Hi just wandering he anyone else has suffered complication with gums from diabetes? And do you know if we can get help with this from specialist as my dentist sent me away advising me to buy corsodyl mouthwash don't think its helping

Aug 9, 2013 novorapidboi26 1,816 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Blood Glucose in the morning Welcome to the forum...... Its sounds like the dawn phenomenon........ A lot of people will experience the rise as they wake, however some do not......... There are 2 elements to the dawn phenomenon..... 1. Your body has been fasting and your stomach is empty, a few hours before waking your body releases hormones, one of which come from the pancreas, gulcagon, this arrives at the liver and instructs it to release some of it glucose stores to assist you in starting the day. 2. This process continues until you provide yourself with fuel and start the digestion process. So basically, you will need to, or at least give it a try, having something to eat as soon as you wake. When I was injecting [now pumping] I used to have a 125g pot of yogurt, 19g of carbs, low GI. As I was always in double figures because of the dawn phenomenon, this was all I could stomach. It worked well though. So if you don't feel up to something substantial, something like a small yogurt would be ideal.....

Aug 9, 2013 lizgray46 4 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Blood Glucose in the morning When I take my first blood glucose (at approx 7.30am) the readings are normally quite good, between 4 and 7. I don't eat until 9am when I get to work only having a cup of coffee but by 9am my blood glucose has on average risen by 5mmol. Why is this and how can I stop it happening Thanks

Aug 9, 2013 mum2westiesGill 502 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Increase of Lantus/BI Might be a change too far to make when going on holiday though, as you will need focus on adequate BG control when away. Perhaps leave it for a while. - I'm also thinking it may be best to do any needed changes when I'm back from hols. When I'm home I may do the same as I do with BI changes and leave it 3 days to let things settle, 3 days to see any effect and maybe a few more to see how things are going. Regards Gill

Aug 8, 2013 Warwick 430 posts	Topic: General Discussion / A bit of escapism - some fun I suspect the reason for the preciseness is that it has been translated from American units of measurement where 16.7 mmol/L = 300 mg/dl which is a nice round number. However, almost certainly a whoops moment :-)

Aug 8, 2013 SA2010 69 posts	Topic: General Discussion / A bit of escapism - some fun davidcragg said: I was somewhat surprised by the following sentence: It is important for patients to check their blood sugars, and where very low (< 3.9mmol/l) or very high (16.7mmol/l) they must eat. Can someone explain to me why if my bg is a very precise 16.7mmol/L or more I must eat? I have never been told this and it seems contrary to everything I have been told. Thanks I see your comment there - presume it is yours. Must have been an edit of the text going wrong and no proofreading !

Aug 8, 2013 davidcragg 14 posts	Topic: General Discussion / A bit of escapism - some fun On the Theresa May story, I was reading this article from Nursing In Practice today: http://www.nursinginpractice.com/article/diabetes-come-what-may There are a lot of things in the article I would love to discuss with the author, but when the article moved to discuss fasting I was somewhat surprised by the following sentence: It is important for patients to check their blood sugars, and where very low (< 3.9mmol/l) or very high (16.7mmol/l) they must eat. Can someone explain to me why if my bg is a very precise 16.7mmol/L or more I must eat? I have never been told this and it seems contrary to everything I have been told. Thanks

Aug 8, 2013 meltow 78 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Cocoa I might be very wrong with this [I don't have any in the cupboard either, so can't check!]............but I thought drinking chocolate had sugar/sweetener added into the chocolate powder. Whereas cocoa is in its natural state. I certainly find drinking chocolate very sweet, and tend to avoid it at all costs. But no doubt its sweetness is the reason for its popularity

Aug 8, 2013 Alan 49 280 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Cocoa I was thinking of having one or two cups of hot chocolate every day at home. I don't have any cocoa or hot chocolate to refer to the nutrition panel. I'll have to look at it on the supermarket shelf. Do you think hot chocolate and cocoa are one same thing?

Aug 8, 2013 broch keith 3 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Lantus - times 8 units at 9pm 6 units at 9pm on nights I'm working It's not a lot but done 3am tests and it is enough

Aug 8, 2013 Warwick 430 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Cocoa http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/hot-chocolate-keeps-brain-healthy/story-fneuz92c-1226693223284 Do you want the carb content of cocoa and hot chocolate? You would find them on the nutrition panel of the packet they come in. I won't give you the values I have as it likely differs here in Australia to what you have in the UK. If you are buying a hot chocolate from a coffee shop, then it becomes guess work, especially if they add marshmellows.

Aug 8, 2013 novorapidboi26 1,816 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Cocoa I think drinking chocolate has a few other ingredients thrown in but for the most part, yeah, I think it is the same..... In what context will you be consuming the coca.....?

Aug 8, 2013 novorapidboi26 1,816 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / carbs I didn't know what was happening in this thread till the last few posts...........lol..... DAFNE encourages the use of CPs, I suppose to make the arithmetic seem easier, but you can deal solely in grams of carbs if you want..... 1 unit for 10g, initially...........

Aug 8, 2013 novorapidboi26 1,816 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Background insulin (BI) thanks for that Brian......... after years of MDI, most folk should be in the habit of testing their BI every 2-3 weeks......

Aug 8, 2013 Alan 49 280 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Cocoa I think I remember something on the radio this morning about Cocoa (is that the same as drinking chocolate?) helping older people's memories. I can find no mention of either in my copy of 'Carbs and Cals' nor in the DAFNE CP booklet. Can anybody throw any light on this, please?

Aug 8, 2013 Garry 328 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Increase of Lantus/BI Your late morning eating seems to sway things for you. Why not try 10:00 am 12 u BI and 10:00 pm 10 u BI ... still 22, but split and once the time needed for your body to adjust has gone by, you may be able to see improved morning results. Although a lot less insulin sensitive than you, I personally find that a change in Total Daily Dose of BI from 56 to 54 u makes a big difference across the whole day....so I am comparitively sensitive to BI adjustments and as a consequence I change these split doses only when my BG figures surely demonstrate the necessity. Might be a change too far to make when going on holiday though, as you will need focus on adequate BG control when away. Perhaps leave it for a while. Regards Garry

Aug 8, 2013 mum2westiesGill 502 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Increase of Lantus/BI What happened Sunday Gill. Where did the morning go? - I'm afraid the morning was a bit of a blur. 9.2 Sunday night and you list 3.5 CP. Your comment seems to suggest you consumed 2 x 1.7 CPs. But you take no QA and no BI. There must be info missing as how did you get to 3.4 BG at 08:18? - Yes that's correct I did consume 2 x 1.7 CPs but I never take QA before going to bed to sleep I'm just so nervous of what the outcome would be if I did that. Re the BI I checked my meter and yes I did deffinitley take it. I think an unbalanced split BI may help you overcome your morning hypos and help you flatten out your food intake pattern. - By an unbalanced split BI what would you mean?

Aug 7, 2013 Kittycat789 10 posts	Topic: General Discussion / receeding gums I only have one that is, i have an appointment on 27th so i will ask there and let you know on here what they say :-)

Aug 7, 2013 JayBee 582 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Insulin Pump Bug You generally find you have to do the same for your blood testing kit too... What a silly (could even say lazy) person. :/ Stay safe y'all.

Aug 7, 2013 davidcragg 14 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Insulin Pump Bug For a slightly more measured article on the issue, see http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-22/medical-device-hackers-find-government-ally-to-pressure-industry.html In his complaint to the FDA, Radcliffe claims his Animas pump inaccurately calculates the amount of insulin to dispense after the battery is changed. The pump does not automatically factor in the amount of insulin it dispensed immediately before the battery was removed, he said. That issue led to dosing errors that caused him to experience two low-blood-sugar episodes, which can be fatal, Radcliffe said. The pump is designed to reset insulin levels following a battery change, said Brian Levy, medical director at Animas. The patient's insulin history is still stored on the device, and instructions for recalibrating the machine are in the owner's manual, he said. The company does not plan to make any changes. Radcliffe said he's unsatisfied with the response and intends to push the company in public and private to fix the issue. Essentially it seems Radcliffe didn't follow the manufactures instructions correctly and thinks the user shouldn't have to do the recalibration step after changing the batteries. So in this case I would say it was more a case of user error than equipment malfunction, however I agree with you that checking your diabetes equipment is an important aspect to consider.

Aug 7, 2013 Plumcious 11 posts	Topic: General Discussion / receeding gums Hi Kittycat, My gums seem to be receding but it's been a problem for years so it's happening very slowly -- I didn't realise it could be diabetes related til I saw your message and I've just looked it up on www.diabetes.co.uk My dentists have always said use a soft/sensitive brush and gently stroke downwards from gum to the biting edge. One once said to "scrub" or brush ulcers hard - this led to me losing a lot of gum over one tooth when I did it. I hope other people reply - or have you tried phoning Diabetes UK - here's a link to their dental advice http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Introduction-to-diabetes/Other_associated_conditions/Dental-health/ It might be worth asking your GP or Consultant for advice... Sorry none of this is conclusive - I'm sharing!

Aug 7, 2013 Adrienne 14 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Advice welcomed! Hi Garry, Yes that entry should have been for BI. My BI is Lantus, split dose because it wasn't lasting the full 24 hrs. I increased the dose this morning to 11 so I'll see how it's looking in a couple of days. Thanks

Aug 6, 2013 marke 646 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Insulin Pump Bug Yes, but the article does not provide any details of what actually happened, it sensationalises the issue without providing any real details. All medical devices do go through a lot of testing and its hard to believe as you say they did not test for this, Without all the facts its easy to look at the worst case scenario. As you say having an kind of technology doesn't move the responsibility away from the user to ensure correct operation. The article says HE mistakenly infused himself with the wrong dose, unless it gave a completely wrong BG reading why did he do this ? It makes no mention of this.

Aug 6, 2013 Garry 328 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Advice welcomed! Take it that entry 03/08 18:40 should read BI 8? Looking from afar, the majority of your entries are in the red. Personally speaking, I always see that as BI adjustment needed. If you need make lots of + compensation doses...that seems to say that BI needs upping. What BI do you use? Regards Garry

Aug 6, 2013 Adrienne 14 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Advice welcomed! I'm struggling to keep my readings in the green and was wondering whether anyone could offer me any advice please. I've been doing different ratios on the weekends because I'm more active then. I'm not sure about my lunch ratio during the week and also my morning lantus dose. I did a carb free lunch on 1/8 which showed that my BI needs increasing but I guess I've been reluctant to do this. Also I thought it might be possible my high reading after the carb free lunch was due to a hypo reaction so my BI doses are still 10 (am) and 8 (pm). I do take my BI at the same time (8am and 8pm) even though my diary may say otherwise. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks :-)

Aug 5, 2013 Kittycat789 10 posts	Topic: General Discussion / receeding gums Hi just wandering he anyone else has suffered complication with gums from diabetes? And do you know if we can get help with this from specialist as my dentist sent me away advising me to buy corsodyl mouthwash don't think its helping