Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Nov 22, 2011

theresaz 13 posts

Topic: General Discussion / My BG Averages

Hello, what amazinly fantastic blood sugars from everyone. Mine have been terrible - due to a virus I've had for at least 3 weeks. They haven't been great for a whilebefore that as I've been a little lax well slightly more than a little. Great to finally log on here and find people doing so well. Motivates me to get back on track.

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Dafne ratio works - upto 18 units or so.

Its hard to give a good answer here....................

My own personal experiences are good regardless of how much carbs I am eating...............

The more insulin you take, the longer it lasts allegedly, so this should be considered....................also the food your eating should be considered also. High fat foods can delay the release of carbs and sometimes result in a low quite soon after eating...........

I would try and fine tune your evening ratio, so not necessarily 2:1 or 1.5:1, maybe some where in between as Helen suggests...................some folk, like me, can get away with ratios that are 'near enough'...........

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Popcorn, nuts - the "don't bolus" stuff

If your eating these in large quantities, then yes, an extra unit or two on your BI dose would help, as the release of carbs from these foods is just like your liver I suppose...............

Trial and error will reveal the answers................. Wink

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Poppadoms - really?

The carbs and cals book suggest that a 25g poppadum, which has the circumference of a dinner plate, so IMO a large one, contains 7g of CPs, so in fact 3 may be closer to 20g of carbs [2CPs.......]

P.S.

125 calories in this portion also.......................... Laughing

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Background Insulin re Beditme Testing

You should always test before you eat anything, as this then allows you to correct your BG if needs be...................

If your snack was within 4-5 hours of your dinner then you dont need to test as your QA and CPs are still having an effect. I still test however, as my meter can account for on board insulin doses..........

Your current procedure may mean that when you test before bed, you will be high from your uncovered supper, then you will correct with QA and then take your BI....................however the correction may not be enough as the full extent of carbohydrate has not entered your blood stream.........

I can assume you going to bed is within an hour or so of eating your supper, so simply giving the dose at bed instead would be my course of action.....

But you should try and test before like you do during the day...........................just keep your testing gear and insulin in the kitchen................ Wink

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / My BG Averages

I think with averages like that your baby making will be fine.................

Good luck............... Smile

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Feeling hungover!!

I think a lot people forget this...................

For me personally its a normal part of my BG management..................and I have correction factors for different bands of blood glucose..................

Anything over 17 and I need 1 unit for every 1 mmol.....................I suppose this could go down to 0.5 units, but I try not to get that high obviously and seldomly do...............

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / How long inbetween meals??

About 5 hours.................

Monday to Friday:

Breakfast - 7:00

Lunch - 12:00

Dinner: 5:30

Doesn't mean I dont snack from time to time, but only rarely during the week......................the weekends is were I lose focus, just shows you how routine in your life can help, or me at least..............

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Spikes

marke said:
You also have to accept that works one day may not work as well another, life just isn't that simple ( as if)

Agreed............................. Crying or Very sad

Nov 22, 2011

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

I use the Flexpen disposables for my Novo and Levemir......................so no spares as such, just fresh unused ones........................ Wink

Nov 21, 2011

PNThompson 57 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

I have a spare pen for both QA and BI though I am using my spare BI now and haven't ordered a replacement yet.
I also have some syringes which I keep just in case the pen fails.

Nov 21, 2011

Joanne L 7 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy

Thanks for you quick response, Simon. I spoke with my Eye Consultant's secretary who advised me just to come for my yearly check up in August. Feel this is a bit late so will probably ask for appointment to be changed to Feb/March time for peace of mind.

Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated!! Laughing

Nov 21, 2011

Alzibiff 21 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Poppadoms - really?

sjohno,
Thank you for your reply - one question: how large is large? The ones from our local takeaway must be around 30cm across (12 inches) and without sounding personal, how large are yours? Embarassed

Alan

Nov 21, 2011

Simon Heller 46 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy

Hi Joanne, the trouble is that these changes aren't predictable and don't apply to everyone, I am sure your eye specialists would be pleased if you can get your HbA1c down a bit but they should probably be seeing you a little more frequently if you do manage to tighten your control. I think no-one can say for sure but if you gradually got your control tighter over about 6 months this might be a good idea.
Simon

Nov 21, 2011

Joanne L 7 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy

I currently have an HBA1C of 9.3% and have just graduated from the Dafne course. I have retinopathy and only sight left in one eye. I have been advised that I cannot have any more laser in my good eye so am worried as I have heard that lowering your HBA1C too quickly can cause retinopathy to worsen.
Does anyone know what the safe timescales of lowering your HBA1C are when you have retinopathy? Sad

Nov 21, 2011

Garry 328 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

Always have a spare QA pen in the cupboard...except for now!
Using the Lilly Humapen Memoir for Humalog (with dose memory display) and when the battery of my usual pen clapped out I had to press the spare into service.
When I contacted Lilly in September to supply a new spare, I discovered that they are in the process of bringing out a new type of pen and cannot supply any service at this time. So I will have to hope that this one lasts until March 2012 when they release the new type. Good thing is that this pen still can be used as a manual type....but I can imagine it being quite difficult to use in this way, as Iâ€™m a bit deaf and counting the pen clicks whilst turning the dose adjustment, would not be straightforward for me. Lilly support has been first class and I was surprised that they had no stock of old pens left with another 6 months to go. Shocked

I also always keep a bag of disposable syringes too for QA which I can use as last resort.
My BI pens are disposable, so no problem there.
Meltow....you sound like a true Yorkshireman. Have to admit though to using the manual forerunner of the pen that I use now for 3 or 4 years generally before breaking them somehow.
Regards
Garry

Nov 21, 2011

Simon Heller 46 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Kidney Problems?

Just to add Simon that this may be nothing to do with your diabetes, it could be connected with your RA or perhaps medication. Also at 65 eGFR you might find that this was in the normal range when tested next time. As a one off test, probably the best thing before doing a huge range of other tests is merely to repeat it.
Simon

Nov 21, 2011

Alzibiff 21 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Poppadoms - really?

I know that is says "verified" in the Carb counting section but am I the only one who thinks that 3 large poppadoms contain significantly more carbs than what is indicated in the DAFNE handbook - 1 CP? Just a gut feeling (no pun intended) but I would reckon more like 3CPs for 3 large poppadoms - 1 CP each but I would be interested in the opinion / experience of others.

Thank you,
Alan

Nov 21, 2011

Alzibiff 21 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Popcorn, nuts - the "don't bolus" stuff

Hello,
Whilst I understand the DAFNE principle of not taking a bolus for low glycaemic index foods like nuts and popcorn. (As confirmed at a recent DAFNE refresher carb counting evening). What I don't think helps is that for me at least, these sort of foods are exactly the sort I eat during an evening in front of the TV. Now.... if I were eating these at say 9am, I would see the effect on my BG later in the day and take a correction as required. However .... these foods are typical of those eaten before bed and as a result, morning BG levels are high as a consequence. Any comments or strategies from anyone? I suppose that an increase in bedtime long acting may be the way but how much? For insulin pump users, maybe an increase in basal rates over the night time period?

Alan

Nov 20, 2011

mike_skinner 8 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

Fair point - I teach product design so my old pens get studied by my classes. I used to think they were a good design before I was diagnosed but now depend on them - kind of gets them to think about design on a whole new level. That can only be a good thing.

Nov 20, 2011

meltow 78 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

I do have a spare pen for both QA and BI insulin; however still using the same QA pen which I was given about 12 years ago when first diagnosed.
I don't believe in waste! Wink

Nov 20, 2011

mike_skinner 8 posts

Topic: General Discussion / What would you do......

Have spare pens at home and change to a new one every three months. Just would like to change the script to blue and silver to save spray painting them!

Nov 20, 2011

leonard.8 7 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome

Thanks all for the advice, learning that DAFNE is aimed at type 1 diabetis is just part of the learning experience for me but the information I have learned through this website has been invaluable.

Nov 20, 2011

leonard.8 7 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome

Thanks all for the advice, learning that DAFNE is aimed at type 1 diabetis is just part of the learning experience for me but the information I have learned through this website has been invaluable.

Nov 20, 2011

marke 681 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome

Sadly Type 1's CAN get insulin resistance if they are on other drugs such as Steriods as I found out. I back up Novarapidboi to a degree, when I had insulin resistance it wasn't
linear and often didn't make sense. Even with DAFNE I struggled big time to keep my levels even vaguely in range. However I also totally agree that just because you are T2 and haven't done DAFNE you are not excluded from asking and getting advice. I'm sure people on here are more than happy to give advice.
I understand your frustrations with the support you are receiving, however you also have to remember a lot of these Diabetic teams are under a LOT of pressure and have very little resources to play with. They are most likely doing the best they can, however that doesn't make it any easier for you when they don't call you back. You ARE doing well and just have to keep plugging away, it does get easier over time and you are more than welcome to ask for advice on this site !

Nov 22, 2011 theresaz 13 posts	Topic: General Discussion / My BG Averages Hello, what amazinly fantastic blood sugars from everyone. Mine have been terrible - due to a virus I've had for at least 3 weeks. They haven't been great for a whilebefore that as I've been a little lax well slightly more than a little. Great to finally log on here and find people doing so well. Motivates me to get back on track.

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Dafne ratio works - upto 18 units or so. Its hard to give a good answer here.................... My own personal experiences are good regardless of how much carbs I am eating............... The more insulin you take, the longer it lasts allegedly, so this should be considered....................also the food your eating should be considered also. High fat foods can delay the release of carbs and sometimes result in a low quite soon after eating........... I would try and fine tune your evening ratio, so not necessarily 2:1 or 1.5:1, maybe some where in between as Helen suggests...................some folk, like me, can get away with ratios that are 'near enough'...........

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Popcorn, nuts - the "don't bolus" stuff If your eating these in large quantities, then yes, an extra unit or two on your BI dose would help, as the release of carbs from these foods is just like your liver I suppose............... Trial and error will reveal the answers.................

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Poppadoms - really? The carbs and cals book suggest that a 25g poppadum, which has the circumference of a dinner plate, so IMO a large one, contains 7g of CPs, so in fact 3 may be closer to 20g of carbs [2CPs.......] P.S. 125 calories in this portion also..........................

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Background Insulin re Beditme Testing You should always test before you eat anything, as this then allows you to correct your BG if needs be................... If your snack was within 4-5 hours of your dinner then you dont need to test as your QA and CPs are still having an effect. I still test however, as my meter can account for on board insulin doses.......... Your current procedure may mean that when you test before bed, you will be high from your uncovered supper, then you will correct with QA and then take your BI....................however the correction may not be enough as the full extent of carbohydrate has not entered your blood stream......... I can assume you going to bed is within an hour or so of eating your supper, so simply giving the dose at bed instead would be my course of action..... But you should try and test before like you do during the day...........................just keep your testing gear and insulin in the kitchen................

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / My BG Averages I think with averages like that your baby making will be fine................. Good luck...............

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Feeling hungover!! I think a lot people forget this................... For me personally its a normal part of my BG management..................and I have correction factors for different bands of blood glucose.................. Anything over 17 and I need 1 unit for every 1 mmol.....................I suppose this could go down to 0.5 units, but I try not to get that high obviously and seldomly do...............

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / How long inbetween meals?? About 5 hours................. Monday to Friday: Breakfast - 7:00 Lunch - 12:00 Dinner: 5:30 Doesn't mean I dont snack from time to time, but only rarely during the week......................the weekends is were I lose focus, just shows you how routine in your life can help, or me at least..............

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Spikes marke said: You also have to accept that works one day may not work as well another, life just isn't that simple ( as if) Agreed.............................

Nov 22, 2011 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... I use the Flexpen disposables for my Novo and Levemir......................so no spares as such, just fresh unused ones........................

Nov 21, 2011 PNThompson 57 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... I have a spare pen for both QA and BI though I am using my spare BI now and haven't ordered a replacement yet. I also have some syringes which I keep just in case the pen fails.

Nov 21, 2011 Joanne L 7 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy Thanks for you quick response, Simon. I spoke with my Eye Consultant's secretary who advised me just to come for my yearly check up in August. Feel this is a bit late so will probably ask for appointment to be changed to Feb/March time for peace of mind. Thanks for your advice. Much appreciated!!

Nov 21, 2011 Alzibiff 21 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Poppadoms - really? sjohno, Thank you for your reply - one question: how large is large? The ones from our local takeaway must be around 30cm across (12 inches) and without sounding personal, how large are yours? Alan

Nov 21, 2011 Simon Heller 46 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy Hi Joanne, the trouble is that these changes aren't predictable and don't apply to everyone, I am sure your eye specialists would be pleased if you can get your HbA1c down a bit but they should probably be seeing you a little more frequently if you do manage to tighten your control. I think no-one can say for sure but if you gradually got your control tighter over about 6 months this might be a good idea. Simon

Nov 21, 2011 Joanne L 7 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / DAFNE and Retinopathy I currently have an HBA1C of 9.3% and have just graduated from the Dafne course. I have retinopathy and only sight left in one eye. I have been advised that I cannot have any more laser in my good eye so am worried as I have heard that lowering your HBA1C too quickly can cause retinopathy to worsen. Does anyone know what the safe timescales of lowering your HBA1C are when you have retinopathy?

Nov 21, 2011 Garry 328 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... Always have a spare QA pen in the cupboard...except for now! Using the Lilly Humapen Memoir for Humalog (with dose memory display) and when the battery of my usual pen clapped out I had to press the spare into service. When I contacted Lilly in September to supply a new spare, I discovered that they are in the process of bringing out a new type of pen and cannot supply any service at this time. So I will have to hope that this one lasts until March 2012 when they release the new type. Good thing is that this pen still can be used as a manual type....but I can imagine it being quite difficult to use in this way, as Iâ€™m a bit deaf and counting the pen clicks whilst turning the dose adjustment, would not be straightforward for me. Lilly support has been first class and I was surprised that they had no stock of old pens left with another 6 months to go. I also always keep a bag of disposable syringes too for QA which I can use as last resort. My BI pens are disposable, so no problem there. Meltow....you sound like a true Yorkshireman. Have to admit though to using the manual forerunner of the pen that I use now for 3 or 4 years generally before breaking them somehow. Regards Garry

Nov 21, 2011 Simon Heller 46 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Kidney Problems? Just to add Simon that this may be nothing to do with your diabetes, it could be connected with your RA or perhaps medication. Also at 65 eGFR you might find that this was in the normal range when tested next time. As a one off test, probably the best thing before doing a huge range of other tests is merely to repeat it. Simon

Nov 21, 2011 Alzibiff 21 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Poppadoms - really? I know that is says "verified" in the Carb counting section but am I the only one who thinks that 3 large poppadoms contain significantly more carbs than what is indicated in the DAFNE handbook - 1 CP? Just a gut feeling (no pun intended) but I would reckon more like 3CPs for 3 large poppadoms - 1 CP each but I would be interested in the opinion / experience of others. Thank you, Alan

Nov 21, 2011 Alzibiff 21 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Popcorn, nuts - the "don't bolus" stuff Hello, Whilst I understand the DAFNE principle of not taking a bolus for low glycaemic index foods like nuts and popcorn. (As confirmed at a recent DAFNE refresher carb counting evening). What I don't think helps is that for me at least, these sort of foods are exactly the sort I eat during an evening in front of the TV. Now.... if I were eating these at say 9am, I would see the effect on my BG later in the day and take a correction as required. However .... these foods are typical of those eaten before bed and as a result, morning BG levels are high as a consequence. Any comments or strategies from anyone? I suppose that an increase in bedtime long acting may be the way but how much? For insulin pump users, maybe an increase in basal rates over the night time period? Alan

Nov 20, 2011 mike_skinner 8 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... Fair point - I teach product design so my old pens get studied by my classes. I used to think they were a good design before I was diagnosed but now depend on them - kind of gets them to think about design on a whole new level. That can only be a good thing.

Nov 20, 2011 meltow 78 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... I do have a spare pen for both QA and BI insulin; however still using the same QA pen which I was given about 12 years ago when first diagnosed. I don't believe in waste!

Nov 20, 2011 mike_skinner 8 posts	Topic: General Discussion / What would you do...... Have spare pens at home and change to a new one every three months. Just would like to change the script to blue and silver to save spray painting them!

Nov 20, 2011 leonard.8 7 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome Thanks all for the advice, learning that DAFNE is aimed at type 1 diabetis is just part of the learning experience for me but the information I have learned through this website has been invaluable.

Nov 20, 2011 leonard.8 7 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome Thanks all for the advice, learning that DAFNE is aimed at type 1 diabetis is just part of the learning experience for me but the information I have learned through this website has been invaluable.

Nov 20, 2011 marke 681 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Insulin new user any tips welcome Sadly Type 1's CAN get insulin resistance if they are on other drugs such as Steriods as I found out. I back up Novarapidboi to a degree, when I had insulin resistance it wasn't linear and often didn't make sense. Even with DAFNE I struggled big time to keep my levels even vaguely in range. However I also totally agree that just because you are T2 and haven't done DAFNE you are not excluded from asking and getting advice. I'm sure people on here are more than happy to give advice. I understand your frustrations with the support you are receiving, however you also have to remember a lot of these Diabetic teams are under a LOT of pressure and have very little resources to play with. They are most likely doing the best they can, however that doesn't make it any easier for you when they don't call you back. You ARE doing well and just have to keep plugging away, it does get easier over time and you are more than welcome to ask for advice on this site !