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Jun 25, 2011
richard.arkle
16 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Travelling with insulin I make a 2 month trip to the Australian outback every year in Dec and Jan and yes it is hot. My inslin supplies go in my main luggage apart from my own immediate needs. I like to split up my supplies to my hand baggage or my suitcase in case either gets lost. When available in hotels or friends houses I stick the lot in the nearest fridge but I have twice forgotten to pick them up. The security at the airport never seem phased by insulin or even the CGM I wear, too much for them to take in. The small print on insulin information says it will lsat 30 days out of refigeration and I have certainly tested that with my kit sitting in the glove compartment of my "Troopie" in Birdsville when the temperature has been 40 deg C, it worked well enough after that but I wouldnt recommend it. Drug companies and doctors are always very conservative and take the safe approach which is probably right but I wouldnt just ditch my whole 6 month supplies because it had been out of the fridge for a week. The Aus Diabetic Assn is very good and you can get discounted prices if you join. For a six month trip it may be worth while. Dont worry too much, insulin is readily available in every small town but they dont have One Touch strips there and I had to buy a different meter. Enjoy Aus but avoid the cities and the whole of the east coast, get out into the bush. Spend at least a week based in Alice Springs and then at least 4 weeks in the North of WA and in particular the Kimberly. Cheers R |
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Jun 25, 2011
Karen Westwood
38 posts
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Topic: Questions for HCPs / Menstrual Cycle, BI Hi there, just been reading these posts and must admit to not actually having noticed a drop in BG during my period but will definately keep an eye out for this next month.Just wondered if anyone else has noticed any changes mid month during ovulation. I seem to have a pattern of my BG being very high (top end of the teens) for round about 36 hours but then they usually return back to normal. Had a day like this today and using my normal correction doses has done nothing to help brings my BG levels down. Still 14.7 by dinner even though I had an extra 2 correction units at lunch!! Think I will have to try and increase my correction doses next month and see what happens. Karen x |
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Jun 25, 2011
Alan 49
284 posts
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Thanks for that, Helen. I think the conclusion is 'don't trust airline food'. Next time I fly, I will take some sandwiches and fruit - something I know and trust. The trouble was that it was a 'package' holiday, and the package included flight meals, so we were reluctant to turn down something we'd already paid for. I'll know better next time. |
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Jun 24, 2011
HelenP
218 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Travelling with insulin No, No, No, they would not know! I flew with a adolescent who had notified the airline that she was allergic to egg. Sure enough the meal arrived (special dietary meal) and two of the items had egg! One even had it written on the packaging that came with it.The diabetic meals I have ordered tend to be "difficult" to estimate carbs on...you know the ubiquitous set dessert, water instead of juice and generally low on carbs. I also find flying tends to elevate my BG so I do alot of testing and a fair few "corrections" especially over time zones. I also know someone who had been on a pump for years and whenever she flies she puts herself back onto MDIs as sleep patterns, insulin requirements, meals etc tend to be haphazard. Back on the pump when routine returns. Flying for me is constant monitoring etc... I also carry muesli bars (took 27 to China). When in doubt a bar is a meal! Helen |
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Jun 24, 2011
Dave Marshall
7 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / Diabetic Survey Will do it now , lets hope it will help ! |
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Jun 24, 2011
Alan 49
284 posts
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Is there any way of finding out the carbohydrate content of airline meals? I recently flew back from holiday and over-estimated the amount of carbs in the meal. Consequently, I had a hypo as we were coming in to land. I should have asked the cabin crew, I suppose - but would they have known? |
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Jun 24, 2011
JayBee
587 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / ratio for snacks For clarification Carolin, when snacking for unplanned exercise, is it best to go on what you expect your BGs to be after the insulin has run out, which is determined by what you did at your last meal, rather than what you are at the time of expecting to do the exercise?I ask because this is what I currently do on the odd ocassion that I do have to look at this sort of thing (I'm usually not a snacker so it's not often). It seems to be a logical way to think about it but confirmation would be great.  Is it safe to also assume that the same applies even if you take on the extra CPs after the exercise? Does the type of carbohydrate matter in the late CPs? Should I consider taking fast CPs mainly in those situations if so? Thanks in advance! 
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Jun 24, 2011
novorapidboi26
1,819 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / ratio for snacks Well, unless you waited till all QA and CPs had diminished................ |
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Jun 24, 2011
Carolin
83 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / ratio for snacks
Yep. Spot on! Down side of lots of snacks however is you never get a 'true' BG reading before meals which can sometimes make it difficult to work out if your ratios are right. |
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Jun 24, 2011
novorapidboi26
1,819 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / ratio for snacks OK, so in theory you could snack numerous times and as long as you have delivered the right QA, all should be well.........?I kinda thought that the peaks of the QA could clash etc and thus cause a low............. As I say, this is only a pretend situation and its unlikely folk are going to have several consecutive snacks to which they will match with QA....... I just assumed the OP was aware that you dont correct between meals/insulin doses [4-5hours], as it is one of the rules were taught as DAFNE graduates.... |
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Jun 24, 2011
Carolin
83 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / ratio for snacks Snacking can admittedly be a tricky concept to grasp sometimes. But your QA:CP ratio should just 'cover' CPs eaten (or drunk) so that your BG doesn't end up high.Clearly ratios can differ from person to person and/or at different times of the day, but if you get your ratio(s) right it means that by the time both your food and the corresponding dose of QA have cleared your system your BG should be back to where it started before you had the CPs. If you were to test your BG within a couple of hrs of having CPs/QA it's likely to be high as the QA hasn't finished working on the carbohydrate, so if you choose to have more CPs you should only have the QA to cover what you're having, no extra to correct the BG. That's what these fancy new bolus adviser meters take into consideration with this 'insulin on board' thing. If you find that you get low BGs when you snack and inject QA, then (unless you're exercising) it could be either you're overestimating the CPs in the snack, or using the wrong ratio, or that your BI is a little too high (which as you know you can test out by doing carb-free meal(s)) Hope this clarifies it? Carolin |
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Jun 24, 2011
novorapidboi26
1,819 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / ratio for snacks What do you mean it only relates to correction doses.....................?would there still not be a 'stacking effect' if you continued to snack several times between meals purely with the QA for the carbs alone......... I would consider what insulin is on board each time [with the help of my fancy meter... ], but if I were to snack 2, 3, 4 separate times then I would expect my BGs to drop lower than expected, hence the reason I dont actually do this, and I expect for most people this doesn't happen often...
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Jun 24, 2011
Carolin
83 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / ratio for snacks
Any carbohydrate (over 1 CP) eaten will need to be covered by QA and we suggest you use the ratio you use at the mealtime closest to the snack. The thing to be cautious of (and to which Novorapidboi alludes) is overlapping doses, however this really only relates to correction doses. For that reason DAFNE Educators normally recommend NOT testing your BG when you snack, especially if it's within maybe 2-3hrs of your last dose of QA as it may lead you to making an inappropriate decision on your insulin and potentially take more corrective. So essentially, just take your usual ratio for that time of day for snacks, but don't take corrective. Correct only at mealtimes when you know all previous dose(s) of QA are out of your system and no longer affecting your BG. Good luck, Carolin |
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Jun 24, 2011
novorapidboi26
1,819 posts
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Topic: General Discussion / ratio for snacks Welcome........Depends I suppose......... I am on a 3:1 for breakfast, and a 1.5 for lunch, so if it was in between it would be most likely a 2:1 ratio I would take, but again it all depends on how close to your previous/next meal you are.................. But say you were on 3:1 all day, then you would take your snacks at 3:1 also, you may need to consider active insulin on board though and possibly reduce the dose............. |
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Jun 24, 2011
ang31
1 post
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Topic: General Discussion / ratio for snacks if your on 3-1 ratio should what ratio do you take for snacks or extra food in between |
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Jun 24, 2011
JayBee
587 posts
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Topic: Questions for HCPs / Menstrual Cycle, BI Considering I feel like I'm experiencing deja vu this time around compared with last month while I was also recovering from stomach flu, I'm not convinced those hypos were caused by the illness recovery.Looking back at the previous thread, I'm going to look more into this tid bit:
Considering I did pick up on a slight raise before the drop day, I suspect this "typical" logic may apply to me, but considering I'm off the pill now and have a month (possibly 5 weeks) to wait, shall have to see... |
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Jun 24, 2011
maria51
22 posts
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Thank you to all who replied, I appreciate all of your comments very much. |
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Jun 23, 2011
Simon Heller
46 posts
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I guess its conceivable that if you have a 'stress response' to the vaccination (ie mild inflammatory immune response) which is unusual this could raise your stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline and this could raise your blood glucose for a day or two but I doubt it would have a major effect. Also very individual and wouldn't expect it effect most people. Simon |
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Jun 23, 2011
Willie Miller
1 post
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Topic: Questions for HCPs / Does flu vaccine affect BGLs I suppose everyone is different. I have the flu jab every year and immediately afterwards, my levels go up significantly for approx 24-36 hours, then back to normal. |
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Jun 23, 2011
marke
686 posts
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Topic: Questions for HCPs / Does flu vaccine affect BGLs 99% of people react to the suspension (fluid) used to deliver the vaccine into your system NOT the vaccine. The vaccine is NOT active and cannot make you ill, the suspension can and in some people does. I may be wrong but I don't think the vaccine works your immune system much, its just used as a 'id' so when you get the 'real' thing your immune system is ready for action.Like others I have the vaccine every year and have never had a reaction on any kind. I wouldn't worry about it
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Jun 23, 2011
Adrian_Hill
8 posts
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Topic: Questions for HCPs / Metformin /Type 1 I have been on slow release metformin for a number of years and I am so pleased that I now know I am not the only one. I think that people often forget that type 1's can take metformin and so only talk about it in terms of type 2. Metformin sr has reduced my BI but has no effect on my ratios. If you have problems with metformin, try the sr version, I take 1000 mg and no problems. |
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Jun 23, 2011
Broady
13 posts
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I have a flu jab every year and it never affects my blood glucose levels |
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Jun 23, 2011
novorapidboi26
1,819 posts
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As already mentioned, your immune system is being put to work and so this requires a little extra energy, supplied by your livers stores, so you might be dealing with slightly elevated levels for a short time............ |
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Jun 23, 2011
chrisinbrum
41 posts
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Topic: Questions for HCPs / Does flu vaccine affect BGLs
I don't think your sister-in-law will be getting ill from the vaccine because there is no active flu virus in there, so the aches and pains will just be her immune system reacting to the vaccine which could be causing a bit of a reaction (but thta's a sign it's vaccinating her). I suppose if your immune system reacts a lot to the vaccine it might affect BGLs, but I doubt it would be as much as if you actually had a real infection when the DAFNE sick day rules could be used. I've been having the vaccination for years and I've never noticed any obvious effect on my BGL, even if it's given me an achey arm sometimes. I think it's safer to have the vaccination to hopefully avoid getting flu and just check your BGL afterwards if you're concerned at all
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Jun 23, 2011
maria51
22 posts
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Topic: Questions for HCPs / Does flu vaccine affect BGLs Can any one please tell me if getting the jab with the flu vaccine can affect your BGLs or not?My sister-in-law (non diabetic) gets the flu jab every year & told me she falls ill with a small case of aches & pains for a few days after the injection. Can some one enlighten me about the affects if any,the vaccination has had on them.It's winter here now so I need to get it done asap & I'd like to be prepared just in case. Many thanks. |