Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Apr 30, 2018

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Problems with loaner pumps

I don't use the 640g so cant really comment but I don't think I have heard any other people on other forums having this particular software issue, if it is software as Medtronic have told you.....

could it be the infusion set that's the problem.....? could maybe try another one....what one are you using now....?

you could always try another brand if they are on offer..

Apr 30, 2018

Jo Smith 8 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Problems with loaner pumps

Just wondering if there are others who have had issues with a loaner pump? I started using a pump (Medtronic 640g) in February this year and because I was not eligible for a pump until January 2019 I was given a loaner pump for 12 months. When the technology works it is fantastic but I am disappointed in the many failures I have had! The first pump alerted "Insulin blocked" and after changing my infusion set and retrying I got the same alert. I spoke to the Medtronic helpline and they then said they would replace the pump for me. With the second pump the same thing occurred whilst on a cruise holiday and I then reverted to insulin injections until I returned home. I spoke to Medtronic and they did trouble shooting. After 3 weeks of using the replacement pump again I was alerted to "insulin blocked", however I retried bolussing without changing infusion set and it worked! Now they are saying there is a problem with the pump which is sending an inaccurate alert. Once again they are replacing my 2nd pump and I am at my wits end. I have decided that if this 3rd pump fails then I will revert to injecting again until I am eligible for a brand new pump next January. I have to wonder if other pump users are having these problems and if the loaner pumps are not up to scratch and are causing endless stress!! J0

Apr 23, 2018

HelenP 218 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Insulin Pump Query

novorapidboi26 said:
The three day mark is when the body starts to heal up round the cannula, so you should be changing every 3 days at a minimum.....

if you think you would benefit from a change sooner then definitely give it a go...

The issue, as I see it, is that if I get elevated levels post changing the set for the next 8+ hours then every third day I am getting elevated levels (which I currently reduce with injections...recorded on the pump). This means that I have about a 1.5 day window out of three days during which I can get reliable data to drive changes in basal rates. Thus by delaying the changing of the set I am postponing the period of elevated levels post set....and of course if I have had a period of elevated levels dealt with by injections ... I have more insulin in the reservoir and can postpone it longer...devil and the deep blue sea!
Helen

Apr 19, 2018

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose

Going back to normal by lunch, as you have pointed out, means your dosing is right......

getting the spike down as low as possible 1.5-2 hours after eating is achieved by timing.....so at a minimum, giving your insulin ten minutes before anything passes your lips.....this timing can be increased as well if the spike is still too high for your liking.....

Apr 19, 2018

ruthhutchinson 39 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose

Have considered that but as I said I do revert to normal numbers by lunch so an I crease in bolus.might be risky. Will go e it a try some day I am not at work and keep a close eye on it. Thanks.

Apr 19, 2018

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose

ruthhutchinson said:
No. My evening numbers aren't too bad. Low if anything. Just the peak mid morning which is puzzling me.

That's good, you seem to have it sorted overnight.....

Is the peak mid morning after your breakfast......first thoughts of a mid morning peak is an issue with the bolus dose.....

Apr 19, 2018

ruthhutchinson 39 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose

No. My evening numbers aren't too bad. Low if anything. Just the peak mid morning which is puzzling me.

Apr 19, 2018

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose

As I too suffer from dawn phenomenon, I actually took my split Levemir right before bed, which varied, and then in the morning.....

This was to give me the best chance overnight to overcome DP and wake up on single figures....]

So you don't need to have 12 hour split exactly......I think the 0630 and 1000 times you are using is ideal.....

there is a chance taking it before bed means the morning dose may be on the way out in the evening, which you would see from higher numbers between dinner and bed.....I just compensated for that with a tweak to the evening bolus ratios....

Apr 19, 2018

ruthhutchinson 39 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose

Another question....Is it more sensible to take the split dose 12 hours apart. I think Levemir has a 16 hour duration so I sometimes wonder which dose us currently working. I inject at 6.30am and 10.00pm.

Apr 19, 2018

ruthhutchinson 39 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose

I am now taking 13 units before bed and 10 in the morning. Night time readings have improved butv i do have a peak mid morning. It quickly comes down without correction so I don't want to change my bolus. This diabetes lark ain't easy. 😄

Apr 19, 2018

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: Questions for HCPs / Insulin Pump Query

The three day mark is when the body starts to heal up round the cannula, so you should be changing every 3 days at a minimum.....

if you think you would benefit from a change sooner then definitely give it a go...

Apr 19, 2018

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose

When I say eat something I mean when you wake up, now this isn't always feasible at 5am when the rise starts, but certainly when you normally get up.....

hopefully, with the overnight basal being right, the dawn rise will only take you up a couple of mmol....and then eating something will stop it going further and of course you would accompany that food with bolus and correction...

I usually has a small yogurt as that's all I could stomach and had 15g of carbs.....so a big effect on the BG....

Sorry for the very late response.........

Apr 19, 2018

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pump users / Glucose Control over duration of the vial volume

After three days yes, it does start to become less effective, however this is down to the body starting to heal up round the cannula is it not.....

We were told to change your cannula after three days because of this whether you have insulin in the vial or not.....

Apr 19, 2018

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Hypos

Breaking it down it could be:

1. Too much quick acting bolus insulin for your lunch and evening meals/evening snacks.
2. Too much long acting basal insulin.

A test of the basal would quickly rule that out.

Apr 17, 2018

novorapidboi26 1,819 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Daily diary entries

Well, if its the app you are using, you upload your entries on to the website, so they should be able to be viewed once that's done, on any device with the app...

is that what you mean?

Apr 16, 2018

PaulaBrew 1 post

Topic: General Discussion / Some NovoPen Echo & NovoPen 5 are faulty = Important safety information regarding NovoPen® Echo® and NovoPen® 5

Hello,
Please will You share this information with Anyone You think ill find this info useful.
(Please go to the website-link to check Your Insulin Pen number).
Thank You ~ Kind Regards Paula.

https://www.novonordisk.com/novopenecho5/en_gb.html

Important safety information regarding NovoPen® Echo® and NovoPen® 5
Novo Nordisk A/S has detected that the insulin cartridge holder used in a small number of NovoPen® Echo® and NovoPen® 5 batches may crack or break if exposed to certain chemicals, for example certain cleaning agents. NovoPen® Echo® and NovoPen® 5 are used for insulin treatment by people with diabetes.

Replacement of cartridge holder

Novo Nordisk urges people with diabetes using a NovoPen® Echo® and/or NovoPen® 5 from one of the affected batches to replace the cartridge holder as some could be damaged. Please check your device batch number against the list of affected batches which can be found here:

Easy batch number look-up

Check if your pen is from an affected batch. All affected batch numbers consist of three letters followed by four numbers only

Apr 11, 2018

gmrobertson22 1 post

Topic: General Discussion / Daily diary entries

Can an anyone tell me how I can get all my entries on iPhone to automatically go onto my iPad . I know I’m probably just being daft 😁 or vice versa

Apr 5, 2018

maturegolfer 1 post

Topic: General Discussion / Effects of stress on blood glucose levels

Certainly I have random periods of stress in my personal life and without doubt it raises my blood sugar levels. I just dose to bring it down but I do go through a bit of yo_yo effect, i.e. levels down and up for 48 hours whilst body readjusts. So you have to be careful. Deep breathing, getting things in perspective, what's the worst thing that can really happen, if you can talk to someone it does help. Take care.

Apr 2, 2018

Muncle 9 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Effects of stress on blood glucose levels

Hi Deadly,

Apologies for the late reply. I also find that stress and Anxiety at work increased my blood sugar levels so for the past couple of years I have taken up mindfulness which seems to have helped me maintain decent blood sugar levels.

I believe the basis of my improvement is concentrating on the "what is" and not worrying about the "what was" or "what if". There is a free online course on Futurelearn from Monash University in Australia https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/mindfulness-wellbeing-performance and the next course start date is 7th May. I couldn't recommend this enough and have done the same course several times Wink

Although Mindfulness is for everyone, it's probably worth pointing out that it can be uncomfortable in the sense that you get in touch with yourself so if people are having therapy for depression it may be worth discussing with a GP or therapist before starting mindfulness.

Also there is a good book by Dr Emma Mardlin called "Mind Body Diabetes Type 1 & Type 2" which is well worth a read Wink

All the best

Muncle

Mar 24, 2018

Deadly 8 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Effects of stress on blood glucose levels

Hi All
I had just changed job to a position that carries with it a fair level of stress and anxiety. I believe my blood sugars have surged upwards as a result. Can anyone offer advice on the efffects of adrenaline on blood sugars and how to control the rise in sugar levels?

Thanks

Mar 22, 2018

LucB27 3 posts

Topic: General Discussion / BACKGROUND INSULIN

Hi, ive uploaded more results over the last week. thing is i cant take any lantus before bed as im already hypoing. everyone seems to have success with there levels with LCHF but i dont seem to be, my levels are all over the place. i dont want to lose weight either but if my levels sometimes go high off just salads etc i dont want to eat carbs Sad

on the 21/03 i done no carb lunch but i dont know how to stop the highs after lunch then i drop back down, i seem to shoot up to 9s

Mar 22, 2018

torana 53 posts

Topic: General Discussion / BACKGROUND INSULIN

Hi LucB27, I have looked over your data again and it is confounding that without background insulin your BG will fall throughout the night. It can be challenging getting so many hypos, being on a LCHF diet and then having to top up all the time with carbs. It seems that on a 1:1 ratio in the morning your BG drops before lunch. It may be worthwhile to have an extra portion at breakfast to minimise this low. It could be trial and error and even half a portion may get you over the hump. My good friend is on the keto diet and has seen a doctor in Sydney who specialises in the LCHF. He has a very popular practice as diabetes and weight loss is no doubt extremely difficult on insulin. He also went to a conference which is on the web called low carb downunder. A number of the LCHF doctors attended this conference. There should be also doctors in general practices England who follow this regime either for keto or LCHF diets. Pick the amount of carbs you want to eat throughout the day and then ask the doctor to follow up, mentor or assist you to achieve your goals.

Mar 20, 2018

LucB27 3 posts

Topic: General Discussion / BACKGROUND INSULIN

torana said:
Hi LucB27, I was sifting through your BG results and my first thought was yours results are very close to the bone and to achieve low blood sugars for 24 hours with a very small margin of error is extremely difficult without going low. Sometimes taking drugs and medications the effects can be highly variable due to exercise, diet, sickness etc. This is the case with insulin. Also, there is also a huge amount of the fear factor with diabetes and many of us worry about the long term side effects from being too high for too long and hence we try to perfect the outcomes to our peril. I can only speak from my experiences on insulin for nearly 50 years. One suggestion would be to see what happens if you increase your blood sugars at the nighttime to about 8 to 9mmol/l so there is a bit of a safety net if there’s a drop at night. I believe that DAFNE has a base level of around 7 before bedtime for safety. I test my BG about 9.30pm and might make a slight adjustment with a half a piece of toast. Being a school teacher I can also have an early dinner at approximately 5pm so there is a large enough time lapse to ascertain trends.

Hi thanks for your reply. at the moment now im on 0 lantus at bedtime and im still coming down, i really dont understand it. Im also trying the whole LCHF diet but im struggling to get that right aswell at meal times its hard to judge how much quick acting to take.so last week i was getting SO many hypos so i definetly want to stop that. i just dont understand how i can go hypo at like 6am with no lantus in me.

Apr 30, 2018 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Problems with loaner pumps I don't use the 640g so cant really comment but I don't think I have heard any other people on other forums having this particular software issue, if it is software as Medtronic have told you..... could it be the infusion set that's the problem.....? could maybe try another one....what one are you using now....? you could always try another brand if they are on offer..

Apr 30, 2018 Jo Smith 8 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Problems with loaner pumps Just wondering if there are others who have had issues with a loaner pump? I started using a pump (Medtronic 640g) in February this year and because I was not eligible for a pump until January 2019 I was given a loaner pump for 12 months. When the technology works it is fantastic but I am disappointed in the many failures I have had! The first pump alerted "Insulin blocked" and after changing my infusion set and retrying I got the same alert. I spoke to the Medtronic helpline and they then said they would replace the pump for me. With the second pump the same thing occurred whilst on a cruise holiday and I then reverted to insulin injections until I returned home. I spoke to Medtronic and they did trouble shooting. After 3 weeks of using the replacement pump again I was alerted to "insulin blocked", however I retried bolussing without changing infusion set and it worked! Now they are saying there is a problem with the pump which is sending an inaccurate alert. Once again they are replacing my 2nd pump and I am at my wits end. I have decided that if this 3rd pump fails then I will revert to injecting again until I am eligible for a brand new pump next January. I have to wonder if other pump users are having these problems and if the loaner pumps are not up to scratch and are causing endless stress!! J0

Apr 23, 2018 HelenP 218 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Insulin Pump Query novorapidboi26 said: The three day mark is when the body starts to heal up round the cannula, so you should be changing every 3 days at a minimum..... if you think you would benefit from a change sooner then definitely give it a go... The issue, as I see it, is that if I get elevated levels post changing the set for the next 8+ hours then every third day I am getting elevated levels (which I currently reduce with injections...recorded on the pump). This means that I have about a 1.5 day window out of three days during which I can get reliable data to drive changes in basal rates. Thus by delaying the changing of the set I am postponing the period of elevated levels post set....and of course if I have had a period of elevated levels dealt with by injections ... I have more insulin in the reservoir and can postpone it longer...devil and the deep blue sea! Helen

Apr 19, 2018 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose Going back to normal by lunch, as you have pointed out, means your dosing is right...... getting the spike down as low as possible 1.5-2 hours after eating is achieved by timing.....so at a minimum, giving your insulin ten minutes before anything passes your lips.....this timing can be increased as well if the spike is still too high for your liking.....

Apr 19, 2018 ruthhutchinson 39 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose Have considered that but as I said I do revert to normal numbers by lunch so an I crease in bolus.might be risky. Will go e it a try some day I am not at work and keep a close eye on it. Thanks.

Apr 19, 2018 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose ruthhutchinson said: No. My evening numbers aren't too bad. Low if anything. Just the peak mid morning which is puzzling me. That's good, you seem to have it sorted overnight..... Is the peak mid morning after your breakfast......first thoughts of a mid morning peak is an issue with the bolus dose.....

Apr 19, 2018 ruthhutchinson 39 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose No. My evening numbers aren't too bad. Low if anything. Just the peak mid morning which is puzzling me.

Apr 19, 2018 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose As I too suffer from dawn phenomenon, I actually took my split Levemir right before bed, which varied, and then in the morning..... This was to give me the best chance overnight to overcome DP and wake up on single figures....] So you don't need to have 12 hour split exactly......I think the 0630 and 1000 times you are using is ideal..... there is a chance taking it before bed means the morning dose may be on the way out in the evening, which you would see from higher numbers between dinner and bed.....I just compensated for that with a tweak to the evening bolus ratios....

Apr 19, 2018 ruthhutchinson 39 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose Another question....Is it more sensible to take the split dose 12 hours apart. I think Levemir has a 16 hour duration so I sometimes wonder which dose us currently working. I inject at 6.30am and 10.00pm.

Apr 19, 2018 ruthhutchinson 39 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose I am now taking 13 units before bed and 10 in the morning. Night time readings have improved butv i do have a peak mid morning. It quickly comes down without correction so I don't want to change my bolus. This diabetes lark ain't easy. 😄

Apr 19, 2018 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: Questions for HCPs / Insulin Pump Query The three day mark is when the body starts to heal up round the cannula, so you should be changing every 3 days at a minimum..... if you think you would benefit from a change sooner then definitely give it a go...

Apr 19, 2018 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Split Levemir dose When I say eat something I mean when you wake up, now this isn't always feasible at 5am when the rise starts, but certainly when you normally get up..... hopefully, with the overnight basal being right, the dawn rise will only take you up a couple of mmol....and then eating something will stop it going further and of course you would accompany that food with bolus and correction... I usually has a small yogurt as that's all I could stomach and had 15g of carbs.....so a big effect on the BG.... Sorry for the very late response.........

Apr 19, 2018 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Pump users / Glucose Control over duration of the vial volume After three days yes, it does start to become less effective, however this is down to the body starting to heal up round the cannula is it not..... We were told to change your cannula after three days because of this whether you have insulin in the vial or not.....

Apr 19, 2018 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Hypos Breaking it down it could be: 1. Too much quick acting bolus insulin for your lunch and evening meals/evening snacks. 2. Too much long acting basal insulin. A test of the basal would quickly rule that out.

Apr 17, 2018 novorapidboi26 1,819 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Daily diary entries Well, if its the app you are using, you upload your entries on to the website, so they should be able to be viewed once that's done, on any device with the app... is that what you mean?

Apr 16, 2018 PaulaBrew 1 post	Topic: General Discussion / Some NovoPen Echo & NovoPen 5 are faulty = Important safety information regarding NovoPen® Echo® and NovoPen® 5 Hello, Please will You share this information with Anyone You think ill find this info useful. (Please go to the website-link to check Your Insulin Pen number). Thank You ~ Kind Regards Paula. https://www.novonordisk.com/novopenecho5/en_gb.html Important safety information regarding NovoPen® Echo® and NovoPen® 5 Novo Nordisk A/S has detected that the insulin cartridge holder used in a small number of NovoPen® Echo® and NovoPen® 5 batches may crack or break if exposed to certain chemicals, for example certain cleaning agents. NovoPen® Echo® and NovoPen® 5 are used for insulin treatment by people with diabetes. Replacement of cartridge holder Novo Nordisk urges people with diabetes using a NovoPen® Echo® and/or NovoPen® 5 from one of the affected batches to replace the cartridge holder as some could be damaged. Please check your device batch number against the list of affected batches which can be found here: Easy batch number look-up Check if your pen is from an affected batch. All affected batch numbers consist of three letters followed by four numbers only

Apr 11, 2018 gmrobertson22 1 post	Topic: General Discussion / Daily diary entries Can an anyone tell me how I can get all my entries on iPhone to automatically go onto my iPad . I know I’m probably just being daft 😁 or vice versa

Apr 5, 2018 maturegolfer 1 post	Topic: General Discussion / Effects of stress on blood glucose levels Certainly I have random periods of stress in my personal life and without doubt it raises my blood sugar levels. I just dose to bring it down but I do go through a bit of yo_yo effect, i.e. levels down and up for 48 hours whilst body readjusts. So you have to be careful. Deep breathing, getting things in perspective, what's the worst thing that can really happen, if you can talk to someone it does help. Take care.

Apr 2, 2018 Muncle 9 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Effects of stress on blood glucose levels Hi Deadly, Apologies for the late reply. I also find that stress and Anxiety at work increased my blood sugar levels so for the past couple of years I have taken up mindfulness which seems to have helped me maintain decent blood sugar levels. I believe the basis of my improvement is concentrating on the "what is" and not worrying about the "what was" or "what if". There is a free online course on Futurelearn from Monash University in Australia https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/mindfulness-wellbeing-performance and the next course start date is 7th May. I couldn't recommend this enough and have done the same course several times Although Mindfulness is for everyone, it's probably worth pointing out that it can be uncomfortable in the sense that you get in touch with yourself so if people are having therapy for depression it may be worth discussing with a GP or therapist before starting mindfulness. Also there is a good book by Dr Emma Mardlin called "Mind Body Diabetes Type 1 & Type 2" which is well worth a read All the best Muncle

Mar 24, 2018 Deadly 8 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Effects of stress on blood glucose levels Hi All I had just changed job to a position that carries with it a fair level of stress and anxiety. I believe my blood sugars have surged upwards as a result. Can anyone offer advice on the efffects of adrenaline on blood sugars and how to control the rise in sugar levels? Thanks

Mar 22, 2018 LucB27 3 posts	Topic: General Discussion / BACKGROUND INSULIN Hi, ive uploaded more results over the last week. thing is i cant take any lantus before bed as im already hypoing. everyone seems to have success with there levels with LCHF but i dont seem to be, my levels are all over the place. i dont want to lose weight either but if my levels sometimes go high off just salads etc i dont want to eat carbs on the 21/03 i done no carb lunch but i dont know how to stop the highs after lunch then i drop back down, i seem to shoot up to 9s

Mar 22, 2018 torana 53 posts	Topic: General Discussion / BACKGROUND INSULIN Hi LucB27, I have looked over your data again and it is confounding that without background insulin your BG will fall throughout the night. It can be challenging getting so many hypos, being on a LCHF diet and then having to top up all the time with carbs. It seems that on a 1:1 ratio in the morning your BG drops before lunch. It may be worthwhile to have an extra portion at breakfast to minimise this low. It could be trial and error and even half a portion may get you over the hump. My good friend is on the keto diet and has seen a doctor in Sydney who specialises in the LCHF. He has a very popular practice as diabetes and weight loss is no doubt extremely difficult on insulin. He also went to a conference which is on the web called low carb downunder. A number of the LCHF doctors attended this conference. There should be also doctors in general practices England who follow this regime either for keto or LCHF diets. Pick the amount of carbs you want to eat throughout the day and then ask the doctor to follow up, mentor or assist you to achieve your goals.

Mar 20, 2018 LucB27 3 posts	Topic: General Discussion / BACKGROUND INSULIN torana said: Hi LucB27, I was sifting through your BG results and my first thought was yours results are very close to the bone and to achieve low blood sugars for 24 hours with a very small margin of error is extremely difficult without going low. Sometimes taking drugs and medications the effects can be highly variable due to exercise, diet, sickness etc. This is the case with insulin. Also, there is also a huge amount of the fear factor with diabetes and many of us worry about the long term side effects from being too high for too long and hence we try to perfect the outcomes to our peril. I can only speak from my experiences on insulin for nearly 50 years. One suggestion would be to see what happens if you increase your blood sugars at the nighttime to about 8 to 9mmol/l so there is a bit of a safety net if there’s a drop at night. I believe that DAFNE has a base level of around 7 before bedtime for safety. I test my BG about 9.30pm and might make a slight adjustment with a half a piece of toast. Being a school teacher I can also have an early dinner at approximately 5pm so there is a large enough time lapse to ascertain trends. Hi thanks for your reply. at the moment now im on 0 lantus at bedtime and im still coming down, i really dont understand it. Im also trying the whole LCHF diet but im struggling to get that right aswell at meal times its hard to judge how much quick acting to take.so last week i was getting SO many hypos so i definetly want to stop that. i just dont understand how i can go hypo at like 6am with no lantus in me.