Recent Posts - DAFNE Online

Dec 13, 2015

Felix Glenn 26 posts

Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Resfresher

Hi Folks,
I just did a DAFNE refresher (Lewisham Hospital, London) and learned a couple of interesting things:
1) Type 1s who continuously record BG/CP info have a lower HbA1c than those who don't
2) There is no such thing as a 24hr BI insulin which remains active for 24hrs, hence the prevalence of Type 1s being advised to move to splitting BI dose.

Please tell me your thoughts?

Both things have had a very positive impact on the way I'm managing my condition, starting with The DAFNE online App.

F

Dec 13, 2015

Felix Glenn 26 posts

Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE and Insulin Pumps.

I just did a DAFNE refresher (Lewisham Hospital, London) and learned a couple of interesting things:
1) Type 1s who continuously record BG/CP info have a lower HbA1c than those who don't
2) There is no such thing as a 24hr BI insulin which remains active for 24hrs, hence the prevalence of Type 1s being advised to move to splitting BI dose.

Please tell me your thoughts?

Both things have had an enormous impact on the way I'm managing my condition, starting with The DAFNE online App.

F

Dec 13, 2015

Felix Glenn 26 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Meet up with some fellow type 1's

Hi,
Please let me know if you are meeting up again in the near future.
DAFNE has been a wonderful education for me and I have to say that it is the experiences and advice of other type 1 diabetics that has been the single biggest factor in my learning how to manage this condition.
Felix Cool

Dec 11, 2015

Nuri 1 post

Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate?

Have just joined Dafne and am slightly surprised to read above that "some bolus advisors cannot work in carbohydrate portions" and "the grammes approach would make it easier for some educators".
The changes that advisors/educators would like reads as very confusing and I do agree that it could, for some diabetics, lead to more risk of error with insulin requirements and the consequences therein.
I'd prefer things to stay as they are.

Dec 11, 2015

Stew B 125 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate?

It's not broken, please don't fix it!

Dec 10, 2015

SimonC 78 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter)

Ok - I have made it up the waiting list - after 6 months - which to be fair was what people in here said it would be, and have received my email saying I can order.

I will be ordering - as I like the idea of being able to see trends - as they happen, and be told whether my sugar levels are going up or down - as this makes a difference to the action taken and a single snap shot in time can't tell you this.

So - any more tips and advice, from those that are using I should be aware of. I'm not hugely active - apart from walking my dogs, but I do have to go through airport security every day, has anyone had any issues with this yet.

Dec 10, 2015

SimonC 78 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate?

My feelings are as above - why change, the maths is much easier saying 1 unit of CP is 10g of CP - can't get much easier than that, and my ratios are straight forward to work out, except I have a 1.5 to 1, but again, that is fairly easy to work out.

The above appears much harder to work out, esp for those of us who are comfortable working the other way round. I personally don't see any benefit at all, and can only see downsides - the maths is harder, the risks associated with the change will lead to loss of control.

I realise many aren't happy unless they are introducing change, but this appears to be change for changes sake, so no doubt it will be introduced and ignore those that disagree, because we will be seen as backward and refusing to adapt.

Dec 8, 2015

alturn 78 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Levemir doses

If your BGs are good, then you have a regime that suits you.

I take 11 of BI at 08:15 and 11 at 17:45 whenever possible to try and keep BI level constant. I tried BI at about 23:00 (as 17:45 didn't seem to work very well for a while) and was fine, then reverted again for the same reason, and also less likely to forget BI at 17:45 as take QA at the same time.

Dec 8, 2015

sjohno 37 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate?

Oh I agree with Alan my control is great too so I'm happy for it not to change Laughing

My mental arithmetic is not good but I cope very well with 1 unit - 1 CP or 10g CP and the differing ratios 1:1.5, 1:2 etc.

Dec 8, 2015

Alan 49 284 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate?

My poor old brain wouldn't be able to cope with these changes, I'm afraid. My control is quite good at the moment using the current method, so I would prefer it not to change.

Dec 8, 2015

SlinkySixty54 1 post

Topic: General Discussion / Levemir doses

H, can I join in this discussion too please? I am a DAFNE graduate of 2005 for which I am very grateful to the difference it has made to my lifestyle. I have recently( over 18 - 24 months) lost 5 st and have found that this has made a tremendous difference to the amount of Levemir I now need.

My query is that looking at the postings there is a vast difference in the time people take their doses. I take my morning dose between 7.30 - 9.00 depending on what the day has in store as I have joined the retirement brigade but in the evening I take it as I go to bed which can be from 10.30 - 11.30pm. I notice that some are taking theirs early evening, is there an optimum time? Please can someone offer some advice/ suggestions.

Dec 7, 2015

Simon 578 posts

Topic: General Discussion / CP content of alcoholic beverages

Another question from the DAFNE Educator network:

The next update of the CP list is due in 2017 and we are beginning to work on this now. Educators have asked for more information on the CP content of alcoholic drinks to make the CP guide more relevant to currently available alcoholic drinks.

As a DAFNE user do you have any information to share on the CP content of alcoholic drinks that you have gathered from a reputable source?
If so please share the name of the product, brand, volume, CP content and source of the information. We will review responses, and if enough time is available (depending on the number of responses received!), verify for inclusion in the next resources update.

Responses by 15/01/16 please

Dec 7, 2015

Simon 578 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate?

This is a question posed by the DAFNE Educator network, please add your responses and thoughts below:

What this would mean would be stopping using CPs but using carbohydrate grammes instead, there are 2 options

1. Using 1 unit to 10g without further conversion to CPs
or
2. Changing the ratios so that they are reversed (as in some pump use) so that 1 unit is fixed and the grammes of carbohydrate vary to one unit of insulin e.g.
0.5 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 20g carbs to 1 unit insulin
1.0 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 10g carbs to 1 unit insulin
1.5 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 7g carbs to 1 unit insulin
2.0 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 5g carbs to 1 unit insulin
2.5 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 4g carbs to 1 unit insulin
3.0 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 3g carbs to 1 unit insulin

The argument against is that variable grammes to 1 unit of insulin makes the calculation of doses much more difficult without a calculator, we are aware of difficulties with working out the maths using the simpler CP approach and are unsure if a more complex approach would benefit graduates or put people off.

The arguments for the variable grammes to 1 unit approach rest with common practice in childrenâ€™s diabetes services of using grammes to 1 unit as the ratios tend to be smaller e.g. 20g to 1 unit, and common practice in pump use as some bolus advisors cannot work in carbohydrate portions. The use of a grammes approach would make it easier for some educators as it would be in line with approaches used in other areas of work, it may also benefit some users who have previously been taught this approach.

We would like your views as DAFNE users on the approach to dose calculation that you feel would be of most benefit. Responses by 15/01/16 please.

Dec 7, 2015

Yelekreb 11 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Wahaca

Wahaca's response to request to show carb info:

"I'm afraid that having looked into the options available for calculating our nutritional information, based on the number of dishes we serve and the fact that we cook them from scratch, the variance means that we'd not be able to supply what we would consider reliable and accurate data, so we're not comfortable trying to do so....unfortunately carb and calorie values are not something we are able to document"

Dec 7, 2015

Simon 578 posts

Topic: Site Development / Formatting url BBcode is broken

Dec 6, 2015

JayBee 587 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Levemir doses

Update! Thank you all for your replies. Sorry I did not look back at this sooner! D'oh!

I'm currently now taking these levels of Levemir...

Morning BI 4, aiming for between 7am and 9am
Evening BI 7, aiming for between 09.30pm and 11pm

After a lot of work and disrupted sleep, I discovered I would hypo overnight if I took anything above 11BI in the evening; during the day is still a bit of a puzzle to me but I'm glad of the numbers I'm getting currently from lowering it too. It's amazing how your body copes to keep you okay when your doses are not right yet. I did also try 3x daily BI for about 6months before getting to the point I am now; I definitely agree with the advice to stick to 2x BI daily. I did not seem to see any definite improvement from an extra dose of BI.

My meal ratios are also very different now since 2012. I used to try and aim for 1:1 for every meal when I first did the course, but now I take 2:1 breakfast, 1:1 or 1.5:1 lunch and 1:1 dinner which is providing a lot better support overall. If you stay stable when you have a carb free meal with no QA to mess the picture up (I tend to avoid even meats in these meals), definitely look at your meal ratio instead.

Low carb can be just as good if you trust your correctional needs requirements (I did not for a long time because when I was taking high doses of BI, my corrections would take me down by 4-5BG for 1QA Sad

which was scary).

Things are so very different now, even if the work is never done because of sodding hormones messing up the BG patterns (stress, period, exercise..etc)! I still have loads of work to do for doses in relation to exercise... So much rubbish to think about! -_-;;

Stay well all! Smile

Dec 6, 2015

JayBee 587 posts

Topic: Site Development / Formatting url BBcode is broken

TEST

Edit: Oh okay. It does work now, lol. I do understand how to use BB from other forums, but maybe I had a brain toot. Laughing

Thanks for the help! Smile

Dec 3, 2015

Susanf 29 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Nutritional Values on package food

Dec 2, 2015

alturn 78 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Strange Basal Insulin Question

I've had similar changes, but in reverse. Reduced BI from 14/14 to 10/10 from July to September, and dinner ratio from 3:1 to 2:1. But recently had to increase BI to 11/11. I had often wondered if weather affected sensitivity. The only other thing I could think of was changing BI sites from thighs to buttocks and using larger injection areas.

So your not alone.
J

Dec 2, 2015

Alan 49 284 posts

Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Nutritional Values on package food

I'm afraid that's not possible for me, Susan - I'm one of the few people without a smart-phone.

Dec 2, 2015

Phil Maskell 194 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Strange Basal Insulin Question

Hi,

I have been trying low carb for the last 6 months, I have been having 8 units Levemir morning and night, with a trickle of Novorapid for the protein and carbs in fruit/veg.

I have noticed over the last month or so that I have needed to increase my basal insulin to 12/12 from 8/8 with no significant change in exercise (only dif is I no longer go outside on the bike, but use trainer indoors as weather is naff) or eating habits.

I am wondering if this is a hormonal thing, my body doing something expecting winter or something? Has anyone else noticed a need to increase basal in winter? Or is my insulin sensitivity going down? I still drop like a brick from too much Novorapid so I don't think so, unless its Levemir I am no longer sensitive to?

Any ideas? Increasing basal is not an issue, just got me wondering.

Phil

Dec 13, 2015 Felix Glenn 26 posts	Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE Resfresher Hi Folks, I just did a DAFNE refresher (Lewisham Hospital, London) and learned a couple of interesting things: 1) Type 1s who continuously record BG/CP info have a lower HbA1c than those who don't 2) There is no such thing as a 24hr BI insulin which remains active for 24hrs, hence the prevalence of Type 1s being advised to move to splitting BI dose. Please tell me your thoughts? Both things have had a very positive impact on the way I'm managing my condition, starting with The DAFNE online App. F

Dec 13, 2015 Felix Glenn 26 posts	Topic: General Discussion / DAFNE and Insulin Pumps. I just did a DAFNE refresher (Lewisham Hospital, London) and learned a couple of interesting things: 1) Type 1s who continuously record BG/CP info have a lower HbA1c than those who don't 2) There is no such thing as a 24hr BI insulin which remains active for 24hrs, hence the prevalence of Type 1s being advised to move to splitting BI dose. Please tell me your thoughts? Both things have had an enormous impact on the way I'm managing my condition, starting with The DAFNE online App. F

Dec 13, 2015 Felix Glenn 26 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Meet up with some fellow type 1's Hi, Please let me know if you are meeting up again in the near future. DAFNE has been a wonderful education for me and I have to say that it is the experiences and advice of other type 1 diabetics that has been the single biggest factor in my learning how to manage this condition. Felix

Dec 11, 2015 Nuri 1 post	Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate? Have just joined Dafne and am slightly surprised to read above that "some bolus advisors cannot work in carbohydrate portions" and "the grammes approach would make it easier for some educators". The changes that advisors/educators would like reads as very confusing and I do agree that it could, for some diabetics, lead to more risk of error with insulin requirements and the consequences therein. I'd prefer things to stay as they are.

Dec 11, 2015 Stew B 125 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate? It's not broken, please don't fix it!

Dec 10, 2015 SimonC 78 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Cyborg Times (new BG meter) Ok - I have made it up the waiting list - after 6 months - which to be fair was what people in here said it would be, and have received my email saying I can order. I will be ordering - as I like the idea of being able to see trends - as they happen, and be told whether my sugar levels are going up or down - as this makes a difference to the action taken and a single snap shot in time can't tell you this. So - any more tips and advice, from those that are using I should be aware of. I'm not hugely active - apart from walking my dogs, but I do have to go through airport security every day, has anyone had any issues with this yet.

Dec 10, 2015 SimonC 78 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate? My feelings are as above - why change, the maths is much easier saying 1 unit of CP is 10g of CP - can't get much easier than that, and my ratios are straight forward to work out, except I have a 1.5 to 1, but again, that is fairly easy to work out. The above appears much harder to work out, esp for those of us who are comfortable working the other way round. I personally don't see any benefit at all, and can only see downsides - the maths is harder, the risks associated with the change will lead to loss of control. I realise many aren't happy unless they are introducing change, but this appears to be change for changes sake, so no doubt it will be introduced and ignore those that disagree, because we will be seen as backward and refusing to adapt.

Dec 8, 2015 alturn 78 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Levemir doses If your BGs are good, then you have a regime that suits you. I take 11 of BI at 08:15 and 11 at 17:45 whenever possible to try and keep BI level constant. I tried BI at about 23:00 (as 17:45 didn't seem to work very well for a while) and was fine, then reverted again for the same reason, and also less likely to forget BI at 17:45 as take QA at the same time.

Dec 8, 2015 sjohno 37 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate? Oh I agree with Alan my control is great too so I'm happy for it not to change My mental arithmetic is not good but I cope very well with 1 unit - 1 CP or 10g CP and the differing ratios 1:1.5, 1:2 etc.

Dec 8, 2015 Alan 49 284 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate? My poor old brain wouldn't be able to cope with these changes, I'm afraid. My control is quite good at the moment using the current method, so I would prefer it not to change.

Dec 8, 2015 SlinkySixty54 1 post	Topic: General Discussion / Levemir doses H, can I join in this discussion too please? I am a DAFNE graduate of 2005 for which I am very grateful to the difference it has made to my lifestyle. I have recently( over 18 - 24 months) lost 5 st and have found that this has made a tremendous difference to the amount of Levemir I now need. My query is that looking at the postings there is a vast difference in the time people take their doses. I take my morning dose between 7.30 - 9.00 depending on what the day has in store as I have joined the retirement brigade but in the evening I take it as I go to bed which can be from 10.30 - 11.30pm. I notice that some are taking theirs early evening, is there an optimum time? Please can someone offer some advice/ suggestions.

Dec 7, 2015 Simon 578 posts	Topic: General Discussion / CP content of alcoholic beverages Another question from the DAFNE Educator network: The next update of the CP list is due in 2017 and we are beginning to work on this now. Educators have asked for more information on the CP content of alcoholic drinks to make the CP guide more relevant to currently available alcoholic drinks. As a DAFNE user do you have any information to share on the CP content of alcoholic drinks that you have gathered from a reputable source? If so please share the name of the product, brand, volume, CP content and source of the information. We will review responses, and if enough time is available (depending on the number of responses received!), verify for inclusion in the next resources update. Responses by 15/01/16 please

Dec 7, 2015 Simon 578 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Can DAFNE consider changing from the use of CPâ€™s to g of carbohydrate? This is a question posed by the DAFNE Educator network, please add your responses and thoughts below: What this would mean would be stopping using CPs but using carbohydrate grammes instead, there are 2 options 1. Using 1 unit to 10g without further conversion to CPs or 2. Changing the ratios so that they are reversed (as in some pump use) so that 1 unit is fixed and the grammes of carbohydrate vary to one unit of insulin e.g. 0.5 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 20g carbs to 1 unit insulin 1.0 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 10g carbs to 1 unit insulin 1.5 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 7g carbs to 1 unit insulin 2.0 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 5g carbs to 1 unit insulin 2.5 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 4g carbs to 1 unit insulin 3.0 to 1 ratio becomes a ratio of 3g carbs to 1 unit insulin The argument against is that variable grammes to 1 unit of insulin makes the calculation of doses much more difficult without a calculator, we are aware of difficulties with working out the maths using the simpler CP approach and are unsure if a more complex approach would benefit graduates or put people off. The arguments for the variable grammes to 1 unit approach rest with common practice in childrenâ€™s diabetes services of using grammes to 1 unit as the ratios tend to be smaller e.g. 20g to 1 unit, and common practice in pump use as some bolus advisors cannot work in carbohydrate portions. The use of a grammes approach would make it easier for some educators as it would be in line with approaches used in other areas of work, it may also benefit some users who have previously been taught this approach. We would like your views as DAFNE users on the approach to dose calculation that you feel would be of most benefit. Responses by 15/01/16 please.

Dec 7, 2015 Yelekreb 11 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Wahaca Wahaca's response to request to show carb info: "I'm afraid that having looked into the options available for calculating our nutritional information, based on the number of dishes we serve and the fact that we cook them from scratch, the variance means that we'd not be able to supply what we would consider reliable and accurate data, so we're not comfortable trying to do so....unfortunately carb and calorie values are not something we are able to document"

Dec 7, 2015 Simon 578 posts	Topic: Site Development / Formatting url BBcode is broken

Dec 6, 2015 JayBee 587 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Levemir doses Update! Thank you all for your replies. Sorry I did not look back at this sooner! D'oh! I'm currently now taking these levels of Levemir... Morning BI 4, aiming for between 7am and 9am Evening BI 7, aiming for between 09.30pm and 11pm After a lot of work and disrupted sleep, I discovered I would hypo overnight if I took anything above 11BI in the evening; during the day is still a bit of a puzzle to me but I'm glad of the numbers I'm getting currently from lowering it too. It's amazing how your body copes to keep you okay when your doses are not right yet. I did also try 3x daily BI for about 6months before getting to the point I am now; I definitely agree with the advice to stick to 2x BI daily. I did not seem to see any definite improvement from an extra dose of BI. My meal ratios are also very different now since 2012. I used to try and aim for 1:1 for every meal when I first did the course, but now I take 2:1 breakfast, 1:1 or 1.5:1 lunch and 1:1 dinner which is providing a lot better support overall. If you stay stable when you have a carb free meal with no QA to mess the picture up (I tend to avoid even meats in these meals), definitely look at your meal ratio instead. Low carb can be just as good if you trust your correctional needs requirements (I did not for a long time because when I was taking high doses of BI, my corrections would take me down by 4-5BG for 1QA which was scary). Things are so very different now, even if the work is never done because of sodding hormones messing up the BG patterns (stress, period, exercise..etc)! I still have loads of work to do for doses in relation to exercise... So much rubbish to think about! -_-;; Stay well all!

Dec 6, 2015 JayBee 587 posts	Topic: Site Development / Formatting url BBcode is broken TEST Edit: Oh okay. It does work now, lol. I do understand how to use BB from other forums, but maybe I had a brain toot. Thanks for the help!

Dec 3, 2015 Susanf 29 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Nutritional Values on package food

Dec 2, 2015 alturn 78 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Strange Basal Insulin Question I've had similar changes, but in reverse. Reduced BI from 14/14 to 10/10 from July to September, and dinner ratio from 3:1 to 2:1. But recently had to increase BI to 11/11. I had often wondered if weather affected sensitivity. The only other thing I could think of was changing BI sites from thighs to buttocks and using larger injection areas. So your not alone. J

Dec 2, 2015 Alan 49 284 posts	Topic: Carbohydrate Counting / Nutritional Values on package food I'm afraid that's not possible for me, Susan - I'm one of the few people without a smart-phone.

Dec 2, 2015 Phil Maskell 194 posts	Topic: General Discussion / Strange Basal Insulin Question Hi, I have been trying low carb for the last 6 months, I have been having 8 units Levemir morning and night, with a trickle of Novorapid for the protein and carbs in fruit/veg. I have noticed over the last month or so that I have needed to increase my basal insulin to 12/12 from 8/8 with no significant change in exercise (only dif is I no longer go outside on the bike, but use trainer indoors as weather is naff) or eating habits. I am wondering if this is a hormonal thing, my body doing something expecting winter or something? Has anyone else noticed a need to increase basal in winter? Or is my insulin sensitivity going down? I still drop like a brick from too much Novorapid so I don't think so, unless its Levemir I am no longer sensitive to? Any ideas? Increasing basal is not an issue, just got me wondering. Phil