[Diabetes] General Chat and Support Thread

robinph

It's not that diabetes puts you at a higher risk from covid, it's that covid puts you at higher risk from diabetes, assuming no other existing complications. If you are already having a higher hba1c then your starting point in the event of catching covid is worse and keeping the diabetes under control whilst ill will be significantly harder.

High sugar levels are more dangerous to diabetics than covid, unless you have other complications.

banie01

Wanton wrote: »

You cant just blame the government either.

Dexcom is currently part of the core LTI list. My pharmacy have confirmed they will dispense based on a valid prescription from any source, including GP.

Just a partial/little follow up on this.
Was at my own pharmacy this morning and they were of the opinion that the script for a Dexcom has to 1st come from the hospital/diabetes team.
That said, they have not issued any nor dealt with a script for a Dexcom everyone they are prescribing "hi-tech" monitoring for is on the Libre.

The Pharmacist is giving PCRS a shout later to tell them my GP has supplied a script for dexcom, so I'll let the thread now when I get an update

The pharmacist was of the opinion that much like the Libre, there was only a specific cohort of patients that the dexcom was being prescribed to.

CramCycle

banie01 wrote: »

The pharmacist was of the opinion that much like the Libre, there was only a specific cohort of patients that the dexcom was being prescribed to.

This was my understanding too, the actual pod lasts a year and come from Medtronic via the hospital, the insertion bits come via your pharmacist. Without the former though the latter is useless. Maybe you can buy the sensor on its own direct from medtronic but I can't see it on their site.

The Hound Gone Wild

banie01 wrote: »

Just a partial/little follow up on this.
Was at my own pharmacy this morning and they were of the opinion that the script for a Dexcom has to 1st come from the hospital/diabetes team.
That said, they have not issued any nor dealt with a script for a Dexcom everyone they are prescribing "hi-tech" monitoring for is on the Libre.

The Pharmacist is giving PCRS a shout later to tell them my GP has supplied a script for dexcom, so I'll let the thread now when I get an update

The pharmacist was of the opinion that much like the Libre, there was only a specific cohort of patients that the dexcom was being prescribed to.

Dexcom are, as a rule, a pain in the hole for pharmacies.

Dexcom G6 are approved by your prescriber contacting your local public health office. Once approved dexcom themselves will send you a transmitter once every three months and you'll collect sensors once monthly from the pharmacy who orders them directly from Dexcom rather than the usual wholesalers. It is a total ballache. The pharmacist has no input over approval and doesn't oversee anything.

I know a few pharmacists (myself included) who advise local prescribers to avoid prescribing Dexcom as the company are such a shower

banie01

The Hound Gone Wild wrote: »

Dexcom are, as a rule, a pain in the hole for pharmacies.

This was also confirmed by my own pharmacist

In a follow up to your point on the transmitter, that may well be how the prescribing of the dexcom is controlled overall.
Prescription/supply of that via the hospital, as the sensor is pointless without it.

I'm probably going to self-fund the libre in the meantime as I do find it an order of magnitude more useful than a finger prick.
I always have my phone on me, having a sensor that can just scan and go gives me a far greater degree of "immediate" control.

Xofpod

The Hound Gone Wild wrote: »

Dexcom are, as a rule, a pain in the hole for pharmacies.

Dexcom G6 are approved by your prescriber contacting your local public health office. Once approved dexcom themselves will send you a transmitter once every three months and you'll collect sensors once monthly from the pharmacy who orders them directly from Dexcom rather than the usual wholesalers. It is a total ballache. The pharmacist has no input over approval and doesn't oversee anything.

I know a few pharmacists (myself included) who advise local prescribers to avoid prescribing Dexcom as the company are such a shower

True, but once the initial pain in the ass set-up is done the process seems to run smoothly enough. Dexcom was removed from the centralised ordering process some time back (business decision on the wholesaler side I believe) so each individual pharmacy has to set up an account with Dexcom, agree payment terms, etc. Took about two months for my pharmacist to get it sorted but seems to all be working reasonably seamlessly now.

uli84

The blood tests that needs done before outpatient clinic visit, can they be done in a local hospital as opposed to the hospital i am attending for that clinic? What’s people’s experience?

tadgho

Can anyone recommend a decent Diabetic Cook book please?? (Type 1) Seems to be loads out there but struggling to narrow it down...:o

robinph

tadgho wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a decent Diabetic Cook book please?? (Type 1) Seems to be loads out there but struggling to narrow it down...:o

You don't need anything special, just normal food. Maybe try to avoid anything too sugary, but that goes for everyone. We're not anything special (well we are really, but don't tell anyone), just eat healthy food.

If it says "suitable for diabetics" on the packet though you are best to steer well clear as that normally means it will do unpleasant things to you and you'll be sat on the loo longer than you'd like.

Just healthy food, exactly the same as everyone should be eating is what you want to look for.

robinph

Just back from getting my 1st dose of the AstraZenica vaccine.

Got them to stick it in the same arm as my Libre, because I'm changing that later today anyway, but have seen that some people had issues with getting their jabs in the same arms as Libres or Omnipods. Not seen anything about any clinical reason for that though.

Think there is possibly slightly more people get reactions to the first dose of AstraZenica, but not the second. But with Pfizer they get reactions on the second dose. Have to wait and see what the next 24 hours holds.

dubstarr

Anyone know where i can buy almond flour

lucernarian

robinph wrote: »

Just back from getting my 1st dose of the AstraZenica vaccine.

Got them to stick it in the same arm as my Libre, because I'm changing that later today anyway, but have seen that some people had issues with getting their jabs in the same arms as Libres or Omnipods. Not seen anything about any clinical reason for that though.

Think there is possibly slightly more people get reactions to the first dose of AstraZenica, but not the second. But with Pfizer they get reactions on the second dose. Have to wait and see what the next 24 hours holds.

Sounds like you were done as part of the HCW cohort?

Anyone with "uncontrolled diabetes" who's been contacted by a GP or outpatient department about a dose?

robinph

lucernarian wrote: »

Sounds like you were done as part of the HCW cohort?

Anyone with "uncontrolled diabetes" who's been contacted by a GP or outpatient department about a dose?

Nope, done as part of the "not currently in Ireland" cohort.

Think I can feel some shivers and a bit of a headache coming on now, about 6 hours post jab. Nothing odd going on with the BG levels yet, but going to pop a couple of paracetamol now, find a warm jumper and turn the heating up even though it's sunny outside. Could be an interesting night.

not yet

dubstarr wrote: »

Anyone know where i can buy almond flour

Tesco, but it is expensive, 7.50 for 300g Sister got 1.5kg bag for 15 euro in asian shop in towm.

robinph

Of my local diabetic mates locally we all got our AstraZenica jab in the last couple of days, seems that I was the only one with anything much in the way of symptoms out of the 5 of us, one other had a bit of a hangover type headache the following morning.

I had shivers and aches all over my body through the night and slightly raised BG levels. Wasn't a great night and not much sleep, the shivers seemed to pass by about 4am, so 12hrs after I could feel it coming on.

Bad night, but knew it was all temporary and exactly what was causing it and that it would pass soon enough. So whilst unpleasant it wasn't as bad as when getting exactly the same symptoms with a genuine flu type illness so was never much bothered by it. Bit of a headache this morning, and going to be tired today, but all a very minor inconvenience.

calfmuscle

I had both doses of Pfizer and nothing more than a sore arm and little red bump. No issue with blood sugars or anything. Iv heard a lot of colleagues complain of the side affects of AZ though..

dubstarr

Some Lidl stores have Diabetes cookbook for 3.99

pew

dubstarr wrote: »

Anyone know where i can buy almond flour

Ground almonds are the same thing but cheaper. You can blitz it again to get it a bit more fine.

Shane12

Hi

I have a question for type 1 people. My son 7 has a medtronic paradigm VEO and the set we use the mini mic set, the problem we are having is that for most set changes my son goes low towards a hypo and we have to act causing high bloods, has anybody else experienced this when changing the set?

We have changed the pump after contacting medtronic but this really hasn't resolved the issue. The air gap we set is .3 units and 1.8 shorter vials, insulin is humolog. In my opinion I am thinking some inertia in the Vial/ piston of the pump.

robinph

Not familiar with those canula sets. Worth double checking how much you need to prime the canula with though once attached to the body. Does the priming of the tubing then leave you with drops still forming on the end of the needle after you've stopped the fill? Maybe leave it a second or two longer before attaching, but really shouldn't be any more insulin pushing through once you stop.

Shane12

Thanks for the reply, sorry mis-spelled the set minimed mio. Yeah there would be drops but I would use some kitchen paper to act as capillary action to absorb excess insulin. His units would be low enough so this may not affect people older than him as much.

robinph

I can't immediately find the specs sheet on the Minimed site, but I do see that they have 9mm and 6mm canulas available. Check exactly what it says as the fill quantity on the ones your using as that difference could be significant for a kid.

Shane12

Its the 6mm one so I think the setting is ok on that, we will try and leave the canula for a few minutes after priming. I am just after reading about the closed loop system being trialled in Waterford (massive coincidence), now that would be great.

robinph

Whilst they are badged differently the infusion sets for various pumps are mostly all the same, just with annoyingly slightly different attachments so that you can't make use of a friend's spares when you run out, grrr.

Anyway, here are the types of set on the Tandem site and it shows the different fill amounts for the various sizes and angles:
https://www.makingdiabeteseasier.com/uk/products-and-support/consumables-infusion-sets

Shane12

Thanks for going to the trouble there, our fill amount is .3 for the 6mm canula so that is ok. It is difficult to find anything on Google on the matter as I assumed it would be common with children.

gctest50

Safest way is sacrifice one :

Do not insert the cannula

Prime up the line

Attach to cannula

Prime the cannula by 0.2 units at a time until it's full

Shane12

Thanks, but I think I would be a little nervous to prime the canula blind as even .1 too much would have an effect on his sugars. I assume you mean to watch the liquid as it travels through the line?

The channel is set to .3, if this was set to .2 would I get an air lock here?

gctest50

Sacrifice one = do not insert the cannula, just do it on top of the table

Shane12

Ok I understand now, yeah I can try that, thanks.

gctest50

While yer pump adjusting, check if the :

max-bolus-per thingy is set