[Diabetes] General Chat and Support Thread

nzdesign

Hi,
I am a type 1 diabetic moving from Sydney and soon to be living in Dublin. 
I am on an animas vibe insulin pump and also on a Dexcom G4 CGM. I am using Novarapid insulin. 
Does anyone know what the availability is like for consumables, how I can access (do I need a script) and any guidance on costs?
Any assistance would be much appreciated. 
Thanks!

palmcut

nzdesign wrote: »

Hi,
I am a type 1 diabetic moving from Sydney and soon to be living in Dublin. 
I am on an animas vibe insulin pump and also on a Dexcom G4 CGM. I am using Novarapid insulin. 
Does anyone know what the availability is like for consumables, how I can access (do I need a script) and any guidance on costs?
Any assistance would be much appreciated. 
Thanks!

All diabetics receive their prescribed medication for diabetes free here. The application takes about 4 weeks before approval is cleared by the PCRS in Dublin. Initial approval is received from the local Health office. You also send the application to the local HSE health office. Animas and Novorapid are readily available on this LTI scheme. (long term illness).
You can get the application form in your local pharmacy or in the local HSE office. You need to get a doctor to complete and stamp the application form.
The application form goes to the local HSE office. They issue what is called an LTI number and a green LTI book. The number becomes active when a HSE group in Dublin called the PCRS validate the local approval.

nzdesign

Thanks thats really helpful. Do you know if the same goes for the consumables for a pump and CGM? Technically its not medication its consumables for the hardware related to the delivery of medication (in the case of the pump). 
In Australia the pump consumables (the cannula) is subsidised so you only pay a little but the CGM is seen as an extravagance so you pay full price for the transmitter and sensor which is quite a bit. 

Thanks again.

Buford T. Justice XIX

nzdesign wrote: »

Thanks thats really helpful. Do you know if the same goes for the consumables for a pump and CGM? Technically its not medication its consumables for the hardware related to the delivery of medication (in the case of the pump).
In Australia the pump consumables (the cannula) is subsidised so you only pay a little but the CGM is seen as an extravagance so you pay full price for the transmitter and sensor which is quite a bit.

Thanks again.

Your doctor will have to fight for the CGM to be included as it's normally only added if the patient is unaware of low blood sugars. Even then, you might only be allocated 10 or 20 sensors for the year. The transmitter isn't normally included and costs 500 euro for the year. The inserts are normally 60 euro each.

You might check if you have a waiting period before you can qualify for the LTI scheme also.

banjobongo

I have Type 1 diabetes, I was diagnosed last summer.

I was lucky enough to be offered a few weeks free trial of the FreeStyle Libre sensor in late Dec/early Jan, which has recently come to an end, so in case its helpful for anybody else here is some feedback on it:

• Its fantastic to be able to take a reading whenever and wherever you are, so quick and easy;
• You get see where your patterns are and if your blood sugar levels are steady or going up or down, now Im without it I almost feel blind without it! You see on a realtime basis what impact exercise, food and drink have on your blood sugar levels. Prior to getting it I just took readings before my 3 daily meals and once again before going to bed, now Im trying to prick my finger more often to get more readings, especially before exercise (as I have discovered that exercise lowers by blood sugar readings, which is an important finding!)
• It does not hurt to get the sensor into your arm, there is a slight discomfort wearing it at first but soon you wont be aware of it at all;
• The device is delicate, I had 3 free trial samples and lost two of them, once when taking off my tshirt it dislodged the sensor, and once when swimming, it caught against a lane rope, so be careful, as they are very expensive – I see on their Irish website that just one sensor costs €59.90 so as one sensor lasts around 14 days that would be 120 Euros per month and if you lose/damage a sensor that could be 30e down the drain! – once a sensor is damaged, even slightly, that’s it, its gone, its broken and needs to be thrown away!
• If you are a swimmer like I am, yes, you can swim with it! I did a fair number of pool based swims, each session lasting around 55 mins or so, followed by a shower, no problems (apart from when I hit a lane rope and damaged a sensor!) I have also done karate and cycling and gym with it, with no problems.
• My 3 free sensors are all used up now, I still have the reader, which I am now using as my main reader.
• I cant wait until the Irish government supplies it free to diabetes patients. Unfortunately I cant afford to pay 120E per month for the sensors.
• It’s a real pity that you cant buy more than one sensor off their website and get a discount, I checked, one sensor costs 59.90 and 10 sensors costs 599!

Hope this proves helpful to somebody out there!

uli84

nzdesign wrote: »

Hi,
I am a type 1 diabetic moving from Sydney and soon to be living in Dublin. 
I am on an animas vibe insulin pump and also on a Dexcom G4 CGM. I am using Novarapid insulin. 
Does anyone know what the availability is like for consumables, how I can access (do I need a script) and any guidance on costs?
Any assistance would be much appreciated. 
Thanks!

Out of curiosity, have you had any issues with visa at all or you don't need one?

uli84

Guys, regarding the eye test retinophaty screening, i had one done last year, do i need to contact them to arrange one this year or they are scheduling those themselves and will send me the letter?

Xofpod

Once you've done it once, you're in their system and they should contact you automatically. If it's been well over a year or any of your contact details have changed, no harm in giving them a ring though.

nzdesign

uli84 wrote: »

nzdesign wrote: »

Hi,
I am a type 1 diabetic moving from Sydney and soon to be living in Dublin. 
I am on an animas vibe insulin pump and also on a Dexcom G4 CGM. I am using Novarapid insulin. 
Does anyone know what the availability is like for consumables, how I can access (do I need a script) and any guidance on costs?
Any assistance would be much appreciated. 
Thanks!

Out of curiosity, have you had any issues with visa at all or you don't need one?

Hi, no I need to apply for a VISA on arrival and await this before I can work and likely get in the system re the medical stuff. Will have to bring a heap of supplies with me I think.

uli84

Yes, you better off take a good load to be safe as it'll take a while for sure.

C-Shore

Not sure if some of you have seen this already.

There's a PhD student in UCD doing a study into the effect of exercise on control for Type 1 Diabetics. This is something I wish was available to me over the years, and so I'm going to take part in it both to help make the information available for others starting with diabetes, and also hopefully learn from it too.

CramCycle, this might be something of interest to you too. They do a DEXA scan as part of it, along with CGM testing for the few weeks while it's on.
Poster for it below — I assume Graphic Design wasn't part of the undergraduate degree!

Email contact is dean.minnock@ucdconnect.ie.

banjobongo

C-Shore wrote: »

Not sure if some of you have seen this already.

There's a PhD student in UCD doing a study into the effect of exercise on control for Type 1 Diabetics. This is something I wish was available to me over the years, and so I'm going to take part in it both to help make the information available for others starting with diabetes, and also hopefully learn from it too.

CramCycle, this might be something of interest to you too. They do a DEXA scan as part of it, along with CGM testing for the few weeks while it's on.
Poster for it below — I assume Graphic Design wasn't part of the undergraduate degree!

Email contact is dean.minnock@ucdconnect.ie.

Id LOVE to be involved in this, Im Type 1 diabetic and I exercise pretty much every day as a keep method of managing my blood sugar levels....but Im too old! at 53....

CramCycle

C-Shore wrote: »

Not sure if some of you have seen this already.

There's a PhD student in UCD doing a study into the effect of exercise on control for Type 1 Diabetics. This is something I wish was available to me over the years, and so I'm going to take part in it both to help make the information available for others starting with diabetes, and also hopefully learn from it too.

CramCycle, this might be something of interest to you too. They do a DEXA scan as part of it, along with CGM testing for the few weeks while it's on.
Poster for it below — I assume Graphic Design wasn't part of the undergraduate degree!

Email contact is dean.minnock@ucdconnect.ie.

Signed up there now, if just for the DEXA scan and the chance to try out a libre, I think it is worth it. They haven't filled the quota yet if anyone else is considering dropping Dean an e-mail.

Kurtosis

Just to flag also that there's a poster carrying out research on psychological factors involved in diabetes self-care, if anyone would like to take part the survey is open until the end of this week: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=102319715

graflynn

nzdesign wrote: »

Thanks thats really helpful. Do you know if the same goes for the consumables for a pump and CGM? Technically its not medication its consumables for the hardware related to the delivery of medication (in the case of the pump). 
In Australia the pump consumables (the cannula) is subsidised so you only pay a little but the CGM is seen as an extravagance so you pay full price for the transmitter and sensor which is quite a bit. 

Thanks again.

Hi New Zealand,

I have the Vibe and the Dexcom and both of them are covered on my LTi.

uli84

banjobongo wrote: »

Id LOVE to be involved in this, Im Type 1 diabetic and I exercise pretty much every day as a keep method of managing my blood sugar levels....but Im too old! at 53....

Me too but I live too far I was told so Dublin folks may avail

Xofpod

Quick question for T1 diabetics; how many units of long acting insulin do you take daily? I'm particularly interested in anyone taking Lantus.
I know everyone's physiology, etc. is different but I'm interested in ball-park figures. Thanks.

CramCycle

Xofpod wrote: »

Quick question for T1 diabetics; how many units of long acting insulin do you take daily? I'm particularly interested in anyone taking Lantus.
I know everyone's physiology, etc. is different but I'm interested in ball-park figures. Thanks.

Mine varied from 18 to 36 over the years. I was on 30 a day for the last few years of use. I have met people in clinics as low as 12 and as high as 40 split into two over the day.

Meauldsegosha

Xofpod wrote: »

Quick question for T1 diabetics; how many units of long acting insulin do you take daily? I'm particularly interested in anyone taking Lantus.
I know everyone's physiology, etc. is different but I'm interested in ball-park figures. Thanks.

I'm on Lantus and my units have varied from 24 to 44 over the years. I'm currently on 36 unit which I take in the evening.

ddarcy

CramCycle wrote: »

Mine varied from 18 to 36 over the years. I was on 30 a day for the last few years of use. I have met people in clinics as low as 12 and as high as 40 split into two over the day.

Mine has varied as well, but was doing 6 units morning dosage. I've switched to levemir now. I do 6 in total of that but with a morning and evening dosage of 3.

ec21

Hi  Xofpod 
Regarding your question on Lantus, everyone is different and your dosage requirement will depend on many things. From my own reading and research, two major factors will be your weight (a person weighing less will need a lower dosage than a heavier person) and also whether you have any insulin resistance issues. 

My suggestion would be to get a copy of Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book and in that book you will find out how you actually come up with the dosage you need. Also, check out this free video on you tube, from 3 minutes onwards:
enter the following in the search bar on you tube: 
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Session 37. Basal Insulin - Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes University[/font]

If you are not familiar with Dr. Bernstein, look him up. He is T1 diabetic for 70+ years and has specialised in diabetes as a qualified doctor for over 40+ years (still practicing now in his 80's in New York).

C-Shore

For anyone on a Medtronic CGM using the Enlite Sensor — is the transmitter covered under LTI if you get approved, or only the sensors?

And how long does your transmitter last? In terms of overall lifespan, and battery life too.

banjobongo

how often do you/should you replace the pricker/lancet yokes?
I change mine every 3 - 5 days and I prick my fingers about 5 - 6 times per day....just wandering?>

C-Shore

banjobongo wrote: »

how often do you/should you replace the pricker/lancet yokes?
I change mine every 3 - 5 days and I prick my fingers about 5 - 6 times per day....just wandering?>

Whenever I remember!

I probably test 8 times a day, and sometimes I change a few times a day, but I've definitely gone 2 weeks without changing it as well.

I think it's a running joke that a box of lancets is a lifetime supply.

CramCycle

I got a new one with a new machine 2 months ago, haven't changed it since I got it. Might change it tonight after reading this though. I test about 6 times a day.

Immelman

On the waiting list for a pump anybody know what pumps are currently being offered on the LTI and do they support CGM under the LTI?

Aeternum

Immelman wrote: »

On the waiting list for a pump anybody know what pumps are currently being offered on the LTI and do they support CGM under the LTI?

I just had my first appointment yesterday regarding a pump - I was basically told that everyone starts off on a basic pump with no CGM unless there's extenuating circumstances. I've no hypo awareness so I'm trying to get a built with a CGM due to this but it looks like I've got a fight on my hands as they just kept saying the pump the HSE is contracted with is a basic Medtronic one and that's what they have to offer.

I'm being brought back in two months and have been told that's probably when I'll be told what kind of pump I'm getting!

It probably depends on your hospital though - I'm attending Galway!

Immelman

Thanks Aeternum for the info I have done DAFNE which apparently is a prerequisite for IPT , Medtronic was mentioned but not a model. With technology moving on so quickly I would like to know what models are currently being offered in the clinics

Lisc28

Hi just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for the best time of day to take Victoza? I've to start it today or tomorrow with Metformin. I know that it will give me stomach upset for a couple of weeks before adjusting, but I'm just wondering if anyone who's taken it before knows when the best time to take it is? Thanks! :-)

Aeternum

Immelman wrote: »

Thanks Aeternum for the info I have done DAFNE which apparently is a prerequisite for IPT , Medtronic was mentioned but not a model. With technology moving on so quickly I would like to know what models are currently being offered in the clinics

They had a box of them that they showed me and they were all the same model that's been offered for the last few years - sorry I didn't take note of the model number but it's definitely not a new one on the market.