Diabetes Review, Ozempic, and BG Meters

[Lucyr]

I get all my sensors for the Libre on prescription. I also get all my Libre test strips prescribed, including the ketone testing strips, simply because my consultant said I had to have them. Certainly saves on getting another BG testing system. For the same reason, I also get my MyLife Clickfine needles prescribed, even though they are far and away the best and cost twice as much as the usual dross prescribed.

My bolus adviser is my brain, after years of experience, still working well.

I’m not eligible for libre on prescription. How do you mentally keep track of insulin on board? That’s the part I struggle to calculate manually.

 

[Lucyr]

Hi @Lucyr how are you finding your new Jazz meter and which bolus advisor app have you decided to go with? Does the Jazz meter connect to whichever bolus advisor app you've gone with or will you have to enter bg results manually?

The jazz meter doesn’t connect to any apps or anything so have to enter the results. I’m trying the mylife app today, I’ve attached some screenshots. I like the way it breaks down the insulin calculation and summarises everything so far

 

[Bruce Stephens]

How do you mentally keep track of insulin on board?

I don't care. I remember when I injected for the last meal and watch (on the Libre) the graph. Presuming it looks like it's flattening a couple of hours after I've eaten I know things are pretty much OK, and if it looks like I'm still going up I go for a brisk walk (sometimes after a couple of extra units, if it looks like that's necessary).

(I've always been a bit unclear about what I would do with insulin on board even if I knew what it was, so I've just stopped worrying.)

I agree that's lots easier with continuous monitoring, and really it would be wonderful for that to be available to more people. (NICE is due to give updated guidance in the next few weeks which is expected to broaden access a bit.)

 

[Lucyr]

I don't care. I remember when I injected for the last meal and watch (on the Libre) the graph. Presuming it looks like it's flattening a couple of hours after I've eaten I know things are pretty much OK, and if it looks like I'm still going up I go for a brisk walk (sometimes after a couple of extra units, if it looks like that's necessary).

(I've always been a bit unclear about what I would do with insulin on board even if I knew what it was, so I've just stopped worrying.)

I agree that's lots easier with continuous monitoring, and really it would be wonderful for that to be available to more people. (NICE is due to give updated guidance in the next few weeks which is expected to broaden access a bit.)

I use insulin on board to help with corrections. When you’re high, insulin doesn’t work as well so your usual correction ratio may not be enough. Knowing insulin on board and subtracting that from the next correction dose means you can top up on the extra insulin needed to bring down a high bg without risk of stacking too much insulin on top of prior doses that are still working.

 

[mum2westiesGill]

The jazz meter doesn’t connect to any apps or anything so have to enter the results. I’m trying the mylife app today, I’ve attached some screenshots. I like the way it breaks down the insulin calculation and summarises everything so far

The mylife app looks good. Let me know how you get on with it and if you prefer it to the mysugr app. Mysugr doesn't calculate insulin on board.

 

[Lucyr]

Mysugr doesn't calculate insulin on board.

It definitely does

 

[mum2westiesGill]

It definitely does

Where does it calculate it?

 

[Lucyr]

Where does it calculate it?

Its factored into the calculations. Making up these figures but if I tell it I’ve done a 5u correction then tell it I’m 17 it will reccomend me only 0.5u insulin as it takes the 5u correction I put in beforehand into account.

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Its factored into the calculations. Making up these figures but if I tell it I’ve done a 5u correction then tell it I’m 17 it will reccomend me only 0.5u insulin as it takes the 5u correction I put in beforehand into account.

Thanks @Lucyr when I looked myself like you say it does calculate Insulin on board.

Between Mysugr or mylife please will you let me know which app you prefer and why?

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Between Mysugr or mylife please will you let me know which app you prefer and why?

How are you going on with the mylife app and compared to the mysugr app?

 

[goodybags]

Hi @Lucyr hope you soon get on with your new meter and be sure to get plenty of the strips for it on your repeat prescription,
from experience I know it can be a pain when the GP’s prefer to supply ones that might not be of our choice but I’m sure you will get used to it,
maybe the increase in your Ozempic dose will have effect both yourself and your healthcare team are looking for, then your meter might make a happy noise & smile back @ you

 

[Lucyr]

How are you going on with the mylife app and compared to the mysugr app?

Things I like are the way it lays out the calculation, and the home page which tells you last blood sugar, last carbohydrates, last bolus, last basal, and insulin on board, all with the amount and timing. I also like that it gives you the dose to the 0.1 and you choose whether to round up or down. Things I don’t like are that all doses are entered to the 0.1, so say I want to add an extra 1u to my dose because I feel ill I have to press up 10 times. I also dislike that it doesn’t have the exercise / illness adjustment factors that the expert meter had.

 

[Lucyr]

Hi @Lucyr hope you soon get on with your new meter and be sure to get plenty of the strips for it on your repeat prescription,
from experience I know it can be a pain when the GP’s prefer to supply ones that might not be of our choice but I’m sure you will get used to it,
maybe the increase in your Ozempic dose will have effect both yourself and your healthcare team are looking for, then your meter might make a happy noise & smile back @ you

I currently have 0 strips for it on prescription so will have to fix that, I have found out how to turn off the beeps though! I’ve also got the wavesense jazz wireless meter as a second meter. I’ve attached some photos to show how tiny the meter and case are, compared to my normal accu chek expert meter, an old contour meter I had around, and then the wavesense jazz and the wavesense jazz wireless. It feels like my meter shrunk! Needs a lot less blood and very easy to fit in your pocket, just a shame you can’t get mini insulin pens to fit in there too.

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Things I like are the way it lays out the calculation, and the home page which tells you last blood sugar, last carbohydrates, last bolus, last basal, and insulin on board, all with the amount and timing. I also like that it gives you the dose to the 0.1 and you choose whether to round up or down. Things I don’t like are that all doses are entered to the 0.1, so say I want to add an extra 1u to my dose because I feel ill I have to press up 10 times. I also dislike that it doesn’t have the exercise / illness adjustment factors that the expert meter had.

Do you prefer it to the mysugr app?

 

[Lucyr]

Do you prefer it to the mysugr app?

I don’t know. I don’t use the my sugr app yet.

 

[mum2westiesGill]

I don’t know. I don’t use the my sugr app yet.

Sorry I thought you had used it. Have you set up an account with the mylife app?

 

[Lucyr]

Yes you have to download the app and register an account to use it