Year Abroad

[gagaslilmonsteruk]

Hi there,

I'm a type 1 diabetic and have been using Novorapid and Levemir for approximately 9 years now.

This summer, I will be moving abroad to either France or to Belgium, and I would basically just like to hear the experiences of other diabetics. I can't wait to move abroad, but I'm not gonna lie, the diabetes side of things is making me a bit apprehensive. I mean do they even use novorapid and levemir over there?

I have asked my local clinic but they don't seem to have much information on it.

 

[Caroline]

moving abroad sounds like quite an adventure, I hope it goes well.

I think there are forum members from other parts of Europe, so they may be able to help. I know there are are number of experienced travellers here, so someone will be along to offer help and guidance.

 

[DeusXM]

I haven't lived overseas (in Europe, at least) but I would say that Novorapid and Levemir are available worldwide. They're Danish products so you'll certainly be able to get them in the EU.

I think you should expect a similar standard of care to the UK but obviously the French and Belgian healthcare systems will have their own idiosyncrasies you'll need to adapt to. I would also strongly suspect your French or Dutch will need to be quite strong if you are to get the most out of your appointments but I'm assuming if you're making such a move you can speak enough to get by anyway.

The best tip I can give you is start getting used to multiplying by 18 - in Europe (in common with most of the world), blood sugar is measured in mg/dl rather than mmol/l. To convert to mg/dl, you need to multiply your mmol/l reading by 18. A good fasting range, for example, would be 75-90 mg/dl and a good upper limit target is 140 mg/dl.

 

[Copepod]

Welcome to the forum, gagaslilmonsteruk.

Diabetes UK produces guides to diabetes in most countries, so would be worth contacting office.

Obviously, you'll need an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) so that you can get the same healthcare as local residents. See http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

To check availability of insulin and other diabetes items, best to ask the manufacturers. However, I'm pretty sure that Novorapid and Levemir are both available throughout Europe (apart from some problems with Greece a while back).