New Blood sugar monitor tested on diabetes patients.

A blood sugar monitor that can stay in the body for up to five months is being tested on NHS patients.

It is hoped the device, which continuously monitors the blood and beams the information to a smartphone, will help control type 1 diabetes.

Patients in London, Cambridge and Swansea are taking part in the trial to assess the safety and accuracy of the monitor.
Current blood-sugar sensors need to be replaced every week.

'Tightrope'

People with type 1 diabetes have to prick their finger regularly to test sugar levels, calculate the amount of sugar in their meals, and use this information to inject themselves with the right amount of insulin.

If levels are too high, there may be damage to the body's organs, but if levels fall too low, it can be fatal.

Dr Pratik Choudhary, a consultant at King's College Hospital and a lecturer at King's College London, told the BBC News website: "Living with type 1 diabetes is a bit like being a blind tightrope-walker.

"You're on this tightrope between high and low blood glucose levels and you're only allowed to open your blindfold four or five times a day.

"Continuous glucose monitoring allows you to open your eyes and see where you're going."

The monitor, built by US company Senseonics, is implanted under the skin in the upper arm.



More info here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34077192

Thsi COULD be brilliant depending how much it costs, current CGMs have such high running costs. Anyone like to guess that this will only be marginally cheaper?

I expect if it works well, it will not be cheap and be beyond many peoples pockets. Maybe if the NHS stopped wasting £billions on expensive, useless and dangerous type two drugs and unnecessary blindness and amputations, they could afford to supply the kit to insulin users on prescription. Mind you that would be a sensible move, but sensible is not what it is all about. I suspect one less nuclear submarine or aircraft carrier would square the bill.

Precisely!

Am I seeing this right. The blood sugars were above is it 8.3 or 9.3 through the night? Did it hit 13ish? the top value range seems to be set on 16.
On my self funded cgm my ranges are set to alarm at 6.7 highest, 4.4 lowest.
But I LCHF as well. Can I have it free please cos it costs a lot. I don't drink or smoke or go out! (sob). It's a good job I have no friends.

Mrs Vimes wrote:Am I seeing this right. The blood sugars were above is it 8.3 or 9.3 through the night? Did it hit 13ish? the top value range seems to be set on 16.
On my self funded cgm my ranges are set to alarm at 6.7 highest, 4.4 lowest.
But I LCHF as well. Can I have it free please cos it costs a lot. I don't drink or smoke or go out! (sob). It's a good job I have no friends.

I noticed that when I posted up the link. This was my numbers when I started low carbing over seven years ago. The high level was eight I think. Anyway first HbA1c after three months of diagnosis (HbA1c 12) mid fives. I never made it to the 4% club, but I tried.


As posted here http://www.lowcarbdiabetic.co.uk/The%20Tool%20Kit.page1.htm

Nice figures! I do make mistakes and I do go above 6.7 but nowhere as horrific as I used to when I Was eating normally like I was told I could.

I panic over 8s and 9s now and rarely. LCHF all the way.

Thanks Mrs. Vimes, the reality is I am nothing special in the BG area, the true super stars I know on BG control have been in the fours for years. I realised a long time ago to get in the 4% club I needed to use more than Metformin. I have no faith in other type two drugs whatsoever and I am saving injected insulin for when I have no choice, for so many obvious to you reasons.

I'm the same with my type 2 partner. I've told him that it's this diet and metformin only. When he goes to see the DSN he tells her what I've said. (A huge amount is from this forum and your blog)
He is just in the 5% club like myself.
4% I wish! I have too many liver dumps. I need to drink alcohol again. My pump helps massively with this but you spot a pattern e.g. Dumping at 7am every day for 3 hours for months. Changing to half an hour after I get up for months, to starting at 2am. Bu@@@@y b@@@@@ks!
The reason why? No idea (insert swear words).
Cgm is brilliant for this because I now get a warning no matter when it happens instead of walking around for hours with ever increasing numbers.
I stood in front of a class once realising I was on the verge of vomiting. Blood sugars were 25. I'd woken up with normal bloods, had my usual porridge and fruit (I know!) so this should not have happened.
I corrected, tested, corrected, tested and continued to teach the lesson. I'd had the liver dump from hell. Probably caused by three staff phoning in sick the day before a big exam. It was never that high again because I started to test hourly and corrected. I stopped eating breakfast. I found lchf. That showed it was not the food. Take carbs away and you notice how EVERYTHING affects blood sugars. The carbs masked it all.
After months of Dr Google and forums I had a name for it DP and qualified for a pump.
4% I wish but 5%ish I'll live with, better than years of 7%-8% and higher on a sad diet.
I still think that if I carried on drinking a bottle if wine a day I wouldn't have needed a pump because my liver would be very busy. Oh and I'd probably have cirrhosis as well.
Mmmmm Sauvignon blanc!
Jelly and cream now I think. It's my last day off today. I think I am genetically disposed to be a lady of leisure.

Yes, it's liver dumps in the morning that get so many of us, I tried everything to combat that and never solved the problem. I even stayed up all night once (I know I'm a nutter) and BG still peaked early morning. I am not fretting over less than perfect numbers, if I could hold non diabetic numbers 24/7 I would not be a diabetic. That being said, I have seen lots of high numbers testing non diabetics 7, 8 and even a few 9's, but they get back to non diabetic numbers much quicker than a diabetic. Spikes are important, but it is the long term permanent high numbers that does most of the damage. I never cease to be amazed at what some diabetics can get away with for years. My Father lasted twenty years as a type two diabetic and his BG numbers were atrocious, mind you he checked out riddled with diabetic complications.

I reckon booze should be free on the NHS for diabetics better off with dry wine. That was banter, I have to say that because certain antis hang on my every word and will be commenting on our blog we are all alcoholics, they are always anonymous of course.

I think if you know you are doing what you can to keep non-diabetic numbers the majority of the time then the few other times are like a non-diabetic eating pasta for tea.
My partner has a curry night every month. He doesn't eat the rice but he'll have popadoms, bhajis and the curry. I don't join in.
I keep my mouth shut whilst mentally counting carbs knowing that he eats lchf the rest of the month. He tests in the morning and is shocked that his sugars are low 8s. Now his monthly curries are less of a carb fest and seem to be decreasing each time. Slowly, but it's happening.
I won't nag him on this because the rest of the time he is lchf and still on the same dose of metaform staying in the 5% club.
When someone nags me it causes a rebound affect. So I don't. I know he's safe.
It's not a little of what you fancy or everything in moderation (don't do moderation) it's the control what is controllable and then what you can't has minimal impact.
I agree about the medication as well. When some contribute to burning out beta cells why would you take it? It's my body. I'll take responsibility for my health and decide what I'm willing to risk. I've been prescribed statins for 15-20 years? Never taken them. Thank god I never. It was too much hassle, then I discovered reasons not to.
I'd like to achieve 4% ish. But I think normal life stresses will stop that. I don't feel stressed but my liver says different. This doesn't worry me because I control what us controllable.

Sorry this is mega long. I've just discovered Facebook and joined a number of pages. Type1gritters are great. Other sites are sadly discussing complications but lolling about eating pizza and cake. Mainly British sites.

"Sorry this is mega long." Not at all, this place is going great and your posts are great.

The bottom line for all of is do the best you can for most of the time. I admire greatly the diabetic super stars, but I am not going to turn myself into a 24/7 science experiment. I did that for the first three months and that was plenty long enough for me. When we have a few days away I almost forget I am a diabetic, it's hanging around on forums and blogs that are a constant reminder, but my choice, no one is bending my arm.

All I hope is when I check out, I still have four limbs, working kidneys and eyesight etc. I am on the last lap of my life and I can live with that, not that I have any choice on that matter, but hopefully and if I am very lucky I will be active physically and mentally until the end. What more can we ask for.

Eddie wrote, "I'm on the last lap of my life…". Don't be so sure, was it Winston Churchill who said something about it not being the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning. My father is a T2 in his 90's, so don't go spending the kids inheritance just yet, you might need it.
Sally

Sally wrote:Eddie wrote, "I'm on the last lap of my life…".  Don't be so sure, was it Winston Churchill who said something about it not being the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning.  My father is a T2 in his 90's, so don't go spending the kids inheritance just yet, you might need it.
Sally

Your Father is doing great and long may that continue. As for the kids inheritance, they have had it already. We brought up six kids, and we like to think we helped them big time in every way. They are all doing well, some far better than we ever achieved. Inheritance tax is not something we worry about, we are Darby and Joan, all we need is a modest roof over our heads and some good grub, and each other, anything else is a bonus.

Mrs Vimes wrote: control what is controllable and then what you can't has minimal impact.

Other sites are sadly discussing complications but lolling about eating pizza and cake. Mainly British sites.

Great posts from you, I just wanted to highlight these lines in particular

Oh cheers Chris!