- Messages
- 24
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
Hi all.
I've only been diagnosed with diabetes for 2.5 weeks and it appears "highly likely" it's T1.
I also have to deal with narcolepsy and cataplexy
My concern with the current method of pen injecting is that if I have a sleep attack during dialling up my pen doses that I could end up under or overdosing and wouldn't know. I'm not technically sleeping as one would normally think of it but I am dreaming, eyes open. An example is counting out 10p coins into stacks of 10. My wife came up beside me and asked what I was doing so I told her. She asked why there were 2p coins and 20p coins in the same pile? At that point I became aware of what I'd done. It's strange I know but hallucinations/unbelievably vivid dreams are part of the cause.
I once drove an estimated 1-1.5 miles on a straight stretch of the M74 asleep!! The neurologist said I would have had my eyes open and tramlining the white lines in auto mode. He reckoned any curve in the road would've ended in disaster.....that was my first ever experience of narcolepsy. Needless to say, I haven't driven in more than 6 years after making the decision myself that I wasn't safe to be in control of a vehicle on public roads.
So, I have discussed this with numerous people, professionals an family and friends. From the hospital perspective they have given me a Novo 5 pen which has the digital readout showing the last injection dose. This won't stop me from dialling incorrectly but may allow enough time to correct the situation if checked in time? This only works with novo rapid though and not lantis....different manufacturer.
So my long acting dose is via a conventional disposable pen and zero safeguards. The hospital suggested I change the time I inject it so that my wife is able to monitor me which I have to early evening but there will be times she isn't going to be there.....?
It's been suggested that an infusion pump may be a safer alternative?
Does a pump potentially allow under or overdosing to a harmful extent or am I correct in thinking they have in built safety parameters which stop it happening. I'm not on about 1 or 2 extra units.....more like dialling in 40 instead of 4 type of thing. Frankly it could be any number.
Thanks for reading
Regards, Anthony
I've only been diagnosed with diabetes for 2.5 weeks and it appears "highly likely" it's T1.
I also have to deal with narcolepsy and cataplexy
My concern with the current method of pen injecting is that if I have a sleep attack during dialling up my pen doses that I could end up under or overdosing and wouldn't know. I'm not technically sleeping as one would normally think of it but I am dreaming, eyes open. An example is counting out 10p coins into stacks of 10. My wife came up beside me and asked what I was doing so I told her. She asked why there were 2p coins and 20p coins in the same pile? At that point I became aware of what I'd done. It's strange I know but hallucinations/unbelievably vivid dreams are part of the cause.
I once drove an estimated 1-1.5 miles on a straight stretch of the M74 asleep!! The neurologist said I would have had my eyes open and tramlining the white lines in auto mode. He reckoned any curve in the road would've ended in disaster.....that was my first ever experience of narcolepsy. Needless to say, I haven't driven in more than 6 years after making the decision myself that I wasn't safe to be in control of a vehicle on public roads.
So, I have discussed this with numerous people, professionals an family and friends. From the hospital perspective they have given me a Novo 5 pen which has the digital readout showing the last injection dose. This won't stop me from dialling incorrectly but may allow enough time to correct the situation if checked in time? This only works with novo rapid though and not lantis....different manufacturer.
So my long acting dose is via a conventional disposable pen and zero safeguards. The hospital suggested I change the time I inject it so that my wife is able to monitor me which I have to early evening but there will be times she isn't going to be there.....?
It's been suggested that an infusion pump may be a safer alternative?
Does a pump potentially allow under or overdosing to a harmful extent or am I correct in thinking they have in built safety parameters which stop it happening. I'm not on about 1 or 2 extra units.....more like dialling in 40 instead of 4 type of thing. Frankly it could be any number.
Thanks for reading
Regards, Anthony