The guys and girls over at Insulution were kind enough to send over a sample of their newly introduced product called “Daily Dose“.

Small, neat and convenient

So on Friday evening I decided to give one a whirl, and I even tweeted the event!

Daily Dose is available in 10 unit volume (0,1 ml) and 30 unit volume (0,3 ml), in packs of 10, 100 or 300.  The needle, which is fixed, is 6 mm and 30 gauge.

Although size of the syringe is very small it is quite responsive.  Making the drawing from insulin from my pen relatively easy, although for some the size will prove to be awkward.  Once done I placed it back into the small holders which slot in its own little stand until bedtime.

Using the Daily Dose was pain-free, the delivery of insulin smooth and responsive, which is sadly lacking with both my NovoRapid FlexPen and Lantus Solostar.  So for me my experience was positive!

So who will benefit from such a product?

Well for one, this is a product that would be beneficial to those that use insulin pumps!  As you all know Pump failures, Infusion set failures and other insulin delivery problems make a right mess of your BG’s especially if you have no other way to administer insulin.

This would be a viable option to Insulin Pens or Syringes when you need to quickly get yourself back on track and would not need more prescriptions for insulin.

For  those of us who still use Insulin Pens, the Daily Dose would come in handy when you are out for the evening, on holiday or participating in any type of activity/sport.  As they are discreet, simply slotting into a pocket/purse and you would almost forget you have them!

Daily Dose is registered and approved for sale in many countries around the world, and more countries are being added all the time.  They have the CE mark for distribution throughout Europe.

Amanda Neylon, Diabetes UK digital media manager, said it hoped its video, which shows a group of teenagers teasing a young girl about her condition, will have a good saturation among young people.

This is the second time Diabetes UK has used viral videos, although this is the first time one is aimed at those without the condition as well as those with diabetes.

“We had a good response last time and a lot of comments from people wanting us to make clear about the distinctions between Type 1 and 2.

“The anti-bullying viral video is a different way of letting young people know more about Type 1 diabetes and helping them understand that other young people with the condition should not be singled out or victimised,” she said.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People with diabetes often suffer from chronic foot pain because of nerve damage, but relief may be at hand. Taiwanese doctors have shown that the pain can be reduced substantially by injections of botulinum toxin type A — better known as Botox — into the skin on top of the foot.

Dr. Chaur-Jong Hu, at Taipei Medical University, and associates tested the treatment in 18 patients with type 2 diabetes who had nerve-related pain in both feet.

The participants were randomly assigned to get injections of Botox or saline, then 12 weeks later crossed over to receive the opposite treatment.

A local anesthetic gel was applied first, and then the injections were administered into the skin (rather than into muscles) at 12 sites across the top of the foot, the team explains in the medical journal Neurology.

At the start of the study, the average pain score on a scale of 0-10 points was 6.36. There were significant differences in the decrease in pain scores between the Botox and saline injections during each 12-week period.

Specifically, at 12 weeks, the score was reduced by 2.53 points with Botox injections compared with 0.53 points with the saline injections.

Moreover, 44 percent of the subjects had a reduction of at least 3 points in their pain score within 12 weeks after the Botox injections.

An added benefit was that patients are able to sleep much better after the treatment.

Hu’s team concludes that intradermal Botox injections “are an effective and safe method of relieving diabetic neuropathic pain in the feet.” However, “the detailed underlying mechanisms, optimal dosage, and precise course of therapy require further evaluation.”

SOURCE: Neurology, April 28, 2009.