Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by uMGM on January 24, 2013 at 12:49pm

Hi Sultansfam, the short answer would be to use the Bolus Wizard. It will calculate your correction bolus for you, assuming you've set-up your carb ratios/times with in the "Bolus Wizard Setup." Hope that helps.

Permalink Reply by sultansfam on January 25, 2013 at 8:33am

Hi uMGM
Thanks for the reply. I was basically looking for an approach to calculate my basal.I think you are refering to the Bolus calculation.

Permalink Reply by Phishery on January 24, 2013 at 1:00pm

i recommend the approach provided in Think Like a Pancreas. It has a very methodical approach to defining basal rates as does Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution book.

Permalink Reply by Tracy Malloy on January 24, 2013 at 3:53pm

here is what I do for basal testing... I usually start on a weekend. Check your fasting BS and recheck every hour for 4 or 5 hours. I log everything down. Even if you drop quickly, only treat if you NEED to. Then I eat lunch or a late breakfast and check BS every hour. When it seems like I have hit a plateau (no changes greater than 30 in readings) I will test every hour again for 2 or 3 hours at a time. When I do need an increase I only increase by .5 or decrease by .5 until I feel comfortable it is sufficient.
Make all changes slowly and remember it will take a while to get it right.
good luck! Let me know if this helped.

Permalink Reply by Tracy Malloy on January 24, 2013 at 3:54pm

Also, the stinky part is it may be necessary to pull a sort of all nighter to get the overnight basal correct. BUT if your fasting numbers closely resemble your bedtime number, it's probably fine.

Permalink Reply by Phishery on January 24, 2013 at 5:32pm

This thread has an image from the book I recommended. Also, if you have CGMS that can really help. I have a very pronounced dawn phenomemnon and it would have been hard to see it at night without CGMS (e.g. at 4 AM I am taking 1 U/hr but just a few hours later I am back down to .250 U/hr).

http://www.tudiabetes.org/forum/topics/understanding-basal-rates

Permalink Reply by sultansfam on January 25, 2013 at 8:40am

Thanks all for your inputs.
Phishery, Do you know if "Think Like a Pancreas" is available on itunes. Well Iam not into reading but If this helps, I will definetly read it.
Tracy, I think i will try your regime to see how it works out. I did test my fasting and then before lunch BG to be off all the time. Thats how I figured that my basal is not acurate enough. Even without eating anything, my numbers are high. The revel 723 lets u increment in .250units at a time. So for the time being I will try increaing .500 and see how it goes.

Thanks again..

Permalink Reply by DaveH on January 25, 2013 at 5:33am

After almost 30 years of using a pump I find the basal rate to probably be the most powerful tool in a pump's arsenal. It can have a massive effect on your overall diabetes management. As such it's worth the time to explore the techniques referenced here and elsewhere to try to make it work best for you.

As for me, I have found that because I tend to snack way more than I should, but only at certain times, that adjustments of the temp basal work best for me. When I hit it right it's like magic!

So you may want to play with the temp basal too...

Dave

Permalink Reply by sultansfam on January 25, 2013 at 8:41am

Thanks for the reply Dave.. Even I have the habit of having snacks all the time, thats wat is making it difficult to get the basals right.

Permalink Reply by Phishery on January 25, 2013 at 11:19am

I read Think Like a Pancreas on my iPad using the kindle app. I assume it is also available via iTunes and I think it is a great approach to basal setup. I try to stick with Dr. bernsteins regimen of not snacking between meals. Also, when it comes to the morning time and the dawn phenomenon the time you eat will actually change your basal. Eating food in the morning tends to turn the dawn phenomenon down versus if you fast in the morning my basal is much higher.