Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Putertech on January 30, 2012 at 11:36am

I just looked at my manual, and the limit is definitely only 4....not sure why they limited it to just that. Could you eliminate the overnight one? That way you could add the snack one.

Permalink Reply by Bradford on January 30, 2012 at 11:45am

Just to make sure we're all talking about the same thing, you're asking about insulin to carbohydrate ratios used for bolusing purposes when food is consumed right? Not sensitivity factors for correcting high BGs?

If you really do mean bolus-related insulin to carb ratio, then I agree w/ putertech. For the purposes of getting that crucial snack time ratio into play, I'd try eliminating the overnight ratio and just maybe use dinner time one?. If you did that, you'd have to decrease whatever insulin you were going to give throughout the night time hours if you were going to eat something...but I guess that brings me to the question, why is your son eating and bolusing at 2 in the morning? There shouldn't necessarily need to be a nighttime one used that often, so it would be okay to eliminate it (remembering of course that he'd need a little less if he did bolus).
At what point during the night/waking hours does it circulate back from 1:50 to 1:15?

Permalink Reply by Allie on January 30, 2012 at 12:23pm

Yes, I could eliminate the overnight by making the ratio 1:15 starting at midnight. We did do this for a while, but it made me a little nervous. He does wake up low in the middle of the night, not often, once or twice a month, usually after a day filled with excercise. It's hard to remember to lower the dose in the middle of the night. It's doable, but it seems like the risk/reward might be too great. We will probably have to go back to that method.

Permalink Reply by jwmiller64 on January 30, 2012 at 12:46pm

Perhaps your basal rate needs adjusting. You can change the basal rate numerous time during the day and also have several basal rate programs.

Permalink Reply by Natasha Bowlds on January 30, 2012 at 2:43pm

That's what I was thinking. How many basal rates do you have?

Permalink Reply by Kat1997 on January 30, 2012 at 5:46pm

i have 9 basal rates set up in mine cause there r only the 4 settings in carb ratio. my endo and i set it up to compensate my needs due to various activities. i can always use the carb ratio or suspend for a short time if to low.
hope this helps, this is what works for me.

Permalink Reply by Suzy on February 1, 2012 at 12:13am

Instead of making the breakfast ratio your overnight ratio... why not make you dinner ratio your overnight ratio. A ratio of 1:45 is much closer to 1:50 than 1:15 is. Cause I understand about night time lows. I live in fear of my son going too low.

Permalink Reply by jla on January 30, 2012 at 3:48pm

I too had to go check the manual about the #4 limit on IC rations and you are correct about the limit. I too would try working with the basal rates. Also, when I take my pre-bed BG, if I'm at or below 120 and 150, I use a temporary basal rate -10-25% set for 8 hours depending on how much exercise I've had to head off night time lows.