Basal Test

[aymes]

It's been a while since I've tested my basal during the day, so as I had nothing to do today I figured I might as well, so now carbs since last night, had an omlette for lunch. My results are:

9am: 5.5
10am: 5.2
1130am: 5.3
12pm: 5.6
1pm: 6.1
2pm: 6.2
3pm: 4.9
4pm: 4.1
530: 3.9

So, fairly happy with that. If I'd only tested up until 4pm I'd be very happy and confident that my basal is spot on. However after 4pm I've dropped a bit more than I would have hoped. So it seems that my basal is right for day time, but a bit too much by late afternoon. Confusing as I take my lantus at night, so doubt it's a minor peak, if anything you'd have thought it might go the other way because it's running out. Plus my evening food ratio is higher than the rest of the day so I'd have thought my insulin requirement would show as needing to be higher as the day goes on. Been sat on the sofa pretty much all day so no exercise that would have caused a drop. Guess it could partly be the margin of error on the meter.

I'm not overly concerned as it's not a massive drop but thought I'd post it on here to see if anyone have any opinions/suggestions on it.

 

[Northerner]

Pretty good aymes! I'm sure the pumpers could point out how they might need several different basals through the day to cope with such fluctiations. It may be that your liver slows its production of glucose through the day, so your basal is slightly high as the day progresses, or maybe its just variable absorbtion that increases through the day?

 

[randomange]

Wow, those are some really nice results! 🙂

I'm still working out basal rates on the pump, but I used to have a similar profile to you when I was on lantus, and I took my lantus at night too. I always need more insulin for my evening meal, and I always figured it was because my lantus was running out, but my basal rates on the pump now drop in the afternoon and then increase in the evening, so it does seem like something is properly changing then that has nothing to do with lantus. No idea what it is though! 😛

 

[sofaraway]

Looks good Aymes, I wouldn't change anything. On MDI you are never going to get a perfect match between basal needs and the profile of the insulin. Theres not alot of pumpers that will have flat basal rates.

Of course basal tests should be repeated on another day to check. But I hate them so much if my first one was so good then I probbaly wouldn't be able to motivate myself to do it.

 

[aymes]

Thanks guys, think I'm probably being a bit too much of a perfectionist. I would haves loved to stay in the fives all day but on mdi that's maybe less realistic. Thinking aboutit though, if I have hypos during the day it tends to be when I get home from work, which I put down to the walk (although it doesn't happen on the way in), maybe this basal variation is the more likely culprit.