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Basal test

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Flo15

Flo15

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Is it possible to do a basal test from when you wake up till lunchtime if you have dawn phenomenon?
 
Flo15 said:
Is it possible to do a basal test from when you wake up till lunchtime if you have dawn phenomenon?
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I'd say yes.Though it may not strictly be a conventional one. I get DP and always need to incorporate two units of insulin just to cover it, when I calculate my breakfast Bolus. So if I was going to do a basal test, I could either choose not to take any Bolus, and see just how far I rise, or I could take whatever I usually allow just to sort out the DP, treating that bit of the Bolus as part of my basal insulin, if you see what I mean, and see if that holds me steady.
 
Thanks. I either have no DP or I do and mostly I have a significant rise as soon as my feet touch the floor. I can rise from 8 to 20mmol with an hour. Will hopefully be doing a basal test from 5pm till bedtime tonight , that's if I can actually get in single figures first, think my insulin has turned into water :(
 
How did you get on, @Flo15 ?
I missed this thread before, sorry, but would be interested to know, because I have DP and I'm on the list for a pump so will presumably need to do some basal testing once I've got one.

@Robin - how did you work out it was two units you needed for the DP? Do you need the same insulin ratios through the day but with two units extra in the morning, or was it trial and error? My ratios change so much through the day I need a lot more insulin in the morning anyway (1 unit for about 10g carbs as opposed to 1 unit for 15-28g carbs, depending on the weather as well as the time of day), so I'm finding it hard to work out how much of my morning bolus is for the DP and how much is for my relative insulin-resistance in the morning.
 
Well once you have the pump Juliet, you will be able to increase your basal rates from just before the 'Dawn' rise starts, so it doesn't go up so high in the first place, before you even start recalculating your bolus and correction rates.

Yes - you most certainly will have to do quite a lot of basal testing once you get the pump - but by heck, the eensy teensy little amounts you need to adjust your hourly rates by, make massive differences to the BG results. It's a bit tedious to begin with but you soon get into the swing of doing it, once you realise how much you actually benefit from doing it!
 
TheClockworkDodo said:
How did you get on, @Flo15 ?
I missed this thread before, sorry, but would be interested to know, because I have DP and I'm on the list for a pump so will presumably need to do some basal testing once I've got one.

@Robin - how did you work out it was two units you needed for the DP? Do you need the same insulin ratios through the day but with two units extra in the morning, or was it trial and error? My ratios change so much through the day I need a lot more insulin in the morning anyway (1 unit for about 10g carbs as opposed to 1 unit for 15-28g carbs, depending on the weather as well as the time of day), so I'm finding it hard to work out how much of my morning bolus is for the DP and how much is for my relative insulin-resistance in the morning.
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I haven't been able to try yet as my bloods are high all day the and can't get them into a good range to do any basal testing at any time of the day:(
 
TheClockworkDodo said:
How did you get on, @Flo15 ?
I missed this thread before, sorry, but would be interested to know, because I have DP and I'm on the list for a pump so will presumably need to do some basal testing once I've got one.

@Robin - how did you work out it was two units you needed for the DP? Do you need the same insulin ratios through the day but with two units extra in the morning, or was it trial and error? My ratios change so much through the day I need a lot more insulin in the morning anyway (1 unit for about 10g carbs as opposed to 1 unit for 15-28g carbs, depending on the weather as well as the time of day), so I'm finding it hard to work out how much of my morning bolus is for the DP and how much is for my relative insulin-resistance in the morning.
Click to expand...
It was trial and error, really, I was doing a lot of testing with the Libre when I was considering swapping from Lantus to something more biddable. I found that the usual advice to increase my ratio at breakfast didn't work, because for a carby breakfast I was taking too much, and for a protein breakfast I was taking too little, so I played around and worked out that an extra couple of units did the trick.
 
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That's interesting, thanks @Robin - I am finding at the moment that whatever I do in terms of calculating my insulin for my carbs and pre-bolusing I still tend to spike in the morning, so I obviously need to play around a bit more!
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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