Basal testing querie..!

[bennyg70]

I really really really need to do some basal testing, and Id really like to get an afternoon session done..

So my question is, will a basal test still be valid if you are slightly out of your target range, say instead o between 5 - 7, your 8 - 10? at the start of the test.

Just got a slight feeling im going to be running a little higher come lunchtime.

Some advice says you need to be in range and some says that below 13.5mmol (I wouldnt want to do it if I were that high as id feel naff!)...

Anyone shed any light for me?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I'd be absolutely fine if only a little high (say <10). But I'd not test if I'd been hypo in the previous 5 hours, or had any bolus active (obviously!)

These are the guidelines I tend to stick by:
http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120

and also Gary Scheiner's guide for Pumpers (though the rules apply the same on MDI)
http://diatribe.us/issues/13/learning-curve

Hope you get some useful info 🙂

 

[bennyg70]

Cheers Mike,

Sounds like a plan plus I think they are starting to settle... Ive been trying to basal test for about 2 months now and there is always something that stops it, whether it be sugars out of range, a hypo id had, correcting a high, or more commenly and lets be honest 98% of the times ive tried, Id rather eat my lunch than test..!

Ive got a spreadsheet set up and everything ready to eat my data, hoping I can post on here when ive covered the four sessions twice and see what you all think! So as going by how things are going so far, expect to see something on here approx september 2017...

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

The other thing I tend to bear in mind is what I'm expecting to see.

I tend to run tests when I can see a sort of pattern of unexpectedness in my results, a few too many hypos at that time of day, spikes after particular meals that were OK before etc. So I'd be more relaxed starting higher than normal if I was expecting to be falling for example.

Looking forward to 2017!

 

[Abi]

I think if your levels are generally erratic you may have to start with a higher than ideal number and then perhaps retest as control improves
Often at a higher level people become more " insulin resistent" for example the same amount of basal insulin would be less effective if you started at 12 rather than 6 mmol/L- so you might see a rise or a static level rather than a steady level or a drop
Some people advocate only basal testing if BG less than 8
Others don;t worry about really high readins as long as you are not ketotic
I generally agree with the statement that below 10 should be ok.
And I would want to be around 5 to start with - or 6 if at work and likely to need to be driving in the next few hours

 

[bennyg70]

Just some early points from my Basal testing so far - So any tips would be helpful.

Ive done a couple of sessions a morning one and an afternoon one,

I seem to be able to go to bed, after not consuming anything wake up around the same sort of level I went to bed with. Im going to try and test this tonight through the night to confirm I do hold steady.

My morning one upon waking lets say at 7am, lets call it 0. through until 12 am it seems to steadily drop and then rise, then drop and rise, but by no more than - 1.7 mmol. @ around 12 Am it seems to have settled back to where the night before was and the first test of the morning was. However steadily falls through until 3pm. (Hence me stoping my fasting test as I started the test at 4.7 at lunch and finished at 3mmol). dropping 1.7mmol.

This isnt what I expected to see, I expected it to start to steadily rise through the afternoon as my bloods usually after lunch always spike. So I usually work on about a 1 / 12 ratio for breakfast, and a 1 / 8 at lunch.

So how does this work...? obviously my testing is incomplete and there will be more to learn im sure, but im very confused, and starting to wonder am I on too much lantus?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

This is exactly what's so handy about basal tests. They can really help to pin down which insulin is doing what and where 🙂

Ive done a couple of sessions a morning one and an afternoon one,

Strictly spaking you should test any session twice before you make an adjustment, esp if it doesn't show what you thought it would. Just to rule out the possibility of it being 'one of those days'

I seem to be able to go to bed, after not consuming anything wake up around the same sort of level I went to bed with. Im going to try and test this tonight through the night to confirm I do hold steady.

Good plan. Looks promising though.

My morning one upon waking lets say at 7am, lets call it 0. through until 12 am it seems to steadily drop and then rise, then drop and rise, but by no more than - 1.7 mmol. @ around 12 Am it seems to have settled back to where the night before was and the first test of the morning was. However steadily falls through until 3pm. (Hence me stoping my fasting test as I started the test at 4.7 at lunch and finished at 3mmol). dropping 1.7mmol.

1.7 isn't a big shift. According to John 'Using Insulin' Walsh that's on the borderline of 'no change and retest', but if you repeatedly drop by 1-2 mmol/L it does suggest slightly too much basal active at that time of day (though don't forget meter inaccuracy of 10-20% could mean an identical blood sample gave 2 different readings on 2 different strips).

This isnt what I expected to see, I expected it to start to steadily rise through the afternoon as my bloods usually after lunch always spike. So I usually work on about a 1 / 12 ratio for breakfast, and a 1 / 8 at lunch.

Well a relatively stable basal test and consistent post-lunch spike might point the finger at your lunchtime ratio. Do you come back into range before eve meal (correct dose/dodgy timing) or are you still high at eve meal time (too little insulin/carb guess fail)

Plenty to think about!

 

[bennyg70]

Too much to think about argh!!

Ill carry on the testing... Why is it every day seems bloody different. They go on about noticing patterns, I swear theres never been a pattern in my 20 years of bloomin books... grr.

I know what'l happen. Ill crack the basal, crack the ratios, then for some reason, weight loss or gain, change in weather or getting older, it will all change!!! Grr again!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

About once every three months for me at the moment (and it takes a good few weeks to fix every time!)

 

[trophywench]

Oh yes ROFL - never stays the same for very long!