Basals all wrong but don't know where to start

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sdean

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Type 1
Hi, I'm new but have been reading for a while.

My a1c's have all been good in my 3 yrs of diabetes, however left home and moved to uni and my control has definitely slipped.

Tried to do some basal testing, but:
I'm having post meal time spikes, dropping to normal 4 hrs after, then dropping too low after that. last night I was 11 2hrs post meal, 6.3 4hrs post meal then dropped to 3.8 an hour after that.
Same again today, high 2 hrs post lunch, in range 4 hrs post meal (6pm) then 3.8 at 6.40.

So i know my basal rates are pretty much all wrong, but don't know where to start to put them right?
Can anyone help?
Thanks
 
Hi and welcome to the forum 🙂
If you look on the pumper forum page there's a sticky for how to do a basal test 🙂 http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=19060 copied it for you.
It's now accepted that you can eat sugar free jelly to stave of hunger pains whilst fasting. :D
Do you have the book pumping insulin by John Walsh? If not buy it (amazon) it's known as the pumpers bible and worth it's weight in gold.
 
Thanks, I'll have a look at that book.

I was trying to basal test but always went hypo about 5 hours in (so say i eat last at 6pm, start basal testing at 10pm, by 11pm I'd be low).

I have read the webpage, it was helpful so thanks.
 
Well what you could do, and this is the easiest, because otherwise you'll be messing about with basal doses which is entirely potty in view of what bit of action you are actually trying to do - is knock a touch off your 'last meal' bolus. I mean it doesn't actually matter what your BG number is when you start each section of the basal test as long as you can see what happens to it over the next 6 hours - does it?

ie simply, does it keep you stable - whether it's stable at 11 - or 4.5 ! LOL
 
sdean said:
Thanks, I'll have a look at that book.

I was trying to basal test but always went hypo about 5 hours in (so say i eat last at 6pm, start basal testing at 10pm, by 11pm I'd be low).

I have read the webpage, it was helpful so thanks.
Click to expand...

The simple solution is to set up another basal pattern and knock a bit off of the basal before you even start. thus you wont hypo. You may go a a bit high in some places but better than the hypo. Record everything and write down the basal pattern as well then you can see if it's the pattern or the amount of basal needing to change.
Sort your basal first then have a look at your carb ratio.
Please do note though that it wont happen over night so have patience and make sure you have plenty of hypo treatment handy. 🙂
 
In your shoes, for a complete 'restart' I might also be tempted to set a flat profile by dividing say 90% of your recent average total daily basal over 24 hours. Then basal test from there to tweak it up and down.

Might be a shorter way to get to your final new pattern?

I have a feeling I may even have read that in Pumping Insulin!
 
I have knocked 20% off all my basals, planning to do some more testing next week so will see how it goes!
Thanks for all the replys
 
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