Temporary Basal Rates

[Flower]

I've been dealing with an infected foot and have been on antibiotics for the last 3 weeks after fracturing my foot.

My blood sugars have been drifting higher than my normal levels, not too awful just some 10's and 11's that I don't usually get. I've been setting TBRs of 150% going up to 200% to cope with the infection as well as putting in small correction boluses when my levels seem to be stuck too high.

I find it a really random guess as to which TBR level to use and for how long,and if and when to use correction boluses as well. I like the precision of dealing with carbohydrate by knowing my ratios but I find illness on a pump to be a much more difficult, stab in the dark affair. Saying that it's still great to have TBRs to use.

Has anyone here got any more scientific ways of knowing what to do and when?

 

[Redkite]

Hi Flower, just noticed your post. I would say "no, there are no scientific ways of doing this"! There are too many variables at work that you have no way of measuring, ie the effect of the antibiotics, your immune system working at healing your injury, the body's release of hormones such as corticosteroids in response to pain, etc. I think you just have to react to the symptoms (ie the high BGs) by setting a higher TBR and doing corrections and testing frequently until your levels are back on target. Makes you appreciate what a marvellous thing the human body is for being able to do all this automatically!! 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Well, as I see it, you just have to do what you've been doing - ie Firefight. But on my pump (Roche Accu-Chek Combo) there is a provision for illness when blousing, and the factory setting is '+20%' so I assume that is kind of the standard you might need to increase? or the starting point?

I dunno, because touch wood, I've not been that ill for donkey's years, that I've needed to use that one, or do anything much whilst on MDI either, except correct pre meals as per normal.

 

[Flower]

Firefighting is the order of the day.

I like the idea of the Roche pump adding +20% to boluses for illness that seems a good idea on top of setting TBRs, a bit more organised than me sticking in extra corrections. It does make you realise what a cracking job (shouldn't say that with a fractured foot!) the body does when you are poorly. Right, which TBR shall I try next.