- Messages
- 533
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Other
With a pump no matter what type of insulin you use, you can set your basal (background insulin) by the hour or half hour. I only need 0.025 of a unit from 7 PM in the evening until midnight. This you can not do using MDI. All I do when setting my basal insulin is to start 2 hours before the dose is needed. So if I need an increase at 12 noon then I would set the basal at a higher rate from 10 AM. Bolus though you still need to bolus 30 mins before you eat.
I find it easier to have a snack before unplanned exercise as obviously not enough time for the basal reduction to work. If I know well in advance then fine a temp basal works wonders. Animal insulin has a longer duration than say Humalog or Apidra but most users still have to inject 20 or 30 mins before they eat.
Hope that helps
Ah - thanks @CarbsRok! ....so it basically offers more flexibility still - just perhaps not *quite* as much as with the analogues, owing to the slower action.... is that right? Am I right in thinking it also makes it easier to get your nigh time doses right, with less risk of a hypo...?