Basal Rate Testing

[Tswa]

Hi everyone,
I'm going to do some basal rate testing to start the new year off right. I know how to do it, only problem is, last time I did it I was 17 and not addicted to caffeine like I am now!
I've read in some places that you can't have caffeine for 24 hours before your test. Can someone please tell me this is wrong, I'll die if I can't have coffee

 

[EllieM]

I've never gone without caffeine when basal testing.... Logically, if taking caffeine skews the results, surely you should just take your regular dose when testing? (Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, just a T1.) Good luck. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will comment.

Edited to add: just realised you posted in the insulin pump forum. I'm on MDI, so my comments are suspect. Good luck, anyway...

 

[tim2000s]

I've never heard anyone say don't drink caffeinated drinks for 24 hours beforehand. What I would say is that if coffee causes you to see an increase in glucose levels when you drink it, then you shouldn't while doing the basal test.

 

[kitedoc]

As a diabetic, not as professional advice or opinion:
I agree with @tim2000s in that with basal testing you are testing the 'underlying' effect of your body, and liver in particular on your BSL vs the basal insulin.
This would assume that you are consciously or unconsciously including in your bolus doses an 'allowance' for caffeine intake, if such intake influences your liver to release glucose.
So can you test your BSLs for say, 1/2 hourly intervals after a dose of caffeine and nothing else up to ? 2 hours (all guess work) and see what effect caffeine has?
If the BSL rise is slight ( maybe < 2 mmol/l), Maybe, just maybe, your basal regime might cover it and so consider basal testing with your usual amount of caffeine drink.
Of course, please check with your health team about what you plan to do.
If you were on an insulin pump with CGM etc and caffeine caused raised BSLs and could not be avoided maybe this could be worked out but I bow to @tim2000s expertise in this area.

 

[Tswa]

As a diabetic, not as professional advice or opinion:
I agree with @tim2000s in that with basal testing you are testing the 'underlying' effect of your body, and liver in particular on your BSL vs the basal insulin.
This would assume that you are consciously or unconsciously including in your bolus doses an 'allowance' for caffeine intake, if such intake influences your liver to release glucose.
So can you test your BSLs for say, 1/2 hourly intervals after a dose of caffeine and nothing else up to ? 2 hours (all guess work) and see what effect caffeine has?
If the BSL rise is slight ( maybe < 2 mmol/l), Maybe, just maybe, your basal regime might cover it and so consider basal testing with your usual amount of caffeine drink.
Of course, please check with your health team about what you plan to do.
If you were on an insulin pump with CGM etc and caffeine caused raised BSLs and could not be avoided maybe this could be worked out but I bow to @tim2000s expertise in this area.

I'm not planning on drinking coffee during the test, it's the 24 hours before.
I guess they're worried about the residual effects of caffeine on your metabolism but if I drink coffee every day then working out my basal rate without coffee would be skewed. The only variable I should take out is exercise (because I don't do it every day) and food.

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @Tswa, fair enough. In the end whatever works best for you.
My understanding is that headaches are the main symptom of stopping caffeine, and no one wishes that on you!!

 

[himtoo]

perhaps drinking decaffeinated if there really is a concern...........but as you said you drink caffeianated coffee everyday so to remove it could very well skew results

and i had not heard of removing caffeine before doing basal testing

 

[dancer]

@Tswa don't add milk to your coffee.

 

[donnellysdogs]

I basal test with coffee included and milk included because it is a fixed thing in my living, even if I don’t eat.

For me basal testing without coffee included is s complete waste of time as it shows dramatically different requirements to my basals.

To me you do do normal drinking and just exclude the food aspect... then if that’s your regular thing then it’s showing normal living without the fixed or non fixed food times.

Been doing this for nigh on 10 years and not a problem...in fact as I only tend to eat once a day I am basal testing anyway everyday!! If I choose to eat when I normally don’t I call it bolus testing!!!

 

[Tswa]

I basal test with coffee included and milk included because it is a fixed thing in my living, even if I don’t eat.

For me basal testing without coffee included is s complete waste of time as it shows dramatically different requirements to my basals.

To me you do do normal drinking and just exclude the food aspect... then if that’s your regular thing then it’s showing normal living without the fixed or non fixed food times.

Been doing this for nigh on 10 years and not a problem...in fact as I only tend to eat once a day I am basal testing anyway everyday!! If I choose to eat when I normally don’t I call it bolus testing!!!

You only eat once a day?! Can you tell me more?

 

[donnellysdogs]

You only eat once a day?! Can you tell me more?

Never feel hungry... so just don’t eat until I force myself at tea time.. never have had hunger. I’m not anorexic, just never have hunger signals.

Been like it since childhood. Apparently I hated food and would only drink complain and eat sausages...took my parents to take my brothers on holiday and leave me behind to get me to eat a meal.

However, I have had times when people have insisted I eat 3 meals, bread, carbs and cereals etc... but my bloods hate those foods and so does my stomach and colon.

Always been a lean size 8-10 except the period of people insisting I eat more and more carbs.....
I do get dawn and waking phenomenon... if eat food for breakfast it just makes that worse to manage.

Hada pump for 5 years but my body started to block all the types of cannula sand gave me hell.

2 basal injections- tresiba and insulatard and also a bolus for getting up.

Just don’t think about food. It just sits and sits and sits in cupboards/fridge but I do force myself to have a meal at teatime.

 

[suk]

To be honest the only time I did basal testing was when I first went onto the pump.
Please can I have some directions as I can’t remember what to to do?

 

[dancer]

You can basal test through the night, starting when you have no active insulin from evening meal. Set your alarm and test every 2 hours. If your BG jumps/falls by more than 2, then you could raise/lower the basal at the time 2 hours earlier.

A morning basal test means missing breakfast (and snacks) and testing every 2 hours.

Afternoon basal test means no lunch or snacks and testing every 2 hours.

Evening basal test, miss out evening meal and test, yes every 2 hours.

Those will be the tests you did in early weeks of the pump. You could eat a carb free meal and test as above but too much protein could raise your BG and give false results. Eggs tend to do that with me, but not steak.

 

[suk]

Thank you dancer, much appreciated

 

[Colin of Kent]

To be honest the only time I did basal testing was when I first went onto the pump.
Please can I have some directions as I can’t remember what to to do?

This page has a comprehensive guide. I'd recommend 'Think Like a Pancreas' by Gary Scheiner, and 'Pumping Insulin by John Walsh, both of which have superb guides on basal testing as well as lots of other really useful information.

 

[suk]

Thank you Colin, really helpful!