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Type 1 Adjusting Time Of Basal Travelling

sofs888

Well-Known Member
Messages
53
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone - apologies if this has been asked before I couldn't find a post on it!

I am travelling to Florida tomorrow morning and am unsure on how to adjust my basal timings for the new timezone! I did receive a leaflet from my diabetes team but have misplaced it so now in the dark!!

I am on novorapid 1:10 (but believe that just stays the same) and I'm on Lantus 12U at 23:00 give or take half an hour!

Help would be appreciated! Thank you!
 
You could take your 11pm lantus at home the night before flight. Set a watch and set it to UK time so you know what time it is back home, once it is 11pm on your watch again, take your lantus. 11pm here is 6pm in florida. You gain 5 hours on your day travelling west to florida. I have never been abroad but I distinctly remember them telling to use this as one option, there might be easier ways to do it. One might be like this example

UK-------------Florida
23:00----------18:00 (Lantus night before flight)
00:00----------19:00
01:00----------20:00
02:00----------21:00
03:00----------22:00
04:00----------23:00
05:00----------00:00 (flight)
06:00----------01:00
07:00----------02:00
08:00----------03:00
09:00----------04:00
10:00----------05:00
11:00----------06:00
12:00----------07:00
13:00----------08:00
14:00----------09:00 (Arrival in florida)
15:00----------10:00
16:00----------11:00
17:00----------12:00
18:00----------13:00
19:00----------14:00
20:00----------15:00
21:00----------16:00
22:00----------17:00
23:00----------18:00 (take lantus here, 6pm florida time)

It may be more difficult if your flight interrupts your lantus times


Make a chart like this to help you? Follow your UK watch time, and also set a watch for Florida time, 5 hours behind. You dont run the risk of hypos travelling west, but you run the risk of hypers
 
Probably a bit late now but I always gradually adjust my Lantus time an hour at a time each day building up to my trip until,it is a convenient time in my destination.

You could also make the adjustment when away.

Just remember Lantus peak last between 22 and 24 hours so you can over lap or miss one hour without a large impact.
Any more and the overlap or gap may affect your BG.
 
Okay cool so I have a watch with both the UK and Florida time on it, if I just keep my dose to my UK time - 6pm Florida time and then inject at 6pm each day will that be ok?
Does that work coming home to then just take it around 11pm UK time again?

My flights are tomorrow morning so I'll have my Lantus at usual time tonight. Coming back from the US the flight is at 5:30pm so I will take my Lantus a little earlier (at 5ish) before the flight. Will that be okay flying?

Thanks again!
 
Yes I would inject then on 6pm florida time as that is still 11pm uk time. Going east to west you actually lose 5 hours, it's a little difficult to get your head around, it is for me lol, but with the watch method it's easy to stick to a 24 hour schedule no matter where you are.

On the way back, if you take your Lantus at 5pm florida time (10pm UK time) then take your lantus again, (24 hours later) at 11pm UK time the next night, it should work out fine. I would tag one so you know which is UK watch and Florida time watch. Take your lantus 5pm florida time. If you set off from Florida at 6pm, and it takes 9 hour flight, it will be 3am Florida time, but will be 8am UK time, as your back in the UK, it will be 15 hours till your next lantus, but 10 hours since your last one, so will out fine hope I make sense

If you message here the time you got back in the UK going of UK times, ill tell you when your next lantus is due, assuming you took it 5pm florida time before you set off
 
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Ahhh thank you so much that would be awesome!! First time travelling since diagnosed so all going to be a bit new to me!

Thanks everyone for your help so far!
 
Helllooo it's travel day! When I was travelling out my sugar went really high on board - do I adjust my basal before the flight or shall I just bolus more? I'll be landing at 7am tomorrow morning and will be taking my basal today at 5pm US (10pm UK) what time will I need my next basal - 10pm again? And then I'll continue to take it at 10pm as I did before?
 
Helloooo! Sorry for the late reply, id take novo rapid to bring it back down like a correction, and yes 5pm florida time was fine, then go off UK time again, then you can take it at half 10 the next night, then 11 the next night again if you want it at 11pm like before you set off, if not just leave it at 10pm uk time if your comfortable with it

Did you land 7am UK this morning? Or 7am UK yesterday morning? Either way, as long as you took your basal at 5pm florida time before you set off, your next basal was due at the next 10pm UK time
 
All good I took it a bit late (forgot to set my alarm) and had it at half 10 tonight - landed at 7am this morning!!! Thank you for the help - took extra novorapid on the plane and seemed to work better!
 
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