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Basal rate testing

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 83869
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Deleted member 83869

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Hi,
I have been told to do a basal rate test as I was having too many hypos after just coming onto my pump! I had my breakfast at 7:30 and I haven't had any carbs since (it is now 15:03) I did my blood at lunch and it was 10.2 and again 2 hours later 8.3! how long is it before I can eat carbs again because I am starving and I feel a bit ill!

I would ring my nurse but she isn't available on Mondays! :(
 
Based on eating at 7.30, in my eyes the test "started" 5 hours later.... So 12.30. I aim for 4 hours of testing so you would finish at 16.30. If I were you I would be testing each hour. Your aim is to stay steady between 12.30 and 16.30.

It's tough going I know!
 
I stupidly have no more test strips on me to test again until I get home at 6pm :/ I feel fine now though and don't feel as ill as I did!
 
Weeeeeell personally I see no benefit in the test if you're not testing at least every 2 hours. The idea is to grasp if there is a pattern if raised or lowered BG and since you're on a pump you can tweak the basal to suit.

So I would scrap the idea and repeat another day. Up to you though!
 
I have tested 3 times since 12:30 though...I was only told to test every 2 hours!
 
Ah ok your post only mentions twice. Every 2 hours will work if you have the strips for it lol
 
Hi, as hale said, after having breakfast and your qa insulin at 7.30 your basal test would of started at 12.30. Do you know what your reading was at 12.30? Even testing 2 hourly without the reading at the start of the test at 12.30 you don't know what happened between 12.30 and when you tested.

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Sorry to chip in, Brett, what is the method to test if basal is correct ? Also, is it the same for MDI ? Thanks.


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Hi mo
To test basal basically set a time to eat/inject qa say 8am. hard bit is to not eat for 5 hours. (some would say 4 hours but me thinks qa can last up to 5). This is to make sure all carbs eaten at 8am have fully digested and all qa insulin has been used. If you need to treat a high/low abandon test.
Assuming all is good till 1pm, no other food/sugary drinks consumed take a reading at 1pm. Hopefully it will be between 5 and 8. Record readings every hour from 1pm till 5pm. You wil then see what effect your basal has on your levels. I do 4 hours fasting as you can then split the 12 hour day into 3, 4 hour slots.
Only miss 1 meal a day as going much longer during the day would give inaccurate readings as the liver would overcomponsate.
To do morning basal test best just to wake up at your usual time and record readings every hour till lunch if poss till 1pm.
To do evening meal have lunch at say 1pm, test every hour from 6pm till 10\11pm. During any test abandon if needing sugar/carbs or correction bolus. Adjust qa next time for meal previous depending on results and try to repeat test another time. Doing the above would give you fasting readings for the while day. Doing this will give your fasting day time readings on different days from 8~1, 1~6, and 6 till 10/11pm giving a whole day profile pic your basal.
The night time one involves eating at say 6pm, again consuming nothing till 11pm. carry on starving and take readings every 2 hours through the night as 1 hourly can be exhausting.
Same way applies to pump and mdi, however pump easier to componsate for changes needed as can be done hourly without effecting other parts of the day.
For example on mdi you may find you need more basal in the middle of the day, but, if you increase your basal you would be having too much through the night.
Hope that explains it, anything unsure of just ask :)

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Thanks Brett, great answer. So, just to clarify, when I record my results, if they stay the same, basal OK, if they are getting lower, basal too high and vice versa ? Thanks again.
Mo


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mo1905 said:
Thanks Brett, great answer. So, just to clarify, when I record my results, if they stay the same, basal OK, if they are getting lower, basal too high and vice versa ? Thanks again.
Mo


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Click to expand...

Yup that's the general idea!
 
Yep, aim to stay within 1~1.5 mmol. Exactly right, if you find you go low basal too high. If you go up by more than 1.5 basal too low.
The most important reading is one at start. If you start at 6 and are 4.5 or 7.5 at end of test great. If you start at 7 and end up at 5.5 or 8.5 still great,. Although a higher last reading movement the same. I would dubious to start a test if above 8 at start though.

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brett said:
. I would dubious to start a test if above 8 at start though.
Click to expand...

This would be particularly true for you and I mo, in the honeymoon. I know that my basal is correct having done the testing, but I also know that a reading of 9 or above my pancreas will still "auto correct"! And bring me back down to a nice appropriate level :)
 
The most important reading is one at start. If you start at 6 and are 4.5 or 7.5 at end of test great. If you start at 7 and end up at 5.5 or 8.5 still great,.
Click to expand...

Sorry, a bit off topic because I agree totally about how to test basal rates. I know the theory and intellectually agree with it but those figures stuck a chord.

What I actually want is to stay the same overnight because that's the longest time without bolus insulin. I never go to bed with a glucose level above 6mmol/l.(THATS ME not a recommendation we're not the same). I'm fine if it falls to 4.5 by morning as long as there are no hypos. I get really uptight if it rises overnight, particularly if it rises to over 7mmol/l. which I think of as the point at which you are diagnosed as diabetic

The trouble is there are so many variables and they vary from day to day.
For me the main culprits are:
a) when I've been lazy for a few days
b) If I've eaten a large, fattier, meal later in the evening
c) If I'm worried about something and don't sleep well.

Roll on the closed loop system.
 
Yep, lots of variables. Also agree with your wanting to stay same overnight and having non diabetic levels, or at least lower. Much happier waking to 4.5~5.5. Know they are trialling a closed loop system (think I seen on here a while ago) hope they hurry it up but not too much it don't work properly lol.

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Being above 8 to do a basal test allows you to check that your correction bolus would bring you down to the middle value of your target rsnges at the end of 5 hours.

I will still do a basal test up to 10.0 if I rise then anymore then I will stop.. It is very rare that I get to 10.0 so Once in a while doesnt worry me.

It just allows me to ensure my correction bolus dont drop me too quick.. If I drop to target level before 3 hours, I will end up hypo by 5 hours.
 
I would not agree with starting at 6 and thinking it ok to be 4.5 after testing... i would not accept a drop of 1.5 on my bassl testing at any time of day. I would be liwering my basals slightly. Especially if this happened overnight. I try to like last night go to bed at 5.4 at 10pm, 1am 5.0 and 3am 5.4... That I accept.... It takes patience and I now been on pump 3years so it is not immediate to get levels like this...
 
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