Basal Testing

[dtennant9]

Def do not use eggs or any other protein on it's own as blood sugar goes up and spoils the basal test. SF Jelly is fine as just water really.

To be honest I was a little worried when they said I could have a litte protein but even the nurse said that they don't really recommend it.

 

[Spiker]

There is some protein in sugar free jelly - check the label. Probably best avoided during basal testing, unless you are desperate.

 

[dtennant9]

There is some protein in sugar free jelly - check the label. Probably best avoided during basal testing, unless you are desperate.

The last couple of days I was desperate, lol.

I was so happy having my breakfast this morning

 

[CarbsRok]

There is some protein in sugar free jelly - check the label. Probably best avoided during basal testing, unless you are desperate.

The jelly has been approved as extensive tests were carried out to see if any spikes caused by it no problems. The info came from the USA plus some of the UK clinics.
Ideal for small children and adults who are hungry
A lot of the missing foods is a mind set really as we all taught we must eat, so having a pump is in a way jumping into the unknown and the fear of not eating takes a bit of getting used to.

 

[Spiker]

The jelly has been approved as extensive tests were carried out to see if any spikes caused by it no problems. The info came from the USA plus some of the UK clinics.

Got a link?

When I eat sugar free jelly on a low carb diet, I need to dose for the protein, or I get a blood sugar rise. Fasting is about as low-carb as it gets.

 

[CarbsRok]

Got a link?

When I eat sugar free jelly on a low carb diet, I need to dose for the protein, or I get a blood sugar rise. Fasting is about as low-carb as it gets.

No link but saw it on one of Gary S's sites and parents mentioned the SF jelly on another forum after the chap came to the UK for a big diabetes meeting/event/lecture. He wrote one of the books often quoted on here can't think of his surname.
You need to be careful though as to which jelly you use as one of the SF jellies does in fact have about 6 carbs in it. One of the Mum's on another forum gave this alert the other day.
Hartley's Jelly has 1.6 gms protein per 100ml and 0.5 carbs.

Yes I agree that fasting is best you try telly a little kiddie that though

 

[dtennant9]

Back to the breakfast fasting this morning and against my Wifes better judgement I thought it would be a good idea on a day when I had to hike halfway across town to a dental hospital appointment.

I tested first thing and I was 7.0, an hour later 7.5 and another hour after that I was 4.6

Now pretty sure it was all a waste of time and I'll probably just end up hypoing. I was so close to picking up some breakfast on my way back to the office.

Oh well, should just listen to my wife in future but I'm just so desperate to get these tests done as I seem to be struggling to find time to do them.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Yes, but if that is part of your daily routine then you should alter basals.. If you generally are more active in the morning physically it would be better to alter basals....
Dsn's have told people to sit on settee and do nothing whilst basal testing... Well that would send me sky high if i did that.. Then I wld have adjusted doses and then dropped to the floor when physically active.
Best test when doing a basic normal day not when you're not....

 

[Chas C]

I go food free for basal's, try not to drink too much tea with milk too. Having a CGM makes night time much easier as well as day time if too busy to test.

 

[nigelho]

Well I did my first ever Basal Testing last night. My DSN said to do it two nights to see the effect of any changes but I'm pretty sure I don't need to make any changes, maybe somebody with more experience can advise.

My results were as follows:
00:25 - 9.1
03:00 - 9.4
06:00 - 8.6
08:30 - 7.5

The only change I could think of was reducing slightly between 5 and 7 due to the results getting lower but I'm still within 1.7 of my starting figure.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Before tinkering with basal amounts if you normally get up at 8.30am you must remember that insulin works differently for each of us. To be frank a 7.5mmol reading isn't too bad but what is your last HBA1c and what are your daily BSs like. Do you carb count at meal times? Before injecting your night Basal what BS reading do you aim for and what time do you usually inject. All these points can give different morning readings. Your posted readings are a bit high but what was the reading when you injected. Remember that some diabetics suffer from the Dawn Phonemon which needs different handling. I'd ask your DSN/GP about going on a DAFNE course where a complete diabetes management is explained.

 

[dtennant9]

Yes, but if that is part of your daily routine then you should alter basals.. If you generally are more active in the morning physically it would be better to alter basals....
Dsn's have told people to sit on settee and do nothing whilst basal testing... Well that would send me sky high if i did that.. Then I wld have adjusted doses and then dropped to the floor when physically active.
Best test when doing a basic normal day not when you're not....

When I'm at work I am just sitting down but had the added long walk this morning.

Really should have listened to my wife.

I stopped the test at 11am and had something to eat, the results were pointless. If I was more active on a normal day I would have done a temporary basal.

After the 4.6, they went back up to 7.3 and then back to 6.1 and I'm pretty confident it was not my basal causing the changes. May have been the fact I was at a dentist referal so may also have caused issues with worrying about it. It's the external factors that I get really annoyed with in Diabetes.

The annoying thing was that I was hoping today would be my last morning basal test before I could move on to other parts of the day, but guess it will have to be strung out a little longer.

 

[dtennant9]

Before tinkering with basal amounts if you normally get up at 8.30am you must remember that insulin works differently for each of us. To be frank a 7.5mmol reading isn't too bad but what is your last HBA1c and what are your daily BSs like. Do you carb count at meal times? Before injecting your night Basal what BS reading do you aim for and what time do you usually inject. All these points can give different morning readings. Your posted readings are a bit high but what was the reading when you injected. Remember that some diabetics suffer from the Dawn Phonemon which needs different handling. I'd ask your DSN/GP about going on a DAFNE course where a complete diabetes management is explained.

Yes I carb count for my meals.

I don't inject my Basal as I am on a pump.

My last HbA1c was done on 12th September and was 46.0 mmol/mol (6.4%)

The original readings you quoted were from a couple of weeks ago when I first started on my pump, I have had much tighter control in the last week or so as I refine things.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Dentists definitely up the readings!!

Need to do them on an average day...tut, tut don't be impatient!!

Mind u I took hubby n friend to my pump training originally... The first change over was horrendous because I had two other differing opinions!!

This time, I dont need anybody else there but hubby taken day off so we can go to a Buckinghamshire excellent hosp hopefully to get the Insight and go on to Ikea and friends. This time I know he will just keep his thoughts afterwards to himself!!

Other halves don't always know best...

 

[dtennant9]

Dentists definitely up the readings!!

Need to do them on an average day...tut, tut don't be impatient!!

Mind u I took hubby n friend to my pump training originally... The first change over was horrendous because I had two other differing opinions!!

This time, I dont need anybody else there but hubby taken day off so we can go to a Buckinghamshire excellent hosp hopefully to get the Insight and go on to Ikea and friends. This time I know he will just keep his thoughts afterwards to himself!!

Other halves don't always know best...

My Wife usually is right, but I won't tell her that.

I know I shouldn't be rushing, I just wanted to get part of the day signed off to move to the next. Seem to keep getting lots of days at the moment where I don't feel I can do it for one reason or another as it won't be my normal activity, I'll get there in the end

 

[DGTaylor]

Well I did my first ever Basal Testing last night. My DSN said to do it two nights to see the effect of any changes but I'm pretty sure I don't need to make any changes, maybe somebody with more experience can advise.

My results were as follows:
00:25 - 9.1
03:00 - 9.4
06:00 - 8.6
08:30 - 7.5

The only change I could think of was reducing slightly between 5 and 7 due to the results getting lower but I'm still within 1.7 of my starting figure.

Any help would be much appreciated.

If anyone finds fault with these readings I would tell them to put it where the sun don't shine!
I've been type1 for 66 years and on a pump for 6. Needless to say I have a few problems.
I just wanted to say that I gave up on this site a few years back but was tempted back today to find that diabetes problems are just the same . So, what's the point of these blogs I ask?
The people who control and monitor us are never satisfied.

I've been banging on for several years that what we diabetics need is a test that differentiates between carbohydrate highs and glucagon/glycogen highs. With all the help and advice (?) we get we know how to control carb intake and insulin but what we don't know and can't control is highs caused by hormones.

Thanks for this opportunity to rant, I wish you every success in controlling your diabetes but listen to your body and watch out for the nasty hormones. They produce highs which insulin cannot treat but no-one can tell what sort of high you have yet!

 

[dtennant9]

Do you guys make changes based on one round of testing or do you do a second round of testing to make sure that it was the Basal insulin causing the changes?
I did some evening testing last night and saw quite a dramatic drop to begin with then it stabilised, just not sure whether or not to test again before making changes.

 

[CarbsRok]

Do you guys make changes based on one round of testing or do you do a second round of testing to make sure that it was the Basal insulin causing the changes?
I did some evening testing last night and saw quite a dramatic drop to begin with then it stabilised, just not sure whether or not to test again before making changes.

If it were me I would repeat the test just to be on the safe side. Hope things are progressing well with your pump tuning.

 

[dtennant9]

If it were me I would repeat the test just to be on the safe side. Hope things are progressing well with your pump tuning.

They're going slowly but fine.
This was the first time I'd tested the evening and saw a remarkable drop of 3.8 in the first two hours then it stabilised at just above 4.
I'll check the same thing happens again before changing anything.

 

[ClaireCissie]

Hello everyone! I've just read over all the advice and support you have given to @dtennant9 and it's really encouraging/lovely to see I have been advised to take 2 full weeks off work and uni to get my basal and bolus rates set up. I can see the challenges this is going to bring, especially the fact that the reality of life (my life at least) - no 2 days are the same! I am hoping in the 2nd week at least I can begin to integrate some of my usual activities back into my life.

Hope your rates are all sorted out soon!

 

[dtennant9]

Hello everyone! I've just read over all the advice and support you have given to @dtennant9 and it's really encouraging/lovely to see I have been advised to take 2 full weeks off work and uni to get my basal and bolus rates set up. I can see the challenges this is going to bring, especially the fact that the reality of life (my life at least) - no 2 days are the same! I am hoping in the 2nd week at least I can begin to integrate some of my usual activities back into my life.

Hope your rates are all sorted out soon!

The advice you will get on the forum when you start your pump will be very valuable.
Just make sure you have realistic targets for when everything will be sorted. I have been on mine since Mid-November and for some reason I thought it would all be set up by Christmas and I would not need to worry about it anymore.
I'm still going through a lot of testing and tweaking at the moment.
In many ways a pump is more difficult than MDI but you can also reap the rewards in the long run.