Coming off my Medtronic 640 for 2 weeks--help

[smc4761]

Looking for some advice from anyone who may have done this. I am off on holiday to Turkey in a weeks time going for 2 weeks. I have weighed up the options and have decided on this occasion not to take my pump but to go back to MDI for the 2 weeks

I know what my doses were before I went onto the pump and wondered are these likely to be around the same doses, when I start again on MDI? Previously was taking Novo Rapid and a split Levemir dose

On the pump my Bolus dose has not really changed that much but my Basal has dropped from around 46 units to 30 units per day. I appreciate that the Basal is just fast acting insulin being slowly drip fed constantly

Any thoughts would be appreciated

 

[Deleted Account]

My experience of temporarily returning to injecting is limiting in the 3 years I have been pumping but it was forced on me once and I learnt
- basal and bolus doses returned to pre-pumping doses. My body had not learnt to be more efficient with insulin. It is just that pumping is more efficient with insulin than injecting.
- as soon as I removed my pump, I had no basal insulin. Therefore, I had to inject basal as soon as my pump was removed. If you are in control of this, choose a time to come off the pump which is a good time to take your basal for the next 2 weeks.
- if you have a half unit pen, make sure you use it. I had got used to the small doses I could take with the pump and found rounding up (or down) insulin doses to whole numbers rather scary. I felt I had loss some of the control.
- you cannot suspend or reduce your basal with injecting so make sure you have snacks with you to top up before exercise.
- I learnt how much I liked the pump. But I had been on it for two and half years every day, most minutes.

 

[smc4761]

My experience of temporarily returning to injecting is limiting in the 3 years I have been pumping but it was forced on me once and I learnt
- basal and bolus doses returned to pre-pumping doses. My body had not learnt to be more efficient with insulin. It is just that pumping is more efficient with insulin than injecting.
- as soon as I removed my pump, I had no basal insulin. Therefore, I had to inject basal as soon as my pump was removed. If you are in control of this, choose a time to come off the pump which is a good time to take your basal for the next 2 weeks.
- if you have a half unit pen, make sure you use it. I had got used to the small doses I could take with the pump and found rounding up (or down) insulin doses to whole numbers rather scary. I felt I had loss some of the control.
- you cannot suspend or reduce your basal with injecting so make sure you have snacks with you to top up before exercise.
- I learnt how much I liked the pump. But I had been on it for two and half years every day, most minutes.

Thanks @helensaramay I had read a post from you a few weeks ago about taking Basal as soon as pump was disconnected and to time disconnection around this. Really useful to know.

Dont have a half unit pen, but I do take reasonably large amounts of Bolus and Basal. Will come off a few days before and make adjustments as necessary.

I am paranoid about going low especially abroad so always have a back pack with me with cola and carbs. Hopefully having the Libre may also help