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Continuous Glucose monitoring device advice please

D

Diabeticdom

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
I have type 1 DM for about 10 years and I cycle a fair bit. I manage things fairly ok but obviously have a lot of variances with my dosing depending on exercise amounts. I manage with a multidose novarapid dosing with Levemir as my long acting insulin. I dont often get hypo when exercising but I guess I let it drift up a bit, and take tiny amounts of insulin in breaks. I recently did a long trip in the Alps with 100miles a day and 2-3000m of climbing per day.
A few of my colleagues who exercise have recently switched to CGM. Im fairly ok controlled. I run it tight usually and get a few hypos (maybe 1-2 per month where Im properly low). I have full insight when going low. My HbA1c is ok but not perfect. CGM looks really exciting.
I have looked at some of the info on devices but would appreciate people's thoughts on what works best. I would pay for it myself if I had to.
I cant see me swapping to a pump as I dont like the idea of having it strapped to me but would be ok with a CGM implant on arm etc...

This is my first post and I am grateful to anyone for their advice.
 
I use a Dexcom G5, couldn't live without it. Syncs to my iPhone keeping an extra gadget in the pockets down.

I can see highs coming if I have misjudged, can see lows on their way down before they get into hypo territory.

I also run and I wait until the dots start going down and top up on lucozade sport to catch it.

It does get very addictive!


Sent from my iPhone using DCUK Forum mobile app
 
I really like the freestyle libre - slightly different to the above. A lot of data but you can access it so easily and through clothes. I row and it means I can quickly test my blood sugar out on the water in between pieces and then I can react to that. Very light and unobtrusive as well
 
Is the libre provided on the NHS, or does it have to be self funded if you are Type 1?
 
As a very regular cyclist I can't recommend pumps enough. You may not want one because you think they are a pain to wear them all the time but I can assure you this is a very minor inconvenience that you very quickly get used to. At the moment I am training to do the London Surrey Ride 100 next month and am currently averaging about 150 miles a week.
This weekend I did 70 miles in just over 4 hours without having a break. I left the house with a BS of 5.2 and got back at 6.5. I have managed to develop a routine for these rides of reducing my basal by 20% for the duration of the ride and taking on board about 30-35g of carbs per hour with no bolus. This works for me probably 4 out of 5 times without having hypo's.
It's obviously not a complete solution but if you add it in with Libre or CGM it can become a very powerful tool. I can't really afford those at the moment but my pump helps n end for these big rides. Worth thinking about and chapeau with the Alpine climbs
 
Using the 640G with the Auto Suspend is awesome - I've found it works really well to avoid hypos when doing physically demanding exercise. Very impressed with it!
 
As @tim2000s has said,I use the same set up and have done for the last year,with the auto-suspend no more hypo problems for me.
 
What I've been most surprised at is that I haven't had huge bg level increases after the suspends either. WHat about you @yingtong?
 
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