I WANT TO EAT PIZZA HELP

[bidder1603]

Okay, the title is a little excessive but I’m sure many of you understand where Im coming from... how do I successfully Bolus for pizza?! In the past year of being on the pump I seem to get it wrong every time.

What happens is I eat, 2 hour test= below 10 or sometimes low so have to treat.

4 hours= high teens sometimes 20s!! Even if my two hour is 7 etc.

I know an easy solution would be to give it up but that’s like telling me to stop breathing air- it’s not gonna happen

Does anyone have any tips? I have the Animas Vibe insulin pump. I’ve also tried the combo Bolus a few times- usually 50:50 over two hours but that doesn’t seem to work.

Thanks!

 

[Deleted Account]

I eat pizza about once a month with Animas Vibe.
I use combo bolus over 4.5 hours at a ratio of 40:60 and avoid massive BG swings.

These are home made thin crust vegetarian pizzas.
I use mozzarella cheese but probably not as much as you get on a Dominos pizza.
So my pizzas are probably slightly last carbs and not as fatty.
But still very tasty.

 

[Antje77]

Bolusing for pizza is a nightmare. Still, I did yesterday. I put a lot of extra pepper, onion, tomato, olives, meat and cheese on the pizza, so half a small pizza would fill me up with only half the carbs of the whole thing. Then I took a bit more of insulin then what I expected to need. Then I watched my bg like a hawk to top of my insulin when it started to go up, again, a bit more than I thought I needed. After that I watched my bg like a hawk again to prevent highs or lows until about 6 hours after pizza. Still went a bit higher than I like overnight, but not exceptionally so.
Next time I'll make a fat-head pizza. (that's what I've been telling myself for over 1.5 years now and it still hasn't happened )

 

[bidder1603]

I eat pizza about once a month with Animas Vibe.
I use combo bolus over 4.5 hours at a ratio of 40:60 and avoid massive BG swings.

These are home made thin crust vegetarian pizzas.
I use mozzarella cheese but probably not as much as you get on a Dominos pizza.
So my pizzas are probably slightly last carbs and not as fatty.
But still very tasty.

Interesting! I might try a longer Bolus maybe that’ll help with the 2 hour lows! Yeah the one I had last night was a thin crust “skinny” pizza which I thought would of been better but no I was still 18 4 hours after maybe if I had done a combo Bolus it would’ve been better! I do want to try make my own too at some point so maybe that’ll be a little easier to control. Thanks!

 

[bidder1603]

Bolusing for pizza is a nightmare. Still, I did yesterday. I put a lot of extra pepper, onion, tomato, olives, meat and cheese on the pizza, so half a small pizza would fill me up with only half the carbs of the whole thing. Then I took a bit more of insulin then what I expected to need. Then I watched my bg like a hawk to top of my insulin when it started to go up, again, a bit more than I thought I needed. After that I watched my bg like a hawk again to prevent highs or lows until about 6 hours after pizza. Still went a bit higher than I like overnight, but not exceptionally so.
Next time I'll make a fat-head pizza. (that's what I've been telling myself for over 1.5 years now and it still hasn't happened )

Ugh it’s such a pain isn’t it, the things we diabetics will do for pizza!! Yeah I started at 8 two hours after and the four hours after I was 18 bolused for that and then woke up on 10, which is a little higher than I hoped to be which was also annoying. But I was the same and had what I thought would’ve been a less fatty and less carby pizza but still got the same... except the 2 hour low I usually get so at least that worked!

 

[Deleted Account]

I do want to try make my own too at some point so maybe that’ll be a little easier to control. Thanks!

I follow the Paul Hollywood Pizza base recipe which I roll pretty thin.
My toppings vary but, as conventional ovens don't get as hot as wood fired pizza ovens, I do not over stack it with toppings. Otherwise, I would suffer from "a soggy bottom".

Good luck with your pizza making and longer combi-boluses.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Great advice to use the extended bolus button or whatever the animas version is. The more fat you have your pizza the greater the time you'd need to extend the bolus due to the carb being slowed down in its absorption by the fat so you might get varied results just by having a different brand of pizza or one with more or less topping! Homemade tastes better but bear in mind it isn't just what's in the dough that needs to be counted unless you do a keto version of same. Enjoy your pizza and good luck (or 'educated guess' being optiomistic) with the dosing!!

 

[kitedoc]

Ugh it’s such a pain isn’t it, the things we diabetics will do for pizza!! Yeah I started at 8 two hours after and the four hours after I was 18 bolused for that and then woke up on 10, which is a little higher than I hoped to be which was also annoying. But I was the same and had what I thought would’ve been a less fatty and less carby pizza but still got the same... except the 2 hour low I usually get so at least that worked!

The other thing to consider (as it has not yet been discussed) "Do I have to eat pizza"? Yes, the 2 hour BSL spike is avoided only to be delayed. I am not denying anyone the challenge of trying to tackle this and finding what works. It just seems a lot of carbs and fats. But each person to their own, it is a free world. Enjoy the journey and the challenge of the split bolus dosing which might also be needed for split pea and bean dishes !!

 

[DCUKMod]

Ugh it’s such a pain isn’t it, the things we diabetics will do for pizza!! Yeah I started at 8 two hours after and the four hours after I was 18 bolused for that and then woke up on 10, which is a little higher than I hoped to be which was also annoying. But I was the same and had what I thought would’ve been a less fatty and less carby pizza but still got the same... except the 2 hour low I usually get so at least that worked!

Bidder - It sounds like you're not currently using the Libre or a CGM? I don't want to open up the whole argument of who gets what, where, when or under what circumstances, as that doesn't address your issue, but it strikes me that a period - even a trial period - with a couple of sensors would allow you to see exactly what happens to your bloods, and when, when you eat pizza.

I'm neither T1, nor an insulin user, but have found some self-funded Libre sensors very enlightening. I know many of your T1 colleagues have found the insights really invaluable.

 

[Resurgam]

Maybe try the fat head pizza - or even the cauliflower base one - I can't comment on either as I don't see the attraction in eating pizza.
I can't say I have never eaten pizza, but I wouldn't feel any urge to have a whole one.
Those who do have had their itch scratched by the alternatives, so it might be worth giving them a try. How to inject for them - ah - well - .....

 

[Carl13128]

Fat head pizza is a great alternative, quick and easy to make, lots of recipes on the net

 

[Dixon1995]

I too have had this dilemma, and for me what works is as follows.

So because when I have a treat I have to be a greedy bas****, I eat half of a pizza to myself, theres about 80g carbs in my half of pizza. Now when I used to eat this, my sugars about 2 hours later, great, 5.5 or something, then when I wake up the next morning, oopsie, its now 14.

So what I do now is, I take my Novorapid (which I take at meals, could be different for you) but instead of taking the full 8 units, I take 4 units (but I add 2 on usually), then an hour or hour and a half later, I take the next 4 units. I do spike a bit more after the hour and a half, however come 4 hours later my sugars have been far more stable. Just a thought

I mean, now my half pizza doesnt have that much carbs as Ive moved to thin crust pizza, and may make a switch to even lower carb, lower fat variants soon

 

[bidder1603]

Bidder - It sounds like you're not currently using the Libre or a CGM? I don't want to open up the whole argument of who gets what, where, when or under what circumstances, as that doesn't address your issue, but it strikes me that a period - even a trial period - with a couple of sensors would allow you to see exactly what happens to your bloods, and when, when you eat pizza.

I'm neither T1, nor an insulin user, but have found some self-funded Libre sensors very enlightening. I know many of your T1 colleagues have found the insights really invaluable.

I’d love to try one but I’ve been told that I cant have a trial period or one funded on the NHS
but yes I’d love to watch what happens with a CGM or Libre with pizza or overnight even!

 

[bidder1603]

When I was on a pump with annoyingly delicious food like that, I'd use a 60/40 or sometimes even a 70/30. Don't be afraid to test it, pizza gives you some kind of sugar boost an hour or two later. In my experience, I'd just make sure that you've got more fast-acting insulin (I.E the 60%) FIRST and the extra 40% last. Make sure the bigger number comes first - the smaller amount of insulin being released later on should keep you flat as the pizza breaks down.

Good advice! I think I definitely need to experiment more with my combo bolus setting...

 

[Kikeena_]

Okay, the title is a little excessive but I’m sure many of you understand where Im coming from... how do I successfully Bolus for pizza?! In the past year of being on the pump I seem to get it wrong every time.

What happens is I eat, 2 hour test= below 10 or sometimes low so have to treat.

4 hours= high teens sometimes 20s!! Even if my two hour is 7 etc.

I know an easy solution would be to give it up but that’s like telling me to stop breathing air- it’s not gonna happen

Does anyone have any tips? I have the Animas Vibe insulin pump. I’ve also tried the combo Bolus a few times- usually 50:50 over two hours but that doesn’t seem to work.

Thanks!

When I was diagnosed one of my hobbies was making pizza so I miss that tremendously.
With my trial CGM I wanted to test my home made pizza and found I peaked 6 hours later but didn't go back to normal until 10 hours after. So the plan next time is to split the dose into 3 and take quite a lot more. The other plan would be to only have a couple of slices.

 

[DCUKMod]

I’d love to try one but I’ve been told that I cant have a trial period or one funded on the NHS
but yes I’d love to watch what happens with a CGM or Libre with pizza or overnight even!

It is possible to buy sensors Bidder, if your team won't or can't offer you anything on the NHS.

 

[Odin004]

Hi there @bidder1603 - just thought I would add to this (albeit a little late) - I had the same problem, as I love pizza - however, @bulkbiker gave me this fantasitc option for a low carb pizza - tastes as good as (if not better) than normal pizza, strange as it may sound - absolutely no need to miss out! -
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/missing-pizza.122788/

 

[bobcurly]

We do 50:50 dual wave over 3.5 hours for regular pizza

 

[ScottyD]

I've tried ASDA stuffed crust pizza on the pump - I have finally gotten a flat line by giving the insulin at 65/35 for over 5-6 hours. Each one I find varies due to the fact its thin base, thick base, amount of fat in it or stuffed crust for example.

 

[ronialive]

I self fund the libre and have found that I need 60/40 combo bolus over 2 hrs- but I am on Fiasp - and I add 1 or 2 units extra initially as someone said above- this gets the sugar sorted and the rest gets the fat sorted. Usually stable and no problem for me now.