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Injected Levemir dose vs pumping basal rate

LittleSue

Well-Known Member
Messages
647
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi All

I hope to start on a pump soon (probably Paradigm Veo), so this is all still theory to me.
Have read comments that you generally need less basal with a pump compared to injected.

I'm only using 2 to 2.5 units of Levemir during the day. What would be the equivalent basal rate of that and is it doable? I know it's all guestimattion till I actually start pumping and everyone's different, but when I switched from Glargine to Levemir, they said I'd need more but I had night hypos for weeks and actually needed 30% less. If a pump can't deliver a small enough dose, I might be better off injecting.

Thanks
 
Pump set up takes in to account basal and bolus total daily allowance.....

Some pumps I think allow smaller insulin delivery than others......
 
our nurse worked all of this out for us to start on and we adjusted from there. dylan was on very small amounts of levemir and rapid before our change over and we have found the pump to have been of great benefit to him he is far more stable than he ever was and altho we still arnt quite there he is much better in himself. my advice if ur offered a pump go for it

anna marie
 
As a flat rate you will be looking at 0.084.. But most basal profiles are don't stay as a flat 24 hour rate though..

Working on 2 units over a flat profile over 24 hours, it would be 0.084 per hour!

All pumps will be able to cope with anything above 0.01 unit, you may find to be able to sort your profile out you will have to do 0.00 delivery may for an hour or may be two... But you will be able to work this out when you go onto the pump..

So what every pump you choose check out the smallest basal rate and another thing to look out for, is how many time blocks adjustments they have as this does differ slightly..

I use a spirit combo, which you can adjust your basal rate every hour over the 24 hour period, where as the Animas 2020 you can only adjust 8 times over a 24 hour period but do get to choose your time blocks.. But for me the basal adjustments are enough to cope with my basal profile..
 
Sorry, I should've said the 2 of Levemir is daytime only, I take a second dose at bedtime, currently about twice as much. That might make a difference? Being able to vary the basal rate more often than this is one of my main reasons for wanting a pump (along with small doses not 'wearing off' quicker as with Levemir.

I have a choice of Animas or Medtronic/Paradigm, I think their minimum basal rates and increments are the same. Good point about the max number of rate changes in a day though, Jopar, will put that on the list to ask about at the meeting.

Anna Marie
Glad to hear Dylan is doing well with his pump. Thinking about it, I know there's a move to put more under-12s on pumps but haven't seen any pumps labelled 'junior' and so probably they can cope with v.small doses. I think I've read on here about folks who got a pump specifically because they needed tiny doses.
Really do want to go for it, just panicked a bit there!
 
dylan uses the paradigm veo and we love it and his rates vary throughout the day from as little as 0.125ph to 0.350ph like i say still not completely there but some good numbers sprinkled throughout the day our main prob is the numbers we get 2hrs after eating if we can sort those we will be there.

i would honestly tell anyone who is offered a pump to try it we will not be going back to injections without a fight lol, i asked dylan yesterday if another diabetic asked him what he prefers what would he say and he said the pump for definate so it speaks for itself really go for it

anna marie
 
That's great, it must've been a big change and maybe scary for Dylan
 
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