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Levemir and switching to summer time

Bluemarine Josephine

Well-Known Member
Messages
259
Location
Northampton
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello lovely people! I hope you are having a great day!

It has been about 3 months since I started the basal/bolus scheme and I come up with all these funny questions.
Please be tolerant with me if my question is silly but, it does feel important to me.

How do we handle our Levemir injection time now that we are about to change from winter time to summer time?
Here is my thinking:
I inject my 1st Levemir dose at 07:00 am.
When we switch to summer time, we move 1 hour forward so, if I inject again at 07:00am won’t my body feel that it is 06:00 am instead?

I was told during DAFNE that with Levemir we have a 2 hour window to inject.
However, I have noticed that when I delay my Levemir injection even for 1 hour (which for some diabetics is not a big deal) during the day my levels are a bit funny... because, I think that, my bg demonstrates a different behavior than the one I am used to and I expect…

What do you do when we switch to summer/winter time? How do you handle your basal timing injection?
Thank you
Josephine
 
Honestly @Bluemarine Josephine I've never thought about it it in any great detail. I just go with the clock. Then I just deal with the consequences on the initial day (slightly higher or slightly lower). My insulin resistance profile over the day period isn't hugely out of whack with an hour change.

Sorry I'm not much more help!
 
Hi Josephine,

It's the first time I have come across this question so can only speak from my own experience. I personally didn't have an issue with an hour's difference on Levemir, I have found though that it's when I take my quick acting insulin that this then impacts on my BG, so if I get up and do not eat or take QA straight away that my BG tends to rise, I tend to test as soon as I wake, and inject QA dose for breakfast and then eat 30 mins later or so later (I can never eat first thing, but prefer to test and inject as soon as I wake).

The profile of Levemir should ensure that with a split dose it shouldn't run out in the morning, but instead overlap for consistency, here's a graph with the profile of Levemir: https://www.levemirpro.com/pharmacology/consistent-insulin-absorption-and-action.html
 
Hi Jospehine,

I most work the same as Tim2000s does. I go with the clock and the bolus if there is a correction to deal with.
I even do this when I cross timezones. I regularly have to go to the US West Coast for work and I deal with my levemir by just taking my morning dose, do the afternoon flight then dose at "usual" time but on new time zone when I get there. It does mean that by the time I get there I have no basal left but I correct at dinner and then continue.

So for the switch to BST I wouldn't worry about it too much, if it does cause you concern then simply keep testing but just try and resist the urge to correct where you really don't need to.
Failing everything else just consider that it will all settle after a couple of days anyway so probably best not to worry about it too much.

All the best,

A
 
When my son was on MDI we just moved his basal by 15 minutes each day, you could try 20 minutes as that would only be 3 smaller changes before getting back to your preferred time. On the Saturday prior to the time change you could go for 06:40 then on Sunday go for 07:20 and by Monday you are back to 07:00.
 
I also work as @tim2000s states, I travel the world with work at short notice jumping from one timezone to the next. There's no real option for me personally than to "play it by ear" so to speak

Good luck
 
Thank you so much for your comments and suggestions.
Actually, you are discussing an issue that I was about to post separately but, I am grasping the opportunity.

I will have to travel on business. The country I am going to is in a time zone which is 2 hours ahead than the UK.
So, 07:00 am UK (which is my 1st basal injection) is 09:00 am at the country where I will be.
Likewise, 21:00 pm UK (which is my 2nd Levemir injection) is 23:00 pm at the country where I will be.

What do I do in this case?
Do I maintain the UK time (07:00 and 21:00 UK) and inject at 09:00 am and 23:00 am locally (so that I will not have to change again when I return home)?

Or, do I follow 07:00 and 21:00 locally there (but this will translate into 05:00 and 19:00 UK time…)

So confused…
Your help is highly needed.
Thank you

Josephine.
 
Hey Josephine,

For a small time difference like that if you are only there a short time I would stay on UK time for your basal shots so that you don't have to worry about it.
So basically go with your first idea of basal at 9am and 9pm local.

At least, that is what I do when I am visiting family in South Africa which is currently 2 hours ahead

If your business trip is going to last a while then you may want to switch to local time, as I said before I have found it best to do a hard cut-over to local time and just correct with my nearest meal for any difference. That way you have maybe 1 or two days of things being a little off then it all comes back into line.

Hope you have a good trip. Don't forget... Take double the supplies you think you will need.

A
 
My travel time is never set in stone, could be 2 days could be 2 months.

For the time difference I just make small adjustments daily and make an effort to monitor slightly more than normal...

I'm currently in Saudi so a 3 HR difference, I knew I've atleast got 4 weeks this trip so I started by adjusting an hour each time but monitoring my BG more often just to have a heads up for any highs and lows.

This way by monitoring you capture how your body reacts during long flights/time difference. Everyone reacts differently. The food choices on flights are poor and carb loaded so take some with you if you can on to the flight.

After a couple of trips you will see a pattern in how your body reacts under the different conditions and become more confident in how it will react and what to expect.

All the best izzy
 
Thank you for your replies.
I’d like to ask you please, if you experience any hypoglycemia or significantly lower bg levels while you are in the cabin.

When I was only on Tresiba, during my honeymoon period (prior getting into the basal/bolus scheme) I had noticed that, during the flight my bg was dropping significantly. I, generally, prefer to run a lot “sweeter” during a day that I have to fly because airports include a lot of walking… I am wondering if the change in altitude as well as the air pressure in the cabin affect our bg by pushing it lower.

Have you experienced something similar?
Thank you
Josephine.
 
I haven't noticed my BG dropping during flights but I too run a little bit "sweeter" (I like that one ) when I am travelling purely because having a hypo in the middle of an airport while you are running for a connection or trying to get through security or customs would just be a pain.

I suspect that what may have a larger impact on measured BG levels while flying is largely the fact that you will tend to dehydrate faster on long haul flights. That being said I have never seen any research about altitude impacting BG, though hydration levels is known to have an effect.

/A
 

Thanks ever so much for the guidance and the valuable information, Andy!
I hope that you are having a beautiful day!
 
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