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Pump in a week! What were your blood sugars like when you first started using it?

Janelle123

Janelle123

Well-Known Member
Messages
155
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Next week I will be switching to a pump. I'm starting to get nervous about how my blood sugars will be when I start using it. I was hoping to hear some experiences on what peoples levels were in the first few days. I don't mind a few lows but I am terrified of any highs as I always feel guilty/depressed whenever my BS is over 10
 
You will most likely get some highs before your correct basals are found. You'll need less insulin than on MDI but it does take time to find the correct levels.

Be prepared for highs and don't feel upset or guilty, as it's "normal" and you'll be able to correct if necessary
 
Keep a detailed record of your insulin doses for the week leading up to switching to a pump, to start you off they'll likely enter one basal rate into the pump until you get round to doing some basal testing, the DSN will deduct 20% from your current basal usage on injections as most people find they need slightly less basal insulin when using a pump.

The first day I went slightly high but I think that was down to nerves, after a few days I started basal testing and by the end of the week was using 3 different basal rates, currently using 5 but doing some basal testing again this week as I had a couple of lowish readings last week and need to review things again.

If you've not read the book Pumping Insulin by John Walsh & Ruth Roberts then I recommend you do, it goes into great detail about basal rates and getting the most from an insulin pump. Good luck and hope it all goes well.
 
Hi I started on my pump on Saturday. My readings have been a little all over the place but mainly ok. My dsn started me on 30% less than my mdi dose so that I didn't run to low and was always having hypos. The highest I've gone was 18mmol today not sure why but corrected and it came down lovely. They have sat between 4_13 mmol. Now starting to do basal testing to sort them out. Don't feel guilty these no need to its not your fault your readings will be high till you sort your basal. I've only been doing it a week an I wouldn't go back to mdi, they will have to fight me for it back.
All the best
 
I started to pump insulin on Tuesday, my bloods have ranged between 6 and 16.
If anyone can give me advice on multi wave as I think I did something wrong this evening. How do you know how long to programme multi wave after your meal as I tried it for the first time and after 2 hours I was 16.9. I have purchased pumping insulin but I am struggling to take it in as it is very detailed and having two jobs, two young children, a naughty dog and a husband to deal it is proving difficult lol.
 
Thanks for all of your replies. I have had the best control ever since going on the pump with barely any reading above 9! With the exception of 1 day that I thought the pump had failed because my blood sugar just kept rising throughout the day to 16.5... but then I realised I hadn't taken my metformin that morning :p
 
Wow, that's great news. Can't wait to start pumping! Have text my nurse again today to ask what the next step will be but she's not got back to me yet! I'm not impatient at all... honest!! :p
 
I think I spoke too soon... My level just kept going up and up through the night even after doing corrections. I thought my levels would be more stable day to day on the pump but it seems my body still likes to change things up a bit... last night my liver decided it would like to dump a whole lot of glucose for no reason :mad:
 
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It's finding the patterns in your blood sugars and then adjusting your basal rates to compensate. It will take time (sometimes months) to get it sorted (or so I've been told by my DSN) so try not to get yourself too upset, it's still early days. I am looking forward to getting myself sorted on the pump and getting my sugars (hopefully) more stable eventually than what they currently are on MDI. I was 10.6 this morning and had two hypo's yesterday! Grrr!! :-(

Let us know how you get on anyway @Janelle123 :-)
 
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