Pumps - How Often Do You Need To Change You Basal Rate?

deborabaratto

Well-Known Member
Messages
115
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
Hypos and hypers
Hey guys! So I'm wondering - how often do you have to change your basal rate, considering maintaining a similar carb intake and physical exercise?

I'm struggling with that a lot - last week I was using 30% of the week before and this one I'm using 110-130% (I usually just use the temporary basal rate) and that's making me mad - it's just so different - I don't fell sick, tired or more stressed than usual.

How do you guys do it?
 

dancer

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,360
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I've been using the pump for over 8 years. I would only have to change any basal rates every few months but for the last year or so I've had to change various basal rates every month, at least.
 
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deborabaratto

Well-Known Member
Messages
115
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
Hypos and hypers
I've been using the pump for over 8 years. I would only have to change any basal rates every few months but for the last year or so I've had to change various basal rates every month, at least.

Hmmmm interesting.
I don't know if it's gonna be like this from now on, but it's so exhausting
 

dancer

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,360
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
It can be exhausting but when I feel that way, I have a break for about a month. I still keep an eye on my everyday blood sugars, and do corrections where necessary, but I don't print out my Carelink results, looking for patterns (I'm on a Medtronic pump). That seems to calm me down so that I'm ready for the diabetes battle ahead.
 
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dancer

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,360
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I should add that when I don't feel exhausted by it all, I do basal tests to check my basal levels are ok. I only do this when my blood sugars are acting up, so that I know whether to change basals or ratios.
 
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iHs

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Messages
4,595
I tend to tweak my basal rates when I start to see blood glucose levels changing which on average is about every 1t to 18 days. I usually wait until I see an obvious pattern emerging. In hot weather I need less insulin but when it's colder, I need more. Bodyweight gain or loss also affects insulin. If I'm being lazy, I use a TBR for a while but if that
doesn't work too well, I will change my basal rates.
 
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kitedoc

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,783
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
black jelly beans
Hi @deborabaratto,
I am unsure of your age ( and it is no my place to ask a lady) but I do recall in teenage years (13 to 20) having lots of what my specialist called 'growth spurts'.
What that meant was hormones promoting growth would have a burst of activity, causing my insulin resistance to go up and hence my insulin dose requirement would double and more for some weeks along with an increase in appetite and need for more food, and then drop back (this was in the days before glucose meters, fancy insulins, pumps etc) - so the end of the growth spurt would announce itself by the beginning of hypos and the need for me to drop my insulin dose back pronto! (this was also before basal/bolus regimes and so it involved my short-acting and long acting insulin which was twice daily. (I was diagnosed at age 13 in 1966 and consider myself a grown up kid) I think of that time like sailing through an ocean swell and also related it to the music - Flight of the Valkyrie , by Wagner (also I thing theme tune for the movie; Apocalypse Now.
Being a guy I did not have the added ups and downs that I have heard are associated with monthly cycles.
Nowadays for exercise I will reduce my pump's basal rate by 20 to 30% for 4 to 6 hours, noting that hypos tend to be more likely to occur at the 6 + work mark. And 'top up' with something to eat if need be. BUT I do not exercise if my bsls are 13 mmol/l + as my liver tends to put out glucose at the level when I exercise, which only makes matters worse. (not sure why the body does this, maybe something to do with the body cells starving while all that glucose floats around in the blood).
I hope my 'sea faring' tale might ring some bells and provide some possible reasons for the mystery and frustration that is diabetes! Of course your doctor and dsn are invaluable members of the 'crew' from whom to seek advice about all of the above..
Best Wishes.
 
D

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I tweak my fixed basal rates every month or two when I start to see a new bg pattern emerging.
However, I use the temporary basal a lot. I use it every time I exercise which is about 5 times a week.
I use it if I am I'll... which is less than 5 times a year.
I use it if I have an injury causing pain (once or twice a year).

Not sure if this counts as lots of change or not?