Stupid pump tricks: dose stacking with IOB

[Spiker]

Well here's something you can't do with pen injections, and it's not in the pump manual either, but it's kind of interesting.

Warning: don't try this at home, kids!

If my blood sugar rises unexpectedly after a meal, and / or if I just didn't have the faintest idea what amount of carbs were in the meal, I can just keep whacking in another dose on the BG wizard every time it rises, or every time I do a test I don't like. Between the BG wizard and the IOB (Insulin on Board) wizard, the pump will make sure I only dose for the difference between the increased BG, and what the BG was at last time I dosed. Simples.

It's even easier with a CGM. But by no means is a CGM required. In fact it doesn't even need to be done just post meal. You could do it every hour of every day. Like some kind of rudimentary artificial pancreas.

It's obviously not as good as getting the dose right first time, but out here in the real world that doesn't always happen does it? It certainly seems superior to the "wait 4 hours and try again" approach, or the "better luck tomorrow" approach.

How truly insane is this idea, pumpers? Has anyone else tried it? I have done it a few times now and so far seems to have worked fine with no hypos.

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[Lucie75]

YES YES YES!!! I have done this a lot, usually because I underestimate the carbs (and because control is so fine tuned a minor mistake can have dramatic impact). I LOVE IT! Pumps are wonderful.

 

[Julie1471]

I've only dose stacked once and was because I set a temp basal and also corrected before the temp, but I was fine. Last night I went out with some friends , but I did a bs after the meal and I guessed how many carbs I'd had and the pump dosed for it( it's the first time I've been on a night out, with the pump). But when I got in and tested it was 8.1 and this morning it had gone up to 9.7. So I don't think I've done to bad, for a first time.

 

[Engineer88]

Do it all the time with a CGM including this Am hypo, bounce, near hypo - temp basal -bounce (pear eaten)

though its great when its high and rising. Are you guys still having inset issues? had my first yesterday set pulled out with very small tug

 

[Julie1471]

Apart from the last one on Sunday, none since thank god. But I've played around with the inset 30's and a grapefruit, to see how the insertion goes and they look pretty good and the canula length is longer, which would be good for me( seeing as I work, with kids). I also tried a self insertion one, but that one freaked me out a bit.

 

[Engineer88]

the 30's freak me out. as in I tryed to insert one and passed out. Not BG related just flat passed out. Sticking to 90's now

 

[Spiker]

The DSN went through the Inset 30 with me as a solution to my "too buff to pump" problem. I tried one on a sponge. They are quite the faff to insert compared to the Inset II 90 degree ones. However I've just ordered a couple from Animas to try. The introducer needle is REALLY long! And lots of doing things by hand, holding one thing with one hand while doing something else with the other hand. It's the first time I've thought "hmm I could stick a needle in myself doing this". You know, in the wrong way.

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[Spiker]

I've decided my answer to "how often do you change infusion sets?" is "every 2 or 3 days - when I pull the bloody thing off by accident!". The clip part near the canula keeps catching on clothing and then levering off. It never comes right off, but by the time it's been bent 90 degrees away from the skin I've got no confidence the canula is still inserted in me, and no way to tell, so I have to do a set change. :-(

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[Julie1471]

I change every 3 days apart from when I have a set problem. I've actually dropped a set and it went into my finger. It bled really well, but I did put the blood to good use and did a bs, but it was tender for a couple of days.