Don’t forget that when you adjust your basal rate you want to make the adjustment two hours earlier than when your BG spike occurs. So, if you think you want the higher rate to start affecting you at 8, the basal you need to adjust is at 6 pm. Take a look at The Insulin Pump Therapy Book for some general guidance on using your pump.
I strongly recommend the book "pumping insulin" by John Walsh. He has a whole chapter on setting and testing basal rates.
I find setting the pump to do "temp basal" in terms of percentage rather than units/hr is easier to deal with for testing things and periods of exercise, etc. When you have multiple basal rates per day, it's easier to say "let me try -10%" rather than convert that to units/hour. Also, if you are in percentage mode, it works even when you go from when basal rate at one time of day to another.
To set the basal rates, you can use the method in "Pumping insulin" - fasting for several hours at various times of day and see if the rate holds you steady during that period, and make small changes if you are drifting up oour down by more than 30 points.
I also look for patterns. If I am consistently running low at a certain time of day, I focus on adjusting the rate for that period. It's probably too high. If I am consistently high overnight, I need to raise it overnight.
Don't be surprised if your needs vary a lot based on time of day. That's why people on MDI frequently have trouble with Lantus or Levemir.
I've ended up with a program that has large variation for differnt segments of the day
and keeps me flat when I am not eating.
Here is a program that works for me:
12midnight to 10 AM : 1.75 u/hr
10 a to 3 pm : 0.9 units/ hr
3pm to 9 PM : 0.65 units /hour (I used to have lows at this time on Lantus)
9PM to 12midnight : 1.55 u /hr
Of course, these things change over time...so once you have a program working, it may work for a couple of weeks or a month and this damn disease will change.
You should also make sure that your basal and bolus insulin are in balance. Walsh says that basal should be between 40-60% of your total daily dose. Correction insulin should be around 8% or less of your TDD. If there is too much correction, you probably need to fix basal or bolus (I:C ratios and CF). Some people work better at the higher end and some at the lower end.
thank you for the book suggestion..we all have different circumstances..ie: gastroparesis.. which makes our blood sugars unpredictable... the difference between simple carbs and complex carbs...etc..
and we all have different ISF.. which makes us all unique..
take a lood at this new meter.. it will be available mid february.. and it is amazing..the future of testing..! cheers rob
In spite of the posting modesty, you are "extremely lazy" like a fox!