IQ Control results in worse control - ways to improve?

@JR1

My A1c was 7.8 on Basal IQ and I was on Basal IQ for a bit over a year before starting Control IQ in Jan 2020. My latest A1c was 6.2!! The lowest it has been since before I was diagnosed in 1983 and on a pump since 1985. I expect it to continue to come down as that datapoint included a full month of Basal IQ glucose data.

I followed @Hammer suggestions of using higher weight and TDD and enabling Sleep mode all but one minute of the day…1159P-1200A.

I worked intensely on my Basals, ISF and Insulin:Carb ratios with Basal IQ…this is key to having this system make good decisions for you. Having these parameters dialed in gives a good solid foundation for Control IQ to work. I would suggest that @JR1 fine tune these parameters without Control IQ and then move directly to Control IQ Sleep mode with a 10-20% bump in body weight and TDD…too aggressive on these and you lose the benefit of sleep mode when you are actually sleeping. A year ago and the previous 36 years with T1D, I would have never gone to bed with a BG of 80…now I do this routinely and seldom have have a snack in the middle of the night. I am also much more tolerant of low BG…I often do not treat low BG unless I have had no meal within the last 6 hours or unless I have some strenuous exercise or activity.

While Control IQ has been more than promised for me, an additional parameter that came to me from a Forum member(I can’t find the post now to attribute to them…sorry) is the number of carbs consumed. I have in the last three months or so, started to limit my carbs per meal to less than 20 if possible. This has also naturally lead to intermittent fasting as a result. I will have 15-20g carbs at breakfast with 4-5oz of lean protein and some bacon. I cover this with a 35:65 extended bolus for 1.5hours. I am not hungry and often flatline my BG for 10+ hours. I do not eat lunch and will eat another low carb snack mid afternoon so I can have a normal dinner time. This has made a world of difference in my BG control and Control IQ works very well in this scenario.

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