Need Help

Diabetes Technology Insulin Pumps
1

I am having trouble fixing a persistant 5:00 p.m. low. I have changed my afternoon basal bigtime, but still cannot find the magic formula. Here are my current basals and not sure where to change to get rid of this low. Can you help by looking below and yes bolus seems right at lunch as I am at good numbers up until 4:00 p.m. and then boom, I bottom out.

12 A .6
2 A .8
4 A 2.0
6 A .9
7 A .7
8 A .8
10 A .6
11 A .7
12:30 .4
1 P .05
5 P 1.5
6 P 1.0

I know I know a lot of basal rates, but it has been working except that 5 P low :frowning:

2

Hi Karen! I have a lot of rates too. You do have some pretty wide variations in your rates. I’m wondering if you are dosing too much for your lunch time bolus. You are taking almost no basal insulin at all from 1P to 5P and then a huge jump up to 1.5. If you reduced your carb to insulin ratio at lunch, then you might even need to up your 1P rate and maybe. Is the 1.5 at 5P at all compensating for your 4P low? Hmmm. Very interesting. That is what I see and just some observations I’ve made. Let me know how you end up fixing this. How long have you been pumping? I’ve been pumping for 17 years now. Testing basal rates was done differently then but I think I almost prefer the older method of fasting.

3

I was thinking about the lunch bolus as well.

What is the difference between the old and new method of basal testing?

4

I have fasted over lunch and still have this 5 PM low and I have such a high 5 PM basal because I take hardly no insulin in the afternoon and then it kicks in at night and I was going way high hence the 5 PM high basal. I was not always taking this little of basal in the afternoon, but what is a diabetic to do??!! :wink:

I am going to try changing the 1 P .05 to 12:00, but can you belive .05 that is so wierd to me.

5

Karen, do you eat a snack after lunch (like 3ish) with some protein? Might keep you from bottoming out at 5pm and avoid changing the basal.

6

Remember that your lunch time basal (assuming that you eat @ 12:30) would be most affected by the 10 am basal rate. 2 hours prior to when you want the effect to take place. If I were you I would get rid of the 1pm basal rate because you don’t need it. Your 12:30 basal rate should work just fine if your are going low. In fact I would lower the 12:30 rate if you still go low later on. Also your 11AM rate is starting to work at 1pm. If you have not eaten that is going to cause a problem.

7

Maybe you have working Beta cells that only like to work in the afternoon :wink: