What meter are you using, or how do you judge your boluses? We were going to use the Accu Chek Expert meter, but because they pulled their pumps that meter is gone too (here in the US). I don’t know if I would like using my phone and it doesn’t have much room for any more apps. So now I have no idea how to calculate anything, and I was preparing to set this all up next week.
Hey Laura.
I just use the calculator on my iPhone or do the calcs in my head.
For IOB and everything? I’m on itty bitty micro doses and this could get tricky.
Yes but YDMV.
You can try PredictBGL app for iPhone.
My pitiful iphone is older than dirt and I don’t have any room on it. My understanding is there is no other smart meter on the market except maybe the Accu Chek connect. My CDE may have some suggestions but I was hoping to have a real plan in place when I meet with her.
Roche also sells an Accu-Chek Aviva Connect system that includes a bolus calculator. This feature requires a doctor authorization. I thought, if you had a supply of Accu-Chek strips that this might be a solution for you. The website had a note about a free meter. I didn’t dig far enough to see if it calculated IOB, too, but it makes sense that it would. Good luck!
Laura - I’m old - don’t want no stinking fancy phone. I have been holding on to my one touch ultra BG meter - still have my paradigm 523 out of warrany now. I love my bolus wizard feature and now am a pro all my pump settings - not eager to be schooled on new tech - my control right now is awesome no need to rock the boat.
This is the one we are considering though my phone is a really old iPhone and it has little room for more apps. Too bad I can’t justify buying a new phone…lol…
I’ve never tried it, and haven’t read all the replies so it may have been mentioned, but the FreeStyle InsuLinx meter has a Bolus calculator.
Do you still have your pump?
You could fill reservoir with water and use pump with all your same settings, and do pump bolus without being connected. Then inject same amount, and pump will still be used to calculate amount and track IOB.
You will have to round up or down, since cannot be as precise on syringe.
The idea though, is to take a pump vacation for awhile. You can see my other threads here, but I am having no luck on m pump lately.
I don’t see it as being for USA customers…? ? ?
Yes, but pump is going to be safely tucked into the box for future use…
I think they neutered the USA version as the same meter here had no bolus calculator. I asked the doctor’s office for a freebie and was disappointed to find it couldn’t calculate a bolus or keep track of IOB.
Could u do it in your head? That doesnt mean to sound snarky but I dont understand the perceived challenges of determining a correction and or bolus dose without a specially designed calculator? You just figure how many units for s bolus dose by dividing the cabs by the IC ratio and add any up or down correction necessary with your isf…
Grrrr, too bad. I see lots of these kinds of meters in European sites.
I’m severely insulin sensitive. One unit give me a 150 to 200 point drop. And I think with IOB calculations I would probably end up stacking doses somehow. The Accu Chek connect looks promising, but I still wish I had a phone with a little more room on it!
Good point, Sam. I did IOB calculations on scrap paper all the time back in the '90’s. It wasn’t calculus precise but it was good enough. I idealized insulin duration as 5 hours with 20% being used every hour or 10% every 30 minutes. I think all that paper and pencil arithmetic translated well to understanding all the numbers.
You have to do insulin to carb (I:C )ratios to figure insulin dosing. Corrections used the insulin sensitivity (ISF) ratio to calculate correction doses.
The most simple and purest form of avoiding stacking doses is just not to take an additional bolus within whatever you consider your duration time to be from the last one… for me I would say 3 hours…
Clearly though at some point, with some logic and experience paying attention to those trends people start adding bolus as needed even before their previous one wears off… your pump is really just a mechanized syringe it’s nothing magical… although being super sensitive to insulin I can see how the micro dosing might be helpful
I’m in Canada, so you may be right. Odd that something would be available here and not there.