Does anyone know how the temp basal setting works? I was doing some physical/strenuous work today and wanted to do a temp basal but when I went to lower it by 80 % I got a message that said it was outside the pod’s delivery range. I got it to work at a -60% but not any lower and just wondering how it works.
Also for when you do something really physical or strenuous do you use temp basal or suspend delivery. Curious as to how others handle this.
Thanks ~Schmutz
I think the problem you ran into probably has to do with you asking the pod to deliver less insulin than it is physically capable of doing. Mine has no problem right now doing a temp basal of -80% but my base basal rate is currently 0.9 units/hours so -80% still has it over 0.1units/hour. If you’re taking less than half a unit per hour and ask it to reduce that by 80% you’re going to get into such small quantities that it may not be able to deliver accurately. I always use temp basal when I’m doing something strenuous (unless I’m having an exceptionally low day anyway) because my insulin needs are so high but I could easily see someone suspending delivery for a while instead.
I usually use temp basal while I’m at the gym. I take 1.4 units per hour, and tell the temp basal to turn completely OFF. This is in essence suspending for an hour without having to remember to un-suspend when you’re done! I have also used 50 and 75%, for less strenuous activity.
Like Rebecca mentioned, the pod wouldn’t deliver it basically because it “couldn’t do the math”. It was an amount that was not possible based on the .1 or .05 increments at which you have it set to deliver. Mine will often times let me do up through about 90%. If I try 95% it says no-go.
I usually do a temp basal for any sort of physical activity. I hardly ever suspend. And if I were going to shut it off completely, I wouldn’t “suspend”, I would do a “temp basal” at “off” for whatever length of time. That way it would continue resuming normal bolus at the conclusion of that temp basal and won’t hassle me. If you suspend it however, it won’t shut up w/ the beeping until you confirm that “yes, I know I had it suspended and now it’s going to resume”. Annoying. The temp basal is the easier means by which to get to the same end, w/o all the hassle 
My settings must be set differently. When I go to use the temp basal, it actually lets me lower the basal from the .40 units per hour to the amount that I want in .05 increments, all the way down to 0 units. If I tried to lower it by 80%, I think that would take it to .08? Since the pod wants increments of .05, I wouldn’t actually be able to get that.
I NEVER use the suspend delivery option. My life is much louder than the suspended basal beep, and I have been know to be a bit forgetful… = ) Instead, I use the temporary basal of 0, with an automatic restart of basal delivery. The only time I use the 0 basal for activity is if I have insulin on board from a meal and decide to head out for strenuous exercise.
Hi KcF,
The PDM can be set for temp basal in percents, units or no temp basal. The navigation is:
Settings > System setup > Bolus/basal/calcs > Temp basal:
The options are:
- %
- U/hr
- Off
When I “exercise” (not nearly enough), I have to use -75% basal or I go hypoglycemic.
Brad
Thanks Maggie…I never went far enough to see the “OFF” option. Used it tonight and it worked great! Thanks!
Thanks Bradford…Makes sense and that’s what I suspected…my basal rate is very low in the afternoon and I can only get down to -60%. Manual wasn’t real clear, so thanks for the info… I never went far enough as I stopped trying after it wouldn’t go further thanks to you and others I found the “OFF” option and used it already, worked great!
Thanks KcF…used the temp “Off” option now that I know it’s there! Works great!
I’ve been using the temp basal for a while. I started pumping 2.5 years ago. When I am in the woods at 4:30am and hiking up the mountain (I’ve been deer hunting since I was 16 and had “D” since I was 3 dx’d July 6, 1958, I will never stop) I set the temp basal to off for 1.5 hours (that is the time to get to my stand) I check my BS and if needed I adjust my basal rate…
Hey allamerican!! I’ve been hunting most of my life and the #1 item on my list when I got dx’d just over 2 yrs ago was how am I going to be able to go to Colorado for my Elk hunts! My doc told me the best way to be able to do this was to be on a pump and I’ve been now pumping for just over 6 months and I think it’s going to work great…Glad to hear how you use it also and this will be my first year hunting with the pump…Good to hear it works for you too!!