I’m about to order Tandem Control-IQ pump and G6. Currently have a Medtronic pump (out of warranty) and G5.
I currently spend a lot of time controlling my BG and believe I am doing it effectively as my Ave BG is 105 and TIR (65-150) is 95%. I am willing to see my Ave BG increase slightly if I can spend less time managing it. Can someone who currently operates Control IQ shed some light on my questions?
Can I operate the Sleep profile all day and night?
If I choose, can I manually input a bolus in Control-IQ while I am in sleep mode?
Other than developing a personal profile including carb ratio, correction factor, etc., can I choose to ignore all meal bolus input such as estimated carbs to be eaten?
Am I able to look back and see the changes Control-IQ makes to adjust or stop my basal during a 24-hour period?
Anything else you think is especially important to know before I order Control IQ?
Thanks
Yes. Several of us on this board are running 24/7 sleep mode, myself included. The only down-side is you lose the automatic correction boluses, but that only matters if you go over 180 and is probably a moot point for you, given your control.
Yes. Control-IQ does not affect your boluses in any way. You can give whatever you want, whenever you want. IOB does play into consideration the others way around, though, and affects automation.
I don’t 100% understand this question. There is a bolus wizard, based upon your user settings, which will calculate based upon BG and carbs you enter. You can modify 1,2, or all three of the units, carbs, BG options in the wizard. For instance, you can enter carbs, BG is automatically filled in but you can change it, then it will fill in suggested insulin dose. You can then either choose to deliver it, or take it under consideration and change it to a completely different amount. You can also quick bolus using the silver button on top of the pump. You initiate quick books with a long press, then press the button again x number of times to select the amount. You decide how much each button press is worth. I have mine set to deliver a half unit per press, but you could also choose to measure in grams of carbs instead of units of insulin.
That is my biggest complaint about Control-IQ, actually. It’s not easily visible. The graph changes color to a red background when it has completely stopped delivering basal (you can still bolus), but does nothing to indicate on the graph whether it increased or decreased basal. You can upload your pump data to their server, and POSSIBLY see more information about Control-IQ history, but I can’t speak from personal experience. I don’t use their T:Connect software because they don’t support Linux. There are graphics that show you what Control-IQ is doing in the present, though, as well as you can see exactly what it has set your basal rate to by clicking in the top right corner of the screen.
I think it’s clear you’ve already done a fair bit of research and are knowledgeable of the product. You’ve asked good questions. If you decide you don’t like where Control-IQ is keeping you, you can always turn it off and the X2 still has all the perks besides the automated adjustments. Seems to be the hardest thing for former Medtronic users to adjust to is the cartridge filling process. Make sure that you watch some YouTube videos about it (real users, not just the Tandem ones) and make sure it won’t be a deal breaker for you.
You’re exactly right on all your observations. I see there is great upside and little downside except filling the cartridge. Medtronic is so quick and easy. I heard their process is patented but can’t can’t understand why. I spend the morning going through a tutorial of Control IQ with the G5. Yes the G5! I imagine they made a mistake labeling it G5 and not G6 or it was uploaded and then decided to cancel the G5. Seems strange.
You’re right on my meal bolus question too. I simply don’t want Tslim to calculate my meal bolus. Rather than counting or guessing my food and taking insulin, I take insulin and then eat food over the duration of the insulin depending how my absorption is working. Really quite simple with a CGM. Managed to get me from an average of 160 to 105. Regardless of just taking insulin they call correction, etc., seems doable. Thanks for the quick response. Just put my order in!
I forgot something and need to make an addendum to my #2 answer above. When Control-IQ is enabled, you can only extend a bolus for up to two hours. It is a max of 4 hours (I think), without Control-IQ enabled.
Thanks. I only put in an order today. What do you mean extend a bolus? So if I have Control IQ turned on and give a bolus (meal or correction) then I cannot give another bolus for two hours? Is that what it might mean?
You have to set your profile to have a carb ratio, correction factor, etc. But you don’t have to use it when actually giving a bolus.x2_report.docx (406.5 KB)
Thanks, that’s what I hoped. And am I right that I should give up trying to get bg ave less than 112. Seems like Control IQ will try to reduce or stop my basal and sometimes I like to stay in the 80s especially if I have no IOB.
No, I mean you can choose to deliver a bolus slowly over an extended amount of time. It’s a check box on the bolus delivery confirmation screen. If you click it, the next screen will ask you what percentage of your bolus you want to deliver now, and the remaining percentage will slowly “trickle” into you.
You CAN deliver another bolus while an extended one is working, but you CANNOT initiate a second extended bolus while another one is working. You can cancel the first, though, then stay a new one.
Is that not on Medtronic pumps? I thought it was a common pump feature, but the X2 was is my first.
Ok you’re talking about a Dual Bolus or Square Bolus (Medtronic terms). I seldom use an Extended bolus. But it’s available if I want to use it, I guess. Thanks very helpful.
You can keep a lower BG by making sure your basal settings keep you there. Also, raise your weight to a max of 308, and TDD to 100 units.
My graph is with me testing this thing out. Yesterday I ate at Carl’s JR, their double 1/3 lb BFC burger with large fries. So yeah, I went over 200, but it brought it back down and I stayed in good order.
So if you keep a basal such that it drives your BG down, won’t Control-IQ if it on, try to force you to 112? If not, that’s great. I get the weight. Is TDD total insulin DOSE? Whatever it is, how does it help?
I don’t remember all the minute details of the training anymore, but I’m pretty sure the 110 target is only used for the bonus wizard and as one of many factors in determining an automatic correction bolus (moot in sleep mode). Aside from that, it just attenuates basal to keep you from going beyond the 70-180 range. If you already have a perfect basal profile for yourself and are good at managing post-prandial spikes, sleep mode will work amazing to keep you in the 110-120 range. However, if you weight your basal heavily (and cautiouslybkeeping disconnections and warmups in mind!), then Control-IQ will basically just work to keep you from going low.
Weight and total daily dose (supposed to be the average amount of combined basal/bolus you take every day) are two of the factors used in the algorithm. Using the maximums there allowed the program to respond more aggressively.
I mistakenly also lowered my correction factor. I would NOT recommend that. I was still having an issue with nighttime lows with that particular tweak. It’s only been a few days since I’ve reverted that setting, but I’ve have two amazingly peaceful night’s sleep since.
Edit: the nighttime lows aren’t related to basal, but rather my bad habit of eating dinner terribly late and crashing right after.
Oh, it will TRY, but it will still keep giving you a reduced basal, which, I found will keep me in the 90 to 105 range if I let it.
I still haven’t ramped up my basal settings more than what they are now. I mainly adjusted the weight, TDD, and correction factor (these really help the sleep mode give you enough basal to bring down anything over 120.)
And with the bigger correction factor, any meals you let it bolus for (not you manually figuring it out,) will give you more than what is needed to get down to 112.
I don’t even have it yet and I’m already learning how the game the system
First step is putting it on sleep mode and seeing if I can sleep through the night without a correction bolus or eating or drinking. And wake up in range. That’s mostly what I want it for.
