What is a reasonable expectation for time in range with a looping system?

Diabetes Technology DIY Closed Loop Systems
#1

My do-it-yourself looping system with my iPhone 7 and OmniPods has improved my timing range from around 60% to an average of 75%. Sometimes I can have a couple of real good days where it reaches 90% but wonder if this is an unrealistic expectation for an overall ongoing looping program. The American diabetic Association with 70% as a goal.

I also wonder from those people who have more experience with looping how to find the best settings for optimal blood glucose levels. I have been trying minor changes in my carb ratio and ISF settings. The one thing I have learned so far is I need to reduce my basal rate or eat before I go on a walk because I will usually drop 50 to 60 points and today it was over 80 which ran me way too low. I had a lot of active insulin onboard from my recent meal.

#2

I think that @Terry4 gets 90% TIR from Looping. But, I also think Terry4 had very high TIR before he started Looping.

You are both a bit older than me, so I don’t know how similar your systems are to mine. But, your systems might be similar to one another. I tend to think my system operates similar to @Jen, who is around my age and gender.

Like you, I had days with TIR that were 90% in range, but I also had days that were not like that. Without Loop, I had days that were 90% TIR and days that are not.

I tend to think of it more like “Phases,” not days. So, there were phases of time where Loop worked well. Then there would be drift in the system. I would need to open loop for 2 weeks or a month, reset all the settings, and then see how effective loop was. Sometimes open looping resulted in more TIR. Sometimes getting rid of loop completely was the best alternative.

I think its reasonable to expect that you will have phases of time where Looping works and is OK. But, there might also be periods of time where Loop is not the best alternative. This all get very tough.

I never had any problem walking with Loop. But, I didn’t have problems walking without Loop. I don’t have any problems walking without Loop now.

I did have problems cross country skiing with Loop. I do have problems cross country skiing without Loop, but I think exercise is easier without Loop. There are a lot of physical things that I don’t do if the data is funky. Adding Loop on top of that is a world of pain.

#3

I can get 70% TIR without Loop, I can get 70% TIR with Loop. It sounds like you can too.

Sets some goal, like this:

Try to get 70% TIR WITHOUT Loop.
Try to get 70% TIR WITH Loop.

Try to get 80% TIR WITHOUT Loop.
Try to get 80% TIR WITH Loop.

See how this goes over the course of a year.

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#4

Just try to do your best, no matter which set of tools you want to use.

You ask good questions and I’m thinking about it…ok, here’s non-looping data randomly selected from TP in June when I’m super active and not managing anything and doses are all set wrong and I still come in at 64% TIR, so YES, I’m saying its gotta be pretty easy to hit 70%. (note: I’m have heavy hitting lows during this period and NOT trying my best or at all, Lol).

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Hmmm…your not hitting 70% ? Whats up with those settings, I wonder…
**Did you basal test? **

QUESTIONS:
1. What’s your variability (Standard Deviation Std, Deviation)?
2. Anybody ever bothered to teach you how to basal test? You were suspicious of the meal bolus dosage, right? Did you do that testing?
3. Are you a carb counter by nature?
4. Can you post the last 24 hour of dexcom data output from Tidepool (like, a screen shot)? Are you seeing the data roller coaster?
5. What are your basal insulin dosages?

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#5

I agree with Mohe, a few of us loopers are getting 90+% TiR here on this forum, and from what I read, many on the FB Loop group are as well. For me, device failure is an ongoing issue, both Dexcom sensor failures, and insulin absorption issues with the pod. These issues would be the same though even if I wasn’t looping.

I do exercise daily running, biking and walking, so I do experience more lows than I’d like.

I have the same problem as you when walking after dinner. I will go low if I have too much IOB, too. I try to bolus with a long absorption period so that I’m not getting the full amount all at once. Usually I use 6 hours if I plan to walk a bit after eating. Even with that, I can’t walk more than 30 minutes before I start to go low. But I don’t worry too much about it because the low disappears within minutes after the walk! I’m on the auto bolus branch which i believe is more aggressive with boluses than the master branch. So I just try to monitor a bit more closely.

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#6

I’m getting 70-80% TIR on most of my 14 day reports from Clarity. Most being the operative word… Sometimes 88% (my best 14 day), and sometimes 65%.

Frankly, my worst periods are when my G6 has issues. The G5 was better at consistent data- I think 10 days is just too long for a sensor, but that’s just my opinion.

On the lows when walking, I’ve had great luck with the adjustable profiles. As with anything at T1, you have to anticipate your walking or workout, but lowering the IOB even by 10 or 20% has worked really well for me. I’ve been remodeling a house on the weekends which is a lot of physical activity for me, and with a 20% reduction in insulin load, I keep my sugars in range.

Without Loop, I would just eat more while working out and chase the low. Bad habit supposedly :slight_smile:

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#7

I’m usually about 95%, however when things go whacky it’s ha d to get back to my groove.
This first vaccination of moderna has me off my game. I’m at 70 % right now and it’s been a roller coaster.
I’m in day 3 so I’m expecting it to calm down now.
I’m using tandem so that’s a little different form me vs the dyi loopers

Also it depends on the range you are counting as in range. Is it 60-180. That is what I go by but I have personal ranges much tighter.

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