# am basal test



## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 15, 2010)

So, I slept through my alarms during the night for my basal test. And woke up with pretty good levels so I thought I would do one this morning...

(I did a random one at 6am because thats the alarm that did wake me lol)

Here go go:

6am: 4.9
9.50: 7.4
10.40: 7.4
11:40: 8.4
12:40: 8.2
13:50: 8.7
(I gave up here because I was hungry and had some lunch...now here's for the shocking thing...bear in mind all I have in the house is carbs right now so did bolus accordingly)
15:34 16.3 

In all honesty I'm not sure what I need to do with these results. Maybe I need to do an upped basal but well...I'm a little unsure. That and the post lunch highs are one hell of a pattern now. It's been every day for a week that this has happened


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## Sugarbum (Aug 15, 2010)

What are your ratios Sam?


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 15, 2010)

well, they stuck me straight on a 1:10 ratio for meals...I'[ve been told not to bother touching those until I get basals right.

Basals are 0.65 during the day, 0.55 for part of the evening, 0.50/0.60 during night, 0.45 just before bed.

I feel like I'm being told such conflicting information with everything


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## Sugarbum (Aug 15, 2010)

Makes sense....but you are doing well with those basals by the looks of it. Perhaps its the ratios. 

Can I ask, when you eat a meal what amount of carbs are you normally eating for lunch and dinner?


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## Adrienne (Aug 15, 2010)

Great, fantastic basals.   I would say they were all ok at that period but I think you don't always wake on a good level so that would make a huge difference so that is why you need to do the nightime testing.  I often miss alarms so don't worry.   Keep trying until you get a few nights data.

To me it sounds like that is your ratio way out at that time.    1 : 10 is probably not enough, Jessica is on 1 : 9 at that time and she is only 10.   I know everyone is different.   I would tweak that ratio if I was you.   Having the same ratio all day is not right anyway so why not tweak.   I reckon you swing in the morning when you eat as your ratio is out.   You have just proved your basal is ok if you wake ok.   

Great opportunity to basal test.


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 15, 2010)

Thanks ladies. Dyu know I think you're right! I said to the nurses from the outset that a 1:10 ratio just wouldn't work for me  pre pump I was on 1:6, 1:9 and 1:11 and I'm still pretty adamant that's what I should be on!!

Gunna have to have a play on the pump and remember how to change that setting  

I definitely think the night time is a little out and needs playing with so will do that at the next opportunity - wednesday as I'm off thursday/friday 

I'm determined to get this sorted out, that's for sure! And just want to say a huuuge thank you to everyone who's listened to me rant and rave over the past couple of weeks 

Lou, lunch is always around the same for me (unless I buy lunch out when there's nothing in the cupboards!) and it works out as about 60g carbs. Dinner is a bit tougher but that's normally 80g or so at the moment give or take 10g or so!

also, I might have something very lacking in carbs for lunch tomorrow and see what happens with that. Get something meaty from tescos or something lol. We'll see what happens but I'm going to sort this.


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## Sugarbum (Aug 15, 2010)

Sounds like a good idea, however if you are going meaty to avoid carbs I'd be more inclined (unless you dont like them!) to go for eggs as they are less fatty which may have a small affect on your numbers.

Egg salad/omlette with ham...that kind of thing and see how you go.


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 15, 2010)

Sugarbum said:


> Sounds like a good idea, however if you are going meaty to avoid carbs I'd be more inclined (unless you dont like them!) to go for eggs as they are less fatty which may have a small affect on your numbers.
> 
> Egg salad/omlette with ham...that kind of thing and see how you go.



bleeeeehhhhhh i hate eggs  seriously nasty things  make me iiilllll

plus, am at work so need to get something from tescos for me ole lunch. Gonna raid the fridges for something super meaty but fear not, I shall check the labels


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## Patricia (Aug 17, 2010)

Howdy

Fab basal results indeed!

Yes sounds like ratio out to me - you spiked less about 3 hours after eating? Granted we have growing teen, but we are on 1:7, 1:8 and 1:9. Basals range from .90 to combat dawn phenom, to .35 late afternoon....

You are doing brilliantly. Trust your instinct. 

P


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 17, 2010)

I have to say, I have had MUCH better results for the past couple of days since eating bugger all or at least less carbs at lunch!!!! More lows though :/ I think I might play with my lunchtime basals! But unsure of how I do it though!


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## Adrienne (Aug 18, 2010)

SilentAssassin1642 said:


> I have to say, I have had MUCH better results for the past couple of days since eating bugger all or at least less carbs at lunch!!!! More lows though :/ I think I might play with my lunchtime basals! But unsure of how I do it though!



We can help.   List all your levels around that time say from 10 am to 5 pm over a couple of days and lets see what we make of it.

You are doing great.  

However don't forget if you haven't got the nighttime ones sorted then the day times ones may need changing once you have the night time sorted.   But I guess as you have the morning basals pretty ok, now you are doing the lunch time/afternoon, you can move on to evening after that and then do the nighttime at the end and see what happens.   Its worth a try.


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## rossoneri (Aug 19, 2010)

> they stuck me straight on a 1:10 ratio for meals...I've been told not to bother touching those until I get basals right.
> ...
> I said to the nurses from the outset that a 1:10 ratio just wouldn't work for me  pre pump I was on 1:6, 1:9 and 1:11 and I'm still pretty adamant that's what I should be on!!



I was surprised to read this.  When I first started with the pump my insulin to carbohydrate ratios were set to match those I was using for the injections.  My ratios have certainly required some adjustment in the months since then but these have been refinements rather than significant changes, largely to just take more advantage of the extra flexibility that the pump set up provides.  

Presumably you made some effort to get the ratios correct when you were previously on the MDI treatment, it seems a bit odd to abandon this insight when you moved to using a pump.  I guess one advantage of the single ratio approach is to keep things simple in the early days of being on a pump.  I do find however, that for myself very high and (especially) low blood sugars do tend to have a knock-on effect that can destabilise my readings for certainly the next few hours and occasionally for a day or two.  If you are getting high and/or low BG readings then it may be compromising the readings you are taking during your night time basal tests.

It is correct that priority should be given to getting the basal rates correct but I would suggest that it might be worthwhile now spending a little time correcting your bolus ratios so that your post meals BG readings are not quite so high and your subsequent readings more stable.  I would however, do it very cautiously.  For example alter the ratio by only one unit at a time with the aim of gradually improving the post meal levels, maybe stopping when you get the post meal readings down to single figures rather than within your target range.  Of course discussing it with your diabetic nurse beforehand is also recommended.

As has already stated, if things do improve and then you return to correcting your basal rates you may well find that a subsequent correction to your rates may very well mean that your ratios need further adjustment.  But then I am sure you understand that getting these pump settings correct is not a straightforward task!

Best of luck with getting things sorted.


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 19, 2010)

I slept through alarms again last night :/ I'll have to set two sets of alarsm this evening and make sure I actually wake up and do them!

BUT I woke at 6.6 this morning


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## Adrienne (Aug 19, 2010)

SilentAssassin1642 said:


> I slept through alarms again last night :/ I'll have to set two sets of alarsm this evening and make sure I actually wake up and do them!
> 
> BUT I woke at 6.6 this morning



Lovely waking level, you are getting there.   By learning how to do all these tweaks you will feel so much more in control in the future.  You are doing so great.


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