Active insulin

[thomasb]

Got my new pump today.
Now, just how do i calculate how long by bolus insulin stays in my body(for the bolus wizard)?
I forgot to ask my endo. Hoping some of you guys know it.

[xMenace]

Duration of Insulin Action - A Very Important Pump Setting (http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_technology/dia.php)

[thomasb]

awesome thanks.

[statdeac]

Wow, I'll bet that not many users follow these recommendations. It is interesting to see in this article how different the usage profiles are by pump manufacturer.

My duration is set to 3 hours and I am a Cozmo user. According to this article, I should have the duration set to at LEAST 4.5 hours. I am willing to give this a try, but I'm wondering how this will impact my carb ratio. Certainly I will need more insulin per carb if I am to maintain my 2-hour post-prandial reading, right?

[JediSkipdogg]

Certainly I will need more insulin per carb if I am to maintain my 2-hour post-prandial reading, right?

Why would changing your active insulin affect your 2 hour reading? Unless of course you eat more often and always have active insulin on board during a meal. Then yes, they may change it slightly.

[thomasb]

Spoke to my endo, and she recommended around 3 hours. Currently have it at 4 and that is working for me. Trial and error i suppose.

[sleepy_hound]

My endo told me to "experiment" with what works best for me. Hey, thomasb, what kind of pump did you get? good luck!

[VinceF]

My endo recommeded 3.5 hr duration and I fell into the trap detailed in the article referenced by xMenace. I did 1.5 years of insulin stacking which always seemed to hit exactly at 3:00 every afternoon. After asking DF for their best pump tips I reset my duration to 5 hrs and my 3:00 lows have disappeared. I consulted with a pharmacist and a book Called Pumping Insulin 4th edition. I had to reset my basal rates but now my BG readings are very consistent and hopefully my A1C will show it next month. Hang in there, experiment and ask.

[statdeac]

Why would changing your active insulin affect your 2 hour reading? Unless of course you eat more often and always have active insulin on board during a meal. Then yes, they may change it slightly. You're right, Kev. I guess I was really thinking about the correction factor. I do tend to graze a bit.... If I bolus every 3-4 hours for something and I am not experiencing hypos from this stacking with an artificailly short duration, don't you think my correction factor might actually be different?

[thomasb]

Sleepy: I got the Minimed 522. I had several to chose from, but ended up chosing between the animas 1250 something and this one. Looking back i think i should have chosen the animas, it seems a bit sharper, but then again i can always switch later on.
I am very happy with the pump though, just to be able to shut it off is awesome, since my basal is 0.20 and 0.10 units. haha, honeymooooon.