By Rachael Baker
Ahh temp basals. One of the most amazing features that can be used on an insulin pump. But equally, one of the most underutilised and forgotten about feature, with dual/extended boluses not far behind.
How many times has your health professional said to you “why don’t you try a temp basal?” Or perhaps you have mastered the art of increasing and decreasing your basal insulin to prevent/lessen hypos and hypers- if so, you’re a legend in the diabetes community and I consider you a well functioning diabetes algorithm.
Why do I think so much of temp basals? Because they grant us a chance to match the dynamic ride that blood glucose levels are. If you use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or flash glucose monitor (FGM), then you can really use temp basal rates to their max! Doing cardio exercise and don’t want to hypo?
Go For A Temp Basal
Doing resistance training and know that for the next 12-24hrs you are more insulin sensitive, run a temp basal! You’ve been trending steady all morning after breakfast and with your next meal being lunch, you think about how much more active you have been walking around at work today and think it is a very real possibility that you will hypo before you make it lunch, no worries, put on a temp basal. Or your beautiful little toddler has given you the dreaded day-care viral cold and you are finding your BGLs are riding above where you would normally like them, you’re not in the 20’s and you don’t have ketones, but you are finding you are correcting constantly and the higher BGLs are making you feel even worse than you already feel. Talk about injury to insult, you know what I am going to say, throw on a temp basal! I could go on and on… hormones, stress, alcohol, the list is endless.
