How to Adjust Diabetic Pump Settings

An insulin pump provides a great level of control for a diabetic but, sometimes, the sheer number of possible settings and adjustments can be overwhelming. However, there are a few basic principles of insulin pump settings that can help you achieve tighter blood sugar control, and really take advantage of the benefits a pump offers over daily insulin injections.

Things You'll Need

• Insulin pump

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Instructions

• 1

  Divide your day into four, six-hour periods. Each day, pick a different six-hour period and fast during that time. Drink only water, don't eat any food, and don't exercise. This is the most effective way to quickly determine whether or not your basal rates---the low, continual dose of fast-acting insulin that an insulin pump delivers 24 hours a day---are too high or too low. If your basal rates are programmed correctly, your blood sugar should be stable and within normal range (80-120) all day.

• 2

  Two hours before your six-hour window starts, check your blood sugar, deliver any corrective bolus necessary, and stop eating. (Technically this is an eight-hour fast, but you are only focusing on your basal rates for six of those hours.) You want to be sure to start when your blood sugar is in the normal range.

• 3

  Once you start fasting, check your blood sugar once every hour, and record your reading. If you experience low blood sugar, treat it (with fast-acting sugar) and stop fasting. Adjust your basal rate down 0.1 units for the two hours preceding your low blood sugar reading. If you experience high blood sugar, stop your fast and increase your basal rate by 0.1 units for the two hours preceding your high blood sugar reading.

• 4

  Repeat your six-hour fasts until you have successfully completed each six-hour cycle with normal, stable blood sugar readings. Your basal rates are now set correctly.