RE: Re: Type 1 and colonoscopy

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

We're talking about two different things: shots and pumps. With shots, you

get your basal insulin by using a long-acting insulin such as Lantus, and

you get your bolus insulin using rapid-acting insulin like Humalog when you

eat. On a pump, you get your basal insulin by having the pump automatically

deliver a very small amount of rapid-acting insulin like Humalog every few

minutes, and you get your bolus insulin by programming a larger dose of

Humalog to be delivered when you eat.

In both multiple daily injection therapy and pump therapy the insulin that

keeps your blood sugars steady while you are not eating (whether that comes

from long-acting insulin or from a pump delivering its basal rate of

rapid-acting insulin every few minutes) is called the basal insulin, and the

insulin that you take to cover food (whether it's delivered by an insulin

pen or an insulin pump) is called bolus insulin.

Hope this helps.

Jen

Re: Re: Type 1 and colonoscopy

how does the pump deal with giving you two different types of insulin. karen

Re: Type 1 and colonoscopy

When I was first T1 48 years ago the common thing to do for instances

when the normal schedule would be interrupted was to skip the basal

(long acting) and take the bolus (short acting) as needed. However,

along about, oh, 20 years ago or so, they changed that to taking the

basal & bolus only as needed. I can see the wisdom of both but I do

find I do better using the basal & only bolusing as needed. I even

" test " my basal every so often by fasting for a day, taking the basal

& testing to see that it is " doing the job. " Then I know if I need to

increase or decrease without really guessing. Judith