5 Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Insulin Pump
Going onto an insulin pump is one of biggest investments in your health, but what can you do to improve your return on investment? Here are 5 Tips to get the most out of your insulin pump.
1.Regular BG Testing.
Regular blood glucose (BG) testing is one way to improve your outcome. Test your BG before each meal and put the value into the built-in Bolus Wizard TM Calculator of your insulin pump. Bolus WizardTM Calculator¹ will add up all the insulin you need for the carbohydrates you eat and to bring you back down to target if your BG level is high. Regular BG testing can help you detect highs and lows and thus implement actions needed to bring you back to target.
If you believe that your health care provider might have to adjust your insulin pump settings, we recommend checking your BG as follows:
Upon waking
Pre-meal
Post-meal (2 hours after a meal)
Bedtime
Mid-sleep (or every 3 to 4 hours during sleep).
2. Use the Bolus WizardTM Calculator every time you eat or test your glucose level.
The Bolus WizardTM¹ (PDF) feature can really reduce the amount of hypo’s that results from stacking of insulin or over-correcting of highs.
3.Accurate Carbohydrate Counting.
It is very easy to over- or underestimate your carbohydrate intake. Because the Bolus WizardTM Calculator¹ can give you insulin for every gram of carbohydrate you input into the pump, accurate carbohydrate counting can really help to improve your glucose control. You can ask your healthcare professional to refer you to a registered dietician if you need assistance with this.
4.Use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM).
It is advisable to consider use of CGM if you have a history of hypoglycemia or if you are unable to feel your lows. The MinimedTM 640G insulin pump has a Suspend Before Low feature, which can help to prevent more that 80% of hypo events (2016 SmartGuard⁴ study) without a significant increase in hyperglycaemia.
5.Changing of Consumables.
Change your infusion set, reservoir and site every 2 to 3 days. If you are using a MinimedTM 640G insulin pump, you can set an infusion set change reminder on your pump. Site rotation is very important to ensure healing of your skin for proper insulin absorption. Your healthcare professional can help you in selecting the right infusion set and site that works best for you and your lifestyle.
Posted by: Ronel Hentschel
¹ Read More on the Bolus Wizard feature in the MiniMed 640G Getting Started Guide p18
⁴ Bergenstal RM, Klonoff DC, Garg SK. et al. Threshold-Based Insulin-Pump Interruption for Reduction of Hypoglycemia. N Engl J Med. 2013; 369(3):224-232.
The content and all information provided is for your informational use only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment in any manner. Responses to a treatment may vary from patient to patient. Always talk with your physician about diagnosis and treatment information and ensure that you understand and carefully follow that information.