offset time

[vicktrick]

On my pump, accu check combo it has an offset time. I don't recall my Animas had one.
What does it actually do?

[everydayupsanddowns]

Not used the Combo, but I would imagine 'offset time' is the same as on the Expert. It relates to the first part of the 'Acting Time' of the insulin. he point at which you would expect your BG to start to fall. Combined with the 'Meal rise' you set it is factored in to calculations for corrections.

Mike

[vicktrick]

OK, Thanks.
I wish it didn't have the offset and the meal rise setting. Since having this pump I can't seem to get the control like I used to on my Animas.

[everydayupsanddowns]

I had pretty good results on MDI with the Expert, but it took a long while to tweak/polish the information so that it had the numbers it needed to give the right advice. I've only ever had one pump, but I know that almost all the settings I have now are different from those I was using on the Expert, even though some of them are called the same things.

Meal rise is (I think!) the 'acceptable' amount of rise before it will start thinking your meal dose has gone astray... Presumably if you set that low enough it will aim to keep you post-meal levels very tight.

Would prob be worth waiting for one of the experienced Combo users on here though!

[sedge]

Well I use Novorapid in a Combo, the meal rise is set at 2.8 and the Offset is an hour.  Haven't changed either.

Thing is, have you got your time slots and their parameters set right?  Because for me that makes much more difference to what corrections are suggested when, than either offset time or meal rise.  (I don't think those 2 really 'do' anything either for me or against me, TBH !)

[everydayupsanddowns]

Interesting Sedge! On the Expert they are used to prevent over-correcting when levels are high (but that high is expected after a meal/insulin not really kicked in yet). There are pretty graphs in the handbook to show them in action. I guess the combo is different because of the way it handles IOB?

[sedge]

Well yes, they do do that for one!  LOL

But  I spose I'd only test for interest really, because for a fatty meal, I do an extended bolus anyway so hope to avoid a spike, so if I was too high an hour later well I wouldn't normally correct at that stage because I'd be wanting to know  when the high tailed off.  If you interrupt an extended bolus to deliver a correction or further bolus, it cancels the first one.  Or if I wasn't sure of the carbs and took a guess at it.  Those are by no means every day occurrences though, are they?

Sometimes it may be necessary to correct but usually it's because I haven't taken enough upfront for that meal - ie user error.

I mean do other people set their parameters really tight?  - eg 4.0 to 5.5  or wider eg 4.0 to 8.0 ?

[Winni]

Tight! 

Haven't got your meter, my pump just does IOB. But, wasn't it Walsh that said to have just one number to aim for?  And really bizarrely, when I received new pump, on the wizard it was set to just one number. Not the range?  I'm sure the last one had a range and I altered it. Could be wrong (probably).

[sedge]

Well I've assumed rightly or wrongly that what it does anyway is aim for the middle.  So if your 'Walsh' number was  6 you could set it either 4 - 8 or 5 - 7.

Because not having an analytical brain - it's not a complete mystery when I realise and apply myself IYSWIM, but I am terribly thick when it comes to spotting trends.  I never had to do this .... at home or work.   I know when Mike started talking about being pleased with his Standard Deviation I thought OMG what have I let myself in for?  and  OMG What's he talking about?  - whereas I expect Lucy would do it whilst waiting for the kettle to boil and would positively relish the opportunity .....

It will not surprise anyone to know that my SD is as variable as the weather .....  but I do keep looking at it and thiking well that doesn't look good so perhaps I won't look? and just try and stick to what I do know?

I do know my DSN and consultant are terribly cautious - aside, he commented yesterday about 'needing to be about 6 or 7 before you drive ....'  and I thought Yeah, right ..... best keep that in mind if I have to have that kind of conversation with him then - and my DSN never wants me to correct down to less than 7 at any time.  OK then - ditto.  I still use 7 as a starting point if my BG has gone all over the place - when you don't want to be aggressive - and I'm just trying to get some sense back, but not otherwise.

So what is everyone's Walsh number? - I think I'd start with 6.  But what's the science to decide the answer?

[everydayupsanddowns]

Well I've assumed rightly or wrongly that what it does anyway is aim for the middle.  So if your 'Walsh' number was  6 you could set it either 4 - 8 or 5 - 7.

Depends what system Sedge! Expert/Combo aim for the middle and correct up/down with that in mind. Veo aims for the edges (so if you set 4-8 corrections will only try to ever get you to the highest/lowest that youve set as OK). Both systems mean IMO that the range you set in your machine is different to the range you actually think of as being (broadly speaking) acceptable.

[sedge]

Well what are we talking about for the latter?  I mean I'd be perfectly happy between 3.7 and 6.5 all the time but I don't mind being above that either as long as it isn't you know, massive and all the while.  And if your meter is going to correct you down to 5.1 all the while that's just too chancy to drive innit .... and so is 3.8 etc - which is why I reset em all at 6.5/7.0 for the last few months.  And the hypo limit as 4.0.  Which is a PITA because then if I'm 3.9 before I eat, no bolus advice without asking separately ..... yes it's easy to work out and deliver on the pump diretly instead of the remote, but then  - oh it's just a palaver remembering to pick up the pump info with the meter before I test next time, otherwise it does it after that test and they appear out of order and the software queries em all when you download ......

So I'm looking to reset all the parameters hopefully very soon for my future working numbers, so would just be interested to know what sort of numbers other peeps have found works for them!

Give us a clue?  LOL

[everydayupsanddowns]

Mine is currently set 5.0 - 5.5. I may shift this upwards a bit as I've been having too many low level dips for my liking (summertime basal shenanigans).

[Winni]

Same as you Mike. But I still stand by what I said earlier. I think Walsh meant get rid of the range on the pump. Change it to one number. It is easier to have one number-5.5 to aim for. You don't really want to be aiming for 4.

Walsh did give a better reason...

[sedge]

Yes Winni but it doesn't aim for 4 or 8, it tells you the exact correction I would give anyway, without the pump, to bring me to 6 or whatever the midpoint was.  It has to be between 2 numbers so I spose you'd have to tell it 5.4 to 5.6.

But are you saying if you tested and you were 4.5, you'd have  some CHO to get yourself up to 5.5 ?  or really truly honestly correct if you were at 6.5? 

Or are you saying that's what you want to be 24/7 on your basal tests?

[Winni]

Ahhhhh, that's interesting about the 6.5. Hadn't thought of that. But, no of course I wouldn't correct. But the pump will only suggest I correct if I ask it to bolus (even if it was higher-unless I press bolus it wouldn't do anything).

Actually, in the past I haven't had it between 2 numbers. I've set it to 5.5-5.5!

I could have misinterpreted what Walsh was saying. Not the first time.