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If you use an insulin pump that allows you to give extended boluses, did a healthcare provider tell you how to use the extended bolus features when you started using the pump?
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No. I learned about extended boluses from this site many years ago during a discussion about pizza.
No guidance was provided for the pump. To be fair, I have been using pumps since early 90’s, so I did not have questions for them on pump usage.
I definitely did not get instructions from my doc for this but I’m sure I learned about it from fellow pump users on a Facebook page. I still wish I could do extended boluses from my phone though!
I wish my CGM/pump allowed square/dual boluses when in auto mode.
In the MiniMed systems, extended boluses are a more antiquated feature and now only exist in manual modes. The latest pumps including the 770G and now 780G, which is mostly automated, does not need this feature. Instead, BG control is provided through automated micro boluses as needed to counter BG arises. And this pump, short of not having glucagon or auto bolusing for meals, is essentially an artificial pancreas in your pocket proving flat BG all day and times in range 90-100%. Thank you Medtronic!
Hi @JeffreyJoseph – I’m intrigued by the new Medtronic 780G’s more aggressive automated micro boluses. Could be a real game changer for someone like me who gets busy with work and forgets to pre-meal bolus for snacks. Sounds like you’re getting amazing TIR – congrats! Would love to hear your experience with this new model and whether the updated CGM behaves any better.
Big question? What’s your “range” set at? And the a1C? With the 770 in “smartguard” was great for a time in range of 80-180 (100%), in manual dropped to the low 6 range (set my alarms 70-130, giving me time to react accordingly): 60-70% time in range. (now on shots I’m similar but retired I do have some more time just for my diabetes)
Yes. My doctor and the pump trainer both back in 2007.
I don’t remember – it’s been over 20 years. I probably learned about it at a TCOYD conference, or John Walsh’s books, or Gary Scheiner’s Think Like a Pancreas.
No
I learned about extended bolus from Diabetes forums. I use it for occasional high fat meals.
I wish the auto mode in Medtronic had the ability. I’m on Tandem now and I love that you can use an extended bolus. I just wish you could go longer than 2 hours–pizza usually takes me 6 hours to get to the BG.
Are you sure you can’t? My husband has a Tandem T-slim and routinely extends his bolus for 3 hours at dinner.
Is that a regular pizza that takes 6 hr to impact your BG? My husband would be jealous! If he ate that, he’d have to bolus 100%, 20 minutes prior. 🙂
They tell us, but they really just give us a staring point. Unless you do it everyday, you don’t realize you need to adjust based on composition of the food.
I answered “I do not remember.” But, I think the insulin pump instructions showed me how to do an extended bolus. May have been Medtronic or Tandem. In the past, I have discussed using an extended bolus with my doctors and diabetes educators.
Knowing that my husband tended to control his insulin requirements by eating low carb / high fat (and fiber) meals, his doctor instructed him on extending boluses as soon as he got his pump.
It was very briefly mentioned during training for the Tandem pump, but most of what I learned is from the tutorial videos and my mistakes. The 2 hr. limit on the Tandem pump is far from helpful even with the CIQ app. Depending on what’s in the meal it can often take at least 4 hours for the food to hit.
I don’t remember if this was included on my original pump training way back in 2000. I feel like I utilized this vfeature more based on word on the street (talking with the CDEs I work with and other people with T1D). Extended bolus is a BIG help when eating high fat & high carb fun foods like pizza, or burgers and onion rings that can keep sugars high for hours. Was disappointed when I couldn’t use with Medtronic 670G automode and happy to get back with Tandem Tslim2.
I answered “my pump does not have the ability” but that is just because I’m using the Control IQ.
I wasn’t specifically taught when I started pumping, but it was discussed later as it became needed for my care.
My trainer on my first pump (Medtronic) explained how and why to do an extended bolus. I’m now on a Tandem and use the extended bolus 100% each morning to better manage my “feet on the floor” syndrome. Of course, the pump manual has all the instructions too! I’m the one who reads the manual before using a device. LOL!