37 Comments
When you are traveling long distance (4+ straight hours with little movement), do you make any changes to your typical insulin dosage? Select all that apply to you.
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I watch bg more carefully and adjust insulin as needed
I am a lethargic person. I only need to make changes to my insulin with activity.
I use a Tandem t:slim X2 with Control IQ. I trust it to make any adjustments I might need and, if I notice I am trending too high, I also initiate any extra corrective boluses I feel I need.
I chose “other”, because I haven’t taken a long trip since 2019. I remember that I used to make adjustments for long trips. I believe that I took extra bolus, and watched my pump almost continuously during the trip, making adjustments in eating food or taking more insulin as I went. (was that a run on sentence?:-) For me long, sedentary trips require more insulin. But, the very last thing I want while I’m driving is low blood sugar. So, I go out of my way to keep checking my pump.
I always have my Start Phone on, selected to Tandem or Dex Icon. I put the phone into my Weather Tech coffee cup holder. All you (Or your partner) have to do is just look down (The Diabetes information (And Alerts) are always being displayed and the phone is charging). Never put the phone in your line of sight, you could be stopped.
I correct any highs
I watch my Dexcom and make appropriate corrections.
My answer was other since I keep an eye on my cgm and make insulin decisions from that. I’ve learned no two travel days does my blood sugar act the same so staying flexible and aware works best for me.
I adjust as needed to maintain a level body glucose level [BGL] in a range where I’m comfortable. I do what I do every day of the year; reduce insulin flow when trending low and increase when trending above my desired level.
I use an Omnipod and take little insulin (from 6 to 12 units per 24 hours). I have to remove the pod as the plane departs due to the change in air pressure causing a little insulin to be pushed out even when turned off. Once I reach 35,000 feet I put another pod on continue as normal. Prior to starting this routine I would be in the lower 30s for the entire flight no matter how much glucose I took. (65 years T1)
Good to know. Thanks
Of course, my Insulin will change when I cross time zones. My Tandem X2 Pump with Control IQ changes it for me. However, I’m always the Boss.
In recent years, if I am traveling for more than 4 hours – it is generally on a flight…. and I have found that I get more insulin than I should, causing severe lows, if I don’t lower my bolus amounts. I believe it is the pressure within the plane causing more insulin to be released than expected. With this reduction in bolus amounts I seem not to have as many issues.
(If I was driving – I would keep everything the same.)
I selected ‘other’ because if I am driving anywhere for a long period of time the most important thing I do is keep an eye on my CGM. If necessary, I will then make adjustments (if necessary) according to the planned meals or driving schedule. This is especially true if I am on a long motorcycle trip (which then requires more physical participation than does driving a car/truck).
I change the time on my pump to that of my destination and then do boluses with meals normally as I eat.
I make adjustments if necessary in most cases not.
When I make the 7 hour drive from Austin to Tulsa I eat a large very low carb meal and dose with R insulin to cover the protein.
I really like that with the Dexcom CGM, while driving I can ask Siri what my blood sugar is, or can use the CarPlay feature in my car to do the same, all hands free.
The wonders of being IT savvy!
If I’m sitting an unusual length of time for travel, I’m either flying, which was a lot of work with iffy food, or I’m driving, which means cleaning and packing, plus a lot of work, so I monitor more frequently when those circumstances apply and adjust accordingly.
I do adjust the time on my pump, but I don’t make any other changes.
If I’m on a long driving trip or airplane flight I increase my basal by 25-50% about one hour before departure. I also increase my carb bolus by 25-50% depending on how much I am able to move around. It seems if I don’t move my insulin doesn’t get absorbed properly!! (T1D 45yrs)
Like many, I keep an eye on my CGM, and make adjustments as needed to basal rates as well as make corrections. I am not much of an eater (I wish there was a pill I could take to get my nutritional needs met – I’d skip food altogether!)., so while traveling I don’t eat. I do disconnect my pump (at the site) during takeoff and landing. I have had a surprise bolus – perhaps due to change in cabin pressure – and don’t want to go through that again (especially in an airport that is new to me).
Me “day setting” he set for a more active day, when riding more than an hour away I have to do mini bonuses on my pump (according to the CGM). And likewise if the scheduled job is more physically demanding about 20 minutes before arriving I cut back the back at least 50% (at the job I’ve frequently completely suspended it to prevent hypo~ reactions).
Since more closely monitoring I’ve not traveled more than an hour or 90 minutes. I’m more consistently under “120” this way.
Different kinds of travel seem to affect me differently. A car trip on roads that curve a lot cause a passenger to move about quite a bit and tend to cause my blood sugars to go lower. A car trip on a straight freeway does not have this effect. With my old Medtronic pump when I would fly I would usually increase my basal rate by 20 to 25% but sometimes this was not needed if a lot of walking was done in the airport prior to boarding. Now that I have control IQ it seems to do a pretty good job of adjusting up or down so just keep my eye on things and make corrections as needed.
I almost always consume less carbs when traveling for more than a few hours.
I don’t make changes except for check for the need for correction boluses more frequently.
Really depends on mode of travel, amount of food consumed, stress level, time od day or night. Too many variables to generalize.
Not Applicable as I don’t ever travel for more than 4+ hours with little movement.
I watch my CGM and adjust as needed.
No I don’t. I let closed loop control handle it.
I increase my basal some and increase my boluses. Since I wear a cgm, I also keep track of my sugar level and make adjustments as necessary.
I check and do correction boluses as required.
I do not travel long distance frequently enough to pick up on any reliable trends, so I watch my CGM and correct rather than predict.
I said that I don’t make any changes, but if I didn’t have control IQ I probably would increase my basal.
I don’t think I’ve ever flown more than 4 hours. I like trains because I can get up, move around. Sitting more than a couple hours is hazardous! No matter how I travel, I always carry food with me. Flights can be delayed, airports snowed in, etc. Airport vending machines and restaurants can run out of food due to landslides, floods, earthquakes…and now add “supply chain issues” thanks to globalized “free” trade. Proud to have participated in Seattle anti WTO demonstrations advocating for “fair trade” w/ labor unions, religious communities, & environmental groups like GreenPeace.
Take my normal lantus dose am & pm and simply monitor my Dexcom readings after supplementing with Humalog depending on what I’m. eating.