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2024-02-21

Welcome to News from Loop and Learn

Master Your DIY Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery System

Published on 21 February 2024.

In this edition:

Upcoming Zoom Sessions

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Topic Recorded? Time Date
Loop and Learn: Informal Discussion no 19:00 UTC 14 March
Loop and Learn: Informal Discussion no 19:00 UTC 11 April

Loop and Learn: Informal Discussion in 2024 is scheduled on the second Thursday of each month.

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Battery Drain: Phone and Dexcom

If you are a Loop Follow user, you may find that your iPhone’s battery gets depleted faster than before you started using that app. We suggest you note how quickly your battery drains and make a habit of charging regularly. Keeping a charger or a power bank in your diabetes supplies kit is good plan.

Another source of battery drain affects Dexcom and Anubis transmitters. Our friends at Anubis warn that the xDrip4iOS and Shuggah apps both drain the batteries of these transmitters at a rapid rate. Thankfully, we hear that a fix is in the works.

Pod Site Stability

Those of us who use pods occasionally encounter site issues like leaky pods, bloody sites, bruising, and painful sites, which can lead to poor absorption. Fortunately, a simple and effective solution has been suggested by a user on Discord and tested by several members of our team, yielding positive results. If you're experiencing any of these problems, you can consider this method.

The information given here is based on personal experiences and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment.

Consider the fact that this method depends on inserting the cannula through a piece of medical tape attached to the skin. You may not be willing to take that action.

The method involves placing a piece of Tegaderm or OpSite Flexifix dressing on your skin prior to applying your pod. Apply the pod directly over it without cutting a hole for the cannula. The dressing only needs to be in the area of the cannula, it does not need to be as big as the pod. This technique has been successful in stabilizing the cannula and preventing many of the aforementioned issues, ultimately extending the use time of the site.

The rationale behind this approach is that it stabilizes where the cannula enters the skin, limiting motion that can lead to leaking. Several members report the site remains functional for a longer duration with more stability in day-to-day insulin needs.

For individuals dealing with pod adhesive irritation, apply a sufficiently large piece of dressing to fit under the entire pod. Additionally, spraying Flonase on the area and allowing it to dry before applying any dressing can help mitigate adhesive-related issues.

Some ways we can tell we have a leaky pod:

  • Glucose is not responding to known sufficient insulin dosing
  • Wet and/or discolored adhesive around pod
  • Smell of insulin
  • Cannula is visually dislodged
  • For some: leaking leads to bleeding and stinging with large boluses

Meal Time Tips

When you enter carbs, the Loop app makes a meal bolus recommendation that will keep your glucose just above your Glucose Safety Limit. But in the next Loop cycle, it may restrict basal rate with a zero temp basal because it is considering your Correction Range. As your glucose rises following the meal, Loop will not automatically provide insulin until your current glucose rises into your Correction Range.

This Tip lets you temporarily lower your correction range so the Loop app begins to respond (automatically) as soon as your glucose starts to rise.

Option 1: Use Premeal target after carb entry

  • Set your premeal target to match your Glucose Safety Limit
  • As soon as you enter carbohydrates for a meal, tap on the premeal icon - this will last for 1 hour or until you enter more carbohydrates

Option 2: Create a named override

  • Created a named override (you could call it Meal) set to last 2 hours with a correction range lower limit near your Glucose Safety Limit
  • Enable the Meal override prior to entering carbohydrates
  • Enter the meal information

Superbolus Trick:

  • For confident Loopers, you can "borrow" an hour of scheduled basal and add that to what the Loop app recommends for your meal bolus