# Basal Rates and Hormones **URL:** \ **Category:** Hormones\ **Created:** [May 31, 2018, 12:51pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133 "2018-05-31T12:51:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![T1Allison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T1Allison](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/T1Allison)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/322 "2020-08-23T18:27:14Z")
So my physiology has gone through some fun change wherein I used to see The Drop 12 hours prior to my cycle restarting…for the last two cycles I experience crazy resistance until Day 5 of my cycle and then I see The Drop. Resistance on the scale of me prebolusing by an hour…and the other night I injected 5 units for a snack…and an hour later while still waiting for the insulin to do something and waiting to eat, I had climbed 40 points…all while already running extra basal… Feeling The Drop right now. Waiting for carbs to rescue me. I feel like my brain is made of baby food. ---
**Author:** ![LarissaW](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/larissaw/32/5754_2.png) [@LarissaW](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/LarissaW)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/323 "2020-08-23T22:35:16Z")
wow - resistance until Day 5! I’ve noticed sometimes I’ll have resistance until day 1 and I think I’ve noticed it as late as day 2 before experiencing the quick change to sensitivity. It’s frustrating that cyclical insulin sensitivity changes are hard to predict. ---
**Author:** ![Jen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/jen/32/4777_2.png) [@Jen](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Jen)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2020, 7:24pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/324 "2020-11-29T19:24:00Z")
The best part about hormones: One month you can run basal rates of 120-140% off and on for a few weeks, slam any upward trends with enormous boluses, manage to stay mostly in range, and feel like you’ve finally figured it all out. The next month you can run basal rates maxxed out at 200%, be stuck in the high teens to high 20s (300s-500s) for days on end, and have mind-bogglingly massive boluses do absolutely nothing. Beyond frustrating. Actually, I think my latest difficulty is probably becuase monthly hormones have corresponded with whatever causes my insulin needs to increase in the fall (and decrease in the spring). I’ve heard some men refer to these seasonal shifts as “male hormone” cycles, but suffice it to say, it’s definitely not limited to men. ---
**Author:** ![T1Allison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T1Allison](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/T1Allison)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 11:47pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/325 "2020-12-02T23:47:00Z")
@Jen, I’ve been thinking the same thing, girlfriend!!! ---
**Author:** ![Jen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/jen/32/4777_2.png) [@Jen](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Jen)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 11:59pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/326 "2020-12-02T23:59:07Z")
My last A1c dropped a couple of decimal places. In addition to the fact that the pandemic and being at home has meant I’ve had time to really improve and fine-tune my diet, I think part of the reason is my use of temporary basal rates in 12-hour segments during hormonal weeks. I’m due for another A1c now, so am curious to see what it is. I’ve long felt that the several weeks of control struggle each month bumps up my A1c, and the new basal strategy (as well as hitting highs with massive boluses) seems to be helping a lot with that. ---
**Author:** ![T1Allison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T1Allison](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/T1Allison)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 3:01am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/327 "2020-12-13T03:01:01Z")
Whoa boy…hormone driven insulin resistance kicked my absolute butt so bad the last two weeks!!! Took more basal than normal for those days, took more bolus for food with 4x the prebolusing time, and still never got to eat half the time. Dexcom would wake me up climbing through 200, 220, 250, 275…I was changing pods every day and a half to make sure it wasn’t the site…taking middle of the night injections multiple times for corrections… …and I got The Drop five days sooner than expected. And now my body all of a sudden recognizes insulin again and I’ve eaten soooooo much today to try to make a dent in the amount of food that I DIDN’T get to eat last week. I was so freakin’ carb sensitive. As long as I went long stretches without eating, I didn’t need a ton more basal than I normally would. But I needed so much extra basal to support eating, plus so much extra bolus and prebolusing time. Plus I was waiting for The Drop which likes to try to kill me each month so that’s fun. Bc when it turns, it turns 180 degrees IMMEDIATELY. Omg I am so tired of this stuff. ---
**Author:** ![T1Allison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T1Allison](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/T1Allison)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 11:55am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/329 "2020-12-13T11:55:41Z")
Thank you. No. I’m not doing that. But thanks! ---
**Author:** ![CatLady](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/catlady/32/36_2.png) [@CatLady](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/CatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2020, 3:59pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/330 "2020-12-13T15:59:36Z")
Sending you a BIG hug!! 🤗 ---
**Author:** ![T1Allison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T1Allison](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/T1Allison)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/331 "2020-12-14T01:28:33Z")
Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Jen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/jen/32/4777_2.png) [@Jen](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Jen)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 6:52pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/332 "2020-12-21T18:52:38Z")
One interesting thing I’ve noticed is that, in addition to basal rates in general needing to be higher, dawn phenomenon also becomes much stronger temporarily. Has anyone else noticed this? ---
**Author:** ![cardamom](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/cardamom/32/2622_2.png) [@cardamom](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/cardamom)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/333 "2020-12-21T19:47:34Z")
Very much so. ---
**Author:** ![Jen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/jen/32/4777_2.png) [@Jen](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Jen)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 7:14pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/334 "2020-12-23T19:14:30Z")
> [@T1Allison](#): > > Omg I am so tired of this stuff. Me today. Are there any women out there using the t:slim? I’m wondering if it makes this stuff any easier… ---
**Author:** ![T1Allison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T1Allison](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/T1Allison)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/335 "2021-09-18T22:36:48Z")
I’ve been trying out new strategies with managing eating enough everyday regardless of insulin resistance/sensitivity swings. So I just swung from insulin resistance to super insulin sensitivity. When I was in hormone driven insulin resistance, I: 1. Used +20% basal to deal with resistance 2. Added a unit to all of my normal meal doses, prebolused for 60 minutes Now I am super insulin sensitive, and I decided to: 1. Keep using +20% basal to support eating 2. Cut my meal doses in half and take them after I eat My blood sugar has been fantastic today and I’m getting to eat like a moron! I love it! ---
**Author:** ![Eric](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/eric/32/9209_2.png) [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 4:43am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/336 "2021-09-19T04:43:20Z")
> [@T1Allison](#): > > My blood sugar has been fantastic today and I’m getting to eat like a moron! I love it! You are what you eat! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1de3zWA_8kA/maxresdefault.jpg "Animal House \_ What The Hell We S'pose To Do") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1de3zWA_8kA) ---
**Author:** ![CatLady](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/catlady/32/36_2.png) [@CatLady](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/CatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/337 "2021-09-19T17:32:37Z")
> [@T1Allison](#): > > Now I am super insulin sensitive, and I decided to: > > 1. Keep using +20% basal to support eating > 2. Cut my meal doses in half and take them after I eat How did you decide on this approach? Very interesting! ---
**Author:** ![T1Allison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@T1Allison](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/T1Allison)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2021, 8:19pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133/338 "2021-09-19T20:19:46Z")
> [@CatLady](#): > > How did you decide on this approach? Mostly just throwing sh!t against the wall and see how steady I can keep things via feeding basal. 🤣 [Previous page](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/basal-rates-and-hormones/4133.md?page=16)