Before the CIQ launch, Tandem CS was telling patients they can upgrade and then go back to Basal-iq if they so desired. They’ve walked this back since then, moving back to Basal-iq is probably not an option anymore. Before you update the pump, be sure it’s something you really want to do. Honestly, Basal-iq is child’s play compared to CIQ. The algorithm for CIQ handles low blood sugars much better than Basal-iq. You can get CIQ to sugar surf the bg in the 80s and 90s if you so choose to do so.
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Yes, I would, but then I have a supply of UST400 pods, a Mac (purchased for the purpose) an iPhone (purchased for the purpose) and a desire to try Loop some considerable time before Insulet come up with an official version.
Trouble is I’ve been developing software all my life and all the coding I do now is for fun. The loop stuff is just tedious. I’ll manage it eventually, after I’ve done this years taxes; far more enjoyable [that is neither ironic nor sarcastic; it is true for me.]
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It’s is something you need to do in your own time. Especially if you are doing well now without overwhelming burden. I chimed in since we both experienced automode and I didn’t want that to be a deterrent for you.
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Yes, lowering the mental burden is something I have on my mind! It’s so nice to know that control-IQ has been quite a different experience than automode for you! Gives me hope 
Are you referring to keeping it in sleep mode for 23.9 hours?
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Hello all. I have been using Control IQ for about 3 weeks now. Sleep mode is working very well for me in controlling overnight lows.
I do really miss no longer being able to set a temporary basal rate. My stress levels at work are very erratic and can be triggered at various times of day/days of the week, so I can’t pre-program a personal profile to adjust my basal rate to handle stress spikes. Used to use TBR for that. CIQ does not seem to be able to predict how fast and how high I will spike under stress, so I end up bolusing for stress.
That said, it has handled bicycling and rapid walking when I put it in the exercise Activity mode.
Overall I am pleased with CIQ, and am so happy to be expending less mental energy on monitoring my blood sugar!
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Are you referring to keeping it in sleep mode for 23.9 hours?
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Yes
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I know you’ve explained it before but I’m having trouble finding it on my phone—- how does leaving it in sleep mode improve the results?
The pump has a hard target bg of 110. This number is 112.5 in all of Tandem’s literature, the pump is set at 110. If you’re bg is predicted to fall below 110, the algorithm will decrease the basal rate, until the bg has come back up or will stop delivery altogether if the bg is still falling and predicted to fall below 70. If delivery is stopped, there is no time frame for how long the delivery will be suspended. It all depends on your bg levels. When it does kick back on, it does so gently, by giving you a moderate basal rate instead of the full on blast that you would normally be getting. Again, this is all based in what your bg is doing and predicted to do.
When your bg is predicted to go above 160, the algorithm will start to ramp up the basal rate to try to get the bg back down. If the bg goes above 180, the pump gives an automatic bolus but at a 40% reduced rate. Once your bg is 159, the basal rate goes back to the normal rate. You’re not getting enough insulin to cover the high bg. The threshold when the pump doesn’t do anything is 110-159. I personally do not like that gap, because that is where I have the most problems.
Sleep mode is much more aggressive. The threshold for the pump not taking any action is 110-120. Once the bg goes above 120, the pump starts to take action by increasing the basal rate. Trust me, the pump is aggressive. You do lose the automatic bolus feature in sleep mode but the ramped basal rates are better at bringing the bg down. The pump will constantly be working to keep you at the 112 and between the 110-120 threshold. I counted how many times the pump changed my rate after the first 24 hours and it was 196 times. 196 different basal rates in a 24 hour period. That fascinates me, I’m easy to impress.
Sleep mode handles low glucose episodes the same as native CIQ, again it’s brilliant in how it works.
I hated CIQ when I first started using it. I would not be using it if sleep mode was not an option. Having the pump keep me between 110-120 without any work is fantastic. You can ramp up your basal rates in your profiles to get the pump to keep your bg lower than 110, but I’m happy with how it is.
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Very interesting… seems kind of counter intuitive that they’d make it more aggressive while in “sleep mode”
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I’ve heard a Tandem rep explain this in a podcast with Stacey Simms, it still doesn’t make any sense why they left native CIQ with such a large gap where the pump doesn’t do anything. @Eric said the same thing as you. I love how the pump works in sleep mode.
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Ironically @mipster has already explained:
So, if you are asleep (Tandem assume) the boss won’t wander into your office and say… I admit that kind of thing did used to happen in my sleep but it didn’t actually futz with my blood sugar. Presumably Tandem carefully researched this, so nightmares affecting the blood sugar either never occur or they occur less often than the Lawyers can handle.
That’s just my interpretation.
I have been using CIQ for three weeks and it’s working great for me. Sleep mode just takes all the worry about night lows and the difficulty of calculating a last dose before getting in bed. Wake up every morning close to 110. Sometimes still go above 200, but not like I used to. AIC is down from 7.5 to something below 7 and I think lower. No startup issues. Their online training is good enough to give you confidence. The pump now rounds off highs and lows for me. Still co-exists well with my xDrip+ and Sony watch. I am a very happy camper.
@Jason99 that podcast is just terrific. Thanks for mentioning it. Lots on the Dexcom G7 for next year.
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Glad to hear him actually mention their TypeZero asset and ControlIQ algorithm. First time I’ve actually heard Dexcom say anything about what their doing with ControlIQ since they purchased TypeZero.
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Thanks for all the posts on Control IQ!!! I just upgraded 3 days ago. (Hi Sam!) I’m kind of missing my Basal IQ. I put it in activity mode yesterday and forgot to take it out! 140 all night long. On Basal IQ I would use a temp basal for exercise and set it to turn off a little before I was done and that seemed to work well. I had consistently 90% TIR on the BIQ and my lowest A1C ever (5.9) with 2% lows. I’m not sorry I switched to CIQ yet. I have a lot of curiosity about how it will work for me and others. I need to get to know this system and all your posts are really helping.I want to try the 23.9 hr sleep mode, but I’ll fiddle with the normal way a little more first. I’ve been weakening my CRs and CFs a little bit because I was getting too many lows. Need more data…and too remember to get out of activity mode!
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I upgraded my X2 last week, and put it on last Thursday evening. I agree with much of what @Jason99 says above. The targets are not to my liking in general, but it has been working pretty well.
Some things I find harder - like adjusting the basal rate while fasting (I came off Tresiba). Since it turns off when I go below 70, I can see when I need to adjust. But with the up ticks in the basal when I rise, I find it a tad more difficult to determine how much of an increase I need.
I also dislike the 160-180 markers. I find that as long as my climb remains going towards 160, it manages my basal fairly well. It does leave me at about 145 though. If it gives the “going towards 180” bolus, it does so aggressively, and seems to bring me down to the 90-ish range but then slows my basal as I am “below target.” I’d be much happier if I could set the targets myself.
I also find I am normally in the “stop” or “decreases” range, or “maintains” or “delivers”. I can’t remember when I have ever seen it in “increase”.
I hadn’t thought about leaving it in sleep mode - thanks for that suggestion, @Jason99. I can live without the bolus as I use the pump more as a basal leveller.
Just a note for those that know I am a Tresiba+Afrezza fan: I do use the pump sometimes to eliminate the nighttime highs I get from Tresiba (or daytime lows if I adjust not to have the highs).
And a sidetrack Russia comment: Normally a pump doesn’t work well for me, due to absorption issues, but I had 14 days of a pretty cool treatment in Russia to reduce/eliminate scar tissue from the abdomen. I was skeptical at first as they called it “ultrasound treatment” but I am now a believer. The scar tissue I have had for 5 years+ has been greatly reduced, and I am absorbing insulin well. We do have the machines in the US, but nobody is doing this treatment as doctors must pay a license fee (to the medical board) to give this. Russian endocrine said they would never have waited 5 years to treat it. She also did tests that should have been done in the US but haven’t been in years, and made changes that doctors here are abhorred by, but make me feel much much better.
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How can you use sleep mode and still keep BGs 80-90 if sleep mode also targets a BG of 112?
You have to increase your basal rate to bring the bg down and then the pump will cut it back. This makes the pump work harder but can be done. There’s a discussion about how to do this on TUD.
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Ah. I see. Thanks, I’ll take at look at the discussion.
They one’s doing this, are using the same method as was being done with Basal-iq. Setting the basal rate much higher to get the bg to drop, then the algorithm would suspend delivery. The bg comes back up, the rate is resumed, rinse and repeat.
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Too bad a tighter target range can’t be set, but if this works, that’s all that matters!