# Flu basal
**URL:** https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/flu-basal/9392
**Category:** Type 1 & LADA
**Created:** [February 29, 2020, 1:44am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/flu-basal/9392 "2020-02-29T01:44:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TiaG](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/TiaG)
#### Post date: [February 29, 2020, 1:44am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/flu-basal/9392/1 "2020-02-29T01:44:23Z")
How much extra insulin do you typically use when you have the flu? Samson just tested positive for influenza A. Curious waht the ballpark increase in insulin is.
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### Author:  [@jbowler](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/jbowler)
#### Post date: [February 29, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/flu-basal/9392/2 "2020-02-29T02:53:31Z")
I recently had an unusually bad (for me) case of influenza; it went on for a couple of weeks. I didn’t need any change to my basal. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever had to change my basal for illness since I’ve been using a pump. On MDI, with Lantus, I would be worried about going low if I couldn’t eat so I would probably have dropped the basal, but since using the pump if I have to swap back to MDI I just use the pump basal (lower than what I used to use) and I think that is fine.
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### Author:  [@LarissaW](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/LarissaW)
#### Post date: [February 29, 2020, 2:13pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/flu-basal/9392/3 "2020-02-29T14:13:31Z")
There’s a bunch of sick day posts floating around on FUD which have helped me a lot. Each time I’m sick is a little different on insulin needs, but I think when I had the flu last year I nearly had to double my TDD. YDMV!
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### Author:  [@Beacher](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Beacher)
#### Post date: [February 29, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/flu-basal/9392/4 "2020-02-29T14:28:52Z")
Poor Samson! I hope this doesn’t last long for him or for you.
I don’t increase my basal when I’m sick. I do increase my boluses, or use corrections every 4 hours, 10% higher if BG is relatively in range and ketones aren’t worrying. If BG and ketones climb, then I increase boluses/corrections by another 5% at a time till I get the right balance. This assumes I can at least drink sweet fluids or keep down things like sweet applesauce. If not, ER can worry about it.
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### Author:  [@ClaudnDaye](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/ClaudnDaye)
#### Post date: [February 29, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/flu-basal/9392/5 "2020-02-29T17:49:15Z")
Any sickness is usually double for us… Sometimes even more.
Hope you’re little trooper feels well soon!
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### Author:  [@EdD](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/EdD)
#### Post date: [February 29, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/flu-basal/9392/6 "2020-02-29T21:39:15Z")
20% increase both bolus and basal. It felt like it would be bad especially increasing breakfast bolus. It was flu, confirmed by doc with swab. Audrey was 3.5yo