Travelling Overseas

Always consult your doctor before leaving on an overseas trip to ensure you have a regime for changing time zones which is suitable to your needs.
With changes of time zones of around 1 to 2 hours, the clock of the insulin pump needs only to be changed to local time. With bigger time changes (long distance travels) the body normally needs about three days to adapt to local time. The following rules have shown to be useful:

1. The first night after arrival the settings for the basal rate remain unchanged.



2. The following morning the lowest basal rate (usually the basal rate between 11 pm and 3 am) should be programmed as a constant basal rate. While using the constant basal rate, the blood glucose must be tested frequently and if necessary adjusted with bolus. If you are not familiar with the correction factors, please ask your physician before you leave on your trip.



3. When the body has adapted itself after about three days, the original basal rate is re-programmed again and the clock of the insulin pump changed to local time.We recommend you write down the original basal rate in order to facilitate reprogramming of the pump. Always carry this information close at hand, eg. in your carry-on luggage.