#1771 Defining Diabetes: Temp Basal

Summary

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Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1771: Defining Diabetes – Temp Basal
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Jenny
Date: February 14, 2026

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Overview

This episode continues the "Defining Diabetes" series, focusing on demystifying key diabetes management terminology. Scott and recurring guest Jenny dive into the concept of the "Temp Basal" function in insulin pump therapy—what it is, how it works, its variations across pump models, as well as practical tips and common use cases for people living with Type 1 Diabetes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Define Diabetes Terminology?

• Scott highlights the importance of understanding diabetes terms:

  “Managing diabetes is difficult, but trying to do it when you don't understand the lingo, that's almost impossible.” (00:11)

• The show's ongoing mission: eliminate fear and empower listeners to take bold steps in managing insulin.

2. Defining "Temp Basal"

• Jenny explains the fundamentals:

  “Temporary basal means that you utilize a temporary adjustment to the basal rate that's running... either an increase by a certain percent or a decrease by a certain percentage and over a certain designated time frame as well.” (02:17)

• Key Points:
  • Exclusive to insulin pump users (“can’t do a temp basil with MDI [Multiple Daily Injections]”)
  • Lets users raise or lower background insulin for a set period
  • Useful for adapting to activities or events that temporarily change insulin needs

3. Temp Basal Across Different Pump Brands

• Tandem/Control IQ:
  • Now allows temp basal adjustments while in automated mode

  “With Control IQ now, you can use a temporary basal while automation is still helping you in the background, which is... phenomenal.” (03:22–03:32)

• Omnipod 5:
  • As of late 2025, cannot run temp basal in automation—only in manual mode
• Twist Pump (DIY Loop):
  • No traditional temp basal; instead, uses a temporary target (called ‘override’)

  “It only allows you to adjust a temporary target. It doesn't allow you to adjust the basal up or down by a percent.” (03:38–04:05)

• Medtronic 670G:
  • Manual mode supports temp basal; automation does not
• Beta Bionics (iLet pump):
  • No user adjustments possible

4. Practical Advice for Setting Temp Basal

• Scott:
  • Cautions about forgetting to end a temp basal, especially when turning off insulin

  “If you set a temp basal, it should have an end time…you don't want it to be off for too long.” (04:43)

• Jenny:
  • Suggests keeping temp basal periods short, reassessing periodically, and never assuming you’ll remember to reset
  • Highlights possible dangers (e.g., accidentally running with insulin off for eight hours)

5. When to Use Temp Basal?

• Illness:
  • Automation may be insufficient during sick days; consider manual temp basal increase (10–30%)

  “You may actually do better by stepping out of automation and using a temporary adjustment up by a 10%, 20%, 30% for, as you said very clearly, a time period to analyze.” (05:17)

• Hormonal Changes or Extended Needs:
  • Tandem is unique in allowing up to 72 hours for a temp basal—useful for long events like illness or hormonal shifts

  “Tandem is the only pump… that allows you a temporary basal as long as 72 hours.” (06:05)

• Steroid Medication:
  • Can require significant, temporary increase in insulin

6. Recap Definition

• Scott:

  "So temp basal is just you temporarily changing your basal either up or down by a certain amount or percentage. And that's how we would define that." (06:22)

• Resources for deeper dives: “Pro Tip Series” and “Bold Beginning Series” on the Juicebox Podcast

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Scott, on understanding diabetes terms:

  “Managing diabetes is difficult, but trying to do it when you don't understand the lingo, that's almost impossible.” (00:11)

• Jenny, defining temp basal:

  “It speaks to definitely those using insulin pumps… You utilize a temporary adjustment to the basal rate that's running, either an increase by a certain percent or a decrease by a certain percentage and over a certain designated time frame as well.” (02:17)

• Jenny, cautioning about end times:

  “You don't want it to be off for too long… even if you think it's a certain amount of time, maybe make it a little shorter, check in again… you don’t want to forget.” (04:43)

• Scott, summarizing:

  “Temp basal is just you temporarily changing your basal either up or down by a certain amount or percentage. And that's how we would define that.” (06:22)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:11–01:00 — The importance of diabetes definitions and available resources
• 02:01–02:46 — Functional definition of Temp Basal
• 03:06–04:16 — Temp basal capability across common insulin pumps
• 04:43–05:16 — Practical advice: setting timers, avoiding accidental insulin gaps
• 05:17–06:13 — When and why to use temp basal (illness, hormones, steroids)
• 06:22 — Succinct definition recap

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Summary Table: Temp Basal Support by Pump (as of late 2025)

| Pump Model | Temp Basal in Manual | Temp Basal in Automation | |--------------|---------------------|--------------------------| | Omnipod 5 | Yes | No | | Tandem/Control IQ | Yes | Yes | | Twist Pump (Loop) | Override (target only) | N/A | | Medtronic 670G | Yes | No | | Beta Bionics/iLet | No | No |

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Further Learning

Listeners are encouraged to check out earlier episodes in the "Pro Tip Series" and the “Bold Beginning Series” for expanded conversations and real-world examples about using temp basal, managing insulin, and living “Bold with Insulin.”

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Transcript

[A]

Hello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of the Juice Box Podcast. Managing diabetes is difficult, but trying to do it when you don't understand the lingo, that's almost impossible. The Defining Diabetes series began in 2019, and today we're adding to it. Go to juiceboxpodcast.com up in the menu, click on Defining Diabetes and you'll see a complete list of all the terms that we've defined so far. Hey, do you need support? I have some stuff for you. It's all free. Juiceboxpodcast.com Click on support in the menu. Let's see what you get there. A1C and blood glucose calculator. People love that. That's actually, I think, the most popular page on the website some months. A list of great endocrinologists from listeners that's from all over the country. There's a link to the private Facebook group, to the Circle community. And we have a fantastic thing there, American Sign Language. There's a great sign language interpreter who did the entire Bold Beginning series in asl. So if you know anybody who would benefit from that, please send them that way. Just go to juiceboxpodcast.com and click on Support. While you're there, check out the guides like the Pre Bolusing Guide, Fat and Protein, Insulin calculator. Oh, gosh. Thyroid, glp, Caregiver Burnout. You should go to the website, click around a little bit on those menus. It really. There's a lot more there than you think. Nothing you hear on the Juice Box podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise. Always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan. Jenny, we are going to do something that we haven't done in a while. We're going to define a couple of terms for the Defining Diabetes series.

[B]

Fantastic. I'm surprised, actually, that we have more things to define.

[A]

I am as well. And at the same time, I think these are things that are probably covered in other places. But as a collection for the Defining Diabetes series, we've missed a couple of things.

[B]

They're not there. Okay, awesome.

[A]

So we're going to start with. They all seem kind of simple to me. That's on the list. But today, how about temp basil?

[B]

Oh, that's an easy right?

[A]

Yeah. Well, we'll define it and then maybe take a half a second to talk about where they might find it in their lives still. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

No, I mean temporary basal. It speaks to definitely those using insulin pumps can't do a temp basil with mdi. And temp basal means that you utilize a temporary adjustment to the basal rate that's running either an increase by a certain percent or a decrease by a certain percentage and over a certain designated time frame as well.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And with the current pumps on the market, you can use Temp Basil with all of them. However, with automation, there are only a couple that you can use that actually allow you to keep automation enabled while also using a temporary Basel. So that's important to note.

[A]

Yeah. And let's kind of put a timestamp on this. So in November, December of 2025, the current version of Omnipod 5 doesn't allow that in automation, but you could do it in manual. You can tandem. You can do it now with their new update, right?

[B]

Yes. With Control iq now you can use a temporary bazel while automation is still helping you in the background, which is. It's phenomenal that they did that.

[A]

How about the Twist pump?

[B]

The Twist pump is.

[A]

That's loop, right?

[B]

It is Loop. It's the very early version of DIY Loop. There is not a temporary Basel as we think of Temporary Basel as I kind of just defined it. That is not an option. There's something called an override for the Twist, the SQL Twist Loop algorithm. But it only allows you to adjust a temporary target. It doesn't allow you to adjust the Basel up or down by a percent.

[A]

Okay. Medtronic, the 670G, is that right?

[B]

Not in automation, but in manual mode. Absolutely. Have access to all of those, like, smart features that are just conventional pump options.

[A]

Yes, obviously. The Beta Bionics, the Eyelet pump, you can't make any adjustments to that at all. I wonder. Well, that would be guessing, but I know Omnipod's working on another version of their software. I wonder if it's a thing they'll. Have you ever. Have you seen that online? People are talking about. They're in like testing phase with it.

[B]

In testing phase. I have, I haven't actually. I've only seen talk about it. I don't know that I've seen like an actual product. If there is one I haven't looked for.

[A]

I. I know somebody who's in the. In the thing. They're scared to talk about it. So I don't. I don't hear anything from them. I'd like to remind people that if you set a temp Basil, it should have an end time. Right. Like you want to be very careful. Almost like when you. Because especially if you did a temp Basil off, you don't want it to be off. For too long. Correct. You know, even if you think it's a certain amount of time, maybe make it a little shorter, check in again, say, oh, I don't want you to forget, or make it eight hours and think you're going to go back to it later and then not have insulin.

[B]

For eight hours and then not have.

[A]

Right.

[B]

No, that's. And there are scenarios. Right. That we would use a temporary basel for some pretty consistent variables, I guess, in a day to day. Right. If you have an illness, for example, and in automation you're just running high, you may actually do better by stepping out of automation and using a temporary adjustment. Up by a 10%, 20%, 30% for, as you said very clearly a time period to analyze. Is this working? If it is, great, stick with it until you're feeling better or seeing things kind of come back down lower than you want them to be. Tandem is the only pump, actually that allows you a temporary basal as long as 72 hours.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

Which is interesting.

[A]

Well, I guess maybe for hormonal changes that there's a viable use for that there, right?

[B]

Yeah, yes, absolutely. Or even an illness again, where you might really be sick and can't necessarily remember to turn it on all the time.

[A]

Steroids, I would think, is a great place. So. Okay, so temp basil is just you temporarily changing your basil either up or down by a certain amount or percentage. And that's how we would define that.

[B]

Awesome.

[A]

There's plenty of conversations about it in the Pro Tip series, the bold beginning series, if you want to learn more. Thanks, Jenny.

[B]

You're welcome.

[A]

Okay, well, here we are at the end of the episode. You're still working with me. Thank you. I really do appreciate that. What else could you do for me? Why don't you tell a friend about the show or leave a five star review? Maybe you could make sure you're following or subscribed in your podcast app. Go to YouTube and follow me. Or Instagram TikTok. Oh gosh, here's one. Make sure you're following the podcast in the private Facebook group as well as the public Facebook page. You don't want to miss, please. Do you not know about the private group? You have to join the private group. As of this recording, it has 74,000 members. They're active, talking about diabetes, whatever you need to know. There's a conversation happening in there right now and I'm there all the time. Tag me. I'll say. Hi. Hey. I'm dropping in to tell you about a small change being made to the Juice Cruise 2026 schedule. This adjustment was made by Celebrity Cruise Lines, not by me. Anyway, we're still going out on the Celebrity beyond cruise ship, which is awesome. Check out the walkthrough video@juicebox podcast.com JuiceCruise the ship is awesome. Still a seven night cruise. It still leaves out of Miami on June 21st. Actually, most of this is the same. We leave Miami June 21st, head to Coco Cay in the Bahamas, but then we're going to San Juan, Puerto Rico instead of St. Thomas after that. Basteria I think I'm saying that wrong. St. Kitts and Nevis. This place is gorgeous. Google it. I mean, you're probably gonna have to go to my link to get the correct spelling because my pronunciation is so bad. But once you get the St. Kitts and you Google it, you're going to look and see a photo that says to you, oh, I want to go there. Come meet other people living with type 1 diabetes, from caregivers to children to adults. Last year we had 100 people on our cruise and it was fabulous. You can see pictures again at my link juicebox podcast.com juicecruise you can see those pictures from last year there. The link also gives you an opportunity to register for the cruise or to contact Suzanne from Cruise Planners. She takes care of all the logistics. I'm just excited that I might see you there. It's a beautiful event for families for singles. A wonderful opportunity to meet people, swap stories, make friendships and learn. Have a podcast. Want it to sound fantastic? Wrongwayrecording. Com.