recording diary entries when travelling across time zones

I always struggle to remember how I should deal with travelling long haul and recording my blood sugars on the DAFNE app.

I normally keep my meter set to UK time until I arrive at my destination then adjust accordingly. Similarly on return I keep the meter set to departure time zone until back in the UK. This latter approach causes issues especially when travelling east west

Is there a better way?

Any tips out there?

As far as BI is concerned I usually adjust the dose according to the number of hours time difference. I split my BI into 8 am/4 night. So if there is a 4 hour difference travelling west/east at night I'll reduce the BI by 4/12 to compensate for the 4 hours shorter day. Travelling East/west I increase the BI to compensate for the longer day.

again Am I right or does anyone know a better way?


Thanks

Diabetestravel.org has some pretty good advice for timezone travel here
http://diabetestravel.org/time-zones/

I’ve summarised it in my Dafne Quick Reference guide for my own travels and added my own personal experience as:

0-4 TZ, West: Delay next BI after departure to correct time in destination time zone.
4-12 TZ, West: Half BI at correct time in departure time zone. Change watch to destination time. Remaining half BI at correct time in destination time zone.

0-4TZ, East: Consider reducing next BI after departure by up to one quarter and take at correct time in destination time zone.
4-12TZ, East: Reduce next BI dose after departure, take at correct time in departure zone.
Dose = BI x (0.9 - (#Zones/24)) e.g. LHR to HKG crosses 8 zones, dose = 57% of normal.
Change watch to destination time. Take next full dose at correct time in destination zone.

In all cases, monitor and correct BG with QA following correction rules. Administer QA with meals as normal.

Those rules pretty much reflect what I used to do, but they stuck a nice formula rather than my “best guess” adjustments, and they missed out the monitor and correct bit. Your doses will never be spot on whilst crossing TZs, and you physical activity is all messed up (hours of sitting doing nothing, followed by a burst of walking miles and weight lifting luggage, so monitoring is important. Make sure you have some insulin active when coming in to land, and some carbs in your system, or the exercise at the destination could push your BG high. Stanstead is a low exercise airport, but Heathrow, well its a marathon to get anywhere. Good luck.