Loop Data

Pump Data

People usually don’t start to think about data until after they have set up Loop and either run into a settings problem that they need help with, or they are getting ready for a doctor’s appointment and realize they can’t hand over their Medtronic pump (too much data for MMT memory) or PDM (no longer in use) for the office to download.

You should think through your data strategy before switching to Loop. It is helpful to have a couple of weeks pre-Loop data, so if you are having strange blood glucose actions after changing to Loop, you have a record of your data in the same format for comparison.

Do You Absolutely Need a Data Repository?

No, some people do fine without it. If you are someone who already adjusts their settings regularly and the tools you use for that will still be available while Looping, and you already have the reports you need for your doctor or your doctor doesn’t want reports, then you could forgo data storage/reporting.

Loop is going to store some data in Apple Health, which offers some limited reporting, e.g., you can get your basal and bolus or totals by the hour, day, week, or month out of the Apple Health app.

Why Would I Want to Save My Data?

Think through what you might need data for. You would, for example, want data if there is any chance that you might be asking the Looping community for help with settings, or help understanding why Loop did something, such as:

  • Why do I have negative IOB?
  • Why isn’t Loop recommending a bolus when I enter this meal?

You will absolutely get the best and fastest help if you can post a screenshot of a Nightscout site with all the data rendering turned on. You can still get some help by posting screen shots from Loop (if you capture them soon enough before they scroll off). But without Nightscout views, it tends to take a lot more back and forth. And some of the people who are the best at that type of help will ignore the posts without Nightscout screenshots, because it just takes too much time to extract the required information to help you improve your settings.

Some Options for Saving/Viewing Your Data

Tidepool

Some doctors’ offices use Tidepool for reporting. If your doctor’s office uses Tidepool, you should continue feeding data to it. There is no cost to use Tidepool. To use this option, you need a Tidepool account and you need to have the uploader app on your Looping phone.  Many people like the in-app notetaking feature

Nightscout

Nightscout is the preferred option in the DIY Looping communities for capturing data.  It can be used in addition to Tidepool and Apple Health. Setting up and maintaining Nightscout will probably be a commitment of about 8 hours per year.  We encourage you to think about the purpose Nightscout serves in the whole framework of Looping. If your Nightscout site is down, Loop will still work. Unless you are using it for remote monitoring, such as for a child that is away from the house, it generally is not a critical part of day-to-day Looping.

Most experienced Loopers use the Nightscout site to guide setting adjustments when diabetes decides it’s time for a change.  Many use Nightscout Reports to prepare information for a doctor’s visit.

The best information on setting up a new Nightscout site is here.

On 25 August 2022, Heroku announced that it is shutting down its free service level that many of us use for Nightscout hosting. Thank you to Heroku, which has allowed NS to thrive in its environment for YEARS, essentially supporting this community to the value of millions of dollars.

You can read their full posting.

Users will have until 28 November 2022 to decide how they want to proceed.  This page will be updated as more options become available, but for now, your options are to:

  1. Build Railway app ($5 or less per month)
  2. Pay for hosting at Heroku, (around $7 per month),
  3. Migrate to another hosting service such as Digital Ocean (around $5 per month),
  4. Subscribe ot one of the Nightscout as a Service providers documented in the Nightscout Docs.

If Remote Carbs and Remote Bolus features are important to you, please contact the service provider to confirm that it meets your needs before switching.

    More Uses for Data

    There may be some uses for having a data repository that are not obvious until you are Looping. Take your time to think about what your needs are for the data,  if you want to add a Nightscout account, or one of the other options. It’s a good idea to build your Nightscout site before you start Looping and begin feeding your CGM data to it in advance. You may soon find it to be your favorite way to view blood glucose data, independent of its usefulness of it once you start Looping.

     

    Skip to content