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Steel cannulas for T:Slim

RobertJ

RobertJ

Well-Known Member
Messages
268
Location
Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I have had the Tandem T:Slim X2 since June 2023. Over the last 6-12 months, my control has got worse. More and more often, I've had what I term 'mystery highs' where it goes really high after a meal and I have to change my set earlier than the three-day period. My 90-day time in range was 86% in 2024 and now it's 79-80%. Recently I've had days as low as 50% in range.

I have been given a box of steel cannulas to try instead of the Teflon ones. Has anyone used steel for a long time and do you get on well with them? I am put off by the fact I have to change the set every two days (rather than three) but I guess it's a price worth paying if it improves my control.
 
I used the trusteel up until they announced a shortage and got on really well with them, interesting that when I moved to the teflon sets I kept getting unexplained highs, it was suggested to me I tried changing them every 2-2.5 days and it has stopped most of those unexplained highs. It is a pain changing more often but then I remind myself I used to inject 5 times a day and it no longer seems so bad.
 
Thanks. I think, on balance, I'll just have to move over to steel cannulas. Every two days really does feel like a lot but it's a price worth paying for doing zero injections. It will just involve even more planning than before.

My control has instantly improved just from switching to a steel cannula on Monday evening. On Monday, my three-day time in range was 65%, two days later it's 77%.
 
I've been using the steel cannulas (cannulae?) for 2.5 years. Always keep them in for 3 to 4 days...
 
Good question, I just assumed there was a higher risk of infection with steel but I've never been told that.
I do leave them 2.5 and very occasionally 3 days but because I use Lyumjev it can start to congeal after 2 days.
 
sninge said:
Good question, I just assumed there was a higher risk of infection with steel but I've never been told that.
I do leave them 2.5 and very occasionally 3 days but because I use Lyumjev it can start to congeal after 2 days.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'll be a bit more elastic with my definition of 'two days' and make it more like two and a half.
 
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