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Animal insulin pump

I love all your replies. When I did ask for a pump back in the 90's the answer was we do not do them. Well, they do now. They try to change my insulin all the time. I tried loads and had lots of problems and just say no now to whatever they suggest. Last consultation I had, they did not mention insulin, then wrote to my GP saying they wanted to change both of my insulins! I said no again and changed to porcine my self through to from bovine. I tried humulin back in the 90's, had 1-3 hypos a day, no contact with consultant, and did not have any contact numbers for diabetic nurses back then. I will try again for pump but at moment I am loving porcine insulin. Works way better for me than bovine and way better than any of the modern insulins I have tried
 
I did actually have a diabetic dog
 
I wonder if you saw the same registrar as me? ! Mine said the same thing to me when I was trying to talk to him about hypos
 
There is more than one member on this forum who has been told by a consultant that animal insulin is not available. As far as I am concerned, the real problem with dealing with diabetes - and I mean all types - is that we are at the mercy of a random set of HCPs, who may be ignorant of recent developmements, may have no experience of and therefore a fear of of animal insulin, who may believe we are all stupid and incompetent when we don't hit their targets, who may push their own beliefs about what is good for us on the basis that we are just further examples of diabetes, not people with individual differences in their response to food, drugs and exercise.

I found the suggestion that I needed counselling really threatening. The idea that a doctor can suggest counselling just because you don't agree with them is extremely worrying.
 
@JMK1954 I agree with you. I'd recommend raising a PALS case with the hospital. The only way people learn is if they can be shown the correct way to treat a patient.
 
Good to know you agree. My GP asked was there a witness when I told him. Of course, there wasn't. How many years is it since a nurse routinely sat in on every appointment ?
 
Seacrow said:
I had a diabetic chinchilla. Getting the needle through the fur was difficult.
Click to expand...
I did not even know they could get diabetes. I had hamsters and mice when I was younger and they are so wriggly I don't know how you managed to inject your chinchilla.
 

Sadly, regarding porcine, over the years, it has seemed to me that much of the profession has been irrational, and tho in my experience it has improved, still if i have a problem completely unrelated (as i did some months ago) then someone quite likely suggests a change over to 'modern' insulins. Whatever the problem, there seems to be a feeling in some docs that the first step is to change insulins. Which is strange, as generally i am doing at least as well as most long term type ones on 'modern' insulins, and if any 'modern' insulin users were to have a problem, would docs be suggesting changes to porcine use ? Over the years, it has all been very tiresome and added to stress/raised blood pressure, not helpful for my health and well being at all.
 
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I know exactly what you mean. Changing insulin always seems to be the solution. They cannot see past it and give you any help. It is very annoying. Why cannot they accept we are on an insulin we like and just help us like they would anyone selse
 
Are you in the UK. If so ask why they are discriminating against you on the grounds of your disability. It is Illegal.
I was the first person in the south west to have an insulin pump with hypurin porcine insulin I am seen at Southmead hospital in Bristol. tell your consultant to contact mine. We learnt as we went and then they insisted I try out synthetic insulin I again lost all my hypo signs and almost lost my driving license. I gained 3 stone in weight in 1 year. I am back on porcine insulin - I told my gp to prescribe it and changed myself back. I told my consultant I was on hypurin porcine. problems solved.
Tell them to contact my consultant and we got much of our advise from this site as they were new to it.

 
Thanks a lot for this. I will try again with consultant so fingers crossed, this time they might listen
 

Hi Roni,
just to let you know I was using animal insulin in a pump before you and also live in the southwest.
I doubt we were the first though as pumps have been available since the 1970's and synthetic insulin was not available in those days

I remember being quoted 40 + year old research for the reason not to use animal insulin. It appears that before it became purified the insulin would clog the tubing. Must admit to telling the nurse she needed to do better and suggested she contacted people in the know regarding it's usage.
I ended up self funding to start with whilst the PCT sorted things out for me with my care being under my GP and no hospital involvement.
 

i did not realise pumps were available so early, i was doing a 2 or 3 month trial of the first Mill Hill pumps just a few years later, and of course i used, as there was no synthetic insulin - animal insulin. i used porcine, the mill hill pump was still, i think, being sorted out, and only had a rather long butterfly needle, not an infusion set as we know it now, By then the purified pork insulins were in use anyway, i had no difficulties, in fact those pork insulins were a lot faster acting, at least for me, than the only one left now, Hypurin. I liked the pump despite the painful needle and was sad i had to stop at the trial end and go to injections, which never suited me, i was too insulin sensitive. It was not till later when i needed a pump that i heard of the so called clogging of the tubes. But as pork velosulin had a sodium phosphate buffer anyway (as Hypurin does now) that was seen as ok. I really do not understand what the problem is with doctors who dont want patients to use the insulin of their own choice. Its all beyond me esp as the porcine insulins were cheaper - and i think still are - and were a lot more resilient regarding heat and cold, and early research showed an unopened bottle stored in cool conditions would last at least 30 years, if i recall correctly.
 
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The reason the Drs do not want people to use insulin of their choice (bovine/pork) is because so many know very little if nothing about them and are far to lazy to actually go find out about it. Thus the insults directed at patients start. I used bovine for more than 50 years and have had to change to an analogue due to bovine being discontinued. I'm now covered in sores and blisters and do not feel well at all. But as far as the medics are concerned that acceptable! Why because my blood sugars are ok of course!
 
@CarbsRok I hope you find one that suits.
 

Hi, this is a bit off the point, but neutral Hypurin bovine is available, as my prescription is Hypurin porcine and i was given bovine just for a minute, in error, i saw the red underline, and expiry sometime 2019. So maybe in some areas there are more stocks so patients can go on using for well over a year more? .
 
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All bovine insulin's are being discontinued as stated by the manufacturer there are withdrawal dates on their site as to what time frame they are working to. Plenty of notice has been given so people can try different insulin's. Basically there are no more crystals to manufacture bovine insulin.
 
Tried again today with consultant. Told that I do not need a pump as I am doing the same thing with multiple injections a day!!! Told him again can be look into getting me a pump. Did not reply. Asked about continuous glucose monitoring. Told CCG only fund 1 patient in the area. No funding for freestyle either. Asked again to look into CCG for me as I believe I meet the crierica. No reply.

Saw registrar previous appointment who argued with me that I I do not have severe hypos. This was news to me as I have had them all my life. Then he wrote in my letter that I have glycogen for use by my partner!
 
I have hypurin porcine in a pump- hospital based in Bristol if they need support.
 
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