Bubbles when drawing up insulin

[KateH]

I had a look, but wasn't able to find an answer to my question on the forums.

I have had my pump for about 2 weeks now, and everything is going great. This morning, however, I drew up my insulin to fill the reservoir, to find I didn't have enough. Bit of a pain, since I hadn't realised, so hadn't brought one out of the fridge to use. Got one out, and remembered the nurse rolling the vial gently between her hands when the hospital provided her with a cold one, on my first time using the pump, to warm it up a bit so did the same.

I ended up with hundreds of tiny bubbles in the bottle, and each time I drew up the insulin, they'd pour into the reservoir along with some larger bubbles. I removed the reservoir from the bottle, tapped it a few times to get the larger bubbles to the top to remove them, but this just caused the smaller bubbles to roll around, causing more large bubbles. Eventually, I managed to get rid of the larger bubbles, but there are still hundreds of the small bubbles floating around - whenever I tilt the reservoir, I can see them gathering up and rolling around. I don't want to use the reservoir if it's full of these tiny bubbles, but I can't seem to get rid of them anyhow. I can also see the little bubbles floating around in the bottle, when I gently tilt it

I started this at 8 this morning, decided to bring kit to work to allow the insulin time to warm up a bit, but now it's 14:45, and I'm still having the same issue

I have resorted to using my pen for today (haven't taken my Lantus, though, since I assumed it'd be sorted by the time I got to work) and have managed to keep BG to a reasonable level (6/8) but I just wondered if anyone had any advice?

I've asked my flat mate to take out another vial, so I can set it up this evening which I know is not ideal (due to not having so much bolus to check it's all working) but it's the only thing I could think of for now. Is the bottle I've got here spoilt forever? Will the bubbles ever go away from it?

 

[Tracey69]

Hi
Welcome to the forum. I am a type 1 on insulin and metformin. I am not on a pump but have another look as their are plenty of others on the pump. The only think i would say is have you tried flicking the bottle when their is a bubble rather than shake them.
Take care.
Tracey

 

[docvern]

hi,,
been on a pump about a year now, with a super difference in health etc,,,,,
my insulin bottle that i am using to fill is never in fridge ( i keep it in my work bag).........and most times i fill up there will be small air bubbles ,,,,,i tap the vial as best i can to remove but when i press to fill the tubing i hold it upright so the bubbles go into the tubing and usually use about 10mls to fill,,,,,,,,,,,,its a bit hard to explain this,,,,,,this usually gets rid of all bubbles but a couple wont make you tip!!!!!!!!!

hope this sort of helps ,,,,,i could do a youtube video easier,.,,,,,,,,,,, :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


philip

 

[KateH]

I'm sorry, I should have updated earlier.

I waited until I got home to redo the pump etc etc. Control was ok for the day, and I called the hospital on the Monday and spoke with the specialist. He said that if I was at all worried, I did the right thing by using my pen but he has given me his mobile number so that if I have any emergencies during the weekend I can still get hold of someone to ask

I know a few small bubbles are ok, but this was like the reservoir was more bubble than liquid which was why I was concerned. I am used to using syringes (when I first had diabetes, it's all there were, and used them for 10/12 years or so).

A nice tip to get them to the top, and fill the tube, thank you

Thanks for the advice, docvern and Tracey69

 

[donnellysdogs]

Due to living in quite extraordinary circumstances, I am now forced to fill my reservoirs up from cold direct from fridge.

Like others I also did a posting on airbubbles problem when I forst got my combo pump.

However, now for me... I load cartridge from cold, I push air from reservoir in to air of vial and draw up...normally I end up with one bubble...I then push the whole lot back in to the vial direct insulin to insulin and draw up again in to reservoir.....hey presto not one single bubble...

However, as insulin warms up to body temp I do get miniature bubbles, as I always have done after about 6 hours...had this with room temp insulin, so I always do a reprime at 5 hours after new cartridge. Thereafter for 6 days perfection.... never taken off my arm wher I wear it....mind you because I wear it on my arm it is always facing downward even when sleeping...I think this helps as well...as roaming on a horizontal level in bed gave me more frustrations with bubbles...