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Cannula sites and scar tissue

cally

Well-Known Member
Messages
232
Location
United Kingdom
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
After struggling with high blood sugars I have come to realise that I must have scar tissue on my tummy where I usually rotate cannula sites.
So over the last month have tried area above waistband front and back. I was expecting these to be painful which is why I haven't tried them before. But the only problem so far is reaching round the back to disconnect and reconnect when I have a shower and putting the things in in the first place! I nearly gave myself a back problem reaching round.
I think I will have to train my husband to put them in for me..but he's a bit squeamish!
The best news is blood sugar levels back to normal.
Does anyone use any other sites that I haven't tried yet?
 
Hi Cally,
Have you tried you thighs, hips, bum, top of your arms. Anywhere there is subcutaneous fat you can put a set. Just be careful to test more with a new set area as some places can have faster or slower absorption rates than your usual spot meaning you'll need to adjust your basal settings. I would leave your usual area for a good few months if you suspect scarring, once an area is scarred if it isn't rested properly it can be permanent. I usually try and rotate evenly around all my sites so if I've had a set in my tummy my next set will be in my thigh then my hips then my upper arms then back to tummy. I don't often use my bum as you say it's quite hard to stretch around, although I have trained my hubby.
Laura
 
Hi
I am a bit dubious about using the top of my arms and thighs as have lumps in both areas from injecting and don't want to make them worse. Even after five years pumping they haven't got any better unfortunately
 
Always my bum. Size 10. No lumps or bumps and bloods always good...dont use any other place so if there is a difference in absorption rates to stomach I wouldnt be aware. Nowadays I chane bum cheek after about two weeks. Always used bum cheeks even for injections.. T1 28 years... Consultants always check site and are amazed how good skin is...
 
After reading this post I thought that there may be scar tissue in my stomach below my waistline where, for over 15 years, I have injected and put in my cannulas. I tried yesterday to put one in above my belly button and below my breast. It went in without a problem but having inspected it about a million times :crazy: I THOUGHT it looked odd and also I could feel it wa there which is something I don't get with my stomach so I took it out! I think I should have persevered as the site looked fine and the cannula looked straight and clean when I took it out. It was probably the sensation of putting it somewhere new that made it feel strange. I'll try again though next time.
I tried my bum and lower back last year when I was having a spate of high unexplained sugars but found them awkward to get to.
 
Hi there, last night I changed my infusion set - Accu-Check combo - and woke up this morning with a bg of 32!!! As the bolus of 9.5u was infusing the alarm went off saying occlusion. I removed the plaster thingie and the cannula was totally bent in half?? Now how on earth can that happen when you are using a needle to insert? I also have a lot of scar tissue, and as medical aid allows only exactly 10 infusion sets a month I tend to leave them in for 4 days in case I do have a problem with a site - mostly incredibly itchy and sore and infected?? And I do clean the sites first with plenty of alcohol wipes etc? I find I get these raised bumps that take ages to disappear. A couple of times I've dropped the pump by mistake and it's ripped out of my skin leaving a horrible red patch that literally takes months to go. Although they are incredibly expensive I've decided to buy a couple of packs out of my own pocket for peace of mind. I will also try inserting them in my back but it doesn't appeal at all!!

nixbroome
 


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 

hi what kind of cannula do you use? I found that the silhouettes left a horrible red bump but the inset 11 or IMO which are the same seem to be foolproof. I can leave them in 3 or 4 days no problem. I try not to do so though because of scar tissue build up.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 

Hi

Well there's never a dull moment with a pump..... welcome to the world :roll: :lol:

Re... the occlusion, If you are using the Flexlink sets with the inserter device, make sure that you hold it firmly against the skin so that the feet are 90 degrees as failure to do that will alter how the set fires in to the skin. I sometimes insert Flexlinks in my backside and I position them so that the tube connects at the side instead of the top or bottom and that enables a steady flow of insulin without anything to restrict it such as a sharp U bend angle. A piece of medical tape can be applied at the top/bottom or sides of the set to help stop it coming out when pulling pants down to use loo etc. I use Transpore but there are loads of others as well.

If the occlusion errors start to become a nightmare, then its possible to use another set like the Rapid D or Tenderlink as these might sort out the problems.

Lastly.... always make sure that if the worst starts to happen and you are up the creek without a paddle, don't drown, use your insulin pen or syringe to deliver insulin and get your bg levels to lower that way.
 
Thank you for all the advice. My inserter device jammed so haven't used it for 6 months - I think I should get another one!! And I'm going to try the medical tape, that's a very good idea!!
 
nixbroome said:
Thank you for all the advice. My inserter device jammed so haven't used it for 6 months - I think I should get another one!! And I'm going to try the medical tape, that's a very good idea!!
Click to expand...


I use FlexLink 6 & 8 mm - no problems putting in with inserter but 3 out of 3 failures when doing manually! Gave up. Then I discovered that when inserting manually, you need to pinch the skin up first, and also to go in in one fast-ish smooth action, otherwise the cannula bends. Even though it goes in with the steel introducer needle, I think it gets sort of crinkled around the needle if too slowly inserted but still not sure why the pinching up makes any difference. Anyway, I've had only one set failure since then and all others were ok. What I don't really understand is that with TenderLinks (13mm angled) you can insert slowly - rep told me - and they rarely fail..so why not the 90 degree FlexLinks? I'm trying to use more 90 degree sets as the cannula is shorter and goes in straight, both of which must mean less scar tissue compared with longer, angled sets? I'm only using the angled sets in leaner areas.
 
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