CGMs & Pumps

[TonyTruthful]

Hello the fount of knowledge

When people talk about the sensors for CGMs what are they?

I know there expensive. Are they combined with your insulin pump? and if you can't afford the sensors do you test your blood manually (with your monitor) and just use it to pump your insulin?

Some of these bluetooth pumps sound fantastic. If you went on a beach holiday do regulars pumpers switch to MDI for 2 weeks then switch back? (just easier)

Cheers dudes in advance

 

[Hazza]

Hi Tony, I don't know anything about CGMs but we have just come back from a holiday in Goa and my daughter has a pump. We toyed with the idea of going back to MDI but then decided to use the pump which was a good choice as she could have fresh fruit and ice creams on the beach with no extra injections. We disconected the pump when she went in the sea but that was about it really, and she was in the sea a lot. Insulin regimens have to be adjusted to allow for the hotter weather but we soon had that sorted. Iwouldn't want her to go back to injecting now and neither would she, she loves her pump.

Harry

 

[ams162]

hi tony

dylan has an insulin pump that can be used as CGM (continuous glucose monitor) and has used it as one but not while he was on the pump we were having a very difficult time with dylan being carried out of assembly as he was hypo and so we would alter his levels by .5 of a unit and he would then be hyper we couldnt win so we were given 2 sensors to see what was going on. there was no real answer except that he needed smaller doses hence why we now have a pump

at the moment we use the pump as a pump and nothing else but it could be used for CGM if we wanted to use it altho i dont think its possible to get the sensors funded and i didnt find them useful enought to warrant that so we test with dylans monitor as normal.

we have had his pump just over a month so not had the opportunity to go on a beach yet just abit chilly for my liking :lol: but if we did go on a beach holiday i see no reason to not continue to use the pump, dylan loves it and would not be happy about returning to injections even for a week or two

anna marie

 

[TonyTruthful]

Cheers for the heads up guys.

As we are still waiting for a cure; surely technology has got be the way forward when managing the beast.

Hopefully in a few years these sensors won’t be as expensive and the pumps will have advanced considerably.

Sounds cool though having an app on your phone constantly displaying your level with the option to add insulin / glucose in your system.

My boss’s father in law is a physician in the field and was recently at the House of Commons discussing the pump and the new options – apparently the UK has a poor uptake on the pump behind a lot of other countries.

Oh I meant having a pump may be a little annoying when your on a beech so was wondering if you could just switch to MDI for that period then switch back when you got home.

Gotta go my phone has just alerted me my sugars are getting a little low – just need to hit the Add Glucose button…

Peace out

 

[bonerp]

Having requested CGMS support from my local PCT 2/3 months ago I am still waiting to hear back.... NHS is pretty cr*p at present and it wont get any better with all the cuts/decent staff being displaced or laid off. I am a fan of the NHS but this government and the last seem hell bent on destroying it. Rubbish series of events, anywhoooo

I don't believe we will be able to use apps for phones anytime soon. The companies that make the pumps and meters and cgms have too much profit to lose. Diabetes isn't unfortunately about healthcare. More like a profit making opportunity like any other business.

 

[cjw]

I have a Medtronic Veo pump and sensor and yes they do link to each other via bluetooth. If you have certain medical needs they are provided free by your local health trust (in Wales anyway) and as I have lost my hypo awareness I get everthing involved free - including bateries.

I have a Contour Link blood test meter which links via bluetooth to the pump/sensor so when I do a test it is recorded. You get a USB connection and can upload alll readings to your and your DSNS pcs to check for trends etc.

You can switch back to injections whenever you want but I haven't as I prefer the ease of the pump. That said I have not got my basal/bolus doses correct yet and have been pumping since end of Oct 2010. I preferred injecting but need the pump to sort out the hypos.