Constant occlusions - really frightened and don't know what to do

[MushyPeaBrain]

I changed my set at lunch and it all seemed fine and BG great. BG is still great but my occlusion alarm has just gone off saying no delivery. This keeps happening at every site and now I am panicking and not sure what to do or why it is happening.

This all started just over a week ago and I posted back then. To recap I changed my set and got the occlusion but site was very sore so I wasn't surprised. I changed site and moved along to next spot. All seemed fine and good BG. Next morning occlusion alarm and couldn't bolus. Changed set again but used new batch. Twenty four hours later occlusion alarm. noticed crack in my pump so got new pump sent out.

Managed to get one site working on old pump. Changed pumps and at next change got occlusion alarm again. By now I was in a totally different area. Had tried different sets, new vial of insulin, new reservoir. Everything. FIVE sets working for various lengths but all occlusions later I got a working set.

Today I had to do my change and yet it has occlusion again. I don't understand.

Now these sets are different batches but all delivered together. They were left on my mum's doorstep on a hot day. Could that ruin them all?

New vial of insulin but from same 4 vials picked up together. insulin looks perfectly clear and stored correctly.

PLEASE HELP!

 

[iHs]

Try advancing the piston in the pump as far as it will go and then rewind it fully. It might be that the piston is sticking a tiny bit but advancing and rewinding might sort the problem.

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

How would I advance the piston fully please? Also this was happening with two different pumps over last two weeks but willing to try anything

Just got my doctor to issue background insulin incase I need to come off pump but all chemists saying they don't have Insulatard in stock

 

[iHs]

Rewind cartridge, take it out and then activate load cartridge to make piston move to the top. If needed, fill cartridge with about 10u of water and then insert it in pump and press load cartridge. This should make piston move back and forwards. Do it a few times. Another thing might be the o ring seals inside the cartridges are sticking so make sure that the blue plunger when inserted, pushes the inside of the cartridge up to the top and then pull back again to make sure the o rings are not sticking.
If everything fails, then phone Animas and get another pump sent out

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

Thank you will try that shortly. Just on hold to Animas as I think they need to know something is wrong. I normally get maybe 1-2 occlusion alarms per year max. Now had 9 in very short space of time but with two different pumps.

Thinking about it the only thing consistent in this is the reservoirs as just looked and all boxes I have are the same batch. So even though I've changed it the whole lot could be faulty.

New Animas UK line is very slow to answer!

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

51 minutes later Animas answered! The guy thinks my new pump is faulty but as my reservoirs are all the same batch he has to rule them out first. New box fast tracked but won't be here until Saturday. If they don't work I need another new pump.

GP messed up prescription so I can't get background insulin so have reconnected to old set site which seems to work. So confused by this

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

OK I found another reservoir at the back of the cupboard - in date but new batch compared to others. Just changed whole thing out and did as @iHs suggested with the piston. Reconnected to new site and straight away occlusion alarm.

However then reconnected to old site and straight away let me bolus for dinner no issue.

Animas says it can't be sets as being left on doorstep even on a scorcher day wouldn't damage them. I'm not sure. What do you all think?

 

[iHs]

Is the set that let you bolus on one side of body and the other set on the other side?

Also, with the new pump, have you adjusted the delivery speed in the settings menu? Mine is set to slow.

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

Is the set that let you bolus on one side of body and the other set on the other side?

Also, with the new pump, have you adjusted the delivery speed in the settings menu? Mine is set to slow.

The sites are on the same next to each other but 2 inches apart. I always rotate in a line moving along. My delivery is set to slow as I've always had to do that or it hurts. I double checked that too.

When I removed non-working set yet again it's not kinked, perfectly straight and no blood or bleeding at site.

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

Phoned Animas this morning (another 60 minute wait to get through) and they are issuing me a new pump again. So this will be pump three. He is also sending out new reservoirs too. He says brand new pumps go wrong as often as used ones which didn;t give me much confidence!

If new pump and totally new everything doesn't work he says my body may be rejecting pumping and I need to go back to mdi. DOES THIS EVEN HAPPEN? Suddenly you can't use sets anywhere?!? I'm gutted if this might be the case.

 

[tim2000s]

@MushyPeaBrain based on your comments about kinks in cannulas, I presume that you are using Teflon? Have you tried a steel cannula as an alternative? That may help!

 

[noblehead]

If new pump and totally new everything doesn't work he says my body may be rejecting pumping and I need to go back to mdi. DOES THIS EVEN HAPPEN? Suddenly you can't use sets anywhere?!? I'm gutted if this might be the case.

Suppose if you have a allergic reaction to different cannula's or experiencing bad inflammation at the infusion site then yes your body might not be suitable to pumping, when you remove the set is the area quite inflamed?

 

[CarbsRok]

If new pump and totally new everything doesn't work he says my body may be rejecting pumping and I need to go back to mdi. DOES THIS EVEN HAPPEN? Suddenly you can't use sets anywhere?!? I'm gutted if this might be the case.

He's talking a load of twaddle.

Do you have your pump set turn off if no buttons are pressed in x amount of hours? If you do then turn that function off and see if that works.

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

@MushyPeaBrain based on your comments about kinks in cannulas, I presume that you are using Teflon? Have you tried a steel cannula as an alternative? That may help!

I am using teflon but non of the sets have been kinked - all perfectly straight. I have tried steel in the past but the sites leaked even with my Vibe on slow insulin came out and my BG was awful on them. Plus I am needle phobic and don;t want to have to change every 2 days.

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

He's talking a load of twaddle.

Do you have your pump set turn off if no buttons are pressed in x amount of hours? If you do then turn that function off and see if that works.

Yes I do as it happens for 12 hours. Could that cause the occlusion alarm issue then? The alarms are happening either on new set use or four- 12 hours roughly afterwards

 

[iHs]

I've also got the 12hrs enabled but as yet (touch wood), I've not experienced the occlusion alarm going off like MR has. It might make a difference turning it off but then the point of it being enabled is a safety issue so I think that there is probably either a fault with pump programming or Mushy needs to possibly contemplate using injections again because of absorbtion issues or maybe look towards using a Diaport.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Mushy

Sent you a PM. It appears that my body may not react well with sets and even MDI in my stomach on very rare occasions also plays up.

I have been given a ray of hope as an alternative.

I am having to go back to pump and cgm for my new hospital to analyse and confirm that my body is a problem...they have already looked at my OTT daily records and discussed that it is possible my body and subctaneous fat does not like sets...

They have considered other patients previously for this alternative option but it was proved that they were not using the pump correctly....

Hope my pm may help you...

 

[CarbsRok]

Yes I do as it happens for 12 hours. Could that cause the occlusion alarm issue then? The alarms are happening either on new set use or four- 12 hours roughly afterwards

My old 2020 pump used to alarm like that so I just turned off the alarm to see if it stopped the occlusion alarm it did so never set it now.

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

Thank you all so much for the support with this. I suffer from anxiety and although I've adapted to pumping issues over my years of using it this has really shaken me up as I don;t understand why this is happening. Personally I suspect it's the box of sets left on the doorstep in the scorching heat - whatever animas says. I have put a new set in tonight form the new lot delivered this week and so far BG good and working. If there is no occlusion alarm then surely the one common factor in all my alarms being the "heated sets" proves they got damaged?

I am keeping everything crossed but I know I won't sleep well tonight for fear of the alarm. If it does go off I feel that I will go back to injections for a bit even though I know my BG will be pants.

 

[MushyPeaBrain]

So on Friday I changed my set and used one from the new batch not left on my doorstep. It has worked perfectly so far. Today I am doing another change and again using the new batch. Will be interesting to see if this is also ok. Animas are adamant that being left on a doorstep in scorching heat wouldn't damage them but I'm not convinced.

Pump number three should have arrived on Saturday but the plonker at Animas didn't put my house name on - just my name and the road name so it couldn't be delivered. Lucky I wasn't desperate for it. I also complained about every call to Animas support taking an hour to be answered. Service really gone downhill lately.