Diabetes Pump and CGM

[WilliamIrvine]

Hi all,

Ok I have been wanting to start a pump and/or CGM but my hospital clinic tells me that I need to meet criteria and then there is a waiting list for them. What are the pro's and con's of going to do this myself?

I just cannot seem to get decent blood glucose levels doing it the "old fashioned way" I hear that a lot of pump and CGM users seem to get better figures.

I am getting to the desperate stage now.

If I do go ahead, is there anywhere that would provide funding to start me off?

Thanks all.

Wullie

 

[Type1Lad]

this is the guidelines for a pump
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta151/resources/insulin-pump-therapy-for-diabetes-374892589

 

[claire1991]

I had the same issue, it took me two years to get funding for my pump but it was well worth the wait and was the best thing I ever did.
The criteria is very strict though unfortunately.
What I did was really push the issue that you desperately want one. Keep on nagging.
My hba1c was 0.1mmol below what qualifies as high enough for a pump and my funding got refused! I spend the next 12 weeks purposely running my bg slightly higher than usual and eventually my hba1c was bad enough to get funding! In my opinion it was ridiculous and I'm not recommending anybody does the same as I did but desperate times and all!

I needed a pump because my injection sites weren't working after 18 years of 5 a day injecting.

Good luck and persevere!

Claire x

 

[noblehead]

Ok I have been wanting to start a pump and/or CGM but my hospital clinic tells me that I need to meet criteria and then there is a waiting list for them.

If you don't meet the NICE criteria for a pump you may still be considered if you come under the ABCD recommendations:

ABCD recommends that insulin pump therapy is also considered in the following situations:
• Pregnancy
• Acute painful neuropathy or symptomatic autonomic neuropathy if
conventional treatment fails to enable adequate blood glucose control
• Hypoglycaemia unawareness
• Extreme insulin sensitivity
• Needle phobia
• Severe insulin resistance with poor blood glucose control
(especially if type 2)
• Specific quality of life issues:
– Pathological fear of hypoglycaemia
– Marked glycaemic excursions/dawn phenomenon
– Excessive number of injections for optimised control
– Impaired exercise capacity, abnormal eating behaviour or an unacceptable number of sick days
– Shift work or frequent travel across time zones
– In children: sub-optimal school performance, exclusion from aspects of a full school life; behavioural problems (for example, mealtimes); adverse impact on family dynamics

http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/alt-insulin-pumps/is-it-provided-by-the-nhs/