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Flexlinks

donnellysdogs

donnellysdogs

Master
Messages
13,233
Location
Northampton
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
People that can't listen to other people's opinions.
People that can't say sorry.
Hi

Is anybody finding that they have times when using flexlinks that they are having to put on hugely high tbr's, corrections not working and having to go manual? Then changing flexlink set and then lo and behold problem disappears and then reappears after another flexlink goes in?

I'm having odd frequent occurences, but cant link anything else but the sets to the highs occuring. Site areas good, inspected by dsn..

Dont know whether to talk to Accuchek about this.. As really cant associate anything else.. Stress, illness etc to the occurences of the hi's, corrections not working... When normally everything is hunky dory...
 
I would note down the sites that are giving problems, just because a site might look and even feel good, doesn't mean that it is good! It could have a much different adsorption rate than another area and/or need changing a lot quicker.

I have one area, that when I use I have to change sets a day earlier, due to adsorption rate is first 2 days, but at the end of the 2nd day, my levels will start increasing as the area finds it harder to adsorb the insulin...

If it's something that started happening, check the batch number and give roche a phone, as never know that they might have had some manufacturing problems
 
Interestingly i have wondered this with my daughter but as she's only been on the pump for 3.5 weeks i wasn't really sure!
I think it is almost set right but i've now decided to do cannula changes every 2 days rather than 3 days as her levels seem to start to rise after 2.5 days and while she had the last cannula in her levels were high for no apparant reason, corrections hardly working etc yet as soon as the cannula was changed levels went back to being more normal!
 
I was a huge moaner about the flexlink plus's and then Accuchek did withdraw them.... Not solely thru me complaining tho...

The patterns I had then before they were withdrawn are very similar to the patterns then. I did complain hugely to Accuchek, but some folk here on this forum ( i too was a newbie to pumps at the time) did experience the same probs, whilst others thought it was because being a relative newbie that I didnt have my set up correct..

Now, I'm not sure whether I am the only person experiencing these probs..or whether any other people have already complained perhaps?
If we are having to change our sets early, then it they are not working quite right, and it will be costing our cash strapped NHS more and more money too.. They aren't cheap!!

In a bit of a quandry really..as last time I was right.. But I haven't seen any other people on forum mentioning that they have had problems with erratic high's and corrections also not working...

Glad actually that there is one other person that seems to possibly be experiencing the same...
 
2 cannulas i've made her change after 24 hours as she had constant high levels.

Did a cannula change yesterday evening and lo and behold overnight she was 9-11, coming down to 8 on waking.
The previous 2 nights she sat steady at 5-7.
Given the early days it could be down to anything but does seem a bit of a co-incidence, will be interesting to see if her levels are any different today to the rest of this week.
 
I see other persons done a 'ready to quit' forum question..so it would be intersting to know how many others put all their readings down to their bodies... Or down to equipment as well...and whether people do actually take the time to complain and log with Companies..

Still dont honestly think, I am the problem with flexlinks... I din't actually think they are perfect performers, but suprised that only one person may think same as me..
I think it was pretty much same last time... I am pretty anal about looking at my levels, controls and patterns of highs etc.. So I still suspect there are probs with them.
 
Hi
I am using flexlink too. Have been on pump since 22 October so new to pumping. I have also had this problem. BG fine for 2 days then day 3 up they go. As soon as canula changed drop back down. I am now wondering if it is due to the flexlink or whether I still need to do some "tweeking" with insulin levels. :?
 
Well i haven't got a clue what is going on with my daughter!
Rang her PDSN yesterday and asked if it is normal in the early weeks to make changes, get 2 days of good levels and then back to high and she said no that is not normal but is puzzled as to what is going on!

I'm now not sure if it is related to the cannula's or not because at the moment she is only high certain times of day now, it is almost like i make changes and her body likes the extra insulin and then 2 days later it has got used to that amount and starts wanting more again.
I did some daytime basal testing at the weekend, went a bit OTT and did hourly tests just to be sure and i'm happy they are right.
Overnight i test her at 8pm, 10pm, 1am, 4am, 7am as doing 2 hourly was just killing me after 2 weeks.

Scotty - my daughter started with her pump on 29 Oct so similar time to you
 
Hia Spearmint
I'm on a medtronic pump and have simialr issues. My BSs can be brilliant for a few weeks at a time and then for no apparent reason they start to fluctuate as you describe with your daughter. I've considered illness, hormones, pump sets, time of the month but no real pattern and my DSN in also belwildered. We have put it down to 'age' in my case but having read other posts today re:pumps, sets and problem BSs I'm beginning to wonder?
The only other 2 things I'm thinking it may be down to is cannula sites. Having said this I have no 'apparent' stomach lumps and when I was going through a bad patch I did try using new sites on my bum to see if that helped but it didnt. The other big thing for me is stress - this is harder to measure and something I haven't discounted to be honest. Your daughter is 12 I notice so if anything is playing on her mind it's another thing to consider. Hope it settles soon for her :)
 
That's interesting Riri

She's just at that age for hormones causing problems and i think that is what causes her highs at 10pm-1am, she hasn't started her periods yet and when she was on injections there was no monthly pattern or anything.
She has for last 12 months been taking tablets for a vitamin D deficiency, she has also been suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for he last 12 months and a heart murmur was detected last week - i have no idea what if any effect any of that might have on her levels though!

Interestingly, new cannula went in at 7pm last night and she was 9-12 all night and 9-11 all day despite 2 hourly corrections.
For the last 2 weeks she's been 5-7 during the day, sometimes a high at 5pm and high on and off from 10pm-1am.
I made her put a new cannula in at 4:45pm so will see if there is any difference to her levels tonight and tomorrow!
The old cannula didn't look bent or anything and i doubt after just 4 weeks she would be having problems with lumps as she's nowhere near where she used to inject.
 
Your daughter having very similar timings as my friends daughter on her pump. 9 years old....

She goes through one day normal.. Next high recently.
Her levels fluctuate upward 2 hrs after bedtime .. By 11pm she can have also gone up hugely.. This is her body though .. And this now sorted..
However the syndrome of every other day changes of levels will be from abs normal 1st day... No lo's, just **** good readings and the next.. Hi's and corrections not working... She uses rapid d's. Infact, we swopped some for me to try.. And I got the same reaction... Good one day, **** the next...

Onething that is very noticeable for my friends daughter is the difference between schooldays and weekends/holidays... The holidays for her are very different and had to have a different orofile set up..
 
Just popped back on to give an update!

After new cannula, she had an initial high at 10pm but otherwise was 7.8-8.8 all night with 2 hourly tests and 6.8 on waking so a huge difference between this cannula and the previous cannula!! Will need to see how her levels are today to confirm my suspicions though.
She is using 6mm flexlinks and we've just changed to 30cm tubing as 60cm was just way too long.

Weekends with me her levels are more or less the same as on a school day, if not slightly more stable!
She's only been to her dad's once since the pump and her levels were mostly high but when we did routine cannula change when she came back it took a long time for her to take it out as she said it was really really hurting and then said it had been sore on and off all weekend but she didn't think to change it! So will have to see over the next few times she goes if anything needs changing.
 
That's such a coincidence. I have been on a pump for 8 days and as was recommended changed the cannula after 3 days but am finding every 2 days gives more reliable results.

However even stranger was my experience yesterday, my tests were creeping up all day until @ 8.00 pm 24.8! So I had only just changed the cannula and tube so thought to pump a bit of insulin through and then message no insulin available. Shock, horror. As I was only given one phial of insulin, the inevitable happened not enough insulin. Luckily Roche did come to the rescue by informing me that even though all the equipment is set up for the little bottles of insulin I could draw up insulin from the cartridges in my original pens.

What I don't understand is how come there were not any alarms going off when I was so close to running out. Lesson learnt.
 
Oh no Trina, what a worry!

A couple of weeks ago we were almost in the same situation but my daughters pump alarmed when she only had 20 units of insulin left at 6am so i was able to change the cartridge before she went to school etc.
Maybe you need to check that the pump alarms are on and are loud enough.
After a few problems with bubbles etc i've got into the habit of checking her cartridge and tubing every day, sometimes twice.
 
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