Help, i'm new to an accu-chek combo pump

[fig]

I started the pump last thursday with just saline then on monday it was changed to insulin. When its working it fab but i have had loads of problems over the last 5 days and was wondering if anybody had experienced anything similar?

I am using rapid d link cannula's which worked fine on monday, although i had high results during the afternoon i was able to correct them.
Tuesday was great and i had good results all day until i changed the cannula early evening and started getting highs and my corrections weren't working so i changed the cannula again at midnight and my corrections worked again.
Wednesday i was out all day and my blood sugars were perfect, thursday was good too but when i had a shower in the evening and disconnected my pump i bent the needle in the connection between the link and the cannula. I didn't realise at the time but later in the evening noticed my blood sugars were going up. I corrected these and went to bed. By midnight i was 20.2 so i tried to change the cannula but couldn't prime the tubing, no insulin was coming out so i checked everywhere and realised the needle was bent from where i had earlier re-connected it. So now i had to change the link and the cannula again. I did this, removed all air bubbles, primed the entire line and re connected but since then i can't get the insulin to reach my body!
I have today changed the cannula 4 times and once was with my dsn watching and we also changed the cartridge and basically started a fresh. She was confident everything would be ok and sent me home.

I have already phoned roche twice today who are really helpful but can't work out what the problem is. The insulin always gets to the end of the cannula when priming, all the pump settings are correct so they think it has to be the cannula's………….Has anybody else experienced these kind of problems or is it just me? I now have a weekend of pen injections every 4 hours to look forward to because the pump isn't delivering any insulin to my body although it thinks it is, no alarms have gone off yet. I can't understand whats happening to the insulin………..

sorry for the long post

 

[Julie1471]

@iHs , is their any chance you can help, please., just tagged a user with loads of pump experience . For you Fig.

 

[fig]

Thanks Julie

 

[jodysd6]

Are they working at all when you first put them in? And are they all from the same box? Also did you try a new vial of insulin? do you have any other types of cannula you could try like the flex link, I use both as I had some problems with the rapid d and get on better with the flex link even though I wanted to love the rapid d!

 

[mrman]

Silly question, but are you remembering to prime the actual cannula after re connecting the tubing to it.

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[fig]

i have had 2 that have worked and 5 that haven't and yes they are all from the same box. I did mention this to the people at roche but they said they haven't had anyone else report any problems with the batch. I have tried a new vial of insulin today but that hasn't made a difference. I don't have any other types of cannula, my dsn wanted me to stay on the rapid d's until my recheck with her in a month but when i spoke to roche today they said they would send me some flex link to try but they won't arrive until monday. I don't like the idea of the clunk from the flex link so wanted the rapid d's too but it doesn't look like they are suiting me. Did you have similar problems to me then? The dsn thinks they are kinking when i insert them but i can't see how it would be possible and she told me today i was inserting them correctly.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Check that the lueur connection is done up tight


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[donnellysdogs]

Pm'ing you....


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[jodysd6]

I don't think you prime the cannula once inserted with the rapid d's like you do with the flex link ones do you? Because you have already primed to the end of the cannula pre insertion and there is nothing removed to create any gaps like you do when you remove the needle from a Teflon cannula.

 

[fig]

thanks brett, there is never a silly question as its easy to forget things when you first start something new but i have always remembered to do it, yes.

 

[fig]

yes i have to prime the whole lot, including the cannula before its inserted

 

[mrman]

I don't think you prime the cannula once inserted with the rapid d's like you do with the flex link ones do you? Because you have already primed to the end of the cannula pre insertion and there is nothing removed to create any gaps like you do when you remove the needle from a Teflon cannula.

Oh yes, have been using the teflon ones also, after having started on rapid ds.

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[donnellysdogs]

You have only been pumping 5 days. You will have been set up on basic levels initially.

Where are you putting the cannula's?

Have sent you a private message.


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[mrman]

Re~read original post and seems to be good during day and problems in evening, could be basal or bolus settings are out at that time, as now, your basal injections would now be out of your system. Was told when started pumping, that effects of the basal injections could last up to 3 days after stopping, so wait at least 4 days before starting to run any basal testing.

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[fig]

I have been doing the connection up as tight as i can and there doesn't seem to be any leaking out. Yes i am on basic levels but when its working my results have been great, this definitely isn't working at all now as i have ketones 3.3 although i managed to get them down by giving a pen inj again. I am placing the cannula's in the sides of my tummy which is where the dsn said was the best site for me to use.

 

[donnellysdogs]

What size are you, what length cannulas have you got?

When you put sets in are they comfy?

When you take sets out are they bloody?


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[donnellysdogs]

Agree with Brett which was why I was saying you have probably been set up with basic levels.... I have never seen a kinked steel set, although I don't disbelieve you... Sideways bent yes, but this is normally because the site where in isn't suitable.



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[fig]

i have had really high results day and night but there is no pattern other than when i have changed the cannula. Tuesday was really good, i changed the cannula and had highs that kept increasing even when i gave corrections but i changed the cannula again and it fixed the problem instantly so wednesday during the day and night was perfect again, thursday was also a good day until the evening but that was my fault for bending the needle in the connection. since 00:32 this morning i have used 4 different cannula's and my results keep going up until i give a pen injection which brings them down again so i don't think it is that my basal rate is massively wrong.

 

[fig]

i am fairly slim, size 10 if that helps and using 6 cannula's. the sets are comfy and never bloody. One was a bit sore but my 2y old daughter hit it (oucheeee) but that was when i was only having saline. I have checked them all and i don't think they are kinked either but dsn said it is possible to bend them slightly (like a drink straw) and they kink.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Which is why I ask your size and where you are putting them.

To be honest I would change what your nurse says for the place to go and place one in the cheek of your bum. I can send you a picture of places on your bum to put them...

I had problems with side bent and them coming out and occlusions in my stomach, but that's because I am lean and muscly and started off with 8mm sets. If you have 8mm ones, I can send you some 6mm if you pm your address to me.

Have you been set up with basic functions or advanced that gives you all the functions?


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