help with skin reaction please

[himtoo]

Hi all

started on an omnipod on tuesday 29th september.

at each pod change my skin within the pod attachment area has been red and a bit angry ( not a medical term i know )

change on 2nd october , 5th october , and today

today i put a tegaderm layer on first to hopefully lessen the angry reaction to my skin

just checked pod a couple of minutes ago and it actually seems quite red at the exterior of the pod even with the tegaderm layer

anybody any thoughts ? should i not worry -- or do a pod change - no optons with my DSN until tomorrow after 9am

pump pod is definitely working ok as blood sugars this afternoon at 4pm were 5,2 and 6pm was 4.9

 

[iHs]

Get a sample of Skin safe from Opus and wipe skin with that first before inserting pod.

 

[himtoo]

cool thanks for that -- would you be concerned by the red skin currently visible on the periphery of the pod ??

 

[noblehead]

Is the skin quite bad Paul? When I change a Pod it leaves a rash which normally disappears after a day, where the cannula is inserted there's often a raised lump but again this disappears in a similar amount of time.

 

[himtoo]

exactly as described but this pod is feeling irritable on my skin after only 12 hours and there is red visible outside the perimeter of the pod adhesive

i went for a tegaderm pad which this pod is attached to
as advised by DSN

blood sugars have been ok so far -- monitoring is pretty much hourly -- LOL

 

[himtoo]

update -- BGs
6:10pm 5.4
carbs 80 gram
bolus 11.35
basal 0.5

8pm 9.2
8:40pm 10.8
9:05pm 11.3
9:30 pm 13.8

no alarms from pod or pdm

worry yet ??

 

[noblehead]

If the 13.8 is high for you and unexpected then just change the Pod, don't forget you can ring the Ypsomed Customer Support if unsure of anything, the telephone number is on the back of the PDM.

 

[himtoo]

thank you for quick response -- much appreciated

as i have been testing this last 3 tests i have panicked on the last 2 ( 905pm and just now 13.8)
and forgot to enter them into the pdm to see what it advises to do -- LOL
just did this about 90 seconds ago and has given me a 1.45u correction bolus -- panic averted

but still bothered by red skin reaction-- have ordered some cavilon skin protector
will be here for next pod change on sunday


what a great forum thanks @iHs and @noblehead

 

[noblehead]

@himtoo, do you not use the PDM to test your bg?

The readings are automatically logged when you do and the bolus wizard will advice if a bolus dose is needed, you need the Freestyle test strips to use the PDM as a bg meter.

 

[iHs]

The only time I have used Tegaderm is as an iv sticky film to secure cannula in elbow for the vampires. It's very sticky and a bit painful to rip off skin. Cavilon is a common skin barrier that can be bought in pharmacies. Bepanth

update -- BGs
6:10pm 5.4
carbs 80 gram
bolus 11.35
basal 0.5

8pm 9.2
8:40pm 10.8
9:05pm 11.3
9:30 pm 13.8

no alarms from pod or pdm

worry yet ??

Not yet.....it might be that the carb count is not correct or that the food is being digested differently. Might even be the basal needs adjusting. Just see what bg levels do over the next few hrs and then decide. I usually go for my pen when bg goes to 15mmol and get insulin into me that way. Then sort the reasons for the high bg. Sometimes, pumps won't always trigger the occlusion alarm when a cannula is slightly bent as insulin can still get through very slowly but when a high tbr and high correction doesn't do anything, then take out the set or pod and insert a new one.

 

[himtoo]

as I have just gone on the pump I don't yet have the correct strips that go directly in to the PDM
My DSN has written to my GP so when I finally get my appointment next week --- i should be able to sort that issue out
meanwhile i am doing manual entry into the PDM -- but panicked a bit and forgot to enter at 905pm

LOL @noblehead -- 13.8 is an unheard of high when i was doing MDI
this past 10 days has freaked me out a bit with the high numbers I have seen
was ready to pack it in after day 3
but it has settled down the last couplke of days to high single figures for 80% of the 15 tests per day I have been doing

so it is progress -- but slow

 

[noblehead]

I see @himtoo

Don't get disheartened buddy as it's early days yet, get down to some basal testing as soon as you feel confident to do so. Best wishes.

 

[himtoo]

respect sir -- i know the drill -- we hand it out often enough-- have been setting alarms and testing thru the night a couple of times already

 

[noblehead]

We do indeed @himtoo, the night one is the most important one to get right as it represents a good third of our day. Overall, how are you finding pumping insulin, is it strange not having to inject?

 

[himtoo]

i was quite emotional on day 2 ,3 and 4-- i found it hard relinquishing control of my whole life to a gadget

 

[noblehead]

i was quite emotional on day 2 ,3 and 4-- i found it hard relinquishing control of my whole life to a gadget

Can relate to that, you've been on injections a long time.

 

[Heathero]

Have also recently started on Omnipod also have red raised area slightly stings following removal however back to normal within a few days. This doesn't really concern me should it?

Urgent advice needed have overdosed on insulin tonight by mistake overrode maximum dose forgetting I had raised bolus a out due to highs between 4- 9 pm. Have suspended insulin for 1 hr twice now but dropping again. Does suspended insulin still get administered after suspension runs out? Or is pod intelligent enough to deduct insulin during suspension. Please advise ASAP low again more sweets. Can I override this?

 

[himtoo]

hi heather -- just picked up message -- dont know -- taGGING @noblehead HE MAY KNOW

 

[himtoo]

how big is the overbolus you administered ?
have you got somebody with you ?

 

[Heathero]

how big is the overbolus you administered ?
have you got somebody with you ?

16 units were left stopped at 12 units then 6 again now zero had stopped for 2 hrs again at 10pm still 2.5 have had some orange juice. Will test again now , pump keeps bleeping possibly just to remind me it's off?