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Insulin pumps. Still researching but..don't get it

Peppergirl

Well-Known Member
Messages
211
Location
Ellesmere Port
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi

I've got a consultant appointment soon to discuss an insulin pump. I've tried not to get my hopes up. Just looking at some of the information here, I'm a bit confused. Have to admit it's early days, I've not read too much yet. But, is it right that pumps use a rapid acting insulin only? How does that work then? If I'm lucky enough to be approved, that will be after following months of vigorous testing and carb counting which I've been doing and continue to do, using tresiba (works a treat) and novorapid. I have finally got to a point where I can discuss with confidence how insulin affects my levels and what I need to tidy things up. But changing to a pump will mean relying on a rapid acting insulin only. Is that really better than the ultra long lasting and rapid action combination?

I seriously want to reduce the number of injections for mental health reasons and need more flexibility for job purposes. Better quality of life basically.

I don't want to take the risk of coming off the tresiba and novorapid. I'd have to test using a new insulin and no idea how much background bolus I would need if its fast acting. I just want to be prepared for the meeting and decide if a pump is actually going to help me. I love the idea of it and it would help me work-wise, when I don't have to nip out of the office for an injection, but just press a button. Sorry, I feel like I'm missing something.

Thanks
 
Yes, pumps only use fast acting. They release tiny amounts every few minutes, more like a normal pancreas

That's your basal - holding your BS steady in the absence of food, then if you eat, you simply add a bolus using the pump - that is,,extra insulin to,deal with your food.
 
Yes. Pumps only use rapid acting insulin. It delivers your basal insulin by delivering tiny doses of rapid acting throughout the day. So you'll tell your pump to deliver a basal rate of x units per hour - and you can change that hour by hour if necessary.
 
Peppergirl said:
But changing to a pump will mean relying on a rapid acting insulin only. Is that really better than the ultra long lasting and rapid action combination?
Click to expand...

As @azure & @catapillar say, you just use fast-acting insulin in a pump. It's better in the sense that you can have multiple basal rates a day, so you can increase/decrease your basal insulin to take into consideration things like DP, exercise & illnesss etc.

Edited to add, @Peppergirl have aread of the following which explains what a basal rate(s) is on a pump:

https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/diabetes-resources/definitions/basal-rate/
 
the first time I went into a cafe and ate a meal using a pump. I simply put the amount of carbs in the pump pressed go. I was then in tears of joy. I could not believe how simple and easy it was.
after 50yrs of MDI.
 
I second your comment richtb. I felt the same after 52 years MDI.
 
I didn't get the advantage of the pump at first - so what if the basal was a continuous stream of fast acting insulin? Why is that any different to a stable single daily shot of long acting insulin?
The light bulb moment came when some one explained that our basal needs vary. When we exercise we need less insulin and when we are asleep we use more. The single shot of long acting insulin does not take this into consideration.
So for me, the benefit of a pump is the ability to change my basal over short periods when exercising: if I am doing some aerobic like running or cycling, I dial down my basal; if I am doing something anaerobic like climbing, I dial up my basal ... and then dial it down afterwards.
 
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