• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Keeping set in for 3 and a half days?

Nicola M

Nicola M

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Messages
998
Location
Nottinghamshire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I'm not able to change my next set until I'm at 3 and a half days of wearing the one I've got in now (realising this at 1am is not fun!) Is it safe keep the set in for 3 and a half days just this once or is it absolutely necessary to do it at the 3 day mark? Bit panicky over this and just need advice on what's best to do.
 
Nicola M said:
I'm not able to change my next set until I'm at 3 and a half days of wearing the one I've got in now
Click to expand...
What? o_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_Oo_O Why can't you change it sooner ... assuming it would be better for you to do so?

The "3 days" rule of thumb is strictly a guess at what is probably a good practice for most people to follow. It's based on what an average response was thought to be for some set of test subjects. But in the end, it's only a guess. I have personally been leaning more and more towards changing my sets around 2 or 2 1/2 days because I think I have started seeing absorption problems around that time. And I'm not going to slog on to 3 days if I'm having absorption problems before then.

If you can wear it longer than 3 days without running into problems, then you can. But it's something that would depend on how your particular body reacts to the invasion of it by the infusion set cannula. Also, there is no reason to expect that whatever is true for you now could not also change over time. The best practice to follow is the one which works best for you, no?
 
My pump won't allow me longer than 3 days as it stops functioning if I don't change it. It's good in lots of ways though because I get a new clean area. I wonder what pump your on?
 
Fayefaye1429 said:
I wonder what pump your on?
Click to expand...
It's in my rather tedious signature. ;) Medtronic Paradigm Revel (723). For those of you in the UK that model is two generations prior to the current MiniMed 640G Medtronic sells (outside of the US).

While I don't know for certain about the MiniMed 640G, I think none of the Medtronic pumps ever put a time limit on when one is somehow required to change their infusion set. It's a strange concept to me. A reminder to change the set, yes, that I could find useful. But being required to change it, well, not so much seeing that as helpful.

While I have gone four days and sometimes longer in the past, it's not something I would recommend. For many of us the absorption of insulin from the site can become wonky on/around day 3. When that happens for me I start running into unexpected and prolonged high BG (Blood Glucose). I think I am happier when I change my set and site more frequently. :D

I also believe the sites tend to heal more quickly if you change them sooner.
 
Based on an experiment with the iport, which is basically an inset II, I see issues at about 4 days and definitely slower healing at that point.
 
If you heal okish, then it won't hurt now and again to leave set in for 3.5 or 4 days if need be. I've done it when wanting to change to a different set needing a different tube and trying to use all the insulin up in the cartridge for the existing set.first. Steel needle sets should be taken out every 2 days.
 
I would say it is OK to go past the 3 days this once, but you can also change sooner than that too.....

a point that has already been mentioned ;)......

the 3 days is the recommended timescale as your body will start to heal around the canulla and therefore could give absorption problems.....
 
I don't worry about one-offs where it's a bit awkward to change at day 3 so have run to day 4 before now without a problem. If I've changed on day 1 I also go to the evening on day 3 quite often before I change the set. Provided the sight isn't feeling/looking sore or there are no obvious blod sugar issues I don't think there's a problem.
 
On the Medtronic I use to put an alarm on my phone every three days to change it for me really. Although sometime due to human memory I'd forget so it was just judgement but I found the site itched a lot the longer i left it
 
I change mine at three days or before because I start to heal over and it stops infusing properly.
 
Back
Top