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Moving back to injections from a pump... anyone experienced this?

L

Lyndsayyale

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
I’ve been type 1 diabetic for nearly 18 years and on an insulin pump for 9... today marks the day I’m beginning to use pens again to help reinvigorate my control and I’ve become lazy with the pump and fallen into bad routines... I’m wondering if anyone else has made this change.. it’s scary
 
Hey.
This is an interesting solution. Can you say more about what you are trying to achieve in terms of HBa1c etc that you feel you cannot with a pump?
I've come onto a pump last June from 9 years on MDI.
What insulins will you be using?
Really hope you get the results you are wanting. The thing I might struggle with would be the hypos I used to have with LA insulin. The pump has meant I've not really had to treat lows with food but can just suspend my pump briefly until levels come up which has been much better for me as I hated the overeating it lead me to.
Sorry I can't be of more help. I'm just very interested in your situation.
Good luck!
 

Hi there Lyndsayyale - I know @donnellysdogs has come off pumping. Hopefully she might pop in sometime.

Good luck with it all.
 
Hi there

I went back to MDI after my skin and body reacted badly to cannulas.

Its been a long up and down journey.

I have really bad levels going skyward quickly from 3.30am right up to midday.

Initially tried all insulins and doses and regimes suggested by consultants.

My routine now is... 3.30am insulatard injection. Waking another insulatard injection and a bolus before I can put my feet to the floor. Plus I have to have a small tresiba injection at 4pm.

So for me, I have to have 2 different basals to cope and a bolus just to get background levels tamed down lower....plus food ones of course.

Because I have genuine difficulties and illness beyond T1 then I do have a funded Cgm. This has been essential... no way could I explain all my occurences of why certain regimes the consultants/educators suggested were so wrong.

I fear that for yourself that if you have fallen in to lazy/bad routines on a pump then you may be the same going back to MDI to be honest.

Yes, I do like MDI more than the problems with pumps and my body... but I am now 3 years since coming off pump and although my hba1c is still good, and I am within the top 5% of patientsat my hospital, I still get frustrated from MDI.

You can only know what is right for you... if you feel MDI is better then make sure you let your care team know as well... although my health care team couldnt suggest anything to help me... we are the experts and it is us that has to manage it on a daily basis.
You will need to sort out the best insulins for you as there are different ones available now than 9 years ago.
 
I have become a lazy diabetic with the insulin pump and I feel have been on a pump holiday... I’m not the best at checking blood glucose before I eat and end up giving a lot of correction doses. I feel like I do this in the pumpbecause in the back of my head I think my pump will make sure I don’t fall ill. I’m lucky to not have major complications if I’m honest and feel I need to take back control.

I’m so confused about what to do
 
It may be scary making some changes to your routine, but at the end of the day you can achieve good control with both pumping and MDI! I know a lot of people like to take "pump vacations" sometimes also.
 
It is day 4 of transferring back to pens... positives of the move are that I’m testing much more with the fear of not wanting to go high and not having the comfort of my pump to rely on... negatives are I’m battling with sugars between 11-15. However, I suppose it’s trial and error finding the right insulin intake.

I’m back at work teaching next week so it will be interesting to see how I juggle pens and the demands of work
 

I've been on the Omnipod for just over a year now. I can totally understand you. I have became so lazy and started guessing the amount of carbs and giving myself either too much insulin or not enough. When I was on injections, I had perfect and tight control and the fact that we have a bit more freedom with pump is what's causing my laziness lol. I've also forgot what to do if I ever go back on injections so maybe I'll need to reconsider staying on the pump too.

I hope you go back into a healthy routine with your injections
 

Do some basal testing and have a look at those peaks... dont forget some insulins like tresiba take 3 days to get up to strength fully, and if anythong like me there is a big difference between working or stress to weekends/holidays.

It is going to take a while to adjust.

If your pens havent been used for a while, ie for a year, then ask GP for some new ones. Request the 1/2 unit ones and timers on end. Tjis is one thing I found handy was to be sble to double check what I had done (or not).
 
Hi, I am doing the same thing here in Italy, after 8 years insulin pump, due to issues with bad reactions to cannulas (getting high values and chetosis very often after a set change).

Trying to work up a new scheme with 1 basal Tresiba and 3 bolus Novorapid. Quite happy at the moment, apart some issues close to the moment I inject basal. Looks like it doesn't really last 24h to me but some hours less, but I have not tested it longer enough to confirm this.
 
hi lyndsayyale,

I dont post much but your symptoms sound very much like mine. I was diagnosed T1 35 yrs ago and have been in the pump (Accucheck for 7 or 8 years). I dont think ive had da.y in thr last 35 tears when I havent hypo'd. At first it was pretty bad with several blackouts visits to A&E (I had no MDI training whatsoever). No blackouts on the pumps but I have to say control is no better then MDI. Daily highs and lows. Can be anything between 3 and 25. Seems odd to me that the pump is supposed to give you more security when in reality a daily regime of highs lows, bg tests and glucose and top ups seems an unscientific way of achieving it.

my last HBA1c was 53 which appears to be acceptable to my team (apologies to Tom Jones). Whar was yours?

Next one is about the same givcen the average bg tests i am getting (8.3)
 

I have had this issue and after 6 yrs of being on a pump I made the difficult decision to revert back to MDI.

Like you I have had issues with the cannulas.....from making my skin sore to leaking and tube blockages it’s been hard to say the least. I had a baby last year which left me which lots of stretch marks on my tummy and it’s since then that I’ve been having problems. My consultant believes that this could be what is causing the issues.

I am interested in what insulin types you have used. I currently use Novo Rapid and some days I feel like it hasn’t worked at all even when I’ve bolised enough and corrected. I feel a change of insulin might help me.
 



I have a really odd regime..

Insulatard. At 3.30am that kicks in gradually for my rising levels 3.30 am onward. Kicks in nicely from about 8am to cope with waking phenomen

Insulatard again at 7 or 8am before fetting up PLUS a bolus of novorapid to keep levels from sky rocketing on getting up and balances out my afterrnoon and evenings.. tails off nicely when I need it to tail off.

A very small 1-2 unit ( still working on tweaking this) tresiba dose between 4-6pm that is reslly just enough to be in me overnight... But Tresiba cant cope with my rises at 3.30am till midday.

Sometimes depending upon health may slso need a bolus at 3.30am too.

All of those without eating and acting to keep background levels right.

All food boluses are novorapud but generally only eat once a day between 4-6pm anyway...

Alot of help from my cgm to establish this routine...hospital not got anybody else like me on this regime and coukd only offer suggestions for "average" diabetics, which I'm not. Consultant last week said for me to just keep playing around as their regimes not work and he could offer no alternatives to me other than me pkaying around as I do....
 
Hi i know its hard to get perfect control of BS when you first get the pump and once you do get it right you do take your eye of it. The thing is no matter way you get your insulin we all at some point take a break, you could have a change in lifestyle or could find that your mood is low and it effects how you test. Going back injections may give you better control and it is already making you test more at the minute you need to keep a record of your BS levels to see if there is a pattern. I did not check as much when i was on the pump unless there was something not right and after a while you will see what needs changing and they may transfer you back on to a pump later. Have you asked why they have changed you back to injections? You need to keep in contact with the team and then they can give you advice as some doctors can be blunt and will not let you put your side over. You and your doctor need to come up with a plan for the future with you having input as well it is no good the doctor telling you what he says is what you have to do, as when you go home it is you who has to look after it.
 
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