No more pumping for now.

[Flowerpot]

I hope things improve for you on MDI @Spiker , thank goodness there are alternative methods to try in order to keep our sanity.

I can understand the freedom and relief, both physically and mentally from being pump free. Although my pump has been a life saver I do find the nagging worry about cannula failure and potential interrupted insulin delivery difficult to deal with sometimes. With MDI ,once injected,as long as the insulin isn't running down your skin then it's pretty much odds on that it's got into you and is on its way to do its thing. Set failure and site damage with a pump plus having to be a full time detective looking for issues can be quite a drain.

I wish you well with it.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Interesting Spiker... One thing that worries me is that MDI cannot cope with the rises for BG levels on waking.
I am told that I need to put at least a stone in weight on to get some fat or to consider having a pump holiday. I am 9at, yes lean, but why should I have to put a stone of fat on to make a pump work?

I am going back to clinic in July as currently I am having to change sets daily to stop random highs on 2nd day. Today so far this is my 2nd set. My first one I put in bum cheek this morn. Went to a meeting, when I got out of car when I got home I shoved handbag over shoulder, hit set accidentally and had to take ut out there and then in driveway as it was too painful to move even a step to get in to house. Removed and bled like anything just from what orher ladies do... Slinging handbag over shoulder.

I actually dread going back to mdi. I know I probably should do it for a while but I never had levels constantly consistent for the mornings.

Please can you keep us up todaye how you get on... Esp on mornings as I think I will have to revert at some point... Just because I do not want to have to put a stone of fat on my body. Can you imagine being told to put on 6.5 bags of sugar (equivalent)??

 

[Spiker]

I agree @donnellysdogs, the hardest part will be the morning sugars and the best I can probably hope for is probably a compromise. So far, though, luckily, the waking values have been ok, and it's the post wake up values that have been high. The good thing with that is I can just take QA on waking - as long as I am sure the post waking rise is consistent.

I don't understand why they want you to gain body fat before you can have a pump holiday?

 

[tim2000s]

Wow @donnellysdogs , that's nuts. Putting on "a stone of fat" to use the pump is crazy. @Spiker, maybe you could get hold of some NPH for overnight and time it so that it comes in with DP?

 

[Spiker]

I don't think even NPH has a peak at +8 hrs does it @tim2000s?

As I said I am waking up with good BG so I just need to reach over and wack in some QA insulin when the morning alarm goes off.

 

[Robinredbreast]

I'm sorry to hear the pump didn't work for you @Spiker -- but happy you feel happier with it off... And as you say, it doesn't have to be forever; you've options now -- which is also a positive

Good luck going forwards... I have my 1st pump tomorrow...! Will be interesting...

All the best for tomorrow and good luck

 

[iHs]

Wow @donnellysdogs , that's nuts. Putting on "a stone of fat" to use the pump is crazy. @Spiker, maybe you could get hold of some NPH for overnight and time it so that it comes in with DP?

Its not nuts..DD is underweight for her height and a size 8 is too small and leaves very little areas for infusion sets to be inserted so that insulin is absorbed ok. If 4mm sets were available for the Insight then things might be different but as 6mm sets are the only ones available for her pump, then its up against a brick wall unless she makes her bodyweightincrease by eating food 3 times per day and a few nuts for good measure or go back to injections using a 4mm pen needle and contemplate cgm

 

[-Artemis-]

Thank you! ️

 

[Omnipod]

@Spiker thank you for writing this detailed post and well done for being brave enough to stop. I would like to take a pump holiday as I am starting to get site fatigue and am tired fo the hard work with the pump. However I'm scared of MDI as my control has never been better since pumping. How did you make the crossover? Did you take the pump off when you started your Lantus etc?

@Omnipod I didn't realise you had also come off the pump. I have the libre and have been wondering about a pump break. What made you choose Tressiba? Would they let me try this during a pump vacation? I can't go back to Levemir as it was discovered I was allergic just before starting the pump.

MushyPeaBrain.... I see no reason why they would not let you try Tressiba. Ask your diabetes specialist or your GP.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Its not nuts..DD is underweight for her height and a size 8 is too small and leaves very little areas for infusion sets to be inserted so that insulin is absorbed ok. If 4mm sets were available for the Insight then things might be different but as 6mm sets are the only ones available for her pump, then its up against a brick wall unless she makes her bodyweightincrease by eating food 3 times per day and a few nuts for good measure or go back to injections using a 4mm pen needle and contemplate cgm

I'm not actually underweight. I still come in normal bmi range just that due to my work I have muscle not fat.. Thats my problem. The needles hit muscle rather than the layer of skin they should be in.

I'm 5'6 female, 51 and 9st. Can't find anything thing that tells me I am underweight.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Actually giving a novo shot immediately on waking would be good for me to do if I went back to mdi.
Please have a look at my arm size in photo... It is pure muscle.. Shoulders and all of me is muscle.... Eating more nuts etc actually makes me lose weight. The only thing like carbs makes me put on weight. I had 1/2 a chicken wrap Fri night at mcdonalds with friends. It scrunched up n got digested so slowly in my stomach that only this evening have I got out of pain aling with thinking I would have to have medics out again to give me morphine and take me to hospital.

Having a bunged up slow moving stomach is awful... Why should I put myself through agonising pain to eat carbs and end up in hospital to gain lbs when the only problem is that I am lean and muscly? There is a photo on another posting of me wearing nothing but my pump... I don't think it shows me as being underweight!! Lol

Sorry to detract.. Thank you Spiker.. Have a QA would be a good way to stop the waking DP...

 

[LucySW]

Oh Spikeroo - I didn't realize you were having such a bad time. What you say makes sense - It's not simple is it.

Get a Libre and do MDI ? Apart from those injection sites ... you know, Libre *isn't* expensive.

Be strong and be good. Be well.

Love Lucy

 

[buckley8219]

Your post is a timely one!

I've been pumping for four years, just thinking of renewing to a new system for another four years.I've had the nagging thought in the back of my head for a while that I could probably achieve the same control with a split Levemir dose, novarapid and my free style libre.

I'm a big fan of Dr Bernstein and he advise against pumps for many of the reasons you identify, not the sex part, but you catch my drift ha.

I've been watching various blogs lately in a bid to get to grips with the 640g Medtronic pump, watching videos of sensor insertions, long term reviews, set changes. Facing the idea of having a sensor taped to one side of my stomach, an infusion set in the other side, finger prick calibrations four times a day I was left wondering if this is really progress and if the benefits are worth the hassle and expenditure.

There is also the mental aspect of having more things to obsess over and being anxious over the potential for failures....

I'll defo be taking a pump holiday this summer when I go on holiday, regardless of what pump I am on.

 

[Spiker]

Oh Spikeroo - I didn't realize you were having such a bad time. What you say makes sense - It's not simple is it.

Get a Libre and do MDI ? Apart from those injection sites ... you know, Libre *isn't* expensive.

Be strong and be good. Be well.

Love Lucy

Thanks Lucy.

My Dexcom is actually cheaper to run than a Libre so I don't need to scrape that much cash together. In fact I bought a pack of sensors but haven't used them yet. I'm not sure it would have been wise while I was having trouble with the pump. Though you could argue that either way I suppose.

 

[tim2000s]

@Spiker, while unfortunate that you've found that the pump has caused so many issues, I'm pleased that you've posted this point of view. As I've said before, I've been looking at the pump and been told that my management indicators are good enough to not really need one. Hearing your commentary regarding the downsides raises some questions in my mind as to whether it's worth the hassle of making the change while pump technology doesn't offer a significant advance on MDI when done in conjunction with CGM (especially where there isn't really an issue with dawn phenomenon).

I'd welcome your views once you've had a couple more weeks back on MDI and can give us an up to date comparison of the two and how you feel about it.

Thanks for sharing this with us.

 

[victry77]

I'm having loads of problems with my quick-set cannulas on my medtronic. However, I AM underweight. But boy! I really do wish there was a magic calorie pill to help me gain weight because it just doesn't happen. I've never been a weight gainer. I even avoid exercise that I know will burn calories and as a result am not physically fit at all.

Serious question - if anyone has good suggestions, I'd be really interested. I have managed to gain a bit of weight in the past. I did actually do this with a high nut consumption, but I have to be careful with them now because too many upset my stomach a lot. But even with some weight gain I can never seem to get passed about 8st 6lbs when I could do with being about 9st at least. Over the past 3-4 weeks I've managed to inadvertently lose about 3lbs due to skipping meals when basal testing and being more active. I can never win when it comes to weight. Anything I gain will come off eventually.

Sorry to hear of your issues, Spiker. I've only been on the pump since 14th Apr and it has been very frustrating for me as I'm constantly plagued by set fails. I KNOW I can get brilliant BG results (thanks to a lot of excellent help and advice) but I'm seemingly thwarted by gremlins in the machine. I also seem to get ketones pretty quickly when my set fails and my BG goes above 13.

I'm trying to get steel cannulas as opposed to the plastic ones. They started me on 9mml (too big) then gave me 6mml (also giving me grief and had a nasty bleed with one the other day). At this point, while I can see great positives with the pump and BG levels I can also see massive cons when it comes technical issues.

Best of luck to you, Spiker

 

[donnellysdogs]

Spiker

I am joining you too. Have emailed my consultantt this morning and spoken to nurse and sent my basal profiles to them for them to consider different insulins that will best match my profiles.

After reading your summary and also being told here that I am underweight.. (When I'm
Not) And also being told that I would need to add on 6.5 bags equivalent in weight of sugar to my body and organs by my consultant ... I cannot do that for the sake of sets.

Thanks Spiker for giving me the courage to have a break away from pumping... I would have carried on if it wasn't for your exact reasoning...thank you... It's a reluef to be honest to have finally made that decision..

Just waiting for call back from nurse to arrange the hospital to supply me with new MDI equipment and not my GPs and to talk about insulins...

 

[Spiker]

Oh DD. :-(

Sorry for you to have been stuck in that awful situation. It really is an awful dilemma. None of us like to feel we are "giving up". We are not the "giving up" type, least of all you.

It's not giving up, it's a courageous decision and a positive decision for your health.

Luckily we have this forum and we can support each other. Good luck DD.

 

[Spiker]

Sorry to hear of your issues, Spiker. I've only been on the pump since 14th Apr and it was been very frustrating for me as I'm constantly plagued by set fails. I KNOW I can get brilliant BG results (thanks to a lot of excellent help and advice) but I'm seemingly thwarted by gremlins in the machine. I also seem to get ketones pretty quickly when my set fails and my BG goes above 13.

[...]

At this point, while I can see great positives with the pump and BG levels I can also see massive cons when it comes technical issues.

Best of luck to you, Spiker

Thank you.

Yes the risk of rapid progression to DKA from any failure is maybe the biggest downside and the only negative effect I know of that shows up in studies (though not all studies show this and it was more common with older pumps).

 

[iHs]

Spiker

I am joining you too. Have emailed my consultantt this morning and spoken to nurse and sent my basal profiles to them for them to consider different insulins that will best match my profiles.

After reading your summary and also being told here that I am underweight.. (When I'm
Not) And also being told that I would need to add on 6.5 bags equivalent in weight of sugar to my body and organs by my consultant ... I cannot do that for the sake of sets.

Thanks Spiker for giving me the courage to have a break away from pumping... I would have carried on if it wasn't for your exact reasoning...thank you... It's a reluef to be honest to have finally made that decision..

Just waiting for call back from nurse to arrange the hospital to supply me with new MDI equipment and not my GPs and to talk about insulins...

DD..... I am 5ft 1in and weigh 8st 5lbs and size 12 in clothes. I could be a size 10 but choose not to as I need a bit of fat on my tummy and rear end so that sets work ok and I can insert them without problems. My arms are thin so I can only insert a set at the back part where there is some flab.