Pods Aren't Working

[StewM]

So my Diabetes Team has disappeared off for Christmas, and I'm having an issue with my Pods, so I was wondering if any of you can help. As far as I can tell they won't be back for quite some time (the phone's just ringing off the hook, and my Pump Nurse's out of office says she won't back to the 30th).

The last four pods I've used have had major issues. At around the 42-hour mark, my Insulin starts losing strength. What do I mean by this? The Insulin just gets weaker and weaker until eventually, it's doing nothing. Following the guidelines, I was given I'd take corrections and find that each correction wouldn't act to my usual sensitivity with finally my last correction doing literally nothing, and my Blood Sugar continuing to rise.

The problem is the onset of the problem is getting earlier and earlier and the loss of strength in the Insulin is getting faster and faster to. The most recent Pod started doing this within 12 hours.

Has anyone experienced an issue like this, and if so what did you do to resolve it?

*Strange Note* Despite all this I'm not getting Ketones with my highest reading being 0.1

I'm on Omnipod Dash using Fiasp.

 

[In Response]

Are you sure the problem is the pods not the insulin?
I use Fiasp on a different pump and noticed a few things
- it does not last as long out of the fridge
- the time it takes to work depends on my levels. If I am low, it starts immediately. If I am in double figures, it can take an hour to work.

 

[StewM]

Are you sure the problem is the pods not the insulin?
I use Fiasp on a different pump and noticed a few things
- it does not last as long out of the fridge
- the time it takes to work depends on my levels. If I am low, it starts immediately. If I am in double figures, it can take an hour to work.

No, I'm not sure at all.

I have noticed that this has continued across two vials of Fiasp, with a fresh vial of Fiasp not helping at all. If the Fiasp was backed up, I would expect to see my Corrections at some point overdoing it, but that's not happened once. There are no signs of stacking at all.

 

[Hopeful34]

Are the 2 vials of Fiasp from the same prescription, i.e. did you collect them from the chemist at the same time? Seems a weird question, I know, but sometimes I've had this and when I've changed to a different vial from a different prescription, it's worked as normal. Fiasp is very sensitive to temperature changes, and if it hasn't been stored correctly before you got it, that could be the cause. Unfortunately because you're on a pod, you can't change the insulin in it to test the theory, as I did on s tubed pump.

 

[StewM]

Are the 2 vials of Fiasp from the same prescription, i.e. did you collect them from the chemist at the same time? Seems a weird question, I know, but sometimes I've had this and when I've changed to a different vial from a different prescription, it's worked as normal. Fiasp is very sensitive to temperature changes, and if it hasn't been stored correctly before you got it, that could be the cause. Unfortunately because you're on a pod, you can't change the insulin in it to test the theory, as I did on s tubed pump.

Yeah they are from the same prescription. Second and Third vials from it. Because of the temperature issue with Fiasp I had been returning it to the Fridge after filling a pod. Could that be exasperating the issue? (Presuming temperature is the issue)

 

[Soplewis12]

Hi Stew, am I right in thinking your very recent to the pod?
Is the cannula definitely going in correctly? Could it be coming loose (not as deep in to your skin)? Is the pod on same area of your body or different area? I have a slightly plump tummy & only get decent results from pod when I put it higher up on my tummy just under my bra line or on upper arm.

 

[StewM]

Hi Stew, am I right in thinking your very recent to the pod?
Is the cannula definitely going in correctly? Could it be coming loose (not as deep in to your skin)? Is the pod on same area of your body or different area? I have a slightly plump tummy & only get decent results from pod when I put it higher up on my tummy just under my bra line or on upper arm.

Well, I suppose how would I be certain? It certainly feels like it’s going in correctly.

I am sticking to my stomach atm, as I had very poor results in my legs and buttocks. However I am trying to rotate between different areas of my stomach (using as much area as I can).

I’m quite slender and try to reserve my arms for just Libre Sensors.

 

[Soplewis12]

Well, I suppose how would I be certain? It certainly feels like it’s going in correctly.

I am sticking to my stomach atm, as I had very poor results in my legs and buttocks. However I am trying to rotate between different areas of my stomach (using as much area as I can).

I’m quite slender and try to reserve my arms for just Libre Sensors.

OK doke, I know how frustrating it is.
Try and call your diabetic clinic tomorrow rather than waiting on Sharon B returning to work. Hopefully there must be more another specialist diabetic nurse you can talk to.
I nearly threw my pump out the window the first few months as felt it was all too much & was messing with my head.
Let us know how you get on.

 

[StewM]

OK doke, I know how frustrating it is.
Try and call your diabetic clinic tomorrow rather than waiting on Sharon B returning to work. Hopefully there must be more another specialist diabetic nurse you can talk to.
I nearly threw my pump out the window the first few months as felt it was all too much & was messing with my head.
Let us know how you get on.

Like I say, the phone was just ringing off the hook earlier. I doubt they'll be working tomorrow if they weren't working today.

 

[Hopeful34]

Yeah they are from the same prescription. Second and Third vials from it. Because of the temperature issue with Fiasp I had been returning it to the Fridge after filling a pod. Could that be exasperating the issue? (Presuming temperature is the issue)

I always return the vial to the fridge after filling the cartridge, and found that better than leaving it out.

 

[Soplewis12]

Like I say, the phone was just ringing off the hook earlier. I doubt they'll be working tomorrow if they weren't working today.

Sorry if you have already tried this but I go to RAH in Paisley & could phone the general clinic to get some guidance. If your ketone stay very low you might have to go with it for now. Apologies that I can't be much more help x

 

[Soplewis12]

@StewM
Hiya, how are you getting on? Any improvement?

 

[StewM]

Without getting into unnecessary detail, in a nutshell, the idea of bloods starting to drop at 60mins after a correction we agreed was a bit unrealistic, despite that being precisely what the guidelines tell you to expect. So I was in fact abandoning perfectly functional pods.

The loss in strength was actually a separate unrelated phenomena that was happening simultaneously (related to an erratically severe illness).

 

[Soplewis12]

Without getting into unnecessary detail, in a nutshell, the idea of bloods starting to drop at 60mins after a correction we agreed was a bit unrealistic, despite that being precisely what the guidelines tell you to expect. So I was in fact abandoning perfectly functional pods.

The loss in strength was actually a separate unrelated phenomena that was happening simultaneously (related to an erratically severe illness).

That's good news. You're not alone thinking pods aren't working, I dread to think how many I abandoned in the early days.
Glad it's improved!