pump not working

Just because nobody has replied I just wanted to give some moral support. Hopefully someone who has experience with a pump can come along and give some good advice. I've heard of parents having to repeat set changes 3 times in a day to get them right and at the start it must be very hard.

Maybe change this post to the pump forum.

Moving this to the Insulin Pump Forum where it may get seen by some of our pumpers.

Hi

Try not to worry. You can always give yourself a small correction using a pen. It usually saves the day if you are having trouble.

Sometimes the Insets (are you using them?) can unfortunately leak. Its not very often though, they are usually very reliable. You do need to put them in right. Try lying down on your back in bed and then really pull back the white spring inside the set so that it cocks locked. Then press the set housing firmly against your skin and press the sides inwards and the spring will release itself and the introducer will go in very quickly. All youve got to do then is pull the set housing away from the skin.

What you might not be remembering to do is to prime the cannula after you have inserted it. It usually takes about 1-1.5u of bolus to prme it. Also, make sure that the tube you are using is also primed with a steady stream of insulin coming out of the tube clip needle.

I think you've now got to start looking in the Animas instruction booklet at how you go about changing your basal rates and insulin to carb ratios. When you first started pumping yr dsn just put you on a starting level so that is why you are finding yr bg levels going a bit up and then you need to use a correction dose. When you see yr dsn you can chat to her about this.

Try not to be frightened of the Inset. It really will go in so fast that the brain hasn't really got any time to register pain. If you cant lie down in bed and be relaxed, try standing up and look at the tele at the same time release the spring. Once youve put a set in a few times you'll be able to do with yr eyes closed.

This link is fairly good for showing step by step piccies at how to go about putting an Inset in
http://www.infusion-set.com/index.asp?pageid=H2300

You can if you want ask to use another infusion set. Any set with a luer connection will be ok.

Agree with iHS, I am on Accuchek pump, and different insets, but I generally find if my sets are painful when I put them in or immediately afterwards, then they need to be changed. Even today 4 months from going on to pump and sets, I had a problem with the first set I put in, as soon as I walked with it in my leg it crucified me, so I changed it to a different position. You will honestly find that you will get the right places, and the right sets to use, but it may take some monioring and discussions with DSN to realise this.

Agree with iHS about basals too.....if you have any levels above 12, then your basal rates are very significantly wrong and need to be checked out. If your levels are high or low 2-3 hours after bolus's then your carb factor is wrong.

You really need to address some of these matters, rahter than waiting for an appointment with the DSN. Get out your training manuals, read other books about insulin pumping... you will have all the answers in front of you, and at the end of the day it is you that needs to manage the pump and to live with it 24/7.

I know that I sound harsh, but I don't mean to. It is just that the sooner you take control of the pump and this new regime, the better you will manage your life with it. To me unless a DSN is actually a pump user, then she is a gudance tool who has learnt from text books or pump manufacturers or from patients experiences. The DSN will not actually have lived the life of a pump user unless she has a pump......it is a far different regime to MDI, but it is totally manageable by patients......

Hello

I'm on the Anmas 2020 and had some problems getting to grips with the inset. What helped me in the early days was doing my reservoir change and set change individually. Yes it wasted more sets but it helped me get to grips with doing each part right.

With the stinging that is one of the only negatives of the 2020. It delivers the insulin much quicker than other pumps and can sting. A quick way to help with this is to go into the advanced settings menu and change the delivery speed to SLOW. Also if one site is more stingy I only bolus 5 units max in one go.

I have never had an inset leak. Are you really really tightening the tube onto the end of the reservoir enough?

With the insets you need to be careful not to push too hard onto your skin. Just rest the set on top. Then make sure you push both sides of the unit together. I wait a minute before pulling the needle out as I find the set sticks better. I also fire the set into the air once before I fire it into me. This loosens up the device a little and I find it less clunky.

If you want any advice or just to chat about pumping with the animas feel free to message me

Hi

To manage life with a pump, you really do have to get used to changing the basals and checking that your carb ratio's are right.

As you have said time with DSN's etc are very short and to be honest unless they actually live with a pump they can only give theoretical/other patients experiences as advice.

I haven't got an animas, I am on a combo, so it is harder to advise, but the basics of the pump and how are bodies work are the same-ish.

1) If your levels are going high 2-3 hours after eating then you will probably need to adjust your carb ratio's, ie if you are currently 1unit =10grams, then you could try adjusting it to 1 to 9 and then 1 to 8.

2) If your levels are going high without eating then your basals need to be adjusted. You will need to adjust your basals upward by 0.2 per hour starting 3 hours before your levels start to go high.

Sorry to say, but the pump is only a mechanical tool, but every part of the information has to be programmed in to it by us, the humans still. It is not an easy fix to diabetes, and does involve more work initially to make it work.

How long have you been on the animas now? What benefit does your DSN think you will get from a combo?

Hi,

Hope things are sorting out for you now? From what you have said, it looks like your basal is about right...as you are remaining at a constant level...although that level is too high, which to nme indicates that you need to slwoly increase your ration of insulin to food.

To be honest, I think, if you haven't already you should go back to teh nurse and gets some personal advice.

Best of luck!

Hi Diabetic Mum of 4

My apologies, I didn't realise (my stupidity) that you had only been on pump since 13th Dec.

1st off:

Have you tried testing your basals every 2 hours during the night? What were the results like? I was initially set up at 0.44 or 0.47 (can't remember now-but me personally, I have not got one single hourly rate that has stayed the same as I was set up on.

You mention that you carb count exactly, so do I, every minute gram of lettuce even!!!! But that does not mean to say that your carb ratio is correct. Agaian, I can only speak from my experience, but I was set up on a 1 to 10g basis, but had to change this as well.

Give yourself a pat on your back and a lot of praise, same as Hazza, for being brave enough to do a change over from MDI to the pump pre christmas......

I had a lot of help from a feloow pumper on this forum, so it took about 6 weeks for me to get used to the pump and how it worked and the confidence to use it and to understand it. Thanks to the other member here though, I had a lot of help that my HCP never had the time to give me.

My HCP say to allow 6-8 months, so I guess that is the amount of time needed.

I'm still learning, this was my first Christmas-and the first time I have ate almost all day, and had to learn how to cope with that.

But hey, there is a lot of help from experienced pumpers that helps so much to understand and cope with living with a pump. It does get easier, although hiccups along the way will occur.....