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site issue

J

Jessd

Well-Known Member
Messages
261
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Hi
I have been on the pump for nearly 2 years. I use an Accu chek spirit.
Lately I will change my site, I use Accu chek tenderlink 13mm canula. It seems it may work fine or it will work for 12 hours or so then it doesn't want to work, my numbers aregoing up as a result & then normally end up changing the set.
I use leg, bum, stomach & lower back for sites, has anyone got any advice please?
Thank you
Jess
 
Just a thought here ... as you use AccuChek pump and canular, have you contected their freephone line and asked their advice?

If you do not have the number let me know and I will send it to you through the PM system.
 
Jess.
Here are the Freephone numbers for Accu-Chek (Roche) depending on where you reside.

UK: 0800 701 000
Ireland: 1 800 709 600

Opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 8am - 8pm
Saturday: 10am - 4pm
Sunday: 10am - 1pm
 
Hi Jess

I use the same sets, not experienced any problems myself..

But has this started to happen with either a new delivery of sets or a new box, I would checked your batch numbers and if possible change to another batch number to check if it's being caused by an iffy batch..

If you phone the pump line, they will be able to replace the box's part box's as well..

Also as you use several different sites, is this happening on all sites you'll using or specific site or two?

It could be that there's a bit of scare tissue underneath the skin that might be causing some asorbtion problems, so monitor the area's closely..

If you give the pump line and ask if you can have some samples of the other sets they do, so you can compare..
 
Jessd said:
Hi
I have been on the pump for nearly 2 years. I use an Accu chek spirit.
Lately I will change my site, I use Accu chek tenderlink 13mm canula. It seems it may work fine or it will work for 12 hours or so then it doesn't want to work, my numbers aregoing up as a result & then normally end up changing the set.
I use leg, bum, stomach & lower back for sites, has anyone got any advice please?
Thank you
Jess
Click to expand...

Hi Jess

See if your piston in pump is sticking?

I use the Flexlinks but I've also had yr problem this week. After a lot of frustration with escalating bg levels and changing sets, cartridge and tube and inserting in different area of body, I was ready to give up and go back to MDI. The E4 error msg was also nagging at me every 10-12hrs.

Last night was the last straw, got up at 3am to buzzing, bleeping on pump and went downstairs and then took out cartridge. Guess what - piston got stuck and would not rewind. I then got E7 msg to battery problem so took that out and re inserted it again and then got a combination of E4, E7 and E10 all at the same time.

After taking battery out again to silence the din and re inserting it, I was then able to do a cartridge change without the cartridge in pump just to get the piston to move up and down. Eventually the pump decided to behave itself and I got the piston to go up and down so at the moment everything is all ok again.

I am going to keep an eye on my pump and keep looking to see how much insulin is left in the cartridge. If nothing moves, then I'll know that no insulin is getting through again. My bg levels will also start going up.
 
Thanks for advice. Yesterday I put the site in the top of my backside, seemed ok, woke up to test at 1am & it was 10, so gave 0.5 units & this morning it was only 9, gave 2.4 units (was having porridge) & took the dogs out for 15 min walk, thought this would get sugars down ready for breakfast, well when I came back it hadn't moved, was 9.7, upped TBR to 150% for 1 hour, had breakfast, about 2 hours later it was 14.8, gave 2 units, anyway it lept rising, 16.6 so I have changed canula again!it is now in right tummy, just get so frustrated with it, all I had was the porridge & i'm a busy person & get hungry.
It seems like the site just won't absorb any insulin anymore so it's just aswell to change.
My other half thinks I should try using my arm, i'm not so sure, does anyone else use arm & how have you got on?
 
Just see if the piston is getting stuck Jess.

I've had loads of TBR increases as well, infact went up to 250% and used insulin pen to correct. Was the pen that bought me back down to normal again thank G. Haven't got a clue why piston got stuck as I'm careful when putting in new cartridge. These electronic gizmos are great when they work but not so good when they play up :x :lol:
 
Hi
Yea I really don't think the piston is getting stuck, i've checked the tube is primimng insulin & it is no problem, whether it's just my sites playing up
 
I've had the same problems with my levels rising and like previous poster, I too have had a stuck piston. Nothing to do with any insulin leakage in to piston area either. Accuchek told me to do cartridge, cannula and battery change, but never offered any advice as to how or why the pistons get stuck, mine happened at 167 units left in cartridge.
 
if its getting stuck insist on a new pump!!

I'm stuck as to why my pump BGs are out of good control at present. I'm now going to run my spare to see if things improve.

If I find there is a fault and the pump hasnt identified the fault, I will return it and ask to be moved to another device.
 
Bonerp....Noticed on bottom that you have just changed over to Apidra. I did this, having been put on novorapid initally. My bg levels really changed on apidra.....do you think that could have had an impact on your levels?
 
no my sig is a bit out of date - in fact I'll change it now!

Been on Apidra for 2 years now.
 
Jess

If by changing sites this sorts out your levels, then it's unlikely to be the piston sticking. You can check on you next cartridge change, when you changing your cartridge and you set the pistion position for your cartridge just run it forward and back a couple of times checking how the pistion is moving, before you set the proper level for the cartridge...

As to changes in blood glucose control, don't forget that we've hit a pretty cold spell this can cause our control to change, I know at the moment that I've got my pump basal set slightly lower, when walking the dogs, I've got my basal turned down a lot more than nomal, the shiver factor
 
Incidentally are you on flexilink plus or flexilink sets? Appears a couple of us at least may be having problems with flexlink plus sets?? Also just noticed on one of apidra's website ref apidra, it says about using in abdomen with pumps-not bum or thigh's.

What I have just read up on is making me reconsider apidra, and for possibly asking to go back to the older sets not the new flexlink plus ones.....
 
No I have not tried the flex link, when I rang Accu chek, they recommended I try them.
So what do people think about using the arm for a site?
Sugars are good at the moment, i'm pleased to say. Strange last night though, used my right stomach, all fine & sugars were good, then this am woke up on a 9 & gave 2.5 units for breakfast, still after 30 mins , bm was 9.5, so I ended up changing the site
 
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