I am having a lot of absorption problems with my infusion sets. Has anybody with this problem had any luck by switching to stainless steel sets?
I had problems with infusion sets for years. For the first few years of pumping things were fine, but gradually I began having problems. Sites would get incredibly itchy and irritated, and then they began dying early. The problem got worse and worse until I was barely able to wear an infusion set for a day without it becoming insanely itchy and inflamed and my blood sugars rising. I tried different types of cannula sets with the same issue. Finally, I began suspecting I was allergic to the sets when swelling and hives showed up and the itching would last for days after removing the set.
I switched to metal sets and it largely solved my problem (I am still slightly allergic to them, likely because I’m allergic to nickel, but nowhere near as bad as cannula sets). I typically change the metal sets every day or two, but if it seems at all irritated or my blood sugars are high for no reason and won’t come down, I change it early. (Even though metal sets are supposed to be “foolproof” I have to keep an eye out for my body reacting to it, because the reactions can and do render sites ineffective enough that I go sky-high and get ketones even with the metal sets.) Taking daily antihistamines (which I have to do year-round anyway) seems to help significantly.
I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to the Teflon that coats the set. I have had allergic reactions to food cooked on pans with Teflon. I’ve periodically tried the cannula sets, becuase I actually do like them better and find them more comfortable, but almost every time they end up very itchy and irritated and I end up with very high blood sugars within the first 24 hours.