I was just wondering… Does anyone else numb ther site before putting an infusion set? I dont know any other diabteics who do, but im sure im not the only one! If you do, how do you numb it? I use ice and i tried emla (an RX numbing cream my endo perscriped) but it didnt seem to work. has any one tried it or any other methods of numbing because i am a total whimp when it comes to changing them every 3rd day. thank you 
No, but wow. That thought never crossed my mind. My concern would be keeping the area clean for insertion. Do you freeze then alcohol swab? I suppose dry Ice would work well for this, although Im not sure (again) how clean it is. Kudos to you for thinking of that.
I’m the same as Onesaint - in keeping the area sterile - that’s always been my worst fear having an infection set in and you know all the $#@! that happens with that. I guess if you numbed the area with an ice - as long as you swipe it with alcohol again - you should be alright. What kind of infusion set are you using Jessie?
Don’t use dry ice. You would injure your skin.
No I don’t use anything to numb my skin. I don’t find it is painful for the most part. I had more pain with injections.
cant quick swipes of dry ice numb a location? I know if you handle it for long periods of time it can be damaging, but quick applications I thought was ok. Oh, well I guess I just became another person giving bad advice on the net! Sorry about that!
I am the biggest sissy here about needles, infusion sets, etc. I’ve been using EMLA ever since I went to a dermatologist and she used it on me, and I thought, wow, how about I use this stuff for site changes. The trick is you have to put it on one hour before you change. put about a teaspoon and then cover it with a tape of some kind. I then wait an hour, scape it off, rub a alcohol over the spot, and FEEL NOTHING!!! I recently asked another dermatologist about long term use of it, and he said no problem, even for kids, because you are rotating sites. It gives me courage to try unusual spots too.
the generic is just exactly the same too.
I do not, although I have large numb parts from my c-section from 6 years ago. But I’ve found if I insert the infusion set there, I have issues with proper absorption for some reason. Never have figured that out.
Wow! you guys use alcohol?! I would NEVER do that, dries the skin and will make trouble for you after years of doing it. I use absolutely nothing, I often don’t even wash the site (not recommending this). Insulin has tons of buffers and preservatives in it.
Seriously, the ice thing is fine if it makes you feel better, but talk to your endo or a nurse about the alcohol.
I’ve been on a pump for over 15 years and a diabetic for over 30 years.
i agree i was on the pump for 2 years and didnt use alcohol… never had a problem besides the occaisional gusher…
Alcohol on a pump site - absolutely. I am in the healthcare field and we use alcohol or chlorhexidine on IV sites - it is proven to reduce infections. I would never insert a pump site without it. Just like I would never put an IV in a patient without disinfecting the site. INsulin may have buffers in it, but the cannula doesn’t and the insulin isn’t in contact with your skin where an infection might happen. As for making trouble years later - I don’t think this is true by using alcohol for pump sites.
i don’t you anything; don’t numb, don’t use alcohol, don’t use site prep. i use silhouettes; take it straight from the package an into my body. never had an infection or even a minor problem in 13 years of pumping.
IV sites are different, you are in a different environment (hospitals, clinics, MD offices) and the patient will not be on an IV for the next 10,20,30+ years. The infusion sets are supposedly sterile, at least until you take them out of the package.
Hi Jen
I use and alcohol pad that I get at Walgreen’s Pharm. to numbs the area some. I have never used any creams I would think it might cause the set not to stick as well and I do a lot of swimming. I also only change my set every 3rd time I fill my cartridge, I don’t know if thats good or bad but I couldn’t afford it other wise. Hope this helps.
drgizmo2002
dry ice will burn you. I work with it every day, and while my hands are slightly used to it, when a part of my body that is not used to it touches it, its very painful
LOL, when that happens, I run to the bathroom clutching my bloody abdomen, and if my wife see’s this, she freaks out
Ouch. Sorry, was thinking of it as a kid, it numbed, but never really hurt.
i use silhouette sets. i always make sure its disinfected before i put in it though
yea my wife freaked out to lol i got a kick out of it… i mean something good has to come out of diabetes lol
i tried emla, but no matter how many alcohol swabs i used, i couldn’t get the residue off and the glue on the site didn’t hold… plus it never really felt like it numbed me, i did leave it on for about an hour or so.
But your skin is not sterile. It is crawling with bacteria even under normal circumstances. IVs are sterile too. Both infusion sets and IVs go in through skin that normally has bacteria on it without disinfecting it. I have seen some nasty IV site infections and i choose to take every precaution to prevent a site infection in myself.