Hate changing my sensor and my pump site

i am very lean and i always dread changing my sites because the insertion needle hurts so much. and, often i hit a vein (or something like that) and blood just squirts out and i have to start all over again. any other site changers with dread?

Are you pinching up the tissues where the CGM inserter needle is going to go to keep the placement relatively superficial?

You have significant pain with an infusion set insertion? Are you using an autoinjector or manual insertion?

Have you tried confusing the nerve signals by, for example, rubbing proximate skin while injecting? Nurses do that, because your system can only process one set of inputs at a time, so the rubbing will substantially override the needle pain.

Are you able to understand, over time, where the major veins are and avoid them? And if you're lean enough, you may actually be able to see them under the skin.

Yes, i am pinching up my skin for the CGM insertion. The CGM sensor doesnt bother me as much as the pump infusion does. I can kind of tell where the "bad" site spots are and i try to avoid them. some are unexpected. i rotate as much as possible, but there are certain spots which are relatively pain-free and i tend to return to those spots again and again.(and as a result i have little pock marks in those areas) My D doctor said that sometimes there are little nerve endings in certain areas and that is probably what i am hitting some of the time.

i will try your suggestion about rubbing the skin before inserting the needle. and i insert my infusion manually, not with the autoinjector. thank you !!!!

What type of inset do you use? I was having trouble with the regular insets and I've tried some cleo 90 samples which are easier to insert and which have a smaller needle, right now I'm using one which my cde gave me which is even easier maybe: applied diabetes thin set which you insert yourself. I have been told for very thin/lean people the deeper angled insets are better. I use the 90 degree ones with a 6mm cannula. I think the length/size of the insertion needle makes a difference due to trauma caused when you insert it, if you're using an inserter.

I also was told by my cde to leave the old one in and let the new one sit there for a while to allow your skin etc. to get used to it. Then if there are problems you can go back to the old one. I have sometimes left the new one overnight due to not wanting to start a new one at night.

I plan to try the metal ones again due to the fact they're so easy to change if you need to do that, just take them out and reinsert somewhere else. Also no insertion device.

I have never hit a vein, I really wonder if it is possible to hit a big vein where we're inserting. I'm very fair and I can see a lot of my veins, plus the needle isn't that long, at least not on the cleo. I'm not super thin.

I have had bleeding usually after taking the inset out and only with the regular ones so far. I had one that started bleeding immediately into the tubing- I just took that one out and started another right away because I didn't want to deal with a damaged cannula and possible high bg. I also have strange pain and a stretching feeling when they're on my stomach so I'm going to start changing them every 2 days when I get my next batch. I prefer my hips but I don't get as good absorption there I think, especially not right away.

Interesting that the infusion set is worse, the CGM sensor goes far deeper.

I find the Inset 90 autoinjector is nice in part because the plastic surround on the skin masks some of the pain of the insertion. Rubbing before/during insertion will mess with the nerves' ability to transmit pain signals, you see nurses do it with kids all the time.

Pock marks sounds like you're risking building up scar tissue in those areas, not ideal.

I have a bit of dread too. I'm fairly lean in my abdomen area, but it's the best place for my set because other areas get too much pressure. Do you use an insertion device like the Silserter? Are you using the 30-degree type of set rather than 90-degree? It's better for leaner people. Another thing I do is tap-tap-tap on the area where I'm about to inject, to see if any blood vessels pop up, so I can dodge them.

Can you explain this tap-tap-tap technique to find blood vessels?

I agree with Angivan about the angled sites. I use the Medtronic Silhouettes. While they have an inserter, they can also be inserted manually, so I can sort of feel it in more comfortably.

thanks everyone. i use the manual Metronic Silhouettes (child sized). i can basically put it in on any angle i want to, but generally i put it in on a 30 degree angle. i had to change my site this afternoon, because my previous site showed some crusted blood hanging around it under the adhesive tape. i think i hit a good spot this time. it didnt hurt very much and there is no more blood. my BG has been between 116 and 132. now the CGM is showing a slanted down direction arrow. who the hell knows.i am glad that there is all this technology now a days (as opposed to when i was first dx w/ ), but i am much more neurotic than i used to be. i wouldnt trade my pump back for anything. (and i LOVE my Dexcom CGM)

Are the angled insets better for lean persons? I use the 90 degree insets. When I first started pumping I tried the angled ones but couldn’t insert them properly. Maybe I should try them again. I hit alot of veins and I am looking for a solution.

I was previously using the mio advance infusionsets and I was still getting alot of failed sites so yesterday I tried inserting a silhouette infusionset using the silserter and it was successful. A while ago I tried inserting them manually and wasn’t getting the results I wanted. This was my first time using the silserter as Medtronic was kind enough to send me one no charge. I can also see the cannula in the clear window and can catch it if I spot blood in it before my bloodsugar goes too high. With the 90 degree cannula you can’t see it.