I think I might need to change mine more often. I change when the insulin runs out. So about every 4 days. But maybe it’s efficacy isn’t good sooner?
What’s the consensus on how long insulin can stay good in pump? Like real-life thoughts, not manufacturer recommendation.
You can keep insulin in the pump longer than the 3 days for changing insets. The insulin stays good. The reason you are supposed to change the insets on the 3rd day is because that keeps your body from rejecting the inset or starting an allergic reaction that may cause poor absorption. That is also why we rotate the infusion sites.
3 days never longer, if i do my bs can go out of control.
U should be fine for 3 days. My wife goes longer with hers, and I give her grief about it, from time to time. I usually change in 2.5 days or so when using the 1.8ml reservoir. Now that I’ve got the 670, i have the 3.0 reservoirs so I suspect I’ll stretch changes out a bit.
I know I was told by someone they could tell the insulin didn’t work as well in a pod towards the end of the 3rd day. But I have never noticed a difference and go the 3 days plus 8 hours max off and on. Never farther because my pod will start screeching at me or else I’d probably try to. I have insulin left over sometimes and it bugs me.
My son is very new to the Omnipod, about a month in but I started to see a pattern with his BG going haywire and out of control on the 3rd day of a site. The patten is very clear when looking at it from the Dex Clarity app too!
I use a Tandem X2 and go for about 3.5 days as I average 70-80 units per day and a cartridge will hold 300u. Generally I change the site once the insulin level in the cartridge reaches 20u.
When I was using a 6mm cannula set I sometimes had irritation and absorption issues on day 3, but I switched to a 9mm set and that has stopped any of those issues.
I change my infusion sets every 3 days, but if I notice a sudden high pattern and I know there’s no possibility of a problem (bubbles) with the cartridge AND there’s nothing else that could be causing the high, I know it is the infusion set causing a problem and I change it early. Also, change it early if it hurts or if you can see that is looks bad.
As for the cartridge…I use them completely or nearly completely–until they are empty or almost empty of insulin. If I know I will have easy access to a bottle of insulin and the new cartridge, I will let it completly run out. But, if I have somewhere to go and I know that my insulin would run out (I look at my basal rates and make a rough calculation), then I change it before it fully runs out. I hate the idea of wasting insulin, so I try not to.
I move the infusion site every 3 days. In the past I was able to get 4-5 days between changes but that’s gone down in recent years. I suspect more scar tissue is the culprit, but don’t know for sure.
I have never had insulin go bad in a pump, even using it a week or more in hot weather. I change cartridges and infusion sites independently as each is needed. I never coordinate the two.
I change every 3 days for two reasons.
There is Fiasp-insuline in my pump and that type of insuline will clog/block the infusionset rather easy when you use the set longer.
Furthermore the needle can cause nasty inflammations on hot summer days when the set is used longer than 4 days in place.
I am also every three days. I have it set in the pump for the reminder alarm for a site change every three days. But yes, there are times I push it back a little longer. It is usually due to the fact there is more insulin in the cartridge, so I use it another day. I try to not push it past 3.5, but lately have gone 4 days. I really don’t notice any issues. But your diabetes may (it will) vary.
Welcome to the community @BertR.
I also change every three days or sooner, as a type 2 with a fair amount of insulin resistance I use larger amounts. These larger amounts cause inflammation that will push a set over the edge very quickly.