I know your supposed to change your infusion set every 3rd day, but i have left it in longer with no problems. So, i was wondering… who changes their set every 72 hours? I tried changing it every time my reservoir ran out, but i was going thru them so quickly, i ran out before insurance would let me get more (i tried to get a drs note saying i needed more but…) and, for me at least, changing my set takes a good 45 mins for the whole process of changing the reservoir, numbing my site, and putting in a new set, with school starting, i don’t have time to do it every 72 hours, so i started to change them less frequently. So, i was wondering how often others change their sets and how long its takes you. do you do it yourself, or do you have help for an inserter or a person? Thanks
i feel where your coming from but keep this in mind its better than doing shots
i average around 7 days per site; as long as my numbers are good, and they usually are, it stays. i use silhouettes; i’ve never used an inserter. i don’t even us alcohol or prep. it goes from the package into my body. never had an infection or problem.
i know what the guidelines say and you must do what’s best for you, but there is latitude. and again, if the numbers are good, the numbers are good and all is well.
also … i have yet to see a peer reviewed study showing that a 2-3 day interval is required. the claim is usually pushed by manufacturers who have a serious conflict on interest.
finally, you don’t need to change your site, the reservoir and tubing all at once. i almost never do everything at once.
Every 2 days but I exceptional. Most ppl change them every 3 days.I do it myself unless i’m using somewhere i can’t reach
I can only get 2 to 2 1/2 days out of mine. My basal rates are very low (0.10/hour during the day) but i seem to get saturated at the sites. Maybe because I have been sticking myself for 52 years since the age of 3. My endo wrote my script for every 48 hours so I’m good.
I change my Quick Set and reservoir twice a week: Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon. I always change just before eating, so I get a good dose of insulin to reduce the possibility of plugging (non-delivery). I have left a set as long as five days, but this is, I am told, not a good idea as it takes the site much longer to heal.
I usually change mine at 3 1/2 days, mostly because I’m running out of insulin by then. But I think that even if I didn’t, I’d have to change it then anyway because the site is either starting to hurt or I’m no longer getting good absorption.
Ruth
Wow! What type of pump do you use? Maybe it is because I don’t do any numbing, but it takes me a max of 10 minutes to change my infusion set and CGM site (not counting wait time for the CGM sensor to wet, but that is even usually within this limit).
I thing the longest I’ve ever gone on an infusion set is 5 days. I just don’t like changing - no good excuse. After 4 days, usually, the site isn’t so good and absorption is an issue.
I haven’t been using the CGM but a month and can get pretty decent readings off it for at least 4 days, maybe 5. I think my battery starts to weaken after that.
I use the QuickSet device for infusion 90% of the time (sometimes I don’t have it at work) and the Senserter (I think that is the name) for CGM. I couldn’t do the CGM at the right angle without that one yet, but sometimes I think I prefer just doing it myself to the infusion inserter bc it is so loud and kind of freaks me out (the force seems excessive!).
I change my sof set and reservoir every 3 to 4 days. I did 4 days for 9+ years but am trying to cut back to 3 days. It takes about 10 minutes to change. I never heard of anyone using numbing until recently and perhaps that was you. If you hold the site firmly, take a deep breath and let it out and relax your muscles, you should not feel any pain. At least that is the way it works for me. I use the inserter. If you can, think about something else as you inject or insert. Or turn on the news or whatever interests you enough to distract!
My only issue is that the “red dots” are taking longer to heal after 10 years on the pump. That is why I am trying to change it q 3 days instead of 4. But I have no tissue damage that I am aware of- no lumps, scarring, etc.
For those who use the same reservoir a couple of times, I just don’t get it. I receive the same number of reservoirs as tubing sets in my supplies so I see no advantage for me to reuse the reservoir. I guess if you pay for your own supplies, rather than insurance, and order them separately it would make sense.
I take the same approach. I find the QuickSet device to be. . .quicker.
The Senserter has to impale with a great degree of force, in order to get that thick, rigid, sharp metal spear into your flesh far enough. Still, I usually have to push it in myself the last micrometer. I love the sensor system- it is the most useful technological advance since the invention of the pump. I suspect Medtronic knew this and knew that we’d pay the price in pain for this technology. Why spend R&D funds on making something more comfortable when diabetics will endure it as-is to get constant blood glucose monitoring?
Have you tried inserting the CGM by hand yet? I have done that and found it MUCH less painful!
It is weird that my reply, submitted yesterday, took 24 hours to appear on this thread! See above. If this reply appears, that is.
I fallow suit with many of the folks on here. I used the quick sets with the “plunger” on the front of my belly for years and then started to get resistance. This is after changing every 3 days pretty religiously. I moved to silhouettes which leave red marks on me. I change those about every 3-4. I try to shoot for 3, but dont like the sets so I end up at 4 more often.
It was the same with the CGMS sets. Red marks and if I go in at the wrong angle my body likes it even less. Im actually looking very closely at getting a Dexcom CGMS just for the real estate as their sets are rated for 7 days and hopefully will not do the same to my body that MM does (its just another device Im wrestling with).
As for pain, when you insert yourself (pinch, find angle, go) with the silhouette its a lot less pain. With the quick sets the plunger and 6mm cannulas are the way to go.
What is it that you do that takes 45min? Im thinking you might not be real comfortable with the sets. If you can, MM has local seminars where they have “pump experts” (um… yeah) that maybe can look at what it is your doing and possibly help.
i went to one of those seminars when i first got my pump. im a total whimp with needles. ironically, i hate shots and the introducer needles on the sets freak me out. i put them in really slowly. It takes 45 mins or so including numbing, but (except for about 1 min, i dont actively do anything- so its mostly waiting time) overall, actually putting the set in is quick. plus, i usually have someone else put in for me because i put the sets in my arm and i cant pinch it and put it in by myself. when i do do it myself, i put it in really slowly (a bad habit im trying to break) and then changing the reservoir and priming etc takes a few extra minutes.
Im with ya. I hate the anticipation of the insertion devices going click! I always cringe. I actually find it easier to put them in by hand so I dont have to hear the click and cringe.
hi. i usually change my site when it needs to be done… like when it falls out or it looks likeit’s infected or if theres blood. or when i have a bunch of highs in a row.
i usually go at least 4 or 5 days
Id be down to do that, but am worried that if I wait till an infection looks like its there, it will be and thats a b@#%h to deal with. That said, I always seem to miss when I want to change it and end up leaving it in longer than I should.
I change my site every 2-3 days. It takes me about 5 minutes for a site change.
JMO but numbing isn’t necessary… you’re just dragging out the process and making it a MUCH bigger deal than it needs to be… it takes me 5 minutes MAX to change out everything with my pump, but most of the time it probably doesn’t take more than a minute or two. I don’t like needles any more than the next person, but honestly it seems like you’re just enabling your own fear by using the numbing cream when you could just get the whole site change ordeal over with a lot faster.
Not changing your sites every 3 days can lead to the development of scar tissue, and increase the risk of serious site complications like infections.