Hi everyone -
Lately, my insulin seems to be going bad sooner. My blood sugars skyrocket and I do not like it. What are the signs a pump is going bad? How long do they last? Could that be my problem?
Insulin going bad is not too common. Is it cloudy appearing? How long do you leave in your set? Some people find they can only leave it in a certain number of days before the insulin becomes less effective. (It's not technically bad). I would suggest checking other factors. When are you experiencing highs? is it 2 hours after meals? At a certain time of day? All the time? If it is after meals and happens all the time you should tweak your I:C. if it is a certain time of day you should tweak your basal for that time of day. But if it does actually only happen after your set is in 3 or 4 days and happens across the board, then that might be telling you that you can't keep it in that long. Another option is to try switching to a different body area. That area may be getting "tired" and having problems with absorption. You don't really give much info to go on so I figured I'd cover a few possibilities!
It's unlikely that your insulin is "going bad" again and again, unless a single vial you are using is bad, and several fills of the pump from that same vial have exhibited the same issues.
Then again, if the vial had lost potency, you wouldn't see a pattern of working insulin then stopping working after a day or so.
It's likely that the pump itself has a problem, and is not accurately delivering programmed doses. For example, maybe it's okay with pumping a little for basal, but bolus quantities are a problem for something that's wearing out.
Best way to test the insulin is go on MDI for a weekend with that same insulin. Just use your pump to calculate doses (and track IOB if it will let you). See what happens then. That will resolve the insulin question.
In any case, contact the pump manufacturer and get their help.
I appreciate both answers. I didn't know that a certain part of the body can get tired at all. Never heard that. That is not really good news for me. I'm really skinny and don't have alot of places to choose from. If I pick a new place, it does the sting like a bee thing and I can't take that for 2-3 days. I've tried all the different types - slanted, etc. Maybe I'm keeping it too long. I hope that's the case. It's bad all the time. I usually run 70 - 100. I bolus way over what it says and it still won't go down yet works just fine in the beginning couple days. Maybe I'm losing track....I hope so - better than the other! Thanks so much.
"Tired" is just my word for it, Laura. But yes, I have experienced that if I use my favorite body part (stomach) for a very long time, it loses effectiveness; I've heard other people say the same. Can't hurt to try another area and see if that solves the problem. when you say you bolus way over what "it" says, do you mean according to the ISF you've programmed in? I find I need different ISF's for different times of the day, and sometimes they change and I need to tweak it. If you are repeatedly correcting and not coming down in three hours you might want to tweak your ISF to give you more insulin for correction.