Hello,
I have decided to go on the Pen from an insulin pump for my vacation.
Have any of you done this as well because your insulin in your pump warms up in the hot weather and does not work as it should?
I have been on the pump for 10 years and alittle nervous to do the switch. I’ll be taking humalog and lantus.
Enza:)
Have you considered this
I have used Frio for insulin bottles, and see they also make a case for pump.
Thank you for your time and sharing this.
I have not done it for that reason, but if you do it, you should try it for a few weeks at home before you go on vacation.
Humalog is extremely resistant to temperature. I don’t think it would present much of a problem, but you could also just swap out the insulin in the pump reservoir frequently if you are concerned.
If you have not taken a basal insulin like lantus in 10 years, it would be good to start practicing with it. There are some quirks with it, like how long it lasts.
I know some have taken pump vacations just for a break. But I have never taken a break. Been pumping for over 27 years. I have never had a problem with heat or cold when vacationing or at work. I worked in the restaurant business for years. Those freezers can be brutal and the kitchens can get pretty hot, but never had any problems with my insulin breaking down due to temperature variations. I will say packing for injections vs packing for pumping is different. Need a lot more space for all the backup pump supplies vs the backup supplies for injections. Good luck with whichever way you go. Enjoy your vacation!
I use the Frio on my pump when working outside in full sun. It works fabulously well and is activated simply by cold water.
Using a basal insulin will be the big difference. If you’re used to having different rates for times of day, being able to suspend and the like, you won’t have any of those things: after you take it, it’s going to do what it’s going to do. Pretty benign stuff though. I never had any hypos from Lantus alone. Figuring out the right dose will also require some experimentation—when I switched from pens to pump I ended up taking quite a bit less in basal insulin than my daily dose of Lantus. Biggest problem with Lantus for me was dawn phenom. A flat basal just can’t do anything about that. But one thing a lot of people do that I’d never heard of or considered back then was splitting the Lantus dose, so if DP is a problem for you that might be worth considering.
I took a 1-year hiatus from my pump about 4 years ago. It didn’t go well. I did it ONLY to improve my chances for losing about 30-ish lbs, which I did. My bg numbers suffered and after I reached the end of the year I wondered why in the heck did I subject myself to such “abuse” when I could have lost weight while on my pump (something I have done recently).
I haven’t had any trouble with my insulin while in hot climes. I’ve spent about 14 weeks in summer heat in Vegas, without incident. And I don’t mean by sitting in Casinos (we don’t gamble). We are either walking many miles or enjoy the sun and fun poolside. Never had an issue with insulin in our pumps (my wife is a fellow pumper).
All in all, I’m NOT going to take another pump vacation. I don’t like the variation in bg levels on MDI, and I despise having to plan my whole day around the long acting insulin, which once injected, can’t be removed, should I want to be way more active than what was planned when I injected. Active people (IMO) do far better using a pump and staying away from long-acting insulins.
I am currently on a pump vacation. Initially I was struggling and missing my pump, however I am now getting the hang of MDI again. It actually is going pretty smoothly, but it was a big shift for me. Initially I struggled, but now I am loving it. I am using tresiba and novorapid.
Frio wallets are great! They keep insulin pens at a safe temperature in the hot weather.
can i ask why you chose to switch to MDI, Julia?
I was having absorption problems with my sites. I also was needing a break from wearing the pump, if that makes sense. My endo was very encouraging and really supportive in taking a pump break. Right now it is working well, and it provided some relief from diabetes burnout.