It's Happening again!

I have been having alot of infusion set failures . My bolus gets diluted because it is in blood. They seem to work for a day or two and then on the next day I have unexpected high bloodsugars. Several corrections don’t bring it down. I experience this every once in a while. I have tried the angled sets and the tsure sets with no luck. Does anyone have any way that I can avoid this?

I am not sure what you mean by this.

A separate question I have is if you discussed your problems apparently with your infusion sets or sites with your medical team?

Are you still using Dexcom G4 as stated in your profile or are you on a different CGM now?

I am personally not a fan of pumps, as my infusions tended to last 1 or 1/2 day if the weather was warm and I was sweating, however, a pump break may help your sites heal a little, and you can try tresiba in the thighs and maybe an insulin pen in the arms for boluses…you can put the Dexcom in your arm also, its just not technically approved

I am using the g6. I have not discussed my problem with anyone yet. I think I will give it a bit more time before I do.

I have had the same problem. Sets fail in one day or less with blood occasionally but high BG which usually levels at 200 mg/dl. I have tried to figure this out. So far the TruSteel seems to be the answer and I am switching from teflon to steel. So far, it is working well!

Jeff

Have you not had an infusion set in a blood vessel? When I eat I bolus and if some of that bolus is diluted by blood I will have a high that is not typical for what I have eaten. These episodes seems to happen every 3 or 4 months. I have tried the angles sets and the tsure sets before when I was having a problem.

How long have you been using the tsures? I am thin but I think I have enough fat to sink my infusionsets in. I have some tsure infusionsets left over from the last time I used them. I wonder if I should give them a try again. I normally get between 75 and 85% time in range if it weren’t for this happening. What pump do you use. I just found out I have to wait another extra year before I can get better technology. A total of 2 years I might give Medtronic a call to see what they can do for me.

I am now wondering if my reasons for my failed sites are from the canula bending and I was thinking it was in blood instead? I don’t get occlusion alarms but I have notice condensation in the window of 90degree mios. I thought I would get an alarm when the canula was kinked. I really want to find a solution as I don’t want to have to take injections.

Using Tandem X2 Basil Control Pump. When this started I had been doing really well but not now! On my third steel and it is working, so far.

I will do a few more then switch to them permanently. None of the teflon tips work for me … even the 6mm. I never got any occlusion alarms. I think the insulin is scooting up the sides so the pump thinks it is working fine! There is a name for that, but I don’t remember what it is. (Senile!)

Jeff

Pretty well every time a sure hasn’t been working when I take it out there is always blood. The site change I did this morning I didn’t get it to work until on the third try. I don’t think the insulin is pooling under the infusion set. I also started taping the tubing close to my site so if the tubing gets pulled it won’t pull at the site. I read that that can aggravate it.

I switched to steel insets due to problems with plastic cannulas kinking, irritations etc. It is much better, I change them every 2-3 days. I have rx to do it sooner for the irritations but I usually don’t have to.

I have noticed sometimes the plastic cannula gets narrowed at the tip. I think it happens when it butts up against muscle and gets damaged every time I move around.
I had pain from the steel ones. Probably the same issue only my muscle takes the abuse instead of the cannula.
My diabetes educator explained the steel will cause more scarring because of there being a sharp point always in you and when you move it cuts every time.

I have found a way to use the plastic ones.
I clean the site. Then put on a iv3000 tape
Then I poke through the iv3000 on an angle so the cannula is almost parallel to my skin.
Tape it and it’s good to go.
You just have to be willing to insert manually those 90 degree spring loaded ones never worked for me

I have 90 degree mios. How do I insert these springloaded sets manually?

I am not sure this will help as when I have had blood in my pods, it hasn’t mattered. But I was getting a lot of pod failures, but then some other people had complained around that same time frame. So not completely sure if it was the pods or it was me.

But I started using a scar oil and sometimes just plain argan oil on the side I removed my pod from. Pod failures and poor absorption that had been happening more often have virtually stopped. I think it only took a few weeks. My long time 40 year appendix scar is completely soft and smaller too. I know the scar oil works because I had major shoulder surgery 4 years ago with a huge 12 inch scar and I started using the scar oil pretty quickly after and you can’t even tell where the incision was.

So you might try just in case it helps.

I think they refer to this as tunneling. Happened to me last week, 2 sets in a row. But first time since starting in July.

When BG shot up quickly after change, I bolused, and was still going up quickly. Lifted one side of tape on infusion set, and could see insulin on skin, under adhesive. (XC 6mm sets). Did 2 sets since then, have worked fine.

I noticed the bottom end of cannula was bent up on those that failed.

1 Like

You can’t insert the 90 degree ones manually. But you can take apart the ones that go on an angle and put them in manually.
If you are lean the 90 degree ones will hit muscle and bend. If you have some fat then you might be ok. However I almost never have an issue with the angled ones
6mm cannula spit in on an angle almost never had tunnel leaking.
The shorter 90 degree one will move in and out and loosen the hole and allow for leaking.

1 Like