Scar tissue?

I've been using a OneTouch Ping for around two years now, with the Inset 30 infusion sets. I have a fairly slim, muscular build, and don't have a lot of fat to stick canulas into. I've been using my stomach and hips, mostly, but now I've got crazy scar tissue all over. I hate using my legs (the whole thing always rips right off) and my arms ( i can never get to the infusion site). I'm wondering- is there a way to break up scar tissue? or a way to more easily use my arms and legs?

Wow. That's a question for the Women-Folk. We men just point 'em out and claim they're shrapnel from the war. :)

Serious question: Are you allergic to the teflon cannula in the Inset infusion set? Ever think about trying a steel cannula?

You shouldn't be scarring like this. Something rather woofie (tech term!) is going on here.

I never even thought of that! Thanks super much. I'm going to for a checkup sometime next week, so i'll make sure to ask. But, if that was the case, would i still be left with lumpy, numb-feeling skin months later?

Potentially... yes. That's what scar tissue is. Lumpy and numb. But everyone reacts a bit differently. Some folks react with redness, itching, or whatnot right after insertion. Others find it's a more progressive process over days, weeks or even months. It's all up to your body how, when, and how much, it reacts.

Something else to look at: a smaller diameter cannula. You might contact these folks for a sample of an Luer-lock type infusion set with a really *tiny* cannula:

Link: http://www.orbitinfusionsets.com

They are also just a *wee* bit shorter. If you're one of these twiggy little wimmen (notice tongue planted firmly in cheek here), you might benefit from this.

All though I've been pumping for many years I thought scarring was inevitable. I know some people are prone to develop scars. Hopefully you'll get an answer at your appointment.

Woah wonderful! they really do look tiny, so i would prolly have more space to insert, helping insulin absorption AND eliminating any chance of an allergy.

I've recently lost a lot of weight, not to make me twiggy, but instead to make me more muscular. And jabbing needles in muscle isn't really very fun :/.

Thanks so much for all your help! I'll see if i can switch cannulas soon!

I'm hoping so too! I didn't know that some people scar more easily than others, but I'd hoped that it'd take a little longer than two years for me to start getting scar tissue, you know? Thanks for your input!

Hiya. I just tried my first Orbit Micro infusion set - put it in about an hour ago. So far so good. It has a 5.5mm stainless steel needle.

I'm allergic to teflon. It manifests as a reddening bump where the cannula goes in that gets itchy at 1 day and itchier/redder from there. If I leave a teflon set 3 days there is a big welt when I remove it. That spot takes several weeks to heal afterward. I thought this happened to everybody - my CDE said most people get a red spot. But what a difference when I tried a stainless steel needle instead!! All it leaves is clean skin with a tiny hole that disappears very quickly. No inflammation.

I hope you can figure it out! Sounds really irritating. I am old so I don't mind getting a bit lumpy, but I'd have hated it a few decades ago.

-Linda

I have become very careful about rotating my sites in the past 4 years, since I wrote this discussion about scar tissue
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/583967:Topic:167026

I have an inserter, which my husband is able to use to put my set in for me in my back and butt where I couldn't do it for myself. I keep a log book of where I've put it (with my own notes, such as Right butt, Quadrant 3) so I don't go anywhere near a site within a 30 day period. Since I've been doing this, I've been able to occasionally go back to some spots I really used too much in my first 15 years of pumping. legs and arms are kinda out for me, as I did all my shots there for the 23 years or so before I started pumping (1967-1990). I use 6mm MM sof-sets.

You know, my cannula sites are always so itchy, too. I also assumed that it was normal, but i wouldn't mind avoiding that! And yeah, going to the beach and getting asked why my stomach is all red isn't really the best time. I'll make sure to bring it up at my next appointment!

Doesn't the butt hurt??? I remember doing shots there a few years ago, and it wasn't the best time :/. I keep a food log, so I think it would be totally doable to keep a list of my insertion sites! Thanks so much for the ideas!

Hi again, SophieKate. Here's and update on the Orbit Micro: The only directions that come with it are in pictures (avoiding language issues, I guess) and they are truly confusing. i wasted my first set by trying to follow them. On the internet I found the company site and watched a video of how to prime/insert etc. - Much better!! Next problem was at dinner time. Occlusion/no delivery alarm when I bolused. Had to prime again. Tried a combo bolus thinking the finer needle can't take large increment boluses... Didn't work, grrr. Finally took my bolus in .4 increments, waiting a few seconds in between. Mostly worked till i hurried the last one. Went into pump settings, found the occlusion sensitivity - already was set to Low. Found the bolus increments were set to .5 so I changed that to .1 I am hoping this will make it work, because this is the most awesomely comfortable set I've ever used!!

Good luck at your appt. Let us know what they say. I think your diet is a great idea. The only guy I ever met who claimed to have cured his T1 diabetes ate only raw vegan food that he grew himself. Tall order. Also he fasted for about a month when diagnosed (1920's i think?) because he preferred to die rather than live with the disease. I met him in his 70's. His garden rocked!

Woah that sounds irritating! I'm glad you figured it out, though! And it's comfortable? Wonderful! Yeah, the vegan diet seems to help me avoid a bunch of problem cravings, like ice cream, that make my blood sugar SOAR. Also, the raw diet helps lower my sugar tolerance, so I end up avoiding things like candy and chocolate, even if they are vegan. I don't know about curing myself, but stabilizing myself, definitely! I'm not really sure how it works-- what tubing sets are the Orbit Micro insets compatible with? I'd love to order some, these huge cannulas are killing me! :)

Hey thanks! How long have you been pumping?

Well the Orbit micro set comes with its own tubing. And it's blue (tubing) which is supposed to make bubbles easier to see, though you can get clear if you prefer. It's luer-lock and works fine with Animas cartridges.

I'm still not sure if I solved the occlusion problem, though. I realized I changed the audio bolus beeping increments which I don't even use, instead of the delivery increments. Half a unit seems to be as slow as it goes. But all my boluses today worked fine anyway so maybe it's not an issue. I'll keep you posted.

I got mine from Solar Medical Supply in southern California I think. They have all the other kinds too and anything for any kind of pump. Nice people on the phone, which they actually answer personally, too! Good luck. I'll let you know if I have more trouble. The other kinds of metal sets work fine. I just don't like the tail of tubing left when you disconnect on the ones Animas carries. I like to sauna and the tail insulin gets cooked! The orbit solves this -tried it today (:-)

You can use your butt, your thighs, and your arms. Try giving your tummy and hips a few months rest and see how they do.

I scar really easily, and my first year pumping wasn't any help, either, so my stomach is still pretty much toast, even after ~10 years. One thing I did learn though was that the scar tissue was worse if I used IV prep. I have to only use alcohol swabs. For some reason, if I use anything else, it's like all out warfare on my skin.

As far as scar tissue, I've never tried any of it, but all the "how to" sites seem to say things about using vitamin e, [sweet] almond oil, jojoba oil, rosemary water, bio-oil, scar zone, or mederma to help. All these take time to do a lot of work, though.

I'm not pumper (yet), but I have seen quite a few youtube videos of changing out pump sites and different infusion sets. Some are more low profile than others it seems, but I was curious as to how having it in your butt affects sitting or is it on the upper portion so it's not really sat on? I just did my first shot in the butt last night and although it didn't hurt at all, it did bleed which I thought was surprising considering I haven't really bled from any other site, most of which have less fatty tissue than my rear.

My husband helps me with this. I have a little chart that divides each side into 4 quadrants, so when he says "where are we going with it today?" I say, "left, quadrant 1" etc. I don't go so low that I have to sit on it, but I use old-school sof-sets that have a very small profile, so on the occasional time he does put it in a little low, it's not that bad. I actually think it hurts less inserting there than any other place.

My arms and legs got a ton of scar tissue from the syringes, and after two years I think the scarring has cleared enough for me to use the sites again. I hope yours clears as well!

You know, I think I'll try my arms again next. I super don't want to mess up my tummy and hips for any longer than necessary~~ it's so convenient! And thanks for the tip on the IV prep- I don't use it if i can because it's so sticky and smells terrible- so I'll just stick with the alcohol.

And hmm. Maybe I should invest in some Vitamin E oil, from what I've heard it's like a miracle solution! And I guess it's fairly cheap? Any bit of improvement helps!