I changed my site on April 30th. I normally put it in my abdomen. This time I put my infusion set on the front of my leg, which is the Thai area. Since that site change, I’ve been having a lot of low blood sugars when normally the amounts of insulin I dial in work properly without lows. This time it seems like nothing is working. For example I fix the low with carbohydrates to only have it go back down again. Please help me!
Think of how much fat is on the front of your thigh vs your abdomen - for me, there’s little fat on that part of my leg, but a lot more on my stomach. If you’re injecting more into the muscle, it’s probably absorbing a lot faster there, and causing your problems.
I think I’ve got it figured out. I had changed my infusion set as it turns out it was in a vein and usually it goes high, but this time it was going low all the time. My Medtronic app said I was 11% low and I’m never had this
Many low bloodsugars in a day.
If this is the first time you’ve rotated away from your abdomen and (as I gather) you’ve been pumping for a while, it’s possible you’re just getting better absorption due to the relative lack of scar tissue. In that case you may need to lower your basal rates when you’re in that area. See how it goes with an extended temp-basal at some lower percentage. If it seems to work you can set a second profile you can use for that. Not sure what pump you’re using but both Tandem and Medtronic have that capability.
In my experience it’s pretty hard to accidentally get into muscle with a pump—I mean, you can, but just having the canola in contact with the muscle sheath hurts like heck, to the point where at least for me I HAVE to take it out. Excruciating. Likewise I’ve had plenty of bleeders over the years but I don’t think that’s the same as injecting into a vein. If anything I get occlusions when it happens and again I have to relocate the set.
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Recently my DME sent me a box of needle infusion sets which I used toI use I now use angled Varisoft in my abdomen manual insertion. I started using the needle sets in my abdomen where I do have some hyper trophy. I love them they are comfortable and easy but both times I put one in I had severe hypoglycemia after every bolus and it would come up with treatment and then drop again. Just like you describe. Probably better absorption with needle for some reason but I don’t use a lot of insulin with cannula. Only 25 units a day. Not worth the hypoglycemia. Also with insertion in thigh and arm movement increases blood flow and absorption
I don’t believe it’s because I’m getting better absorption in the thigh. My previous experience of putting it in my thigh it’s a pretty well works just the same as what it does in my abdomen.
Next time, I think I will try on the side of my leg rather than in the front. I prefer to do that area only when I’m wearing shorts as it’s easier to pull them up and down without ripping out the site.