Tandem pump users-
Anyone using the t-90 infusion sets, do you ever get where the insulin hurts at the site when being delivered? Does this mean it’s a ‘bad’ site? (and I should change site?) Or is hurting at the site/under the site (when bolus is being delivered) normal? Does this mean a bent cannula?
Not using that infusion set, but pain isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You didn’t say when it is hurting. Does it old happen when you first start a new set? Does it only hurt when you bolus, or do r basal increments hurt too?
If the site feels red, swollen, hard, and/or your BG raises uncharacteristically, then that is a bad site and needs changed. If it happens a lot, that infusion set may not work for you.
If it only hurts for a while after first inserting it, you may have just hit a nerve or got it in the muscle. That pain should diminish with time, though It can happen if you fill your new reservoir with cold insulin, too. Open bottles are supposed to be kept at room temperature, or at least left out long enough before filling to come to room temp.
Diabetes is just plain freaky, too. There isn’t always an explanation for the randomness. Good luck!
Ah, the dreaded insulin burn. If your site burns only while the insulin is being delivered, it doesn’t mean you have a bad site. For me, this is normal. I am of average build (5’6", 130lbs) and have used both the 9mm Cleo 90s and the Inset infusion sets. I have experienced this with both sets. I rotate sites between my lower back and upper butt areas, and it tends to occur more often with my lower back where I have less fat. However, the burning (and occasional sharp pain) still occurs in my “butt sites”. I set my insulin delivery for slow, which helps some. And I have recently tried using 6mm cannulas for my “back sites”. The 6mm cannulas have helped immensely! I never change my infusion site due to solely the insulin burning during delivery. I have found that lightly itching around the area during the delivery helps lessen or remove the pain…I think it just allows my brain to focus on another sensation.
So, you may want to try a different cannula (shorter or an angled one) or spots that are more fatty than the sites you’re currently using…or just itch it. 
Good luck!
For me it’s been because the insulin is being delivered too quickly. Some pumps allow you to deliver more slowly which helps with burning.
I use the T90 with the Tandem and used basically the same thing with my previous Animas Vibe. I have far fewer “burning sites” with the Tandem than I had with the Animas because the Tandum t:slim X2 delivers bolus insulin at a much slower rate than the Animas Vibe did.
In either case, I never noticed any correlation between the burning and having a bad sight. My main site issues stemmed from discovering that I have one area of my stomach where the blood vessels are apparently closer to the surface and when I would use that area, I would be delivering directly into the bloodstream rather than fatty tissue. I would end up having to change the site due to ineffectiveness of the insulin deliveries. Also, when I would remove the patch, I would typically have a “gusher”.
Hello! I’m on week 2 of my Tandem x2 and had terrible sharp pains when I gave insulin. My site is on my butt, but it has been for the past 15 years and I’ve never had this before!
The slow bolus is the “extended” setting when in the bolus screen correct?
Thank you! This scared me so bad when this happened today.
Hi @Kylierae96, Welcome to our community. You are correct that an extended bolus is a slower bolus but there are several things to know about an extended bolus, it may be set up differently on a Tandem pump.
When setting an extended bolus on a Tandem pump you must choose the percentage of your bolus to extend and you must choose how log to extend it, You can choose to extend the entire bolus (100%) or extend only part of your bolus. Lets say you choose to extend only 60 percent then the remaining 40 percent will be delivered immediately as a normal bolus.
What you describe does not sound like a result of the way a Tandem pump delivers a bolus, if anything it delivers a bolus in a slower manner than my old Medtronic pump. I really didn’t notice a difference in the way a bolus felt.
You have been a pump user for 15 years, I really not sure there is much I can suggest that you most likely don’t already know. Forgive me if I suggest the obvious.
I would look at my site, was it an old site that was feeling worn already and ready for replacement or was it a new site that was possibly too close to a nerve. Another thought was your insulin, had your pump just been filled with cold insulin, cold insulin can sting.
Like I said earlier I don’t believe you stinging problem can be the pump itself.
Thank you for your reply. I looked at the extended bolus after I posted and noticed it wasnt what I was looking for. It’s a day old so maybe just bad placement. I noticed this pump delivers insulin a lot faster than my medtronic pump did. I’ve had burning but never these extreme sharp pains so I was really nervous and scared when it happened.
I use an AutoSoft XC set and the “burn” is noticeable typically the first bolus after a new set is inserted or if I dose an unusually large bolus. I just look at it as proof that the cannula inserted correctly.