Hi Myriah, Do you rotate your sites often? I had the same issue with high BGs, and bleeding. Im a MM pumper, but the Reps there told me it was the bleeding was a sign of scar tissue. I was rotating every 3 days but only around my belly button and not going further back on my hips / back side. Now, I pretty much stay away from that area and dont have any issues.
Heres a few things to try, 45 degree sets instead of 90 degree sets. Find the sets with the thinnest cannula, rotate often and far away even from the last few sites (not just hip to hip, but hip to arm, to other hip, to thigh to hip), steel sets (the cannula is steel as opposed to teflon), and lastly super tight BGs. I noticed that the tighter my BGs have gotten, the less my body reacts to the sets. Also, you might call animas or your endo, describe the issue and see what they say. If its scar tissue, youll only get slow to nonexistent delivery with bleeding every time you use that area. Hope this all helps.
Usally this happens when I use the same place over and over again. You should probably have each site in atleased 3 days before changing,and always to a new location on your body. If I were you I would do allot of differnt things,I would stop with the sites for a week and go back to the old fashion way of using regular needles to inject yourself for every bolus. I would get a new brand of sites,you maybe using a canula needle instead of a plain needle,which can cause alergic reactions causing your skin to swell drawing back the insulin you inject and causeing blood to form at the area. Mainly because white cells to rebuild and retracting the swelling of the injection area. Another tip would be to see your family docter “even knowing they don’t know much” for advise on the next step on what to do. Oh,and also you may have to upgrade in needle size to a 6mm to a 9mm needle…
I had those on my thighs from MDI as a kid. Never really understood why and the endos didnt discourage the thighs as sites. After moving to the arms, then pump the thighs eventually went down. I think the tissue is still a bit tough though.
Pump sites worry me out because of the scar tissue factor. I think if I could square bolus with MDI, I might switch back. Well that and have fluctuating basals.
I find I cant use the arms or thighs with the pump sets. As you said, too painful. Its having the cannula into muscle that makes it rather uncomfortable for me. Ive got a nice layer of fat to boot! Still Im always looking for the thinnest cannula I can find to avert the scar tissue issue. Interestingly enough, since going on Dr. B’s management style, The sets dont really bother my as much.
Wish you luck on your MDI adventures.
Hmmm. Interesting. I almost always keep my sets for 3 days and I use Apidra. It hasn’t been a problem. It is very rarely hot where I live. I’ve even re-used the resevoir if I had a lot left when I had to change my set and it’s been fine for another day or two!