Pump disadvantages??

[sikoraem]

Hello everyone!!

I am very interrested to know your opinions/complaints, as to what some of the biggest disadvantages are to pumping? Anything that really annoys you?

Much thanks for any help offered!!

[JediSkipdogg]

Finally, somebody wants a disadvantage list to pumping....

1) If you run high you have many more items to think about. Is it a bad infusion set? Do I have an air bubble in the tubing? Did I count my carbs correctly? Am I on an extended bolus and it just acting weird?

2) Sometimes the infusion of the insulin after a few days can hurt with larger boluses. If you get a bad spot, you may feel pressure as the insulin goes in depending on how bad it's getting. I've found out that in most cases, the insulin still works, just feels like pressure going in.

3) Sleeping with the pump can sometimes be annoying. Plain and simple, try sleeping with your cell phone in your bed, it's a pain at times.

4) Dreading the infusion set change every 3 days. It seems to always occur on a day that I'm extremely busy and really don't want to think about it.



That's all I can think of right now, I'm sure there's more. However, I still think pumping is far more superiour to shots, and I wouldn't switch back, as I've thought about it maybe 100 times since I started pumping almost 5 years ago.

[RLK]

I definitely agree with Jedi's list, especially #1. Don't let anyone fool you- pumping is as much or more work than shots are. But the freedom and flexibility more than make up for the efforts required.

Continuing Jedi's list...

5) For women, finding a place to put the pump can sometimes be a hassle with certain outfits. I don't wear dresses very much any more. But it can be done with some creativity.

6) The amount of pump junk that I have to pack along when traveling. I always take at least twice what I will need because you can't pop into any pharmacy to pick up more supplies like you can with syringes. But pumping does make traveling easier for me, especially when basal and boluses need to be adjusted for changing activity levels.

I've been pumping for 8 years now and, while I've had my frustrations with it, I have no intention of returning to injections.

[Gordonm]

Someone to disagree here. I have been on the pump for a year now.

1. If you are high on MDI it can also be multiple things that have made you go high. I had more unexplained highs on MDI than the pump.

2. The only pain I have had from the infusion is once in a while it will hurt for about an hour. Most of the time I can't even feel the bolus going in or even know where theinfusion set is.

3. I have never had an issue with sleeping. This was one of my fears when Igot the pump but I clip it to my shorts in the front and don't even know it is there. It is an issue for some but it has never bothered me.

4 Dreading the set change every 3 days. I would far rather do a set change every 3 days than do 4+ shots every day.

I rarely carry my supplies with me unless I am going overnight. Even then it is just a few needles and a bottle of insulin. No different than MDI.

The only thing I was worried about was it hanging off me 24/7. This has not really been an issue. Even spending the summer at the beach was no problem. It does on occasion get in the way but the benefits far outweigh the small problems.

I know everyone is different but I just wanted to point out some of my good/bad points on the pump. Bolusing for meals is far easier to just push a few buttons than whip out a needle and bottle and start filling it up.

My biggest challenge has been carb counting correctly and the days I excercise a lot vs days I am in the car most of the day. My insulin requirements are a lot different on those days. This would also be true on MDI.

[sikoraem]

Thank you! All of the responses so far are great- hearing different opinions helps a lot. Keep the comments comming!

[Fred&CharlesFan]

Good thread, and agreed with all comments.. (..especially the 3 day set change "resistance"..).
Additionally..
Cost: $$$: more stuff, more money, not everything is covered by insurrance.
-Waste: from used sets, tubing, packaging, batteries (!!!), cartridges, wasted insulin during tubing changes, you're adding more waste to the bio-hazards pile...
Accidental set extractions: ..at the worst possible times on any given busy day, when your schedule can least afford another delay... ...the tubing will jump out and grap a door handle (or some other immovable object), thereby removing the set from its installed location.... ( :mad: gggRRRRR!!! ).
Alarms: -minor audio alarms that are intentionally setup, that will go off in a meeting and have 6 people wondering who's PDA was that??!!

In spite of everything negative, would not go back to MDI.

[xMenace]

I lean towards Jedi's list.

Bad sets means more to think about, especially stacking.

We do carry more stuff around. I've had failed sets at work that I needed to replace.

Sleeping is no biggie for me. I could sleep on a roller coaster.

It does demand more effort, but IMO this is a good thing. I've learned so much more about D with it than I ever thought possible under MDI. In reality, I should have been doing those things all along: basal testing, meal profiles, and vigorous daily monitoring.

Publicly wearing a medical device conerned me, but only two people have ever commented on it in 1.5 years. When I show people they are always surprised because they never noticed it.

[HollyB]

All of the above are true, but as a mom, there is only one thing that really bothers me -- the unexplained high at bedtime. That extra "is it the set?" question just adds complication and anxiety to an already bad situation, and because you don't have long-term insulin in your system you can potentially shoot really high really fast.

In our experience, it usually isn't the set. But the fact that it might be, and that you're having to decide at 3 am whether to change the set, give a shot or just correct again and watch, is the one big drawback. Infusion sets are definitely the weak link in the system.

Like pretty much everyone else here though, the advantages have far outweighed the problems.

[Lloyd]

1. The expense (depending on your insurance situation)

2. Everything else is trivial, IMHO

For me, on a scale of 1 to 10, having a pump is 9.9.

-Lloyd

[duck]

Being attached 24/7 has to be near the top of anyone's concerns. I have gotten so used to it, I rarely think about it anymore.

Having said that, if I were single and "dating", I imagine being attached would be a little awkward in some situations.

Also, I hate...and I mean HATE having to "drop my drawers" when going to the bathroom. And it's MUCH worse in a public restroom, like if I were at work...I am so fastidious, I don't want the tubing touching ANYTHING. And I sure as heck don't want my pump touching anything.

But if anyone tried to take my pump from me, quite simply they would get maimed. I won't go back to MDI.

[RLK]

I rarely carry my supplies with me unless I am going overnight. Even then it is just a few needles and a bottle of insulin. No different than MDI.


I should clarify my "traveling" comment. I meant overnight trips or longer. Having just returned from a vacation (:)) that was several days long, I'm still in that frame of mind. For day trips, going to work, etc., I just carry an extra set change, an extra battery, and a written prescription for insulin in my messenger bag. I generally do not carry a spare insulin vial unless I'll be gone for an overnight or more.

[glashalful]

Being naked with it. 'Nuff said.

[RobiJo]

My response is similar to the others...
My biggest problem with the pump is...

1. doorknobs (tubing and doorknobs are attracted stronger than magnets)


Issues I used to concern myself with and now don't...
1. expense (no problem I'm covered)
2. The beeping used to be an issue. Not anymore for me with vibrate function. (my old disetronic would beep 20 times for a 10u bolus...how annoying)
3. Carrying supplies. There is an extra set in my desk at work and I carry Humalog and Levemir pens, an AAA battery, and one of the blue connecting parts to the cartridge (easy refill ghetto style with the pen if needed). I keep a few extra sets, cartridges in my overnight bag in a side comparement.
4. Intimate situations, just take it off, no big deal.
5. Being attached 24/7. I feel naked without it now.

An like everyone else has mentioned....I wouldn't give it up.

[BlueSky]

No one has mentioned the risk of blood glucose going very high, very fast, if the insulin supply is interupted. There is something reassuring about using a long-acting insulin. Then there is also bruising and running out of usable sites. Using a pump has also increased my level of obsession with my diabetes, which probably sounds a bit odd. But to me it is a very real issue and it is not good.

[tanyatype1]

Just had to tell you guys ~ I usually lay the pump on the bed beside me when I sleep, but I've read here that some sleep with it under their pillows. For some reason last night, I decided to try this, and I woke up with the tubing wrapped around my neck! :) I thought it was kinda funny!

[thomasb]

hm. as a newbie (since april) at pumping, i'd say... Yeah definetly the naked part. Well being singel and eh, sporadically naked. Well you get the picture.

Oh and some of my friends think it is nasty that i have something going into my body. Which makes me pretty angry, and i tell them that dissing on the pump is like complaining about someones arm, it's part of me just as much.

[Gordonm]

Being naked with it. 'Nuff said.

Ummm Where do you put it????:D

[barbarac]

I agree with everyone. I think just the record keeping is the biggest nuisance. Didn't have to write so much down with shots, but maybe if I ever figure out basals I won't have to record so much. That is the other thing. Can't get the basals right. Think worrying over whether I have supplies too. With the pen, that was all I had to carry. Just as soon as I don't have a set change, the thing will come out and there I am.

[lisa821]

I love the pump, for the most part. There are a few hassles here and there that have already been mentioned by others. The thing that bothers me to this day is that before I went on the pump, I was told I could eat pretty much anything I wanted as long as I bolused for it. This is true, but those extra boluses catch up with you, and you can gain weight pretty easy. The pump definitely isn't a cure. I just feel like when I started pumping 8 years ago that I was led to believe it would be almost like a cure.

That said, using the pump sure is more convenient for me than shooting up before I eat in restaurants! And it has stabilized my blood sugars much better than shots ever did.

[Lloyd]

I agree with everyone. I think just the record keeping is the biggest nuisance. Didn't have to write so much down with shots, but maybe if I ever figure out basals I won't have to record so much. That is the other thing. Can't get the basals right. Think worrying over whether I have supplies too. With the pen, that was all I had to carry. Just as soon as I don't have a set change, the thing will come out and there I am.

I do not keep any records, except what the pump tells me about my glucose and carb intake.
I have been pumping 7 months, so I have all my settings ironed out.

Everyone is different,

-Lloyd

[RobiJo]

No one has mentioned the risk of blood glucose going very high, very fast, if the insulin supply is interupted. There is something reassuring about using a long-acting insulin. Then there is also bruising and running out of usable sites. Using a pump has also increased my level of obsession with my diabetes, which probably sounds a bit odd. But to me it is a very real issue and it is not good.

My "sense" that I'm high works as well as my low. Mostly I can feel it in my eyes now. Strange. The tighter the control I've had the lower the number I get when I feel the high (now I feel it at about 150).

Just had to tell you guys ~ I usually lay the pump on the bed beside me when I sleep, but I've read here that some sleep with it under their pillows. For some reason last night, I decided to try this, and I woke up with the tubing wrapped around my neck! :) I thought it was kinda funny!

I clip it to my waistband of my undies or sweats, whatever I'm sleeping in. I flip around at night. It's never been a problem.

I agree with everyone. I think just the record keeping is the biggest nuisance. Didn't have to write so much down with shots,

I've always been horrible at records. Pumping makes it easy. With MM you can upload it to the website and print it off (daily if you want). I upload info from various meters I use, carb info has already been put into the pump. The only thing extra you'd have to do is put in exercise which *cough* I don't get much of...so it's not an issue. My understanding is that the Cozmo and Animas also have similar programs.

[Cyborg]

You couldn't pay me enough to go back to MDI! The only way I'm coming off the pump is if they find a cure. Any "inconveniences" experienced while pumping are trivial compared to the results, IMO... :vroam:

[lisa821]

Re: sleeping with the pump

I found this cool little padded cell phone holder that works great for sleeping. It's called a Poire Pouch. It looks like a little purse with a small handle that's held in place with a snap. They have all kinds of funky patterns printed on them. I've hooked them on pajamas that button, my underwear (it works!), the strap on a camisole--it's pretty adaptable.

I use them as a regular pump holder, too--you can snap them onto a belt loop and it just looks like you're carrying a cell phone. Guys probably won't be too interested in these, but who knows? They cost around $9. Just google Poire Pouch and you should be able to find web sites that sell them.

Of course if you sleep nekkid, this won't be much use. Or will it? :D

[gettingby]

You couldn't pay me enough to go back to MDI! The only way I'm coming off the pump is if they find a cure. Any "inconveniences" experienced while pumping are trivial compared to the results, IMO... :vroam:
I've only been pumping since Tuesday but I have to agree here.
I'm also of the same thinking as Duck. You try to take my pump and I'll take you out !!!! :T

[notme]

The biggest inconvenience in my life...... Diabetes.

The pump, is a blessing for me. Yes there is a worry of high blood sugar if the pump is malfunctioning for some reason. I don't lose sleep over it. I have been pumping for six years and only had a couple of high blood sugar from malfunction. The malfunction was ME. I forgot to put it back on after a bath. yeh...I know I know...put it on suspend.

I would not go back to MDI for anything. The freedom I feel using the pump is so great that MDI for me, would be a nightmare. I never forget my insulin. I can stay out if I feel like it and not run home because I didn't pack my insulin up.

I would say my biggest inconvenience was door handles, dresses and untimely site changes.

If you asked me for a list of inconveniences from MDI, I would write a book.

[palefacegirl03]

I have been pumping over a month,no major issues so far.
Intimate moments have been no problem.
I have not found any real advantage, hopefully the cost does not ever become an issue, good insurance is a must.


I checked out those Poire Pouches, they are cute, might have to get one.

[BriOnH]

Being naked with it. 'Nuff said.

Ditto that.

I can't stand being tethered. It creeps me out. It's a personal isssue.

[thomasb]

eh, so can you be naked with it? i mean, it's got to go somewhere. I take it off for, eh naked moments.

[BlueSky]

You can disconnect the pump for up to an hour. I disconnect during intimate moments and when showering.

[Alaska]

You can disconnect the pump for up to an hour. I disconnect during intimate moments and when showering.


Yeah well..................I take more then an hour so that's not a good option for me :D

[gettingby]

Yeah well..................I take more then an hour so that's not a good option for me :D
Maybe I'm living in the wrong state then. ;)

[Gordonm]

Yeah well..................I take more then an hour so that's not a good option for me :D


Wow you take long showers!
:D

[RobiJo]

Yeah well..................I take more then an hour so that's not a good option for me :D

You can also bolus the missed basal before disconnecting. If your basal is 1.2/hr and you will be disconnected for 2 hours take 2.4 units.

Depending on the position, you don't have to disconnect to get intimate. I really don't think it gets in the way, and neither does my husband.

[jjames]

I have an MM722, and I hate that the max bolus is 25 . . . what about those REALLY REALLY big meals? :D

As far as the nekkid thing, I'm using the 26" infusion sets, and it's annoying. But when using the 46" (or is it 42"?), I don't seem to have that much of a problem.

I also hate having only 300 units. For goodness sakes, give me 500!

[JediSkipdogg]

I also hate having only 300 units. For goodness sakes, give me 500!

I can't imagine the size of that. Lay off the birthday cake after every meal and you'll be fine. :T

[Alaska]

Maybe I'm living in the wrong state then. ;)
Yes....perhaps you are. Make sure to bring Dewey with ya. It will take more then one to wear me out;)

Wow you take long showers!
:D
Yep and long hot tub soaks too.

You can also bolus the missed basal before disconnecting. If your basal is 1.2/hr and you will be disconnected for 2 hours take 2.4 units.

Depending on the position, you don't have to disconnect to get intimate. I really don't think it gets in the way, and neither does my husband.

I dunno...the ropes from the swing might get in the way. :eek:

[Shotokan]

Also, I hate...and I mean HATE having to "drop my drawers" when going to the bathroom. And it's MUCH worse in a public restroom, like if I were at work...I am so fastidious, I don't want the tubing touching ANYTHING. And I sure as heck don't want my pump touching anything.

When I'm at home I just disconnect, leave my pump on the bathroom counter, and reconnect when I'm done. When I'm at work, I'll sometimes disconnect, leave it in a drawer, and reconnect when I'm done. If I can't disconnect, then I put it in a "pouch" that I create by holding my (front) shirt-tail with my teeth. That's seriously weird isn't it?

Now that I think about it, if you wear a pump case (that clips to your belt or something) you could hang the pump in its case around your neck by attaching a lanyard or long shoestring, which you would have to carry around for the purpose. In fact, I like that idea so much I'm going to start doing it. I'm getting tired of eating my own shirt.

[pumpman]

Disadvantages:

= Sleeping, getting wrapped in the line.

= Pump alarms, Animas is very good, but with the MM722 there were times i wanted to smash it with a hammer... The makers must have been thinking, 'hey wouldn't it be funny if we made this pump really annoying by making an alarm sound for button push and slight warning!'

= Having to change the sets so often

Other than that, pumps are great.


I also hate having only 300 units. For goodness sakes, give me 500!

Animas only has 200 units!! I do two full refills before changing sets. 500 units would be awesome!

[shabbie6247]

ive only been pumping for a month so far. only very small disadvantages so far.

the sleeping thing.... i havent so far managed to find a satisfactory way to get a good nights kip without rolling over onto my pump wherever i clip it.

going to the loo....i always worry about it falling into the loo so i try and clip it to the front of my shirt/top.

intimate times.....hasnt been an issue so far.

general naked times.......impossible to walk around the house butt naked and look attractive with the pump hanging around!

its not a bad list all in all, i still love pumping far more than mdi because for me its far more consistant, and my boyfriend no longer has to get squeamish about me giving shots in front of him.

[Injecto]

Kids. Little kids. That is one of the worst parts.

My kids LOVE to jump on me, and I let them, but I always have to worry about them jumping on the infusion set site. That kills at times.

[glashalful]

[QUOTE=jjames;275412]
As far as the nekkid thing, I'm using the 26" infusion sets, and it's annoying. But when using the 46" (or is it 42"?), I don't seem to have that much of a problem.
QUOTE]

The longer tubing would be good for putting the pump on the bathroom counter while getting ready for work (kinda like the greater freedom a longer phone cord gives you) however, I'd worry about dropping it -- with the shorter sets the pump doesn't hit the ground. For some reason I've dropped mine a lot -- it's never come out at the infusion site either, by the way!

[Dee]

The Disadvantages listed in this thread is the very reason I chose to go with the Omnipod insulin pump.

No door knob worries, no crimped lines, no bubbles, no disconnected tubing, no worry about going to the restroom or where to place the pump during sleep. Built in Cannula insertion means no infusion stuff or extra taping down of the pump or finding a place for tubing.

I just recently decided to move the pod to my bicep. I have started wearing long sleeve shirts and the light ballon effect of my dress shirts makes the pod totally invisible. Sleeping is not a problem and rest room is no problem.

The pods controller keeps all the records and lately I have the basal rates dialed in to the point that I really dont need to dial in a bolus during the day at work. Since its cool outside I just leave the controller in the car. I can feel if my BG gets too low and that is my que to eat a little something. My A1c is at 6.3 and I have stopped symlin by increasing the basals to compensate.

This thread is about disadvantages, my OmniPod is excellent so what is the big drawback?

Weight Gain! I have gained about 30 pounds on the pump this last year. All the weight I lost on Byetta and then Symlin is back. The pump has allowed me to eat anything and trying to nibble your way through life gets old.

I love to eat and the pump has allowed me to lose all control. M&M's, Cheesecake, pecans, milkshake with the kids at Sonic, total freedom! Wait, Is this a disadvantage? yeah sadly :(

[Cyborg]

I would think the Omnipod automatically disconnecting itself after 72 hours would be a disadvantage... :hmmmm:

[Dee]

No problem there, It gives you a warning, both the controller and the pod on your body will beep. The pod is very quiet and it will beep to let you know it is expiring. If you hear it beep you can go get the controller and acknowledge the expiration and it will go quiet for about more 4 hours. You can go up to about 8 hours past expiration if you want to. I do this sometimes to use all the insulin. Nowdays I can actually reinsert the needle from the new kit and draw the unused insulin out and put it in the next pod.

I have a small black bag with the controller, one pod kit (comes with the needle to fill the pod) and one small vial of 10mL novalog. I can change a pod in less than one minute. I could change a pod in thirty seconds but the pod auto primes for about 30 seconds.

If I am at work, and the pod beeps two times, I go get the controller and it will poll the pod and let me know how much insulin is left and when the pod will expire. Most of the time I will use the controller to make it wait til I get home.
Worse case you can just use the controller to retire the pod. It will beep 3 times and stop. Then put a new one on when you get a chance.

I have gotten good at removing the pods very fast. I have learned that if you peel the pod off from the bottom up, you do not need to use a solvent to remove the stickyback.

There is nothing to dread with infusion sites with Omnipod, less than one minute and your back up and running on a new location painlessly. The automatic cannula insertion in a quick click and your back to pumping.
72 hours is roughly every other day for me. I put a new pod on Saturday morning and tonight (Monday) around 8 pm I changed to the other arm with a new pod, so I am good till Wednesday. No worries, now where is that bag of cheetos? :)

[notme]

Can we please get back on track. The thread is disadvantages of pumping. Not the benefits of one pump vs. the other.

[Alaska]

Can we please get back on track. The thread is disadvantages of pumping. Not the benefits of one pump vs. the other.


ugh........ok serious

Only issue I have with the pump is when I snowmachine. I know one would think at 10 degrees you'd be cold but I actually sweat my azz off. Due to this sometimes my sticky tape for the insert comes off and the insert pulls out. Means I have to ride ALL the way back to the cabin to install a new one.
Also as luck would have it as I'm walking out the door to work my pump alarm goes off for a low reseviour.....lol

[Dewey]

Hello everyone!!

I am very interrested to know your opinions/complaints, as to what some of the biggest disadvantages are to pumping? Anything that really annoys you?

Much thanks for any help offered!!
Hi There,

The only real disadvantage I've found is that if a set or site is bad, your BG level can rise Very rapidly. Of course, the bad set & elevated BG kind of go hand in hand, so I guess that would be two disadvantages.

I love my pump & wouldn't trade it for the world. I'd NEVER go back to MDI, as I experienced way too many fluctuations on shots. That said, I would supplement with injections if/when needed, especially if I wanted to try the "untethered regimen," which can be done in different ways (i.e. taking long acting insulin as a basal and only connecting the pump for boluses, or taking long acting as 75% of the basal & using the pump to supply the remaining 25%). The second option can prevent a major high sugar in the event of a set/site failure.

[Keezheekoni]

The two disadvantages I've come across weren't the pump's fault...it was the kittens! Kittens love tubing... waking up high and having little, 1/2" bits of tubing all over you makes for a not-so-great morning.

The only other thing I could think of is the alarms in the middle of the night when I don't want them...mostly for me, it's that I forgot to check the amount remaining in the reservoir and it's gone low or the battery has gone low. Those alarms are annoying... I've learned to check those two things a few hours before bed now!