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02-17-2006, 02:51 PM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1.5 | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 7,846
| | | Changing Infusion Set w/Insulin Left or Vice Versa
What do you do when there is some inslulin left in the chamber and it's time for an infusion set change? You don't toss the cartridge with insulin in it still, so I assume you prime the new infusion set and continue.
Which will then lead to running out of insulin before it is time to change your new infusion set. So what do you do in that case?
I should have recorded the training session... |
02-17-2006, 03:01 PM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 8,356
| | | What I do is just simply connect the needle from the new cartridge onto the old cartridge and shoot the insulin back into the bottle. Or you can somehow figure out how to get it into the new cartridge that way it's used first, but I've had no problem with mixing them.
__________________
●Blue Ash, Ohio Police Dispatcher
●Type 1 diabetic for 25 years (11 months old)
●Animas pumper since December of 2002
~IR 1000 (Dec. 2002-Jan. 2005)
~IR 1200 (Jan. 2005 - ?)
●LifeScan OneTouch UltraSmart Diabetes is an Art, NOT a Science. You must master the control by skills and not by knowledge alone. |
02-17-2006, 03:28 PM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern Utah
Posts: 842
| | I do the same thing. I always just send all the un-used insulin back to the vial. Which, I wish someone would have told me when I first got my pump, that I could do that. I threw away a lot of good insulin because of that. But, I know now, and that's all that matters! 
__________________  Laura Anne  "Happy Day! All is well! Pumping with Paradigm 712 since November 17th, 2004 Type 1 since April, 1995 |
02-17-2006, 03:52 PM
| | Banned
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 3,358
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Cyborg What do you do when there is some inslulin left in the chamber and it's time for an infusion set change? You don't toss the cartridge with insulin in it still, so I assume you prime the new infusion set and continue.
Which will then lead to running out of insulin before it is time to change your new infusion set. So what do you do in that case?
I should have recorded the training session... | When it's time for a new set the old reservoir and set go right in the trash. |
02-17-2006, 04:07 PM
|  | Super Moderator
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Mid-West
Posts: 7,248
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by JediSkipdogg What I do is just simply connect the needle from the new cartridge onto the old cartridge and shoot the insulin back into the bottle. Or you can somehow figure out how to get it into the new cartridge that way it's used first, but I've had no problem with mixing them. | Like Jedi, I usually recycle insulin (in the same way he described). I sometimes use a recently emptied insulin bottle to put the remaining insulin in, then store it in the fridge if it's not being "re-used" right away (this is especially helpful if/when pressed for money). I've not had any problems doing these things, either. As the saying goes, Your mileage may vary, so what works for me or others may or may not be the case for you. Hope this helps. 
__________________ ALL my love, Carwy & Best wishes for a healthy new beginning! 
Saying prayers for him & all our friends, every day.
_______
Dewey's Thought for the day...
"Jesus himself could be president & someone would find a reason to gripe!"
______
Pumps & Meters Used:
MM506,7,8,11 & 12, Cozmo, Animas 1200 & 1250 Many
A1C: 6.4
Type I 26yrs, pumping 12
|
02-17-2006, 05:22 PM
| | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1.5 | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 7,846
| | Yeah! Just did my first infusion change. No gushing blood, just a spec. Took me awhile to figure everything out and I did forget to remove the safety cover from the infusion set inserter needle (which explains why it did not insert the first time  ).
In regards to reusing the remaining insuling, if I understand you right, you simply pump it back into an insulin vial and then draw it back out into a new cartridge? Sounds easy enough.
Once again, thanks for the tips... |
02-17-2006, 06:24 PM
| | Banned
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 3,358
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Cyborg Yeah! Just did my first infusion change. No gushing blood, just a spec. Took me awhile to figure everything out and I did forget to remove the safety cover from the infusion set inserter needle (which explains why it did not insert the first time ).
In regards to reusing the remaining insuling, if I understand you right, you simply pump it back into an insulin vial and then draw it back out into a new cartridge? Sounds easy enough.
Once again, thanks for the tips... | why do that if money isn't a huge issue for supplies? |
02-17-2006, 06:58 PM
| | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1.5 | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 7,846
| | | This time I just threw away what I had left, which was only 17 units plus whatever was left in the tubing. And since insurance will cover an entire month's worth it really is no big deal. I can see a potential problem if the endo writes the script for the insulin based on the TDD reading from the meter and I'm throwing away unused insulin from the cartridges every time I do an infusion set change. |
02-17-2006, 07:24 PM
| | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 8,356
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by spike why do that if money isn't a huge issue for supplies? | Because it does cost money in copayments and with people like me I'm being limited on my prescription till my doctor changes it. I need 2100 units in a month, however, my insurance won't cover 3000 units since they don't make 100 unit vials. So I need to save and get that extra 100 units each month until I see my doctor in April and get a new prescription. Plus why waste it? You figure some might be wasting 50 units every 3 days or more. So in a month that is half a vial on insulin. Plus stockpiling supplies is always nice because you never know when you might lose a job and paying for diabetic supplies is not cheap. I currently have about a 9 month supply of insulin pump supplies next to me. I'm not worried of losing my job on that basis.
__________________
●Blue Ash, Ohio Police Dispatcher
●Type 1 diabetic for 25 years (11 months old)
●Animas pumper since December of 2002
~IR 1000 (Dec. 2002-Jan. 2005)
~IR 1200 (Jan. 2005 - ?)
●LifeScan OneTouch UltraSmart Diabetes is an Art, NOT a Science. You must master the control by skills and not by knowledge alone. |
02-17-2006, 10:18 PM
| | Banned
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 3,358
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Cyborg This time I just threw away what I had left, which was only 17 units plus whatever was left in the tubing. And since insurance will cover an entire month's worth it really is no big deal. I can see a potential problem if the endo writes the script for the insulin based on the TDD reading from the meter and I'm throwing away unused insulin from the cartridges every time I do an infusion set change. | I get 3 vials a month and I've never run short of insulin. My usual amount per day is around 35-45U. |
02-18-2006, 08:30 AM
| | Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Lexington KY
Posts: 381
| | | I never reuse the insulin left in the reservoir. The extra time involved and increased chance of contaminating the insulin albeit probably small isn't worth it for me. I do make an effort to only fill the reservoir with only the amount of insulin I need. I almost have it down to a science now.
Jason |
02-18-2006, 08:53 AM
| | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1.5 | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 7,846
| | | Now that's clever. But I suppose you have to know exactly what you are going to be eating... |
02-18-2006, 09:00 AM
| | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 4,815
| | | Like Jason, I do not fill my reservoir all the way. I use less than 25 units a day. I fill the reservoir to between 100-110 units and then prime. By the time the priming is finished and I connect to the new infusion site, I have about 85-90 units left.
Karen |
02-18-2006, 01:24 PM
| | Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Lexington KY
Posts: 381
| | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Cyborg Now that's clever. But I suppose you have to know exactly what you are going to be eating... | I usually just put an extra days worth based on my averages to be on the safe side. This give me some flexibility without wasting too much insulin.
Jason |
02-18-2006, 02:30 PM
| | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1.5 | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 7,846
| | So this way you end up changing the infusion set and the reservoir at the same time and waste minimal insulin while tossing whatever is remaining.
So if you are far from home and without your supplies, and running low on insulin, you're eating low carb!  Not being sarcastic, I like your idea... |
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