[snowhite]

I was diagnosed as Type 1 last April at the age of 51. Have been doing MDI's for the last year but will be getting the Omnipod pump in the next week or so. I'm curious if tanning beds have any affect on insulin.

[Cinnabon]

Welcome Snowhite...

I have heard so many things about tanning and the actual blood sugar rising, I am not too sure. I can speak from my experience, I was at the beach last weekend, disconnected for a good 2-3 hours, and nothing happened. Later on that evening, I had a slight rise, but corrected immediately, and evertyhing was good and had a nice tan too.. lol
I would think than tanning beds would maybe have the same effect , or even less, than the actual sun.

[Yvonne Burns]

I have never been to a tanning salon but would assume that the temperature is warm, there. I would be sure to disconnect and put my pump elsewhere. This of course, is only my opinion, but I have had experience with insulin losing effectiveness as it grew warmer. Good Luck!--Yvonne

[JediSkipdogg]

From what I understand with tanning is that it increases the body's absortion of insulin. This can cause the person to change insulin doses. Witha tanning bed the tan is more sudden and the doses can change faster.

Another part is with too much tanning, you can descrease insulin absorbtion. The level that that occuries varies from person to person.

I do know though that it is recommeded to disconnect a pump when going to a tanning bed. It's in all the manuals for Animas, Minimed, and Cozmo insulin pumps. Therefore I would think it would apply to the Omnipod as well. The problem is, how the heck do you really disconnect it? My understanding is you can't.

[Cinnabon]

Originally Posted by JediSkipdogg

The problem is, how the heck do you really disconnect it? My understanding is you can't.

I simply disconnected and put on the small plastic cap on top.

Snow,
You definitely have to diconnect it and place it somewhere safe and not in the heat.

[JediSkipdogg]

Originally Posted by Cinnabon

I simply disconnected and put on the small plastic cap on top.

Snow,
You definitely have to diconnect it and place it somewhere safe and not in the heat.

I'm talking about the Omnipod. As in you can't just disconnect that to get it away from the heat of the tanning bed. And since there are actual electronics in there too, it could do something to those that we don't know about yet. Therefore everytime snowwhite wants to tan, she has to waste a pod. Basically, she'll have to plan on tanning around pod changes ONLY, otherwise waste insulin and pods which is wasted money.

[seacomp]

Originally Posted by JediSkipdogg

she'll have to plan on tanning around pod changes

Didn't they make a movie about that, "Night of the Living Pumps", or something like that?

[snowhite]

Your comment about tanning around the time of a pod change is probably what I'll need to do. Shouldn't be a problem since I don't tan that many times a week. Thanks for the suggestion. I may email Insulet to see what they have to say about the Omnipod in tanning beds.

[sugafreedru]

i guess i am vein.

i would be worried about having quarter size white dots on my stomach when i went to change sites. you would have to change sites between tans so the polka dots wouldn't be so noticable

[Belinda]

Ok folks...coming from a person who uses a tanning bed in March, April and May every year for the past?????? can't remember. I disconnect my pump (MM0 and it lies with my clothes. As for tanning and the effects of it on insulin absorbtion I have never seen any changes.

For the polka dots.....at first I have white square patches from the tape but soon they go away when I change sites....all brown all over.......

[snowhite]

I didn't think about having spots from wearing the Omnipod while tanning. Thanks Belinda for responding to Sugs comment since you have already dealt with not having a polka dot tan. As long as I change the site of the Omnipod when I switch pods all areas should get tanned. Voila, no polka dots.