What's the best wireless insulin pump?

Diabetic Insulin Pump, changing the insulin?

• I use the Animus 2020 and my doctor and pump advisor instructed me to change my infusion set, and refill the insulin resivoir every 3 days. i understand why changing the infusion set every 3 days is a good idea, to lower risk of infection and to maintain adhesion to the skin, but why change the insulin? i fill the resivoir with about 100 units of humalog. Thats just enough to last me 3 days, so why not fill it with 240 units (max. amount that can be held in pump) and still change the infusion set every 3 days, but only change the insulin every 7 days, or untill it runs out of insulin? its more of a convinience thing than anything else. would the insulin go bad after only 7 days? PLEASE share personal expiriences and knowledge.

• Answer:

  Alright, I usually ignore the change the reservoir part. Honestly, I haven't noticed any difference. I usually go through a 300 unit reservoir in around 5-6 days. So its about double that. But by your account, it would take you 9 days or so. Most of the precaution is that you wear the pump near your body, which is a constant source of heat... 98.6 degrees of heat, to be exact. Insulin doesn't do very well in hot situations, and can become less effective, or even become as just as effective as the solution it is in (aka not effective at all). the longer its exposed to temperatures above 80 degrees, the less effective it can become. So they say to change it around the same time as your set, to be safe. Honestly though, I've gone as long as 7 days without changing it without noticing a difference. In regards to this: "i understand why changing the infusion set every 3 days is a good idea, to lower risk of infection and to maintain adhesion to the skin" its not just the infection risk, or the adhesion factor. Those are both very valid points, but you can leave these things in for as long as a week without it being at risk for infection, as long as you keep yourself clean. And the adhesive is very strong, and can last forever in the winter. I know because I have gone way too long before changing before. Its not safe, or healthy, for a different reason than infection, though. The main issue is that insulin is a human growth hormone. When you keep pumping it into the same site for more than a few days, you start growing hard tissue around where the site is. It isn't scar tissue like most people think, it is just an influx of new skin cells because the insulin is reaching its point of entry right there, so since insulin causes cell growth, you are experiencing rapid skin cell growth right there underneath the surface. This leads to decreased absorption and your insulin becomes less effective.