Recently I’ve begun to notice that my stomach and lower back, where I typically put my pump and CGM are beginning to not quite work, or they hurt more when I change a site. I’ve started to use some of my upper bottom, but was wondering if the pump or cgm could go in the arm or leg. Has anyone tried these sites?
I use my bottom for the pump… and my love handle for the sensor. I’ve wanted to try arms/legs… but to be honest I am a little afraid!
I use my thighs for my CGM and love handles for infusion set. I don’t have a large abdominal area (short torso), so I don’t have a lot of real estate there. The only issues I’ve encountered is being “reminded” by minimed staff that the legs are not FDA approved areas to put sensors.
Hello, I am currently transitioning betweem my pump (which I’ve had for about 14 years) back to shots. One of the main reasons being that I feel as though I have run out of sites!! That being said, in the past couple of years I started using my arms for my pump sites and they worked extremely well! Unfortunately there is only so much room on your arms to move sites around and in the summer people might stare at you like you have the plague or repeatedly ask you if you’re okay or WHAT hapened
to AshB - my doc suggested to me a “pump vacation” periodically, e.g., a week on shots. I could not fathom going back to shots only forever… UGH. So give it a rest for a bit and then go back!
sanfordc - I rotate my infusion sites to my hips and thighs when my abdomen needs a rest, also. I found changing to a smaller cannula (I normally wear a 9mm, but ordered a box of 6mm just for these sites) reduces the irritation I get when I switch to a more muscular area (butt, hips, thighs).
I use the back of my arms for my CGM sensor. For my pump - both hips, both sides of stomach. It works out to be a little over a month before I am back to the same site area.
I only put my CGM on my thighs or my arms. If I try to put it on my stomach the skin breaks down much more easily and develops a really itchy rash.
When I was on the Omnipod (I’m currently back on MDI) I would use my arms, my opposite thing, my back, my hips, and my breast tissue. But with the Omnipod, I didn’t tolerate part of the adhesive so I broke out into painful, itchy rashes everywhere but they were way worse on my stomach so I just went back to MDI.
I have been successful with following this pattern for pump sites. (4) sites on my left upper hip, then (4) lower left stomach, (4) lower right stomach, then (4) on right hip. I use cold pressed coconut oil as a body oil and it heals the sites quickly.
Then this is the pattern for the CGM. (2) weeks on my waist far left side, (2) weeks on my waist kind of front left side, (2) weeks on front right side, (2) weeks on far right side, (2) weeks back of my right upper arm, (2) weeks on the back of my left upper arm.
This seems to allow time between site usage for healing and not having any useage problems. Hope this is helpful.
I know this is an older post, but this may help. I put my daughter’s sensor on her love handles/hips and on the back of her arms. I do her set sites on her arms, stomach, hips, upper butt and thighs. I can normal see the old dots from previous sites and make sure I move away from them so that we can reduce the chance of calcium build up.
I always put my CGM in my thigh and rotate my pump sites between thigh and abdomen. I’m just not flexible to get my pump site on my back and i dont trust my husband to help me with putting my sensor on my arm!
I use the pod, but I wear it on my arm, and I wear my Dexcom CGM on my leg. I’m the type who just doesn’t really care if my pump shows, but I have found these sites to work very well for me, and they are generally fairly comfortable.
I place my CGM and my pump sites on the arms, abdominal, butt, thighs, love handles, and basically anywhere I can find a spot. I saw a lady put her CGM on her calf. Has anyone seen/done this? I did shots/pens for 18 years and have had a pump for the last 5 years. I have found that having a routine is best to give each area a break and allow it to heal.
You can definitely put the cgm on the back of your arm. Works great. Never tried a pump there, but have friends who say it works well.
My daughter puts her pump site and her cgm on the back of her arms and hasn’t had any problems.
Thanks for all the advice! I’m looking for a new spot for my CGM (was using love handles), but nervous to try other places. Does anyone have an easy, not scary next spot to try?
All the issues apply - ideally it wouldn’t get in the way of clothes or exercise, preferably isn’t visible, etc. Thanks <3
I use the back of my arm for my sensor because I try to reserve my more fatty tummy and back love handles for my pump sites. I was afraid at first of using my arm because…ouch! But I was pleasantly surprised when i hardly even felt it go in! If you put it in the right spot not on the outer or inner part you don’t really need to worry about smacking it on anything. Also, of you use SkinTac prep wipes it will really help with the sensor adhesive. Same with infusion sites as well. I also have this sleeve thing i got from sleeksleeves.com that I will wear at night just to cover it while I am tossing and turning. ALSO…haha…if you haven’t heard of GrifGrips you need to look it up. I use them all the time and they are site savers! Anything to make those expensive suckers stay on for as long as possible, right?
Hi! I have had a cgm for about three years now and the only place I will do it is in my arm. I use to have a pump also but just recently I went back to shots (just for a change and to give my site spots a break). I also do the shots in my arm because that is where it hurts the least on me.
I have put my CGM on my thighs before and it works great. The only reason that I stopped putting it there for a while is because I am a teacher and I accidentally ran into a desk and ripped my site out once. So I’m giving my legs a break.
I put my CGM on my arm, it bled a little into the CGM but the readings are REALLY accurate! I’m going to try my thighs next week!