I am in desperite need of a new location to put my pump insertions. I used to use my lower back to either side of my spine and under my ribs but the pain became unbarable on 90% of the tries so I quit using it and only use my stomach now and even have favorite places there that are frequented.
LADIES- where do you suggest putting it? What is your routine like? Do you sit at a desk all day? Do you wear jeans/tight/snug? Shorts?
Also do you ever have burning when insulin is being delivered. That happens a lot for me and drives me crazy! I always figure I got a nerve or blood vessel.
In the last couple years I've had to expand to using my upper thighs and back of my arms. Doing that has allowed some of the other sites to heal so they are usable again. A lot of people use their rear ends, but I've always thought it was painful and I have an office job, so isn't practical.
To use other sites you might have to experiment with different infusion sets. Contact he pump manufacturer for recommendations and free samples.
Sometimes the insulin does burn. Don't know if it's when canula is near a nerve or if it's near muscle tissue. Usually I just endure it, but if it's really bad several hours after a new infusion site, I move it.
I use my stomach, backs of my arms, legs and butt. I do have stinging sometimes when insulin goes in, and I don't know how to fix it except to change the site. I'm a student and a secretary and it has never bothered me in my butt. I put it in sitting down to make sure I won't be sitting on it. My legs are probably my favorite sites, but they are so overused right now i have to wait for them to get better to use them again =(
I use the back of my arms in the winter, and mainly my stomach. My endo suggested using the sides of my (sorry guys) boobs as well. In the summer it works because I can get away with tank tops and not worry about tubing everywhere. I've not tried my legs or butt yet, that just scares me.
I sit at a desk all day and am very active outside of work (mountain biking and jogging). I'm pretty limited to the sites I use, but my stomach and the high sides of butt work best. In fact, the sites on the rear are the most comfortable and out-of-the-way places for me. I wear mostly fitted clothing and it still doesn't create a problem. My tubing is still long enough for me to tuck my pump in my bra as well.
Jenn - I can't believe you can use your boobs, but your scared of using your legs! lol, I never even thought about putting my pump there. I'm scared just thinking about putting my pump there =P
Actually, a diabetes educator on another forum (Dlife) said NOT to use breasts since the infusion site skin can get lumpy and damaged over time. Not sure if there's a medical reason, or just cosmetic. Either way, I'm not doing it.
Rebecca - I know it doesn't make sense that I'm scared of one but not the other. Then again, I never said I made sense. :-P Maybe I'll break down and try my leg next time. You know, bite the bullet and all.
Jenna - I did a lot of research before I did it. The only thing I found was that you had to be at least two inches away from.... um....yup. I also questioned if it would interefere with mamograms, and my obgyn wasn't concerned. But I can fully appreciate not using that area.
Ok... I "bit the bullet" and used my backside. I have to admit, it isn't as scary as I was making it out to be. The niceness of not having tubing running from my upper half to my pump on the waist bad cancels out the necessity to be more careful when having to go pee. I only caught the tubing once, so I don't think I did too bad. :D
I've just been using the pump for the last 2 years but i've never tried any spot except my lower abdomen. It is starting to get a little red and sore. I would like to use my buttocks as there is a lot of flesh, but I have never tried it. Isn't it painful when you sit or do exercise? Is there any advice you can give me on deciding the right spot?
You need to start using other spots. I used my stomach exclusively too and the skin became overused and eventually was really painful. After you give your stomach a break the skin will have time to recover. On your backside, try anywhere you can reach to put the infusion site and don't insert where you actually sit. Also try your upper thighs, arms. Just experiment and you'll learn pretty quickly which spots work better than others.
Also, I have to increase my insulin dose slightly when using any spot except my stomach.
Toomshum- I just tried my backside for the first time last week. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. To make sure I didn't sit on the site, I sat down to insert it. The area ended up being right about where the top of my jean pockets are. The only time it hurt was when I snagged the tubing when I went to the bathroom the first time. After that first time I learned a way around it, and all was well. I really like my arms, especially in the winter.
I have started feeling lumps on my abdomen region. I'll try inserting it on my back now after asking my Medtronics consultant. Like Jenn says, I guess one just needs some time to learn your way around it.
How about when you go to sleep, does it bother you?
Where do you insert it on your arms, doesn't the tubing show a lot?
Sleeping doesn't bother me. I've not had any problems with that. I keep my pump clipped to my pj bottoms. When I use my arms it is on the back of the upper arm as near to the top as possible. If I wear short sleeves you can see it, which is why I save that area for winter. I thread the tubing up the sleeve and then into my shirt. The tubing does tickle my underarm a little, or make it feel like I have a string on my shirt, but you get used to that really quickly.
I have to say that is the first time I have ever heard of someone using a boob or arm for insertion site. Are you using an omnipod or the medtronic insulin pump? But I will try anything once.
Hey Jenna, where on dLife did the educator suggest NOT using the boobs? I've looked, but I couldn't locate it and I would like to do the extra research. Thanks!!
Janis Roszler is a CDE and moderator on Dlife. In the past she discouraged infusion sites on the breast several times in the Ladies Room forum. I searched Dlife but couldn't find any references to the old threads, probably because they did a major overhaul of the website recently.
Think you can contact her on facebook or linkedin for more info.
Roszler recommended not using the breasts because infusion sites can cause lumpy tissue, which could make it harder to diagnosed tumors or cancer in breasts.