Omnipod insertion pain rating

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Needle Nightmare

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi I'm a 38 year old type 1 Diabetic whose terrified of needles.
I rarely give myself injections and as such my control is poor.

I was on the amazing inhaled insulin for 8 years which was a lifesaver for me.

Thanks to poor promotion by NhS, diabetes UK and Diabetic care teams in general they have now pulled this system in the UK.

As such Im looking for alternative delivery systems. Someone has suggested the Omnpod pump as it lasts 3 days and you don't see the insertion.

My question is how painful is the actual insertion? All I can find is comments such as a small pinch which is what they tell you about any injections. Believe me I've been ',pinched' and it no where near as painful as being stabbed with a needle!!

So any omnpod users past or present, is it more or same level of pain as an insulin injection?

Thsnks
 
Welcome.
I am not sure I have seen many posting about Omnpod, but I hope I am wrong and someone will be able to help.
 
Welcome NN. I dont use an Omnipod but a Medtronic pump. I have been T1 for more than 50yrs & I don't jump for joy at being injected 🙂. The good thing about a pump is a lot less needles etc. Every 3 days instead of every meal. Good luck but I would not like to have a big gadget stuck on the side of me. 🙂
 
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If you are on facebook, there is an omnipod UK group, you could ask there.
 
I can't speak for the Omnipod, but my son has used various Medtronic pumps over the years, and the cannula insertion is not painless, but it's a fine needle and goes into the subcutaneous fat, not muscle, so isn't too bad (I have tried them on myself). When he was little we used an anaesthetic cream beforehand so he didn't feel a thing (Emla cream). We still get it on prescription to use before annual blood tests. Could this work for you?
 
Many of the pump companies have self-serting infusion sets where you don't have to see the neeldle (unless you go looking for it).

I would liken an infusion site insertion to being flicked firmly with a finger. Depending on the area, the flick can be almost unnoticeable or really quite stinging. Though like a flick the discomfort very quickly subsides.

If you don't need/want a pump you could also try Medtronic's 'i-Port' - again it's a covered injection thinghy with a self-serter, but rather than being an infusion set you are inserting a tube into which you can then painlessly deliver MDI doses. http://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/products/i-port-advance
 
I started using an omnipod this week and it barely hurts. Injections are worse i think.
 
NN, have you seen or tried My Life Clikfine Autoprotect needles? These simply click on to virtually all types of pen, but you never see the needle. It's concealed by a sheath, and when the injection is done, the needle withdraws behind a red sheath so you can't see it then either. These are prescribable, at least here in Scotland because I was accidentally given some for my prescription of plain Clickfine needles. I don't like them because they are single use, but for anybody disturbed by the sight of needles, they are an absolute godsend.

And I find insulin injections hardly ever hurt because the needles are so fine. In fact, using an autoprotect needle, I took some convincing that I'd actually given myself an injection at all.
 
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