Woes of changing to a new pump from another manufacturer

[Ellie Jones]

Being an experienced pumper of around 10 years, I generally have good control and if it goes of I generally know why but..

Changed over to a new pump on Monday, Medtronic 640G, since change over I've been struggling, some real high readings and a struggle to pull them in line again. No apparent reasons for the drifting off...

I've doubled checked whether I did enter the basal, correction information from my old pump over to the new one, which I have done so can rule out a data entry error, no errors.

So can a pump from a different manufacturer delivery method make that much difference to your control? As this is about the only thing I can think of.

I'm still waiting to be able to order up the CGM part, as I'm self funding this so need Medtronic to sort out my hospital account, then I can sort out my part of the account. So looks like it be another fortnight before I can get up and running on the CGM

Any advice for the mean time, really don't want to faffle too much with basal rates until I can see what the CGM might reveal

 

[Flower]

Hi Ellie Jones

Have you got a selection of different types of infusion sets to try as that can make a difference. There are a few that Medtronic make Sure T. Mio, QuickSet and Silhouette . Ask your DSN or Medtronic Rep about them,. https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/products/infusion-sets

When I changed from Roche to Medtronic about 12 years back I did have trouble with one type of infusion set I tried so changed to a different one and haven't had any issues . I can't see why swapping pump manufacturer and putting all the settings etc that worked for you in one pump shouldn't work as well in another.

Hope you can get things sorted . 🙂

 

[Ellie Jones]

Errm, ponder the sets, I'm using Mio 30's, which is the same as the tender link angle ones. So should be like the pump act the same errm.

As to considering pump delivery, it's something I remember from way back when I first started to research pump therapy, that there was something about the pumps has slightly different method of dividing up and delivering the hourly basal dose. Can't remember exactly what it was now, but at the time I know people said it made a difference!

Shall plod on, and hope that once I can order my CGM starter kit, that I can get it up and running, as so don't want to do the old fashioned basal testing of having to wake up overnight to stab finger every hour

 

[Radders]

Errm, ponder the sets, I'm using Mio 30's, which is the same as the tender link angle ones. So should be like the pump act the same errm.

As to considering pump delivery, it's something I remember from way back when I first started to research pump therapy, that there was something about the pumps has slightly different method of dividing up and delivering the hourly basal dose. Can't remember exactly what it was now, but at the time I know people said it made a difference!

Shall plod on, and hope that once I can order my CGM starter kit, that I can get it up and running, as so don't want to do the old fashioned basal testing of having to wake up overnight to stab finger every hour

That was what I was wondering. I seem to remember searching but being unable to find the answer too. I do recall some claim by Roche, it might even have been my pump trainer who told me, that their Spirit had the highest frequency of doses of any pump available at the time. If its true that there are differences in the frequency then I can see how this might affect levels. I know that I am more sensitive to my basal than I am to my bolus for example, and I have always assumed that it’s because it is delivered in tiny bursts rather than all at once. It would follow that if I changed to a pump that delivered the basal in less frequent but larger amounts, my basal requirement would increase.

 

[Ellie Jones]

I did a lot of research on pumps over several years, as it took me just over 3 years battlement to be funded for my first pump, and like you I started out on the spirit pump in 2008...

And I'm not sure, whether it was a theory discussed by users of various pumps, as at the time, pumps were just becoming more advanced with what they offered, such a minute micro basal adjustment and other features coming in.

A couple days on, and no more nearer with understanding what's happening, but not been helpful being in work, we do 12 hours shifts. But it appears, that there might be an issues with my early hours basal, but without doing a full fasting test and hourly checks overnight, really can't be 100% sure. Being work, means no chance of getting testing done, as fasting while doing the work I do, isn't a good idea at all.

 

[HOBIE]

Really good luck Ellie. I have a Libre that tells me where I am at 24hrs a day. Now on my 3rd Medtronic & have not experienced the probs your getting. Hope it gets sorted 😉

 

[Radders]

I did a lot of research on pumps over several years, as it took me just over 3 years battlement to be funded for my first pump, and like you I started out on the spirit pump in 2008...

And I'm not sure, whether it was a theory discussed by users of various pumps, as at the time, pumps were just becoming more advanced with what they offered, such a minute micro basal adjustment and other features coming in.

A couple days on, and no more nearer with understanding what's happening, but not been helpful being in work, we do 12 hours shifts. But it appears, that there might be an issues with my early hours basal, but without doing a full fasting test and hourly checks overnight, really can't be 100% sure. Being work, means no chance of getting testing done, as fasting while doing the work I do, isn't a good idea at all.

I fully understand your difficulties running basal tests while working. If I can’t do a proper basal I sometimes adjust my basal for the gaps: for example there are a couple of hours between when my breakfast basal runs out and my lunch. Then I just use the bolus to cover the other times. If basal testing isn’t possible, and sometimes it just isn’t, then adjusting holistically is an option.

 

[SB2015]

I did a lot of research on pumps over several years, as it took me just over 3 years battlement to be funded for my first pump, and like you I started out on the spirit pump in 2008...

And I'm not sure, whether it was a theory discussed by users of various pumps, as at the time, pumps were just becoming more advanced with what they offered, such a minute micro basal adjustment and other features coming in.

A couple days on, and no more nearer with understanding what's happening, but not been helpful being in work, we do 12 hours shifts. But it appears, that there might be an issues with my early hours basal, but without doing a full fasting test and hourly checks overnight, really can't be 100% sure. Being work, means no chance of getting testing done, as fasting while doing the work I do, isn't a good idea at all.

Hi Ellie

Sometimes a ful fasting basal test is impossible to fit in. If I am having obvious problems at a particular time I have sometimes just tested the problem time slot, or even set an alarm and tried a small change using a TBR initially, with another alarm at the end of the problem slot to see what happened.

 

[trophywench]

Yep - I use sporadic TBRs for that all the time, on and off as necessary.

 

[Ellie Jones]

Some useful tips, I've done the temp basal in the past for setting up a second or third profile, but i think it's a case of taking a pitch, see who happen's. And hope that work colleagues understand what I'm doing, but alas I think some may not after yesterday's attitude towards me, when I was struggling with high levels.