24 Comments
If you wear a pump or CGM, when in your daily routine do you prefer to change your sites/sensors?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
© 2023 T1D Exchange. All Rights Reserved.
I wish I could check my accuracy of CGM while sleeping or that eating did not interfere with setting up my CGM. I am grateful for it’s existence though.
The good advice is to never change a pump site before bedtime, and if you change a CGM at the same time, never before a meal. Do I always follow this? No. I will swap out a pump site and CGM at 8 pm now and then. I have a BG meter and syringe available in case.
I change when the device calls for it—when the insulin runs out in the case of the pump, and in the case of the CGM, when the sensor time period is up.
When I first started on pump and Dexcom, I picked a time when I am usually at home and not busy and started the first one then. That way the Omnipod/Dexcom always expires when it’s usually a good time to start another one. Doesn’t always work perfectly, but it’s been close.
After a shower, Early, Mid morning, afternoon after work under the current COVID-19 environment.
A better question would have been “when is the worst time to change . . .” I don’t like changing an infusion set at bedtime in case the site isn’t a good one. I’ve had occasions where the cannula hits a piece of scar tissue or other impediment and the insulin doesn’t flow correctly. However, any other time of the day is fine. For the CGM, I like to change it when my blood sugar is least prone to jumps. So I don’t do the changeover right after a meal, for example.
My CGM is changed in the morning every 10 days. The insulin pump is changed when it runs out which varies depending on a variety of circumstances.
Pump site= when insulin runs out CGM= Anytime during the day
I change both my pump reservoir and CGM whenever they run out or expire. Because the CGM is specifically timed, it’s in the evening, so that the 2 hr start is done before going to bed.
This is a second question where you’re lumping CGM and pump sites changes together (10 days vs. 2-3 days?). The timing and preference of each type of site change is different to me. I rarely do both at the same time.
I agree with others here. I change my pump infusion site when the insulin runs out usually. I will reload the resivor and reinstall the new infusion set before the resivor runs out if insulin would run out overnight or during a time when I can’t reset the pump, like driving. Insulin is too expensive to throw away if I can avoid it. And with my CGM sensor, i like to do it in the morning so I can get the “warmup” complete. Sensors are also too expensive to throw away.
Sensor in the evening so I don’t have to worry about eating and bolusing. Site in the morning because then I can watch the effects, maybe go a little low.
No CGM, pump only. I used to always change the canula and reservoir at the same time. When the insulin ran out. That meant the canula sometimes stayed in place a day or so longer than recommended. Lately I’ve been changing the canula site when the pump tells me to, but not the res, that I change only when empty and will refill it even, in order not to waste the 20-30 units of insulin in the tube n res, or if it will run out in the middle of the night.
Insulin site: change whenever it’s close to out. Rarely have a problem. CGM: change it in the morning since after warming up it often goes nuts and sends out non-stop alerts that would make sleeping impossible. By dinner time it straightens itself out. Dexcom support reassured my not to be concerned, this is not unusual.
I agree with at least one other that grouping CGM and pump sites is not a good idea because they are on differnt schedules and serve different functions. I prefer Dexcom CGM early evening so the countdown warnings don’t awaken me. I wish I could shut those off entirely, or make them silent. For pump, I change in the AM so I can see that it is working well in the day, not at night. Bad site would escape detection longer. I see many people commenting that they change the site when the pump runs out of insulin. I am not crazy about this approach for several reasons- 1) some who do this leave them in longer than the site is still absorbing well, leaving a period of high blood sugars- I see this in downloads all the time; 2) it might run out at night, then there is a risk of delayed change and high BG levels; 3) Insulin in a reservoir can be removed if you don’t want to lose insulin, or figure out how much you need for the period you find good function (number units per day x days + number needed for priming + some extra), understanding that 20 + units is not counted in T-Slim.
I change them when they expire or if close to expiration and I am not going to be home when they do expire.
This question is very similar to yesterdays question. I change the 14 day Freestyle Libre when it times out, or when it becomes loose, or when it stops reading accurately, or when it quits reading and tells me to change. It is never the same time, same day, or same reason. Sometimes it goes for 14 days and I change when it prompts me to change sensors.
I change infusion sets when I have the time, or if they pull out every 2-3 days. I change CGM when it expires or shortly thereafter, sometimes before when it is too late in the evening because I like to be receiving readings before I go to sleep.
I didn’t notice, when I answered this, that you seem to be asking about both sensors and infusion sets. My answers to those are very different. I tend to change sensors in late morning. I like it to be as far as possible away from bedtime, so the sensor will stabilize a bit and let me sleep. But I also want the old sensor still working while I exercise, so on sensor days I have breakfast, then exercise, then change sensors. On the other hand, I change infusion sets just before I go to bed. No special reason for that, though.
I change sensors two to three hours after dinner (so it is stable before I go to bed and so I can still see any changes in levels after dinner). When possible, I change infusion sets just before a meal bolus.
Although I indicated “it doesn’t matter,” I wait until l have less than 5-6 units in my cartridge. If it’s in the morning I’ll change it than, in the evening than. If l start the day with less than 20 units will carry a prefilled cartridge, switch it out appropriately. Generally at lunch although there’s been times I’ve just taken a break and switched cartridges as needed (follow all the steps except inserting another insert). But I’m using 38 units a day, this may not work for others.
I don’t change them at the same time. My CGM expires every 10 days at approximately 10:30 am. I try to apply a new sensor at that time. I change the pump when the cartridge has less than 16 units of insulin left, but aim for early afternoon because I want time before dinner to make sure it’s working correctly. I don’t keep a riding schedule because my activities change during the week and I want it to be a convenient time for me.
No preference. You can advise and advise and advise, but, as one person said, “When the devil calls for it . . .” Oops, sorry. When the device calls for it, you do it 😘😘
Pump- whenever it either tells me it’s out of insulin (I know that’s bad; sometimes I just forget it told me there’s only 10 units left). CGM – usually in the morning so it’s done calibrating completely by the time I go to bed.