27 Comments
If you have gone swimming while using an insulin pump that has to be disconnected while you are in the water, how do you manage your insulin while swimming? Select all that apply to you.
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I have done all of the first four choices depending on what my sugar level was
I do the first four besides getting out of the water to bolus, depending on my BG.
I periodically getting out of the water to check my blood sugar and respond accordingly
It all depends. So many different variables help determine what I do
I always check my blood sugar before I swim and turn off the insulin for the time I’ll be unattached. If it’s low, I eat something. If it’s high, I swim right away. When I’m done with my swim, I check my pump to see my current blood glucose and to resume the insulin. If my blood sugar is high or low, I either bolus or eat.
I check my status before, during, and after just as I do on a daily basis. It is part of “D” life. Sometimes it is proactive other times it is reactive and treated as required.
For beach holidays I take a pump holiday and go back to MDI
That sounds like a good idea. Sometimes I find it nice to not having that “thing” hanging on my body, and what really irritates me about wearing a pump is when it falls off my waistband and jerks on my site. That can be quite uncomfortable
I would do any if the top 4 choices depending on what my blood sugar is at the time.
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I usually have a bit of IOB so even if disconnected, I do fine for about an hour in the water. Often it will increase a bit after I get out and then I bolus whatever basal I missed. I leave my Apple watch and glucose tabs next the pool so I can see where I am.
I avoid public pools because I don’t want to get my cannula or sensor and transmitter wet. Also, I do not trust the cleanliness of public pools. I want to avoid infections. On rare occasions, I will walk into a pool where the water stays below my insertion sites. But, I don’t stay in long enough where it matters what I do with my insulin, I just disconnect.
Swimming often lowers my sugar.. So what I do will depend on what my sugar is beforehand.
If we are on vacation and plan on being at the pool/beach more than a couple of hours we disconnect, leave the pump in the hotel room and manage with mdi as needed throughout the day.
I don’t take my pump off while swimming. I put my pump in a water proof pouch.
I no longer swim. I disconnect my pump when showering.
I said I do not do any changes, but of course that depends on what my sugar levels are before and after I swim
I have an Omnipod and I do not need to worry ever again about disconnecting when going swimming. But I remember the days that I did and I would always end up with a low or High. Very grateful that is no longer an issue!
It has been many years since I last swimming due to repeated diabetic foot ulcers. The one I’ve got now has been with me for more than 3 years now, and I’ve had another that was with me for 4.5 years … plus others inbetween.
I check my sugar before I swim and bolts accordingly. Then I remove the pump. I just keep checking sugars.
I’m not a swimmer.
But, about 20 years ago, I did some scuba diving. Because exercise lowers my BS dramatically, when I do anything, I need to turn the basal off. Also had to disconnect as the pressure under the sea (can not say or type that without thinking of “The Little Mermaid”!) might damage something. (I don’t remember if that thought was from the pump manufacturer, but I know I had it.)
I’ve been swimming all my life and have not had any major issues while swimming w/ a pump. I used to simply take it off and have no major concerns for an hour long swim workout.
I no longer wear a pump and after 5yrs only is 1 shot of long acting basal and inhaled insulin for bolusing. much easier to manage my BG this way! Insulin acts SO FAST, in & out of my system I don’t have lows while working out in the pool!
I have a waterproof bag that I put my pump in so I don’t need to do anything.
Why can’t the manufacturers make a water proof pump?
I make sure that my glucose is above 140, and test my blood sugar every half hour to see if I need more glucose to prevent lows. I keep glucose tablets and orange juice at the end of the pool .
I do not understand why there are so many answers for giving boluses and not enough to raise glucose when exercising.
I chose “other” because although the manufacturer says to disconnect, I purchased a waterproof case that safely holds my pump without letting water in while swimming.
I should note, I did try swimming without my pump on the first time. I suspended the pump, as directed by the manufacturer. This led to my pump alarming while I was swimming. It was so loud that someone sitting nearby started to look in my bag to see where the noise was coming from. I noticed her looking, and got out of the water to find out why. This situation felt very awkward to me (and I think to her), so I found a way to keep it from happening again.