Insulin Pumps

I also suffer hypos in the night but highs at random times during the day possibility caused by the dawn thing but as my HbA1c is running at 6.7 I thought it would be impossible to get a pump. Has anyone managed to get one with ok HbA1C?

I also would like to try the pump route - have been told that as my Hba1C have always been good - currently at 6.2, been down to 5.9, then there is no chance. I have been type 1 for 20 years now and seek that holy grail of normal blood sugars, and whilst I don't do too bad, I feel the pump would help me get that bit closer. I work shifts, in a fairly responsible role, but have been told no way.

Hi Adrian and Simon , i always think its worth asking you diabetes health team im not sure if different Health care trusts have different criterias ~ jenny

I would of thought that if your HbA1c is as good as that, without the hypos then you dont need a pump, you could benefit from one obviously, but at what price........

It all kind of feels like it did 28 years ago when I had to buy my own Novopen and needles and blood testing strips but know things have changed so much and prices have dropped etc. I just wonder if it will be another 20 odd years before pumps are the norm and even us oldies get to have a go!

Novorapid - that is precisely the argument my consultant uses - the Hba1c's are very good, and so any relatively minor improvement would not be worth the cost, it may be different in other PCT's as it is very much a post code lottery, there may be some that would agree to fund a pump, but mine won't.

Adrian - I suspect you are right, it will be 20 odd years before we get the opportunity.

The prize for looking after yourself and your body - and keeping NHS costs down by drastically lowering the risk of severe complications, is self satisfaction only

Can you not buy one yourself? Can you claim it on tax?

Here you can buy one and the amount you get from private health insurance depends on the sort of criteria you seem to have for getting one free. You can buy one even if your HbA1cs are "normal". You just have to pay for it. Quoted prices $AUD5-8000. When I discussed the rebate with my private insurer I was asked if their not covering it would mean I did not get one. I then decided that if they did not cover it I would still seriously consider buying my own. My HbA1cs are light years from 6.2 (Wow, congratulations!) In the great big scheme of things how much would you pay?

Assuming trade ins, upgrades etc it may not be a bad deal and the technology will get better and presumably the price come down (relatively).

Helen

Hi, I don't know the exact cost as there does not appear to be any price lists that I know of. The price that is usually quoted is £2000 - £5000 for the pump that lasts about 2 years and then some unspecified amount for the other bits you need. The state will provide the actual insulin though which is a help. I would be helpful if anyone has bought one in the Uk could perhaps give us some idea of cost.
By the way I have only achieved a good HbA1c after DAFNE and a total change of life style. I found that having extra injections for snacks a pain so stopped snacking! What I really want to get rid of is the total randomness of some of my BGs and stop having so many hypos.

I am an Accuchek combo pump user since August 13th 2010.

My hba1c was 7.1 but I had awful highs within 1 hour of waking and 2 weeks before I was put on to pump I had a hypo incident one afternoon whilst driving.

A little info...pumps can take up to 6 months to get used to. I had an excellent pump user that helped me by phone everyday initially. Within 10 weeks my levels are now 6.4 my high morning levels have disappeared, and my levels are much more balanced. However, I have been checking my bloods at least 10 times a day to achieve this. During the night I have tested every 2 hours for two nights every 3 weeks. You do have to have a commitment to making a pump work, whether you are the parent of a child or the actual user of it. I have to have household insurance to the value of £3500 coverage for an indicidual item, costing about £6 extra a year on contents insurance cover.

There are guidelines that the hospitals have to follow to give pumps, your hba1c should be ABOVE 7.5 and your insulin control has been erratic and that all methods of multiple daily injections have been tried. If you are on a single long acting insulin, they may want you to change to two split doses a day before a pump is ocnsidered.

Pumps are not the perfect gadgets, certainly the accuchek combo pumps have an excellent remote control, but there are alot of people that get air bubbles in the insulin/tubes.in body. If you are pumping air, obviously you are not getting insulin, and levels will go up. They do take a bit of thinking about initially, but not too bad if you can 'hook up' so to speak with someone that is an experienced pump user that can give far better experience advice than hospital professionals who are have gone through the theory but actually haven't actually tried using a pump themselves.....

You must be prepared for wearing it 24/7/365 if using an accuchek one, as they have to be taken off for showers and baths, although the cannula's can stay in.

Hi i too have the accu-chek combo , all what you say i can relate too , im doing a lot of blood tests at mo , im having terrible trouble with the dreaded air bubbles and do notice higher sugar levels when ive found a bubble , But on the positive im noticing really good levels after only 5 weeks on the pump , but like you say thats down to hard work and really wanting to make a difference to my blood sugars - Jenny