Can it be used in an omnipod? Everyrhkng i have read says no but ws wondering if that is totally true.
I don’t know why not if it’s a liquid like Novolog/Humalog. Will it work as well? No. But can it (technology specific) be put into an Omnipod and used just like Novolog or Humalog? I don’t see why it couldn’t be personally
well we will soon find out…just put a new pump on with it…will let you know…I have a vial and syringes with me just in case!!!
1 Like
Novolin 70/30 is a mix of NPH and Regular. NPH is a suspension, and usually needs to be shaken before use.
I would not use 70/30 in pump.
3 Likes
It can be used, but there is some significant risk to it.
With normal insulin, people are always concerned with “insulin stacking”. Imagine doing that with insulin that comes in over a 12 hour period.
Also, if your basal needs are not flat over the course of a day, you will have to adjust your basal profile to “project” what will be needed in the future.
And if you bolus for a meal, you are adding insulin to the 12 hour released portion as well as the meal insulin. And you are stuck with that 70/30 proportion no matter what.
Also, as @MM2 points out, the occlusion possibility is higher because of the suspension particles added to it.
The 70/30 insulin was not designed for good control. It was designed to make it easy for people to mix the two insulin’s, or for people who were not savvy enough to mix it themselves by drawing a certain amount of each type into the syringe. Since my diagnosis, over the years I have used every single type of insulin and treatment plan ever devised - except this one. This is the only thing I have never used. It never made sense to me.
This seems like a possible nightmare. Are there no other solutions?
5 Likes
The pump may also give misleading info on what the IOB is, so may incorrectly calculate bolus for meals.
Using just regular in pump would be one alternative.
3 Likes
I don’t understand the reason you might want to use 70/30 in a pump.
Traditionally we pump with insulin that has a shorter activity time, because that supports the ability of the pump to vary the amount of background insulin throughout the day, and to respond quickly with a bolus when the BG is rising. By mixing in a long-acting insulin, these pump advantages are weakened.
But if 70/30 is all you can get, it can be managed to keep you alive; just much more difficult than the Regular insulin that’s also cheap at Walmart.
3 Likes
You should also be on the lookout for unexpected lows, several hours after a bolus. When you bolus for meal, you will get the mixed Reg + NPH.
4 Likes
… and sustained lows. Too much NPH means you have to “feed the basal” i.e., eat repeatedly to compensate for the excess of slow-release basal over a several-hour period. Slow-digesting foods with protein can help with that.
2 Likes