Spiking Ominipod levels following run (hot) using Humalog

After a hot run (in Texas), it appears that my insulin is less effective in my pod during the evening/overnight. I tend to need to replace my pod early because of this. I read that Humalog does not do well with a lot of motion whereas Novolog is better. I also wonder about the heat effect of having the pod on my stomach when running. Thoughts?

I have had similar issues with both Omnipod and Medtronic pumps. I cannot determine if its due to bad insulin, localized inflammation at the pump site, or an overall response to aerobic stress in high temperatures.

Thanks for the comment. Not sure if there is a solution.

I’ve heard that 86 degrees is the limit for humalog although anecdotally I’ve had it survive hotter temps. I’d like to find a solution for keeping pods cool as that’d be really helpful in the warmer months

I live in this hot state as well, runts, I just transitioned to a T:Slim pump from MDI Jan 22. I an a bicycle rider and wondered about the effect of hot days on insulin in the pump. The pump has a low and high temperature alerts with the high being above 113°F. I guess that I won’t be riding with the temperature that high.

I had thought about making an insulated pouch to keep the pump cooler. Perhaps a Frio wallet could be used. That wouldn’t work with Pods. Anyway, I think that the insulin temperature shouldn’t rise above body heat.

High air temperatures can cause a rise in BG in some diabetics. That may be the cause.

Hi again from over in the Bryan/College Station area where it gets hot and humid. :wave:

1 Like

NovoLog has been much better for me in the pump than Humalog. MUCH better. Not even close.

If you can get switched to NovoLog easily with your insurance, do that right away.

If your insurance gives you a hard time, you can appeal it and I can give you a lot of references to use in your appeal that demonstrate that NovoLog is more resilient than Humalog.

Moving to Novolog sounds like the plan. Thanks for everybody’s input. Expecting triple digits soon.

Have you solved the heat issue with pods at all?

Is it possible the vibration/jumping around/sweating associated with the run “loosens” the cannula of the pod, possibly even causes it to slightly withdraw? Just thoughts here, no experience, I’ve only used indoor exercise (elliptical and treadmill) since dx. Others here have far more experience with outdoor/sports activity…

When I had both of the tubed pumps, I would remove the pump altogether…so really no problems (except a hot car… but that is easily solved). I am hoping the Omnipod 5 has a smaller footprint and does not move around. I have no plans to go back to Medtronic or t-slim. Possibly, I should time runs around set changes if changing insulin producer does not work.

I don’t have any problem with them in hot weather. Your body temp is probably hotter than the temperature outside for all but the most extreme cases.

The only issue might be if the pod is in direct sunlight for an extended time. For something like that, you might want to have it in a place that is under clothing.

2 Likes

Good to know! I always have a pretty strong paranoia about insulin getting too hot. If I remember correctly, I think the storage recommendations go up to 86’ F.

1 Like

Yes. This happens to me way too frequently in hot weather. Pods just don’t seem to stick when running. I end up taping them and still they will fall off. One thing that has helped was a suggestion by Eric. He suggested really scrubbing the area with alcohol prior to adhering the pod. Hitherto, i wasn’t using alcohol at all. It does help.

2 Likes

Have not had a problem with pods falling off abdomen during any activity. Do not use alcohol… but should. Did not have good success with other sites.

2 Likes