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Important safety information | Prescribing Information | Glossary | |
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About Insulin Pump Therapy
Are you a candidate for insulin pump therapy? If you take insulin, have frequent episodes of high or low blood sugar, and are tired of the routine of multiple daily injections, you could be a candidate for insulin pump therapy. Any decision about using an insulin pump must be made with the help of your doctor. What responsibilities come with an insulin pump? While you will be freed from multiple daily injections, using an insulin pump means you must pay close attention to the responsibilities of managing your diabetes. You must be willing to:
Why are more people choosing insulin pump therapy? While as yet there is no cure for diabetes, medical treatment has come a long way in making it easier for people to live better with it. Today, there are many new devices, such as the insulin pump, and new types of insulin that can help you avoid the rigid rules and loss of freedom that used to be associated with diabetes. You still will need to eat healthfully and stay active. But an insulin pump therapy can help you live a more active and flexible lifestyle. What is a normal pattern of insulin release? Insulin is needed to get the sugar out of the blood and into the body's cells, where it is used for energy. Normally, an organ called the pancreas produces small amounts of insulin (called basal insulin) continuously throughout the day. The amount of insulin increases as your need for energy changes. For example, in the early morning hours, the pancreas will make more insulin as your body completes its rest cycle in preparation for a new day. The pancreas also releases larger bursts of insulin (bolus insulin) when a meal or snack is eaten. Some of the food you eat is broken down into sugar, which travels in your blood to your cells. How does the insulin pump therapy compare with normal insulin action? Before intensive insulin pump therapy, the only way to imitate the normal use of insulin was by taking many injections each day, often combining long- and rapid-acting kinds of insulin. Insulin pumps work similarly to the pancreas, allowing a person with diabetes to get insulin delivered automatically or whenever it's needed. This provides a convenient alternative for people with diabetes who take multiple daily injections. Learn more about what insulin pumps are and what types of insulin pumps are currently available. 1. The Diabetes Control and Complication Trial Research Group. The effect of intensive treatment of diabetes on the development and progression of long-term complications in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med. 1993;329:977-986.
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