#SugarSurfing on MDI – a solution to the down side… Injection Ports

As I’ve mentioned before, I eat a low carb, higher protein diet such that I inject far more frequently than the three times daily bolus that MDI is supposed to be. With the gain of the LIbre, I inadvertently found myself sugar surfing, and only discovered that it had a name earlier this year, thanks to Dr Stephen Ponder. 

The issue, of course, with Sugar Surfing, is that you need to input more, smaller boluses to keep your glucose level in range. On MDI this means extra injections, which leads to extra damage to injection sites. I therefore went looking for some way of dealing with this, quite major, concern. Following something published on the DCUK forum, I started to look at injection ports.

These are essentially sets, similar to those that pump users have, that you apply and inject through a septum. 

There are two types available. Insuflon, which look a lot like an intravenous set and i-Port, which looks like the Inset (and is know made by Medtronic). 

The Insuflon sets go in at an angle and the i-Port goes in perpendicular to the skin. 

After discussing with my DSN, she agreed to write a letter of approval to AMT who supply the kit and they sent me two 6mm i-Ports, two 9mm i-Ports and two Insuflon sets to trial so that I could decide which I might purchase. The Insuflon sets are a lot cheaper (less than half the price of the i-Ports) for a box of ten and neither are available on prescription. 

I started with the 6mm i-Port which I am wearing for five days. 







I imagine it feels a lot like a pump set does to wear and use. 

The initial application wasn’t difficult but I certainly felt it. The applicator makes it easy to use. I suspect that the 6mm is probably long enough for a perpendicular set as I don’t have huge amounts of body fat (around 10%). 

This one has been in for 72hours and I don’t think it makes any difference to the speed at which insulin is absorbed. It hasn’t affected the amount I need. As the insulin passes from the port into my body, I do feel a slight burning sensation, although the site isn’t tender. I am informed by pump users that they often feel something similar with bolusing.

What I note about the i-Port is that there is no way to see the point where the cannula enters the skin, so if it did look red and angry I wouldn’t know. 

It is effective at reducing the number of skin penetrations, although I continue to do my levemir into my bum. 

I notice the head of the port sticking out on the side of the stomach and I have caught it a couple of times on obstacles. I’ll give this three days and then switch to an Insuflon to make a comparison.

Hopefully this technology will work out well!