Do you numb your site before you change your set?
I was just wondering... Does anyone else numb ther site before putting an infusion set? I dont know any other diabteics who do, but im sure im not the only one! If you do, how do you numb it? I use ice and i tried emla (an RX numbing cream my endo perscriped) but it didnt seem to work. has any one tried it or any other methods of numbing because i am a total whimp when it comes to changing them every 3rd day. thank you :)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by onesaint on -
No, but wow. That thought never crossed my mind. My concern would be keeping the area clean for insertion. Do you freeze then alcohol swab? I suppose dry Ice would work well for this, although Im not sure (again) how clean it is. Kudos to you for thinking of that.
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Permalink Reply by Chris on -
dry ice will burn you. I work with it every day, and while my hands are slightly used to it, when a part of my body that is not used to it touches it, its very painful
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Permalink Reply by onesaint on
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Ouch. Sorry, was thinking of it as a kid, it numbed, but never really hurt.
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Permalink Reply by FatCatAnna on -
I'm the same as Onesaint - in keeping the area sterile - that's always been my worst fear having an infection set in and you know all the $#@! that happens with that. I guess if you numbed the area with an ice - as long as you swipe it with alcohol again - you should be alright. What kind of infusion set are you using Jessie?
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Permalink Reply by Jessie on -
i use silhouette sets. i always make sure its disinfected before i put in it though
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer on -
Don't use dry ice. You would injure your skin.
No I don't use anything to numb my skin. I don't find it is painful for the most part. I had more pain with injections.
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Permalink Reply by onesaint on
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cant quick swipes of dry ice numb a location? I know if you handle it for long periods of time it can be damaging, but quick applications I thought was ok. Oh, well I guess I just became another person giving bad advice on the net! Sorry about that!
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Permalink Reply by Marie B on -
I am the biggest sissy here about needles, infusion sets, etc. I've been using EMLA ever since I went to a dermatologist and she used it on me, and I thought, wow, how about I use this stuff for site changes. The trick is you have to put it on one hour before you change. put about a teaspoon and then cover it with a tape of some kind. I then wait an hour, scape it off, rub a alcohol over the spot, and FEEL NOTHING!!!! I recently asked another dermatologist about long term use of it, and he said no problem, even for kids, because you are rotating sites. It gives me courage to try unusual spots too.
the generic is just exactly the same too.
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Permalink Reply by Jessie on
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i tried emla, but no matter how many alcohol swabs i used, i couldn't get the residue off and the glue on the site didn't hold... plus it never really felt like it numbed me, i did leave it on for about an hour or so.
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer on
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Can you try washing the emla off with a wet warm wash cloth to get the residue off prior to using the alcohol pads? It shouldn't take away the numbing effect. When you put the emla on did you cover it with a tegaderm for that hour? That is supposed to help it get absorbed.
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Permalink Reply by Cara on -
I do not, although I have large numb parts from my c-section from 6 years ago. But I've found if I insert the infusion set there, I have issues with proper absorption for some reason. Never have figured that out.
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Permalink Reply by TS on -
Wow! you guys use alcohol?! I would NEVER do that, dries the skin and will make trouble for you after years of doing it. I use absolutely nothing, I often don't even wash the site (not recommending this). Insulin has tons of buffers and preservatives in it.
Seriously, the ice thing is fine if it makes you feel better, but talk to your endo or a nurse about the alcohol.
I've been on a pump for over 15 years and a diabetic for over 30 years.
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