Healthy You on Diabetes:June 2006: Insulin on the Go!

Gone are the days of needing to carry glass vials and insulin syringes wherever you go. New ways to give yourself insulin may accommodate your busy lifestyle.

Insulin pumps

These pager-size, battery-operated devices deliver a continuous supply of insulin throughout the day, acting more like a normal pancreas. You can attach a pump to your belt, put it into your pocket, or strap it to your leg, so it’s convenient to carry and less visible.

“The latest pumps, called ‘smart pumps’, communicate wirelessly to blood glucose meters,” says Matthew Corcoran, MD, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network endocrinologist. “First, you test your blood with a separate blood-glucose meter. Then the meter sends your blood sugar result to the pump. The pump uses this information to help calculate the correct insulin dose. All you have to do is push a few buttons to tell the pump to give you the extra insulin you need.”

Some pumps even track how much insulin you’ve already received and how much time has passed since your last dose. Insulin pumps may not be for everyone because they require training and commitment. When properly used, the pump can help you to have a more flexible lifestyle and better blood-sugar control than injection therapy.

More good news on the horizon: Within a few years, glucose (sugar) sensors inserted just under your skin will automatically send your sugar level to your pump, which will give you the correct insulin dose.

Insulin pens

About the size of a magic marker, insulin pens fit in your pocket and purse, come in disposable and reusable varieties – and are handy if you’re on the go, especially because they don’t need refrigeration.

“You ‘dial’ the amount of insulin you need, insert the needle and push the plunger to inject the insulin,” Corcoran says. “The pens are so convenient, some people use them exclusively.”

Other advantages: The insulin pen already has the insulin in it. The dials are easier to see than the tiny numbers and lines on a syringe. “The dial also works well for visually impaired, too, because it makes a clicking sound as the dose changes,” Corcoran says. “People can learn to count the number of clicks to make sure they’re getting the proper dose.”

The pens do have some limitations: Not every type of insulin is available in pen form. Some people need to use more than one injection for large doses or when two types of insulin are needed at the same time. (Insurance coverage for insulin pens varies, so make sure that a switch to this method works for you). “In general," Corcoran says, “ People love the pens”.

Insulin on the Go!

The latest generation of insulin-delivery devices may make life easier for people with diabetes.

Insulin pumps

Insulin pens