Drysuit and Insulin Pump

[616fun]

Hello,
I posted this a while back - but I wanted to see if anyone has more to add to the conversation.

I am a diabetic diver in very good control (HbA1C stays aroung 6.1) and use an insulin pump. I recently purchased a drysuit and will be taking the course within a few weeks.

The question I have is can a person safely dive dry while wearing a device like an insulin pump? Obivously if this is an option, it's much better than what I do today (unhook the pump and go an hour without the pump attached - then check BG and adjust accordinly between dives). I have spoken with the pump manufacturer and of course they do not recommend diving with the pump. I am guessing it more about liability than the possibility of an issue of the pump being able to handle pressure.

The points that I have thought of in terms of the pump are:

Compression could push the buttons on the pump and accidently deliver insulin - my way around that is to set the child lock buttons (it takes 15 buttons pressed in a sequence to disable the child lock) and then slide the pump into a hard plastic sleeve that I have.
Could the infusion set tubing be compressed by the suit and squeeze some of the insulin from the tubing (the tubing holds approximately 10 units of insulin). I'm guessing no bc it was very difficult to compress the tubing. If a drysuit squeezes that much - I don't think I'll be diving dry long.
There is a definite danger of ruining the pump if the suit floods. I know that some water can enter a drysuit - but the pumps are made to endure some moisture, just not fully submerged for any period of time.​

Am I missing something else I should be thinking of? I would like to play in a pool to determine if my plan to dive dry while having my insulin pump attached is feasible.

 

[bedmund]

Brian,
I dive with an insulin pump too and I dive dry. Here's what I do -

I work to get my bg to around 160-170 prior to the dive and I disconnect the pump before gearing up. After the dive I do a bg check right away and I've found most of the time it's lower than the pre-dive reading even though I've been disconnected from the insulin.

I disconnect my pump not because of concern for the pressure pushing buttons but for pressure doing things to the interior workings of the pump that might deliver insulin when I don't want it to. The mechanics might be suseptable to pressure changes but no one has tested that eventuality and I don't want to.

And also, since my bg is reduced by diving I'm not concerned about not having a basal dose of insulin for the time I'm disconnected.

(edit) I forgot to say my A1C's are also very good. Around 6.5.
I'm no doctor but that's my take on it.

 

[616fun]

I dive the same way right now, except I'm using a wetsuit. I guess the question I'm asking is if anyone has dove with the pump on. Maybe - like you - I don't want to be the first human guinea pig :11:
Thanks

Brian,
I dive with an insulin pump too and I dive dry. Here's what I do -

I work to get my bg to around 160-170 prior to the dive and I disconnect the pump before gearing up. After the dive I do a bg check right away and I've found most of the time it's lower than the pre-dive reading even though I've been disconnected from the insulin.

I disconnect my pump not because of concern for the pressure pushing buttons but for pressure doing things to the interior workings of the pump that might deliver insulin when I don't want it to. The mechanics might be suseptable to pressure changes but no one has tested that eventuality and I don't want to.

And also, since my bg is reduced by diving I'm not concerned about not having a basal dose of insulin for the time I'm disconnected.

(edit) I forgot to say my A1C's are also very good. Around 6.5.
I'm no doctor but that's my take on it.

 

[616fun]

(edit) I forgot to say my A1C's are also very good. Around 6.5.
I'm no doctor but that's my take on it.

BTW - congrats on your A1c's. Not many can brag those numbers!
:monkeydan

 

[ppo2_diver]

I'm an insulin dependant diver with an insulin pump too. If you do a search on this board you will find many threads relating to this topic.

I don't dive with my pump under my dry suit. You will learn that dry suits are not really dry and you should expect some seepage. There is a thread on this board where on guy wore his pump under his dry suit and the pressure destroyed it on a 25 ft. dive.

Plus, there is no real documentation on the effects of pressure on insulin. It may become more potent or less effective. I find that the exercise from the dive is more than enough to control my blood sugars. I teach classes and am off the pump for half a day and my blood sugars still stay around 150. And in some cases, I can program a temporary basil rate for the rest of the day to lower how much insulin I get.

Duane

 

[616fun]

I don't dive with my pump under my dry suit. You will learn that dry suits are not really dry and you should expect some seepage. There is a thread on this board where on guy wore his pump under his dry suit and the pressure destroyed it on a 25 ft. dive.

Plus, there is no real documentation on the effects of pressure on insulin. It may become more potent or less effective.

WOW - blew it up at 25ft?!!? I'd think they'd be tougher than that. That solves the issues right there. I can't afford to replace too many pumps!!!

Thanks

 

[Dvfrfsh]

I see that people are able to be on the insulin pump, and capable of diving. I am still a needles managed (Type I) Diabetic, but was thinking of going on the pump. I was unsure to take the leap for fear of not being able to SCUBA dive. The main fear I had was the pressure and catheter spot for infusion. Does the pressure effect that at all? I will be honest, and say i really have no experience or clue on exactly a pump works. All i know is that many people swear by them, and was thinking of taking the plunge.

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks!

Derek

 

[BabyDuck]

derek, if you don't get answers, re-start a different, new thread. sometimes people look at the age of the start on the listing page & don't go any further. good luck getting your question answered!

 

[616fun]

I've had no issues with the pressure affecting the infusion site. I've done deco dives in the 140' range without issues. I know another pumper whose done deco dives to below 200' without issue.

I do tend to try to wear the infusion site where it won't rub against my waist belt of my BP. Every once in a while I'll pull the site out diving. It's not painful and happens on occasion with a pump even when not diving.

Definitely check out a pump. I've used one for about 12 years now and it's the best decision regarding diabetes management I've made.

 

[616fun]

A pump works by delivering only short acting insulin like Humlog or Novolog to the body. You remove your long acting insulins (think Lantus). The pump will administrator small doses of short acting insulin thru the day to keep your low level body requirements for insulin on check. This is call basal insulin. Anytime you eat you program in how much short acting insulin you take to accommodate the carbs. This is a bolus insulin.

Basically it allows you to remove the variability of the long acting insulins. They do have some drawbacks as well. Like if your infusion site has an occlusion (basically goes bad somehow) then you'll go hyperglycemic very quickly as the body will void of insulin within a few hours. That said you'd have to pull one from my cold, dead hands. They are the best treatment for insulin dependent diabetics available.