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October 26, 2003

Insulin Pumps

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Question from Akron, Ohio, USA:

I’ve been on an insulin pump for almost two years now, and I am interested in using a numbing cream for when I insert my infusion sets as it tends to sting some. Can you tell me what kind of creams are best? Will l it effect the insulin absorption? Is there a certain main ingredient I should look for and or stay away from?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

We generally recommend EMLA cream (available by prescription) as it works well. The main downsides are the cost and the inconvenience of having to wait 15-30 minutes between applying the cream and inserting the set. Sometimes an ice cube can also numb the area prior to preparing the site for an insertion.

LAD