January 21, 2003
Insulin Pumps
Question from Singapore:
What is the difference between insulin pump and insulin injections? Why am I using insulin injections instead of the pump?
Answer:
Insulin pumps are expensive, and you really need to have the help of an experienced diabetes care team in the early stages. On the other hand, they are very flexible in the way basal and bolus doses can be adjusted. They are also a step along the road to a time when a pump can be linked safely to a durable implanted glucose sensor.
In the meantime, normal hemoglobin A1c levels are possible with some of the new injected insulin regimens that use bedtime Lantus (insulin glargine) for basal needs along with Humalog or NovoLog after meals, with the dose adjusted for the premeal blood glucose and the ‘carbs’ actually consumed.
DOB
