# Bubbles



## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 8, 2010)

Unexplained 20.7 just now. Checked pump only to see a massive bubble in the tube  Feel terrible so disconnected, corrected with a pen and did an entire change - new cartidge, tube, everything.

I'm so fed up of this at the moment. All I seem to get is bubbles and I'm fed up of them. I know there's a knack to the drawing up but I just can't seem to do it  What am I doing wrong??


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## bev (Aug 8, 2010)

Your not doing anything wrong - it just happens. If you get them again - just prime through the tubing again until you see the bubble come out at the other end (obviously not attached) - it will save you having to do a whole set change etc.

When we have filled the reservoir we use a pen and tap it for ages to get all the bubbles to the top - then use the plunger to push them out into the vial again. Sometimes you still get bubbles even when you know there werent any there to begin with - but you will get used to spotting them and dealing with them dont worry.Bev


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 8, 2010)

bev said:


> Your not doing anything wrong - it just happens. If you get them again - just prime through the tubing again until you see the bubble come out at the other end (obviously not attached) - it will save you having to do a whole set change etc.
> 
> When we have filled the reservoir we use a pen and tap it for ages to get all the bubbles to the top - then use the plunger to push them out into the vial again. Sometimes you still get bubbles even when you know there werent any there to begin with - but you will get used to spotting them and dealing with them dont worry.Bev



thanks bev, problem being that it was a cartridge that was pretty near to the end anyway. It was due to be changed tomorrow or the next day I think. I took the catruidge out and there were billions of tiny bubbles in it. I tried priming it all out again but they kept on coming and it wasted the rest of that cartridge. I'm severely unimpressed 

When I did the cartridge change, I seem to have got that one ok. But we shall see. I used the pen method too, bashed the er...(insert swear word of choice here...) out of that cartdridge and got them out. 

I just don't get how I can go from Thursday til now and not have any issues of bubbles in the line with that cartdridge and then BOOM...bubbles


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## tracey w (Aug 9, 2010)

Sam,

Bubbles just appear sometimes, thats the nature of it im afraid. I use the degassing method so suffer them rarely.

I do find I may get small ones when im near the end of a cartridge though, like Bev says easily solved. Just stop pump> disconnect > prime it out> reattach and start pump.

You will find they dont worry you so much as you progress, believe me! You just get used to checking couple times a day an before bed that there are none in the giving set. Believe me soon it wont be such an issue.


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 9, 2010)

what's degassing tracey? I've never heard of it.


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 9, 2010)

here's a question! Tiny bubble quite a way up the tube, just a tidgy one - but I still have a multiwave going for 2.8u over the next two hours. What should I do? Do I wait for the bolus to finish and then do a tiny prime?


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## Sugarbum (Aug 9, 2010)

Sam I can bolus even when in a multi-wave (in my lingo thats a dual wave!) so you can get it out if you want to. Or you should have an option to cancel  it, bolus and reprogram it if you want to.

When you are talking bubble sizes Sam, what sort of sizes are you talking? I dont tend to worry about anything under a centimetre, but thats my preference- I note it doesnt make much difference to me, but you may be more sensitive.

A good thing to do Sam is to work out on your line how much insulin is in 1 centimetre, by spotting your bubble and bolusing it out and measuring how far down the line it moves to. Then you will get an idea of how much insulin you arent getting with what kind of bubble....its geeky I know, but gives you some sort of gauge for whats actually occurring.

Getting rid of bubbles comes with time, but in these early days remember your team are supposed to be supporting you and perhaps a sesh with some tips from your DSN might be useful? It can be a fiddly business in the early days.

Good luck.


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## Sugarbum (Aug 9, 2010)

Sorry I meant to ask also, how did the basal testing go Sam?


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 9, 2010)

oh don't even get me started on the basal testing! 2am last night, 5.8! Great I think, that's an ace result! Forgetting i had pasta salad for dinner...wake up at 14.0. Brill...

I cancelled the multiwave after taking a mental note of how much was left, did a prime and got the little beggers out, then programmed it in as an extended  They were only small, but there were a few of them. All joined together in the end to make one big one :/

found the degassing video and going to try it when I next do a full change in a few days.

edit: also, I haven't heard from my team since the day I had epic ketones. Not very impressed. The Roche rep was pretty useless too...told us not to worry about bubbles at all :/ bear in mind this woman also told us it was ok to draw up spare insulin cartridges and leave them in the fridge


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## Sugarbum (Aug 9, 2010)

Did they really tell you that? Thats awful!

When are you due to see  them next? It doesnt seem as if you are getting team support through this, this is a very BIG thing! I am disapointed in them for their lack of support.

If its any consolation Sam, we have ALL had the same problems, me, Tom, Tracey, Patricia, Shelley....all of us! I'm racking my brains what the turning point for me was, but perhaps it was just doing it over and over and over that got it sorted.

Keep chipping away.


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## SilentAssassin1642 (Aug 9, 2010)

Sugarbum said:


> Did they really tell you that? Thats awful!
> 
> When are you due to see  them next? It doesnt seem as if you are getting team support through this, this is a very BIG thing! I am disapointed in them for their lack of support.
> 
> ...



Thankfully I knew better thanks to here - but I'm wracking my brains atm over the exact reason why the insulin dies :/ Having a head scratch moment!!!

I see them next on 1st sept so quite a while away yet.


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## Patricia (Aug 9, 2010)

In great haste, more later: DEGASSING  was our turning point. Since then we have had NO problems with frustrating bubbles....

Hang in there. IT WILL ALL GET BETTER. 

Xxoo


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## tracey w (Aug 10, 2010)

Sam, I see you coped brilliantly with the bubbles and dual wave. Well done.

Like Lou says, dont worrry about tiny tiny bubble unless there are a lot down the line, as seems to be your case, you did the right thing by cancelling, priming, then putting remaining bolus back in. 

You can also give a standard bolus whilst in a dual wave, which you could have done also, but i suppose you might of then got too much insulin overall? A judgement you will get used to. Its early days and you are doing so well.

Yes definately have a go at degassing, its not for everyone but its second nature to me and it works! Not saying i dont get the odd bubble but its rare. The way i see it is..............the way they teach you to draw up is to put a syringe of air in first, then spend ages trying to get out the air you put in there, course theres gonna be bubles??

Dont put the air in and theres very little chance of getting bubbles.


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