Is the insulin pump really a good idea for Diabetic patients?

Question

Is the insulin pump really a good idea for Diabetic patients?

Answer 1

Provided they are responsible enough to change their pump every 3-4 days, disciplined enough to monitor their BG's 6-8x a day, and intelligent enough to learn how to make corrections and adjustments, then it is the best thing in the world.  If they can't, then it might just be frustrating for them.  For me, it has changed my life!

Answer 2

For Type 1 Diabetics, yes.

For Type 2 Diabetics, No.

For the Type 1 diabeteic, insulin injections is the ONLY possible option.  It is a great convenience to not have to figure a dosage, then "shoot yourslef" everytime you set down to a meal.  With the pump you still have to figure the dosages (meaning finger stick tests as much as 10 times  day) but once the pump is programmed based on diet, exercise, and hourly glucose readings, the pump administers constant but accurate low dosages of insulin through a needle embedded in the skin. Thus, the overall blood sugar level is kept consistently lower, thus reducing the long term effects of high blood sugars.

With they Type 2 Diabetic, the disease is better controlled through reducing the natural causes behind it -- bad diet and obesity.  Improving the diet and getting more exercise (thus losing weight) will usually reduce or eliminate the need for insulin in the Type 2 diabetic, thus eliminating the need for the pump.

So doctor only recommend the pump for the most severe cases of Type 2 diabetes, those cases where the patient's life is already damaged by the disease, and further control is not possible by syringe injections alone.

Answer 3

Absolutely.  It has been proven that insulin pump therapy prevents complications more than multiple daily injections.  Plus the insulin pump is the closest thing to a real pancreas, such as the bolus and basal rates.  

Answer 4

If you're insulin dependent it is.