Patients on pumps have much more freedom in their ability to choose their eating schedule and variations of activity. Disadvantages of Pumps Despite these definite advantages, pumps are not for everyone. They are the most expensive form of insulin therapy. Blood sugars can vary much faster in patients on pumps than patients on other forms of therapy. Therefore, patients on pumps should measure their blood sugars more often than patients on traditional insulin treatment.
Some people dislike the constant presence of the little box on their side.
Finally, if something goes wrong with the pump or the infusion sets that connect the pump to the skin, severe hyperglycemia will occur much faster than with traditional therapy. Deciding on Pump Treatment Because of the many questions in regard to insulin pumps, we believe that patients should have a chance to assess pump therapy before they become committed to it. We have developed a protocol which allows people the time to judge whether this form of treatment is right for them. We prefer to place pumps on people we know well, so that we may help our patient make an informed decision about the pump. While this is going on, our staff works with the patient and their health insurance company to make sure the purchase of the pump and supplies is feasible for the patient.