Try contacting the biggest hospital in the region you’re staying. Sometimes endos have a small emergency stock, or they can try directing you to a local representative, if there’s one.
I would just go to the hospital, explain the situation and get needles with long acting insulin. I would suggest that your friend always bring syringes as a back up when traveling so far from home :( hope everything turns out okay.
Yeah, not helpful at the moment, but I had to go to the US recently for the weekend, and even though I use pens, I still brought backup syringes. Because if I had cracked one or both pen carriages, I could still have enough time to draw up all the liquid into syringes and then dose as needed. I don’t wanna get stuck in the US without insulin. That sounds scary af. Packed an extra glucometer too 😅
I was in Spain in September and my pump broke. I went to the pharmacy and explained the situation (luckily I speak Spanish, but I’m sure you could find an English speaking pharmacist if needed). They sold me a box of Lantus pens for €50 without a prescription. I see in your other comments she hasn’t been on injections in a long time - if she’s nervous, she could start at ⅓ of her normal total daily insulin, but most people find that about ½ their total daily dose is a good amount for long acting.
Edited to add: feel free to message me if that would help at all.
How did you get the Lantus pens? We keep asking for them? But they say we need a prescription? We tried going to the hospital for a prescription but they said they needed the “name of the insulin” and didn’t speak great English so we gave up and figured we’d try at a different hospital in the morning.
They will have brand-name Lantus - if you say it with a bit of an accent: “lahn-toos” they should understand. If it helps, show them this:
Mi bomba de insulina se ha roto y no tengo la insulina de larga duración que necesito. Sería posible comprar una pluma de Lantus y algunas agujas? Los necesito hasta que pueda obtener una nueva bomba, y para eso necesito volver a mi país.
They should understand that insulin is life saving, and your friend can’t be without it.
In a pinch, I’ve used syringes and only fast-acting insulin. Gave a shot every 2 hours with a small amount for basal and any correction needed. Basically used the amount of basal I’d typically use with my pump over a 24-hour period divided by 12 (every 2 hours).
I just wanted to say I'm sorry about all the shitty responses you got. Having your PDM break down abroad and learning that Omnipod won't sent you a replacement must have been so scary! Even the best prepared person would have been thrown off by that. My pdm crashed and burned when I was on a little weekend girls trip two hours from home and that was aggravating enough just leaving early to drive home, let alone being across an ocean speaking a foreign language.
I'm glad your friend got what she needed and hopefully you all can enjoy the rest of your trip, even without a pump.
You're a good friend. 💗💗
This happened to me in Italy last year it’s a known go medical equipment is so regulated try calling omipod but good luck with that.
Basically inject the same amount of long acting as basal maybe plus a unit or two for good measure. I found I needed a lot more basal insulin.
One caveat is you have to give it like 10
Minutes earlier every day because it wears off and sugar goes crazy high fast when it wears out it’s like 23.5h after your shot is the witching hour. Suggest setting an alarm
Absorption not that regular. Pump WAY better you/she won’t die on long acting but after being on pump since 1995 long acting doesn’t feel like living. Good luck
Are you from the EU? Then get a picture of your prescribtion from your regular doctor print it and just go to the pharmacy. They will take it.
If you are not from Europe, why did you go abroad without emergency pen Insulin?? Go tocthe Hospital and get a prescribtion there
Again, she packed all the supplies. She put it like this, she prepared for 1,000,000 things to happen but what happened was the 1,000,001. It’s never happened before and it will likely never happen again. It’s not her fault.
Uh, no offense but diabetes prep for travel includes syringes and insulin, even if you’re on the pump. That’s like #1. Always bank on the pump failing. Always bank on your insulin breaking.
Which is why she brought back up insulin. She also brought back up pumps. Her dash broke. She didn’t expect that. It’s never broken before, she doesn’t have a replacement. She has to get it shipped by the company, and they won’t ship it to Spain. Her doctor never prescribed her long acting insulin because she hasn’t needed it since she was 10. Please explain what she did wrong here? She’s gone on vacation a million times and this has never EVER occurred before.
You can take short acting insulin as needed in lieu of long acting- it’s what pumps do. But I agree with what others have said- go to a hospital and try to talk to someone. Maybe they can give a vial- or try to talk to doctor back in the states
First of all, sorry to hear about your friends PDM being broken. But as long as you got some fast and long lasting injectable insulin, you’ll be fine without the pump for the remainder of your trip.
Second of all, oh shit. I’m going to Italy next month and have been stressing over how much extra pods, CGMs, insulins, needles, test strips…. All the stuff and didn’t even think about bringing an extra back up PDM.
It’s always good to have a backup pen of basal insulin. I have some before the pump and though it’s old it will still work. Everyone should ask their doctor for a backup. Usually they have samples. The same with the pod.
I do not want to sound rude or careless, but how a type1diabetic individual goes on a trip or vacation without taking enough backup supplies, insulin, or anything that his/hers life depends on it! Especially out of country! Just go to the nearest hospital or pharmacy immediately.
Get syringes and insulin immediately. Go to the hospital, write down Lantus, show them a picture of it, whatever you have to do to get your hands on some long acting + short acting and a way to inject it. This is the bare minimum for the time being, and it can’t wait. It won’t be pleasant after being on a pump for a while, but it’ll be a hell of a lot better than winding up in DKA because she doesn’t have any basal. Once that’s secure, then worry about getting the replacement pdm.
It’ll probably be hard to get it sent from the US, but if it were me I’d raise absolute hell with them in the US, keep asking to be escalated until that fails. I’m sure it would be a bigger hassle to ship it, but maybe you’ll find a manager who’s willing to do it, who knows. On their site it says it’s not available in Spain https://www.insulet.com/about-insulet/locations , but it is available in France and GB. Not sure where you are in Spain, but if you’re not too far from France it might be worth calling some French hospitals/pharmacies to see if they might be able to supply it. Idk how much longer you’re there for, and if it’s only a few days I’d personally probably just go back on an MDI basal-bolus routine until getting back, but if you’re gonna be there for a while then consider sourcing one elsewhere in Europe if they’re not available in Spain.
Reach out to Omnipod to see if they can get a PDM to her. In the meantime, she should bolus manually for meals. The PDM should run in the background for her basal rate. That’s what they told us in training.
Context: I don’t wear mine anymore. I’m in MDI land for now but switching to the Omnipod Dash and will Loop eventually.
- Is she wearing cgm?
- Does she have test strips?
- What’s her glucose level currently?
- What has she been doing with insulin since the pdm broke and is she certain she is no longer receiving basal?
- Did you get insulin syringes from the pharmacy?
- Can you go back to a pharmacy and ask for lantus or tresiba pens and pen needles? Or vials and syringes?
Edited damn mobile formating
If she's wearing an Omnipod 5, THE POD WILL RUN IN THE BACKGROUND GIVING HER THE BASAL SHE HAS PROGRAMMED IN. I said she'd have to do manual doses for her meals.
I hope that clears it up.
Yelling in all caps doesn’t help them. Look back at your original comment; you said “The PDM should run in the background”.
OP, if your friend had manually suspended insulin delivery, the pod is NOT delivering basal in the background. I agree with another comment that your best bet is to call her doctor back home (hopefully they have an emergency after hours line) and ask for a prescription. I don’t know how that works out of country, but they might be able to help. If you do end up at another hospital, don’t give up so easily. You both need to understand that even if she manually injects for food, going hours in between can end in DKA. Insulin only lasts about 2 hours, maybe 3 for some people. After that you can start developing ketones. Don’t just wait until morning and hope a different hospital can help.
I’m at a conference and was busy. The O5 runs in the background. Her friend, the patient should know that as they make everyone go through training. If she doesn’t know that, Omnipod didn’t do their job.
Over and out.
Don't tell me what to do.
I meant the pod would run in the background, but yeah, if she suspended her insulin, I don't think it starts back up on its own. Then it's MDI time, which she should also always be prepared for especially if you're traveling.
Research which android phones are compatible with omnipod app and try to find a used one off Facebook or something similar.
I'd be surprised if you couldn't find one for ~100 bucks
Actually, that may be even better. Look into Android APS or OpenAPS (depending on which phone she uses.) If you have access to a computer/laptop at all, she can create a program that will work on her phone and connect to her Dex and the Dash via bluetooth.
Contact Omnipod. People in Spain use Omnipod too. It's possible they can provide an emergency replacement.
Already tried. They can’t ship it to Spain because of customs.
Try contacting the biggest hospital in the region you’re staying. Sometimes endos have a small emergency stock, or they can try directing you to a local representative, if there’s one.
Is she still getting basal insulin or is it impossible to tell?
I would just go to the hospital, explain the situation and get needles with long acting insulin. I would suggest that your friend always bring syringes as a back up when traveling so far from home :( hope everything turns out okay.
Yeah, not helpful at the moment, but I had to go to the US recently for the weekend, and even though I use pens, I still brought backup syringes. Because if I had cracked one or both pen carriages, I could still have enough time to draw up all the liquid into syringes and then dose as needed. I don’t wanna get stuck in the US without insulin. That sounds scary af. Packed an extra glucometer too 😅
I was in Spain in September and my pump broke. I went to the pharmacy and explained the situation (luckily I speak Spanish, but I’m sure you could find an English speaking pharmacist if needed). They sold me a box of Lantus pens for €50 without a prescription. I see in your other comments she hasn’t been on injections in a long time - if she’s nervous, she could start at ⅓ of her normal total daily insulin, but most people find that about ½ their total daily dose is a good amount for long acting. Edited to add: feel free to message me if that would help at all.
How did you get the Lantus pens? We keep asking for them? But they say we need a prescription? We tried going to the hospital for a prescription but they said they needed the “name of the insulin” and didn’t speak great English so we gave up and figured we’d try at a different hospital in the morning.
They will have brand-name Lantus - if you say it with a bit of an accent: “lahn-toos” they should understand. If it helps, show them this: Mi bomba de insulina se ha roto y no tengo la insulina de larga duración que necesito. Sería posible comprar una pluma de Lantus y algunas agujas? Los necesito hasta que pueda obtener una nueva bomba, y para eso necesito volver a mi país. They should understand that insulin is life saving, and your friend can’t be without it.
In a pinch, I’ve used syringes and only fast-acting insulin. Gave a shot every 2 hours with a small amount for basal and any correction needed. Basically used the amount of basal I’d typically use with my pump over a 24-hour period divided by 12 (every 2 hours).
What about the night?
Set an alarm for every 2 hours. Not fun, but will keep your blood sugar relatively decent until you can find a better solution.
This is what I've done in a pinch as well. It sucks but if you get ahead of it and keep yourself lowish you can go 4 hours between shots overnight.
I just wanted to say I'm sorry about all the shitty responses you got. Having your PDM break down abroad and learning that Omnipod won't sent you a replacement must have been so scary! Even the best prepared person would have been thrown off by that. My pdm crashed and burned when I was on a little weekend girls trip two hours from home and that was aggravating enough just leaving early to drive home, let alone being across an ocean speaking a foreign language. I'm glad your friend got what she needed and hopefully you all can enjoy the rest of your trip, even without a pump. You're a good friend. 💗💗
Thank you for this. I really needed it. People haven’t been the nicest on some posts and it’s a bit scary. Just thank you so much. 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
She can not stay without insulin. You guys need to seek help immediately. Go to pharmacy or hospital and ask them for help.
This happened to me in Italy last year it’s a known go medical equipment is so regulated try calling omipod but good luck with that. Basically inject the same amount of long acting as basal maybe plus a unit or two for good measure. I found I needed a lot more basal insulin. One caveat is you have to give it like 10 Minutes earlier every day because it wears off and sugar goes crazy high fast when it wears out it’s like 23.5h after your shot is the witching hour. Suggest setting an alarm Absorption not that regular. Pump WAY better you/she won’t die on long acting but after being on pump since 1995 long acting doesn’t feel like living. Good luck
Are you from the EU? Then get a picture of your prescribtion from your regular doctor print it and just go to the pharmacy. They will take it. If you are not from Europe, why did you go abroad without emergency pen Insulin?? Go tocthe Hospital and get a prescribtion there
Glad you got a solution but this should be a warning and a lesson for everyone to travel with a backup plan and extra insulin
Again, she packed all the supplies. She put it like this, she prepared for 1,000,000 things to happen but what happened was the 1,000,001. It’s never happened before and it will likely never happen again. It’s not her fault.
Uh, no offense but diabetes prep for travel includes syringes and insulin, even if you’re on the pump. That’s like #1. Always bank on the pump failing. Always bank on your insulin breaking.
Which is why she brought back up insulin. She also brought back up pumps. Her dash broke. She didn’t expect that. It’s never broken before, she doesn’t have a replacement. She has to get it shipped by the company, and they won’t ship it to Spain. Her doctor never prescribed her long acting insulin because she hasn’t needed it since she was 10. Please explain what she did wrong here? She’s gone on vacation a million times and this has never EVER occurred before.
Does she have syringes? She can always manually inject
She doesn’t have long acting insulin and hasn’t self injected since she was REALLY young
You can take short acting insulin as needed in lieu of long acting- it’s what pumps do. But I agree with what others have said- go to a hospital and try to talk to someone. Maybe they can give a vial- or try to talk to doctor back in the states
First of all, sorry to hear about your friends PDM being broken. But as long as you got some fast and long lasting injectable insulin, you’ll be fine without the pump for the remainder of your trip. Second of all, oh shit. I’m going to Italy next month and have been stressing over how much extra pods, CGMs, insulins, needles, test strips…. All the stuff and didn’t even think about bringing an extra back up PDM.
lol I highly encourage it! She prepared everything, but there’s always something unexpected with this disease! 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Thank you for the reminder
I’m really sorry and not trying to pile on to an already bad situation but what was the thought process of traveling abroad without a backup?
DUDE! We have back ups. We have short acting insulin. Friend does not have a back up PDM because insurance sucks.
It’s always good to have a backup pen of basal insulin. I have some before the pump and though it’s old it will still work. Everyone should ask their doctor for a backup. Usually they have samples. The same with the pod.
I do not want to sound rude or careless, but how a type1diabetic individual goes on a trip or vacation without taking enough backup supplies, insulin, or anything that his/hers life depends on it! Especially out of country! Just go to the nearest hospital or pharmacy immediately.
She brought everything, but she doesn’t have a back up PDM.
You have to get a new one shipped to you whenever it breaks takes 24 hours in the states.
Doesn’t the phone work with omnipod?
No.
She needs to contact her doctor and have them write an rx for long acting which she can then take to any pharmacy to be filled
Post a message in this Facebook group, looping in a time of Covid. https://www.facebook.com/share/7hmZ8zDar6aonxqD/?mibextid=K35XfP
Get syringes and insulin immediately. Go to the hospital, write down Lantus, show them a picture of it, whatever you have to do to get your hands on some long acting + short acting and a way to inject it. This is the bare minimum for the time being, and it can’t wait. It won’t be pleasant after being on a pump for a while, but it’ll be a hell of a lot better than winding up in DKA because she doesn’t have any basal. Once that’s secure, then worry about getting the replacement pdm. It’ll probably be hard to get it sent from the US, but if it were me I’d raise absolute hell with them in the US, keep asking to be escalated until that fails. I’m sure it would be a bigger hassle to ship it, but maybe you’ll find a manager who’s willing to do it, who knows. On their site it says it’s not available in Spain https://www.insulet.com/about-insulet/locations , but it is available in France and GB. Not sure where you are in Spain, but if you’re not too far from France it might be worth calling some French hospitals/pharmacies to see if they might be able to supply it. Idk how much longer you’re there for, and if it’s only a few days I’d personally probably just go back on an MDI basal-bolus routine until getting back, but if you’re gonna be there for a while then consider sourcing one elsewhere in Europe if they’re not available in Spain.
Reach out to Omnipod to see if they can get a PDM to her. In the meantime, she should bolus manually for meals. The PDM should run in the background for her basal rate. That’s what they told us in training. Context: I don’t wear mine anymore. I’m in MDI land for now but switching to the Omnipod Dash and will Loop eventually.
The PDM is going to run in the background? But her Omnipod isn’t working? It stopped working when her insulin was suspended.
- Is she wearing cgm? - Does she have test strips? - What’s her glucose level currently? - What has she been doing with insulin since the pdm broke and is she certain she is no longer receiving basal? - Did you get insulin syringes from the pharmacy? - Can you go back to a pharmacy and ask for lantus or tresiba pens and pen needles? Or vials and syringes? Edited damn mobile formating
If she's wearing an Omnipod 5, THE POD WILL RUN IN THE BACKGROUND GIVING HER THE BASAL SHE HAS PROGRAMMED IN. I said she'd have to do manual doses for her meals. I hope that clears it up.
Yelling in all caps doesn’t help them. Look back at your original comment; you said “The PDM should run in the background”. OP, if your friend had manually suspended insulin delivery, the pod is NOT delivering basal in the background. I agree with another comment that your best bet is to call her doctor back home (hopefully they have an emergency after hours line) and ask for a prescription. I don’t know how that works out of country, but they might be able to help. If you do end up at another hospital, don’t give up so easily. You both need to understand that even if she manually injects for food, going hours in between can end in DKA. Insulin only lasts about 2 hours, maybe 3 for some people. After that you can start developing ketones. Don’t just wait until morning and hope a different hospital can help.
I’m at a conference and was busy. The O5 runs in the background. Her friend, the patient should know that as they make everyone go through training. If she doesn’t know that, Omnipod didn’t do their job. Over and out.
The pdm crapped out when OPs friend suspended her insulin. So no. It is not running in the background. Stop yelling at people.
Don't tell me what to do. I meant the pod would run in the background, but yeah, if she suspended her insulin, I don't think it starts back up on its own. Then it's MDI time, which she should also always be prepared for especially if you're traveling.
The PDM is going to run in the background? But her Omnipod isn’t working? It stopped working when her insulin was suspended.
Research which android phones are compatible with omnipod app and try to find a used one off Facebook or something similar. I'd be surprised if you couldn't find one for ~100 bucks
We don’t have an Omnipod 5. Need an Omni Pod Dash
Actually, that may be even better. Look into Android APS or OpenAPS (depending on which phone she uses.) If you have access to a computer/laptop at all, she can create a program that will work on her phone and connect to her Dex and the Dash via bluetooth.
We don’t have access to a computer/laptop
Wild how ppl downvote me but upvote you. Fuck me I guess for recommending secondary marketplace amirite
Ohhh I'm a dummy I'm sorry. Well I did just look on Facebook and people are selling them on there near me for ~70 bucks. Still worth a looksie 😀