Help & Support

Small and compact An insulin pump has a small vial, called a reservoir, which holds up to 3 days of insulin. A computer chip powered by a single AAA battery acts as the insulin pump's brain to deliver insulin according to your instructions. Simple and comfortable Instead of using a syringe and needle to deliver insulin to your body, the insulin pump uses an infusion set with a tiny, soft plastic tube - thinner than a strand of spaghetti. At the end of the tube is a short cannula, an even smaller, softer tube. With just one virtually painless insertion stick, it goes under the skin. You generally wear your infusion set for 2 to 3 days and then replace it with another one. Once the system is in place, insulin is delivered based on instructions you program into it. Whenever you need to give yourself a bolus dose or adjust the basal rate, you just press a few buttons and you're done. Connects and disconnects quickly An insulin pump is not implanted. It connects and disconnects quickly for activities such as bathing, playing sports, or simply changing your clothes. You can disconnect and reconnect the insulin pump from your body at any time using the quick-release feature on the infusion set. It's never a problem. It works more like a healthy pancreas Compared with multiple daily shots, insulin pump therapy works much more like a healthy pancreas. A healthy pancreas continuously releases tiny amounts of insulin 24 hours a day to maintain normal blood glucose levels between meals and overnight. You can program an insulin pump to automatically deliver insulin in much the same way - that's called your basal rate - to control your blood glucose between meals and while you sleep. In response to food, a healthy pancreas releases more insulin - that's why you give yourself a bolus dose of insulin when you eat. You're in control With insulin pump therapy, you can adjust your basal rate as needed during the day - every 30 minutes if necessary. You simply can't have this level of control with multiple daily injections.

You're in the driver's seat Delivering your insulin with an insulin pump is like driving a sports car. It gives you precise control and the ability to change course at any time. You can step on the accelerator to start and put on the brakes to stop. With a shot, your gas pedal is stuck on "go" and you have no brakes. Once you give yourself a shot, you're locked in - you can't take the insulin back. You're committed to the ride unless you stop for a snack or give yourself another shot. With an insulin pump, you can increase or decrease the insulin - or stop it altogether - simply by pressing a few buttons. You're in the driver's seat, not a helpless passenger. Eat when and what you want Now you can match insulin delivery to the way you want to eat. The MiniMed Paradigm Insulin Pump gives you a variety of bolus delivery options: Normal, Square Wave®, and Dual Wave®. Since your body absorbs different foods at different rates, the MiniMed Paradigm Insulin Pump allows you to set insulin delivery precisely to match every food and every combination of foods you eat. A Square Wave bolus lets you spread insulin delivery over the time period you specify. It's perfect if you're eating pizza. Having pineapple on your pizza? Use the Dual Wave bolus - helpful when you eat both quickly absorbed foods, like pineapple, and slowly absorbed foods, like the rest of the pizza, in combination. Better protection from hypoglycemia It's difficult to control your results with multiple daily shots because they use long- and intermediate-acting insulin. Absorption of long-acting insulin is unpredictable, with up to 32% variability. Using NPH, a commonly used intermediate-acting insulin, variability can be up to 52%.9-10 Insulin pump therapy uses only rapid-acting insulin, with only 3% variability in absorption.10 This high degree of predictability gives you more consistent control of your diabetes. In fact, there can be a higher risk of severe hypoglycemia when you try to tighten your control using injections. More freedom from insulin pooling When you inject a large dose of long-acting insulin, you can end up with a pool of insulin under your skin. Absorption into your bloodstream can be unpredictable, depending on where you placed the injection, how active you are, and other factors.9-10 This is one reason your blood glucose levels can vary from day to day even if you eat and do the same things at the same times. In contrast, an insulin pump delivers tiny, continuous doses of rapid-acting insulin. Rapid-acting insulin acts more predictably10 and is far less likely to pool under the skin. You can count on the insulin being absorbed the same way every day. This can give you additional protection from hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. More freedom from shots With multiple daily shots, you give yourself at least 120 shots every month. With insulin pump therapy, you don't require any insulin shots. You just change your infusion set 12 times per month and control your insulin delivery through the insulin pump.You can deliver your insulin discreetly anytime, anywhere, with the push of a few buttons. More freedom to live life your way With multiple daily insulin shots, you have to live with limited flexibility. Insulin pump therapy gives you more freedom to eat, sleep, and exercise when and how you want to.

A MiniMed Paradigm® Insulin Pump is really easy to fit into your lifestyle. It's comfortable, small, and discreet - about the size and weight of a cell phone - so you can wear it wherever you want. You can attach it to your belt, hide it in a pocket, or just put it under your clothing.

Imagine having more freedom. The freedom to eat what you want, when you want. The freedom to exercise when you want. The freedom to live life the way you want, with more peace of mind. With insulin pump therapy, now you can - because you'll see major improvements in your blood glucose control, with fewer lows and highs.6 That means greater flexibility in your life, with less worry about balancing food, insulin, and your daily activities. Plus, you don't have to keep to a strict schedule like you do with multiple daily shots. Now you can achieve your goals When you choose insulin pump therapy you can finally achieve your diabetes management goals. * Prevent or delay dangerous health complications by lowering your HbA1c levels to the recommended target of 6.5% or lower3 * Minimize your risk of severe hypoglycemia * Maintain a healthy weight * Improve your quality of life Now you can improve your quality of life Compared with multiple daily shots, an insulin pump gives you more convenience, more control, more flexibility, and more freedom to live life your way. When insulin pump users were asked to rate the quality of their lives, they reported high levels of satisfaction and fewer worries about their diabetes.7 It's no wonder 98% of people who start on insulin pump therapy stay with it.

An insulin pump may be right for anyone who takes insulin and wants better control, more convenience, more flexibility - and more freedom. You can be newly diagnosed or new to insulin and still take full advantage of the significant benefits delivered by insulin pump therapy. Be sure to discuss your individual needs with your healthcare provider.

Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is classed as a metabolism disorder. Metabolism refers to the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth. Most of what we eat is broken down into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar in the blood - it is the principal source of fuel for our bodies.