I'm curious about the feedback from people who're using the Medtronic 530G with Enlite. I tried the 530G with Enlite for 24-hour and didn't have a great experience with it. I want to do a fair review (YouTube video) so I'm looking for unbiased pros and cons from users. Anybody?
I really like mine. I have had it for about 45 days and I find it is a terrific pump and the enlite is really remarkable at catching most of the blood sugars within a few points. I had the former Medtronic sensor and I was really displeased with it. Not this one. It has worked extremely well for me.
The pump has almost all the features I want in a pump. It is good looking, it has longer battery life (slightly anyway) and it has all the features I have come to enjoy from Medtornic including the support I rely on.
The enlite is not perfect. But it does allow for 90 degree insertion, it wears very well and the taping is far better than anything I expected. Improvements? It could last a bit longer I get between 5.5 and 6 days and then it is kaput. But it is advertised for 6 days so I cannot knock it on that. I wish the transmitter were a little smaller and a little more powerful. Keeping it in range is sometimes difficult at night. Folks who use the dexcom say they keep the receiver under their pillow. If I put the enlite out of range like that it would start giving me errors. But that is no different than the last generation sensor and I have learned to use it, so it stays in range at least 99% of the time.
The big advantage for me is the pump / sensor combination. I know I have to keep a sensor going 24/7 and there is no way I am going to carry two things on my belt as a dexcom would require. I do carry a nice D bag but even if it worked inside the bag I would need to carry the dexcom or the bag all over the house and no way I am not going to do that.
If Dexcom had a pump/sensor combo I would consider it a prospect for my next pump but until they do, it is medtorinc and that one feature the combo pump / sensor that sells me on medtorinc , especially when the enlite sensor is so good.
if I can help out in any way please let me know................................rick
hi allie, here are some popular discussions on the 530g w enlite, please add to any of them, I'm sure you'll get lots of responses
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/enlite-sensor-use-term
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/medtronic-530g-my-first-hand-account
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/90-days-on-the-pump
Rick, thank you for the review!! I'm glad you had the chance to wear the Medtronic Enlite combo and put together bullet points. These are *very* helpful for us all. Thank you so much for sharing the experience :)
Thanks Marie!!
Hi!! I started out as a die hard medtronics only supporter, but after a year trying the sof sensor and then the enlite, I gave up and tried Dexcom. IMHO, Dexcom, for me, is a far superior product. Enlite has all kinds of restrictions to calibration yet, having followed all the rules, it was NEVER accurate and woke me and hubby 5 or 6 times EVERY night. I finally shut it off and went a week thinking I could survive without a CGM.
I was wrong!! I liked having an idea of the trends but wanted something a little more accurate. I went to a type 1 education day at MGH and Dr Steven Russell, Bionic Pancreas lead researcher, presented data on the CGMS available today and Dexcom was the most accurate in every type of study that was done. I called Dexcom that afternoon and had my Dexcom up and running in a week.
I'm much happier and can honestly say, I have yet to be woken up with an inaccurate number since March 24, 2014. If that was the only positive, I would stay with Dexcom but IMHO Dexcom and I get along well. And I don't mind carrying an extra device & I thought I would. It actually works out great if I have to have a procedure, anesthesia keeps the Dexcom unit wherever is more visible with the pump closer to me. AT least that's my experience.
I would have LOVED the Enlite to have worked better cuz I really would like my pump and CGM integrated. But for now I leave my Dex attached to my purse and when I'm home it stays there near to me because I can get a great range where it still picks up the signal at my house, like Dex can be downstairs & I'm upstairs and it still picks it up!!
Good luck!! I'm looking forward to watching ur review!!
Sandy, thank you for the feedback! You made a few points that I found I couldn't live with in the Enlite system in 24-hours. Phew! I really did try but it just didn't work-out for me. I'll post the YouTube link once I make the video. Thanks again :)
Rick - Can your pump/CGM receiver combination dependably wake you up at night? This has been one of my main concerns with that but I’m interested to hear from someone who has actually lived with it. My experience with pump alarms has been that I don’t always hear them in a timely fashion.
I’m glad to hear about your positive experience with the Medtronic system. I used Medtronic pumps for over 20 years before switching to an Animas pump. I’ve used a Dexcom CGM since 2009.
My experience with the 530G and Enlite is awesome. I have only had a couple occasions where numbers were very off usually around calibration time. Other than that the numbers are always withing 15 to 20 points. I have been woken by the alarm at night sensing an extreme low. In the event you sleep through the alarm the pump will siren and eventually suspend insulin delivery for 2 hours and then reassess. Very good pump CGM combo in my opinion.
Hi Allie,
Not sure if you've already made your video but here's my Conclusion:
Minimed 530G is not ready for the bigtime!
I feel like I'm paying to be their beta tester and I don't like it.
Here are some of my facts to help you understand my bias and perspective:
1. I had been an animas ping user.
2. I had been a dexcom seven, and then more recently G4 user.
3. I'm 43 and have had T1D for 38 years.
4. I switched for the convenience of having a "combined unit"
I'll try and dig deep and stick to the positives before the negatives:
1. Its a combined sensor/pump. That's the only reason I switched.
2. I now have a 300unit vial.
3. It has a nice little clip on the canula to remove pump.
4. enlite sensor is relatively flat and sleek.
5. they send adhesive stickers to cover sensor.
Negatives vs. Animas (that is my only pumping point of reference):
1. No one touch audio bolus.
2. It wakes my up all night long with alarms. I hate this enough that I'm considering returning to the animas dexcom solution.
3. It takes two key combinations to turn on the light at night. So when the darn alarm wakes me up for the fifteenth time in a night, I have to use both hands to see what its for.
4. I feel like its trying to hard to do too much for me. If I see a "predicted low" in the middle of the night. I want to be able to set a temp basal for two hours and leave it alone until I wake up in the morning. I don't want to be awaken just to tell me that I have either suspended my pump or that I am "low".
5. If when you do actually want an alarm and want to be woken up, .... so lets say you getup and take some sugar, then you have to be continuously woken up for the next hour or so, even though you've taken care of the issue.
6.Probably about five other nighttime sleep depriving issues that I can't think of right now.
7. The sensor adhesive and injector is tiny and comes off all the time. It works better when you remove the remaining piece of adhesive and it sticks, but attaching the sensor is a bit cumbersome and it doesn't adhere well. You have to be really careful not to ruin it.
Overall, I've had this device for about a month. I'd probably rate it 2 out of five stars. I appreciate those that have dedicated their lives to creating this. However, I'm a big consumer experience person. This could be soooo sooo much better. This device was clearly not ready to be launched into the marketplace. Anyone that spends some time with the diabetic community will be able to create a better product. I'm not happy that I'm basically "beta" testing this product for minimed so that they could be first to market. My recommendation on this device would be to not buy it, and to wait for an alternative option. Having one device is nice, but its not worth the lost sleep to me. Best of luck with your review Annie. Take care.
Hey Robert,
Your insight is tremendously helpful!! I haven't made the video yet because I just moved. But it's the next YouTube video I'll make. I love that you gave a headline statement that summarizes how I feel about it. However, my 24-hour experience with the 530G with Enlite isn't a fair "trial period". It's a great concept and they're on the right track...but not there yet. Thanks again for your feedback! The TuDiabetes community comes through, every time :)
Always,
Allie
I posted the YouTube, thanks to the helpful insight and feedback from everybody who contributed to my intel :) I didn't want to make a head-to-head comparison with the Dexcom CGM. I was trying to be diplomatic and appreciative of what Medtronic is putting forth!! YouTube video