Unfortunately my mail order pharmacy only has the butterfly strips. So when they send it to me I have to call Abbott and they switch them for me to the “classic” strips. This is such a pain in the behind to do.
Is it just easier to use the “freestyle flash” meter instead of the omnipod meter?
Yeah, using a different meter would certainly be a feasible work-around. The freestyle flash meter is very small, so not much of a drag to have the additional item if you already have a diabetes “kit”.
But… how much trouble would it be to just upgrade to the newer pump? Seems like this issue is only going to get worse over time. I know that back when I had a Medtronic Pump, they offered an upgrade for an extremely reduced price for those of us already on the Paradigm platform and still under warranty.
Carolyn, the Omnipod doesn’t offer a version with a freestyle flash meter. It’s either use the freestyle meter or carry around a separate device. With that said, I’ve been using the new butterfly strips in my Omnipod meter all year without a problem. You need to get the butterfly strips for the freestyle meter, however, not the freestyle flash meter. But they do make them. I think it’s just not tested adequately with the Omnipod meter to be approved. It is approved in the freestyle classic meter. Many of us have noticed little to no difference in the sugar readings when using the newer strips and I like the new strips better. It’s up to you and certainly the FDA says don’t do it but unless you’re short on strips I’d suggest giving it a try. Just make sure you ask them to switch you to freestyle butterfly strips, not freestyle flash butterfly strips.
Rich- I, like Rebedcca have been using the butterfly strips, and have had no probelem so far!
which freestyle meter should I get then that is compatible with the new butterfly strips?
There are 2 types of “new butterfly strips”. New freestyle strips, and new freestyle lite strips. Although the company will never come out and say it, in my opinion they are they same strip. They are both coded to 16 and they look exactly the same internally and externally. I use freestyle lite strips in the omnipod, and like many others, I have not had any issues.
Nevertheless, if you prefer to go w/ the “safe” route (FDA approved 
then use the new freestyle strips (yellow box, blue vial) with freestyle flash or freestyle freedom. Use the new freestyle lite strips with the freestyle lite and freestyle freedom lite (blue box, yellow vial…they were “smart” when they did that color “coordinating”, I know lol). Here is a compatibility matrix from the company. But again, compare the two and tell me the difference between the two
And lastly, for what’s it’s worth, the omnipod PDM has a freestyle meter built in (and the old regular freestyle strips that went w/ the freedom and the flash were compatible w/ the PDM). Now the new strips (new regular freestyle) are compatible w/ all of those…so why wouldn’t they also be compatible w/ the PDM? The meter w/in the PDM didn’t change. If it works in the freedom and the flash, why wouldn’t the new ones also work in the PDM?
Personally I think you’re good to go w/ the PDM, or with any of the other freestyle meters that you want to pick up 
Hi there - we just put Will in a study at Stanford where he wore a blinded CGM for a week and had to test on both the OmniPod PDM and a OneTouch meter. I was amazed at how far the numbers are off with each meter. I’m talking at least 50 pts to 100 pts - huge difference. We just got the data back from the CGM and it turns out the CGM numbers reflected closely to the OneTouch meter and not at all to the OmniPod. This explains a lot…Will’s a1c went up almost a full point since we switched to the new butterfly strips. I had done my own testing with the butterfly strips using the PDM and a Freedom meter and the numbers were very close.
Needless to say, if your a1c has gone up since using the new strips, the problem could be the PDM. BTW - we have the new PDM. I plan on escalating this problem up the food chain to the folks at Insulet as soon as I get all the data together to send them. Very upsetting!
The researchers say that the OneTouch meter is their gold standard meter.
We are also using the new strips in the PDM. I ordered control solutions to test with, both high, low and regular control solutions. The numbers were close, as were the lab blood tests that she had done a couple of months back. After all of that testing, I feel fine about her using the new strips in the PDM and think that it is just a matter of time before the FDA approves them for use in the PDM. Abbott will send you the control solution if you call them and ask for it.
Just an FYI: I had a vial of the “new” test strips that did not calibrate. When I called Abbott and they found out I was using the OmniPod as our meter they said that I needed to get in contact with Liberty to get the old strips sent to me. Abbott replaced my entire order of “new” strips and now I receive the “old” strips by mail from Liberty. I really liked the new strips but the rep said that they are not approved and therefore should not be used with the OmniPod. I am fine with using the old strips but they should have proactively contacted the OmniPod customers about this issue. I believe there is a difference in the strips as the chemical composition on the boxes is different. The old strips are PQQ Glucose Dehydrogenase and the new strips are FAD Glucose Dehydrogenase…I have no idea what this means but it is one difference on the box that the representative said could be why my strips were not calibrating properly. We had been using the new strips for a couple months and had never had a problem before. Hopefully the new strips will be approved or modified soon so the OmniPodders can enjoy the benefits of smaller samples soon:)
I used the new lite strips while in a study at UVA with my Omnipod PDM, mainly just to test it against hospital readings. It was excellent.
The only thing that I found in the 72 hour period is that I set my PDM at code 12 even though the strip “bottles” say 16. It was usually only off no more than 5-7% which is as close as I imagine I got with any other meter.
PLEASE NOTE: I am not a medical person (i.e., doctor) but a Type 1 for over 52 years. It works for me and I have been using them since they came out and have had no issues…although FreeStyle does not support them being used with Omnipod PDMs.
I had the same experience! My daughter’s A1C went up at her last visit in April and I was using the new strips. And the a1c level was NOWHERE NEAR what her meter averages were - like over 30 points off!! And we check 10-12 times a day so it was unlikely we were missing that much.
We went back to the old strips and I just had her a1c done at her pediatrician’s office last week and it has come down almost to what we were before, but the meter averages still would imply it was even lower. I know you can’t rely on the averages, but they are not even close.
Are you saying you think the meter in the PDM is wonky? Should we be requesting a new PDM? I am so happy to find someone who had this same problem, not because I wish it on anyone else 
but because every person I explained it to thought I was crazy!!
I think it’s the meter. I need to download my OmniPod data and compare it with the CGM but from what I see by just scrolling thru and what I experienced in using both the OmniPod and OneTouch at the same time, the OmniPod is way off. The data of the CGM lined up with OneTouch and not with the OmniPod at all. Once I get the data I’ll either request a new PDM or switch back to the old strips and see if there is any difference. So far, I’m just very frustrated!!
I will use your case when discussing with OmniPod.
More when I know…
Ron, Not sure if you are meaning the new butterfly strips or the lite strips because the lite strips are not supposed to be coded are they? How did you come up with the idea to set the code to 12? I had heard some talk of this before, and read about someone that was mistakenly using the lite strips with the pods and not realizing. One he did, he compared the two and stopped using them.
I don’t think that many people think to make sure to have a glucose test done along with the A1c, and test on your meter at the same time. I do this each time so that I know that I can trust the meter. Lots of times the doc’s won’t automatically check that box, but will if you ask them to. Even after checking with all of the different control solutions, I did that recently and am satisfied with the results that we are getting from the PDM and the new strips, which are much easier to use.
I’m using the Butterfly strips, no issue at 12. I read another site about another guy testing and adjusting and 12 was his number that worked. They do have the Code 16 on the containers; however, in the FreeStyle meters you don’t have to set them.
Works for me, that is all I will say and I have also compared them to my old Accu-Check and One-Touch with results that are good for me too.
But again, you all do what you do – don’t go by me. My last A1C, after being on these strips more than 3 months was 6.4% which is about what I am normally.
Did you test using both codes with the same drop of blood or control solution? I did find that the new strips read up to 10% higher than the old ones but the actual blood testing at the lab showed that the new strips were reading a bit higher. I think that I may try our the code 12 myself, with the same drop of blood and with control solution. My daughter’s A1c was up about a half point, but I did expect it to be up due to thyroid issues and highs as a result of changes in meds.
Please feel free to mention us an let me know. I might definitely request a new PDM to get to the bottom of this. In your opinion, do you think the PDM meter just went “bad” or do you think it was always off? In our experience, I think it almost went bad. Her a1c was a steady 6.7 for over a year…and her meter averages were always in the 130s, low 140s - about the same. Her averages now are in the low to mid 120s (up to the 90 day averages, very consistent) and her a1c went up to 7.1. I was shocked, I was expecting it to go down. I switched over to the old stips and when I just had it done it went to 6.9, but the averages have stayed the same. It is a very puzzling situation, and I’ve tried to explain it to the drs, but they just kind of think I’m crazy I think!!
It’s tough when you try so hard, check so many times, tweak constantly and then see the a1c go UP although the meter tells you something different. It’s demoralizing, and every calculation we make is based on incorrect numbers!
I will have the BG checked at my next visit like marymary said, my backup meter is a Freestyle as well so when I do compare they are extremely close. But if the whole system is wrong I need to get a different meter.
Thanks for your info.
Just an FYI from last night, and yes when I compare I always use the same drop, before it can start to dry out.
One Touch 171
FreeStyle Lite with new strips made for it 183
PDM with butterfly strip 177
PDM with old strip (I still have a few left) 182
It appears as though they are slightly higher, but it isn’t a significant amount. I am about done with the multi-testing since I am going broke on meds (for wife, not even me alone), gas, food, etc.