I’ve never had a screamer in 18 months of use. No need to take off a suit if you use your abdomen and not arms or legs. Takes 3-4 mins to change a pod. So simple. I usually let it go until the 8 the change window expires and both the pod and PDM will alarm until you acknowledge the alarm with the PDM. It’s a medical device and all work places should accommodate. That being said however, I get your concern about interrupting work. I’m retired now so no workplace worries for me now. Odds are small that you would have an alarm at a bad time but it’s possible. My coworkers knew I was diabetic because I had terrible control in my last work years. Was not on a pump then but should have been. The pods are so easy to change and travel with. I disliked the idea of tubing from the get go so I am biased. 
I really love how easy they are to change. Thought it would bother me to have to do it so often (and I use the 8 hours too), but it is no big deal. I truly understand now why people like the pods!
I have used the tslim and the omnipod, my only complaints about the omnipod is the lack of CGM integration and the capacity of the omnipod.
FWIW, if you currently have a Medtronic pump in warranty, Omnipod has a competitive upgrade program where they give you the PDM free PLUS a box of 10 pods to try out. If you like them, then you order more supplies. If you don’t then you go back to what you had. I had a 630G and absolutely LOVE the Omnipod. I’ve been on it for about 2 months and have had maybe 1 or 2 screamers at home. I love how it is all self contained and less paraphernalia to carry around with you. Give it a try if you can!
I agree! So glad I did the free trial. They work so much better for me than infusion sets. The only pod I had to turn off by inserting a pen in the back, resulted from skipping the deactivate step. Otherwise, no problems.
I’m considering trying out the OmniPod, from the tslim (love the tslim tech but hate the issues it causes at TSA due to metal in pump-I travel frequently). However I’m extremely concerned about the alarms you mentioned.
I too am a working professional in a role that a screaming alarm is completely unacceptable and wouldn’t be well received- even with explanation.
Omnipod mentioned that they made changes in December 2018 to the cannula.
Have an of you OmniPod users noticed a change in 2019 with less screaming alarms? (Note I’m not referring to the expiration alarm-rather all other unanticipated alarms).
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
I’m on a tiny tiny basal. They say it takes longer to trigger an occlusion alarm because there isnt much going through to begin with. I had one pod fail early because I think I knocked it loose. Otherwise, the only time I get the siren is when I ignore the extra eight hours they allow you. I work at home though so it’s not a big deal. I did warn people in my church that if I started emitting a piercing noise…they would be able to let other people know what it was from. For myself it works, for others it may or may not pose a problem.
Hi Laura,
Thanks for your feedback, it’s helpful. How long have you used OmniPod?
It sounds like the only time you’ve received an alarm is if you’ve knocked the pod off - or was due to expiration. I think I could accept that with the OmniPod, but am also concerned about random errors-and more so, the noise omitted.
Has anyone else experienced “random” loud errors since the update? If so, could you provide an idea of what causes/resolves them?
I’ve had good luck with my tslim and have never had a critical error in public (I think only twice ever in 5 years-one during a pump change and the other was random while I was sleeping). Albeit it is loud if it’s empty. I had medtronic before that and it had a lot more “public” errors. I just wish they’d change the metal (my understanding of Tandem feedback is that it’s not on the radar for change).
The expiration isn’t a big deal, you can set your expiration in increments of hours, I have mine set an hour before and usually have it planned to change around early evening.
It just lets out a beep beep that you acknowledge or it will beep beep again. Then it will repeat again when it expires. The shrilling shriek lol doesn’t start until 8 hours after it expires, I do forget sometimes as if I have more insulin in it I have a tendency to want to use it as long as possible…and then forget lol. I believe it tries to give you another beep beep that says change me on the screen before it shrieks. But I can be good at ignoring things and if I’ve forgotten to change it, that happens in the middle of the night!
You can pretty much stop that whole process by changing it before it expires, or right when it expires.
I’ve had a couple that haven’t seemed to work and they don’t beep, they just don’t work. Unfortunately I found out by my BG’s going up and that’s the only way I know to find out. I have no idea why, if they were actually bad, didn’t insert right or hit an area that wasn’t good? I think I only ever had one occlusion and then it does shriek.
Oh failed to mention this is since March 2018 and the old pods.
I’ve been on the pod for 6 months. I’ve only had 2 pods go bad and one of those was my fault because I put it to high on my thigh and kept bumping against my abs when bike riding. I change my pods in the evening, so no end of life beeps at work. I just remember to have the pdm near me when pod is 1 hour from the 72-hour mark. A simple button press on the pdm silences the occasional reminder beep. It’s does go into continuous sound mode 8 hours after the 72. I was on minimed, then tslim X2, and now omnipod. I was only a year into my tslim. It was a nice pump, but pods are a life changing. No more tubes means 2 free hands all the time.
Hi Tiffany,
My first pump was a Medtronic. I stayed with them for many years until my Endo suggested the Omnipod. It’s been just a year this month and I LOVE it! I started with the push button PDM and now use the Dash touch screen. I’ve never had a screaming pod! This is the first I’ve ever heard of it! I always run low on insulin when my 72 hours is up so I change it. Fresh insulin always seems to work best for me anyway. Good luck!
I had my first screamer (occlusion) in a long time at about 2 am Sunday morning. I couldn’t remember where to put the paperclip, so I called customer support and finally got someone to tell me how to handle it. I have since taken a picture, circled the right spot and added it to a note on my phone for easy reference in the future. I love the new Dash PDM but am disappointed that the communication with a pod via Bluetooth doesn’t seem any better than that of the old pods.
I have this video saved, as I would forget at first how to stop it as it is so far in between? Now I do remember lol. The syringe that comes with filling the pod works great on the hole too.
But I love this video…
The note on the phone seems like a great idea too.
I’ve had this happen to me too many times and it is so easy to forget where to punch the paperclip (or the lancet which is what I use now). I love your idea about taking a picture and keeping it on your phone! 
I wondered if a lancet would work. I tried one the other night, but since I wasn’t punching the right spot, the needle just bent over. It’s a lot easier for me to find a lancet in my bathroom drawer at 2:30 a.m. than it is to find a paperclip!
@Jim2 Yep, they work like a charm! That’s why I started to use lancets … I always have one near by! LOL
Thanks @Jim2!
@CQ1 thanks for your response! Great to hear you love the Dash and no screaming pods. I did end up trying the Dash and had a horrible experience.
The primary issue was not getting a portion of insulin delivered, especially after a large (ie 10u) bolus. That would generally blow the site out.
I did have one screaming alarm but it was due to a PDM system error that required the PDM to be replaced and pod to be stopped.
I still love the idea of Omnipod and it’s SO much easier to get through TSA with it, but it wasn’t feasible for me due only getting some of the insulin.
I’m looking forward to the t:sport!! Hopefully will have less metal and can wear through metal detector. That would be amazing!!