I’m considering changing from Medtronic to OmniPod. The only draw-back I can see is being restricted from hot-tubs. In fact, I am expecting you cannot even take a hot bath with an OmniPod. Does anyone have any solutions?
If it is on your arm and your arm does not remain submerged for any length of time it is okay. And the hot temps are not too much of a problem anyway.
As far as the hot temps - on a different site I posted some experiments I did with car-baked insulin. Insulin left in a hot car for 4 days, in the sun. Amazing results.
The bottom line is that insulin is much more durable than people give it credit for.
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Thanks Eddie …
31 years diabetic and I have only cooked my insulin twice. Once was by leaving it in a car in Florida in the summer.
You can take a hot bath if the temp is no higher than 104F (40C), the pod’s upper operating temperature. The pod is waterproof for up to an hour. I’ve taken hot baths for about 30 minutes, with the pod on my side or abdomen, and haven’t had any problems. Keep in mind in a bath the water cools fairly quickly anyway, so even if you start out above 104, you’ll soon be in a safe zone. The Omnipod User Guide says to remove the pod before using hot tubs, whirlpools, or saunas. However, I’ve had no problems in very hot (way hotter than 104) Russian saunas for up to 30 minutes. So you should be fine if your hot tub isn’t hotter than 104F.
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I did the same thing in 2013 and I’m back on the Medtronic this year. There are things I like and don’t like about both pumps. Ultimately I found the OmniPod more frustrating than the Medtronic when it wasn’t working right, which is why I decided to switch back. The tubing never bothered me much if at all though, which made my decision easier. You may love it and never look back, my only advice is to make sure you can easily switch back to your Medtronic if it doesn’t work well for you.
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In your opinion, what are the drawbacks of the OmniPod?
The question wasn’t to me, but I’ll take the liberty of weighing in.
I’ve used several models of tubed pumps since 1980, and I find it hard not to wax evangelical about the Omnipod. I like putting on a pod and basically forgetting I’m on a pump for three days, which is not so easy with a tubed pump – it’s always physically there: you have to find a place for it in your clothing or juggle it with other things in your hands. I do not find the pod bulky or obvious under clothing, although I also do not wear tightly form-fitting clothes. I consider it weightless.
The PDM, on the other hand, is a bit clunky, but I do not have to carry it around with me all day so this is not an issue personally. In the hand it could be mistaken for a bulky phone. The coming generation (late 2017?) will replace the PDM with a locked-down Android device.
If you go somewhere without your PDM, you will still receive your basal but you won’t be able to bolus or adjust your basals. You’re unlikely to go somewhere without your Medtronic.
I find I have more infusion sites to choose from than I did with tubed pumps. Some people puts pods on their calves, chest, upper buttocks, basically wherever there’s some flesh they won’t be sitting on. Maybe people also use those places with tubed sets now (although trying to picture getting dressed with a tubed set on my arm always makes me picture Cirque du Soleil). Different people have comfort or absorption issues in different places – I’ve had more “third day highs” when the pod is on an arm – but I also experienced such things when I used tubed pumps. When I used tubed pumps, to economize I would push my sets longer than recommended, and therefore experienced occasional site infections and years later have various lumps and bumps. I appreciate that you cannot extend a pod past its three days; this is better for my body.
I have not, in more than half a year, experienced any of the pod failures or defective pods others have reported. I don’t know if that’s because quality is improving or I’ve been lucky. I’ve had a handful of pods that were uncomfortable enough that I had to take them off early, but Omnipod will replace any pod that you have to remove in the first 36 hours because of discomfort, unexplained high BGs, or various other “adverse events.”
I like that the pod is waterproof, so I can shower or swim and still receive insulin. This is a big advantage for me because, even with a bolus to cover the unhooked period, I always had to stabilize my sugars after disconnecting from my tubing even for a short time.
Speaking of swimming, and other less-dressed activities, chances are the pod will be visible, which may or may not be a consideration. Then again, I found even disconnected Silhouettes could draw attention.
Some people find sleeping directly on the pod can be uncomfortable or bends the cannula; others report sleeping on them with no problem. Depending on your body type, these may be concerns with tubed infusion sets as well. Personally, I sleep on the pod-free side and enjoy no longer waking up multiple times every night to unwind myself from tubing.
Omnipod offers a money-back 90-day trial, so if you’re not happy, it’ll be easy to switch back.
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I tried Omnipod for five months back in 2012. I struggled to get consistent absorption and control from one pod to the next. When it worked, I was pleased, when it did not, I was unhappy. I don’t know if the reason the pod failed me was due to the pods at the time or the fact that I had used up all the good pod sub-q tissue. At that point I had been pumping for 29 years. I also had consistent gaps in control when changing from one pod to another.
When I switched back to my Animas Ping, my former good control dependably returned. I know many here love their Omnipods. I’m glad we have many pump options to choose from.
I had the same issues you had and used both the old and new pods. The new pods were more reliable in terms of outright failures - I can’t remember having that happen too many times compared to the old ones, but inconsistency and pod change highs were always my problem. It’s too bad they can’t develop a pod that has interchangeable infusion set types, I wonder if that would solve this issue.
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@Michael_Birch, I am an Omnipod user and I absolutely love it. My prior pump was a t:slim. For a tubed pump the t:slim was great. But the tubeless Omnipod is amazing.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this Pro but its this: The whole pod replacement process is an absolute breeze. The pod primes itself! No having to hold tubes and press buttons to prime and get bubbles out, etc. All you need to do is fill the pod and the rest it does itself, including cannula insertion/priming.
Definitely give it a try. Getting that basal 24/7 makes a huge difference. No disconnecting ever. No need. I wear my pod in the Steam-room at my gym with no problem.
My son has used OmniPod for nearly the entire time he has had diabetes - ten years - and recently has been using Medtronic. He/we have been very happy with OmniPod, primarily bc of the tubelessness and will be returning to it in a few weeks. During this period of using Medtronic, I have come to understand some complaints about OmniPod that I could not previously appreciate.
I don’t think Caleb has had one site issue on the Medtronic pump. We suspected a couple and changed the site early, but ultimately I believe it wasn’t necessary. There are times when he experiences third day highs on the OmniPod and we change it out. For Caleb, I think this is a fundamental difference in effectiveness of the infusion sets of the two pumps.
Another complaint I’ve heard from users trying the OmniPod is about Pod failures. We had more Pod failures with the older system/larger Pods (they were mostly static related), and definitely experience better absorption with the new, smaller Pods, but I now understand the frustration of the hard stop of a Pod failure if you’ve only used a tubed pump. There is really nothing like that with a tubed pump. I suppose a pump error happens from time to time and that’s a huge inconvenience. But while a pump error for OmniPod (meaning a Pod error not a PDM error) is easily fixed, it has to be addressed immediately. You have to pretty much drop everything and address it. If you’re used to years of not having that kind of disruption, I can understand the frustration when first experiencing it with OmniPod. That was always part of our routine and something we were always prepared for, so not a big deal for us. I see now it’s one less thing to worry about with a tubed pump.
There also is a weightiness to the Pod on your body that is different to carrying the pump portion of a tubed pump in your pocket. But it’s also a pain to find a place for that tubed pump at times.
On the pro side for OmniPod, having to disconnect a tubed for swimming is such a drag. Sports are also less convenient with a tubed pump. Baseball and competitive dancing just don’t go well with it. It’s doable, but much less preferred. Points raised above - greater rotation of infusion sites and ease in prepping the Pod (wow that cartridge filling/changing thing really seemed complicated and inconvenient at first) - are good points as well. Caleb has never ever left his PDM behind, but again, we were trained from the very beginning to always have it with us. I am much more comfortable with the software setup of the OmniPod. Medtronic’s seems much less intuitive, but that could be an old dog/new tricks issue for me.
As others have mentioned, it’s a personal decision either because you find one more effective than the other or prefer the lifestyle aspects of one over the other.
As far as hot tubs, we have one, Caleb has been in it. It hasn’t affected the insulin. But he’s not hanging around in it for all that long either.
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I used to wear Medtronic for many years, but switched to Omnipod last year. I haven’t had any major issues with the Omnipod. I like the fact that it is less visible than the Medtronic pump. Also, it’s less painful to insert than the Medtronic pump.
My only issue is the fact that I get only one extra Pod every three months, so when I place the Pod in a place where it isn’t feeling comfortable, I’ll have to keep on wearing it the next three days. I always use the abdominal area to insert the Pod, but nowadays I like to be standing while inserting, because that way I have a better idea of which area will feel comfortable when I’m wearing pants.
Omnipod Canada seems perfectly happy to replace any pod that has to be removed within 36 hours because of discomfort, unexplained high BGs, or other (undefined) “adverse events.” If you haven’t already, maybe check whether Omnipod in the Netherlands has the same policy.
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Without me asking, my endo wrote me a 2-day OmniPod prescription…
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Caleb has the same or similar.
I always ask the doctor to write my infusion pump supply order to “change every 48 hours.” With all that diabetes demands of us, why should we also live on the razor’s edge with our supplies such that any treatment set-back puts us into crisis?
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Just curious: how do you know I live in the Netherlands? I can’t find this information anywhere!
When someone clicks on your avatar, they see this information:
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We know everything.
Also, the lightbulb in your refrigerator is about to burn out so you should get a replacement bulb soon…
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OMG, I already dumped my microwave. Those kitchen appliances are not to be trusted…
A lot of people ask me what’s on my arm when they see my FreeStyle Libre sensor. It’s always on the tip of my tongue to answer something like…it’s the way I communicate with aliens…but I haven’t said it yet. I act like a responsible person with diabetes type 1 and educate the type 0s 
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