Day 2 of Omnipod and already a Pod error- is this normal?

Hello!

I just started the Omnipod Tuesday night, and just a few minutes ago I had a pod error. I’m a teacher and had to find immediate coverage to change my pod in the nurse’s office. Is this something I should expect on a regular basis? How often do people experience pod errors?

My students know I am a diabetic and on an insulin pump, but still- the high pitched noise was a little embarrassing…

Cara

What was the error? Any pump can be placed in a bad location, or get the canula crimped.

It just said pod error- I’ll have to double check when I get a chance later… the location was selected by the pump trainer Tuesday night! I am praying this is not going to be a regular occurance!

I was told the most alarms when wearing it are on the arms, as it can have occlusions there, have you tried it on your stomach? I have only had 4 alarms using it for a month! however 3 of these were actually while filling the pod, so not so bad! Just made sure I always had spares with me

I had it on my back- which is comfortable and convenient for me… I’ve been using my stomach for 14 years with a MM pump so I figured I’d give that area a rest… Thank goodness I had one spare with me. I’m going to bring several and leave them at work.

We had about a month and a half of what must have been a shipment of defective pods, or a shipment of pods that got left in the cold, dropped too much . . . I don’t know, but many of them had errors. Before that, and ever since we haven’t had a single error. So hopefully you aren’t starting with that problem. Definitely call Insulet and give them the info. If it’s a pod error it’s on them and they often will replace them. (Although if you already wore it for 2 days they may not) Even though they will ask you all the questions (was it room temp insulin, did you pinch up around the pod when inserting . . . ) it’s a POD error, not a user error or an occlusion, so that’s just part of what they do. Pod errors are defective pods, and shouldn’t have anything to do with where you put it or how you insert it. I clarified that with a representative once and that’s what I was told.

I have only had a handful of errors in my year and a half. Only 4 of which were not immediate upon priming. I do keep an extra syringe in my case, along with the vial of insulin I am using that month. That way, if I happen to have the screech at an inconvenient time, I can just disable the Pod, and at my earliest convenience change it. If it is going to be a little while, or if the pod was in the middle of a food or correction bolus, I can dose some insulin the old fashioned way, and knowing that the basal I was receiving will still be active in my system for another 2 hours. It gives me a mental hour of lee-way. Good luck!

Great post. I find it amazing that people dont carry around some supplies. The case that you get for the PDM i can easily carry test strips, two vials of novolog, a few syringes, lancets, the PDM, etc. I havent been on the Pod long but I can see where it could be a pain if it started alarming, but I dont think I would need to rush off and feel the need to change the pod out ASAP. Like you said, silence the pod with a paperclip, inject some insulin if necessary and then change out the pod when you get a break.

I dont mean to come across like an @ss but It seems that a lot of people freak out about the pod alarming or not working - but then they dont have any supplies with them, almost like they totally forgot how to take care of themselves!

Ok I did come across like an @ss, I apologize :confused:

Hey Cara - I had a few issues the first couple of weeks and I thought I was going crazy! I remember feeling like using the omnipod was more of a hassle than shots and that this was NOT what I signed up for. However, after about 2 weeks I got the hang of it and everything settled down. I have had no more issues (other than those I bring on myself like running out of insulin because I ate way more than expected or having to change the pod early because I didn’t properly look ahead at my 3 day schedule, etc.). I really think the issues at the beginning were user error/learning curve issues for me. Hang in there! It will get better!

My daughter has been on since Oct 2010. We had an error within the first 6 hours! Since then we’ve had 3 more and one pod that alarmed before we ever opened it. They all seemed to be rigth in a row, but we’ve not had an error in over a month.

I completely agree with you, when I have had a pod alarm whilst wearing it, I just ripped it off, took an insulin injection and carried on until it was a good time for me to put a new one on.

Thanks all- you all were very helpful!

EricG- the reason why I had to change it right away (it right when 1st period was starting) is because I teach the first 4 periods in a row- so, I’d be without insulin for more than 3.5 hours. Anyway, it was pretty quick to change out the pod and get back to my class…

I’m happy I had spares with me- I never had any with me for the MM 722 as I never had to change it at work.

My BG was elevated for the remainder of the morning- does that happen due to the pod error?

Thanks!
Cara

I have been podding for about three weeks now and have not had any pod errors. I did have one PDM error which caused me to change the pod and then the PDM died 3 days later, very close to the pod change (like an hour before) but I knew there was enough insulin left in the pod to leave it on for the additional 8 hours after experation and then I just did injections until my new PDM arrived in the mail.

Call Customer Service. They will replace the pod free of charge on any pod that fails. or caused to be changed by a pdm error.

We had some problems early on too, but they’ve pleasantly disappeared. My only recent one was when I stupidly put a pod on my daughter’s arm going horizontally (yeah…what was I thinking), instead of up and down and the cannula came out after about 40 hours. That is total user error on my part, the arm has too many curves to put a pod on horizontally and she kept catching the pod on doorways, etc.

Sounds like your cannula came out (at least partially). I am really big on putting a little bit of double faced tape (Wallyworld will have it in office supply area) on the bottom of the pod anywhere it ISN"T attached well to the white adhesive patch. I found if I DON’T do this step, the weight of the pod can start to pull it away from the adhesive and then the pod can move which of course means the canula pulls out. We are always filling our pod with 200 units (teenager), so it needs that extra support of the double faced tape. You might want to try this.

I also store my pods with a dryer sheet in the box because they are sensitive to static.

I have to be honest, I almost threw out the pod the first 2 weeks but I listened to the people here and on another board I visit and I am so glad I stuck it out.

Can you keep a Lantus pen and a bottle of insulin in the nurses fridge for back up? After a few weeks pod changes will be quick and easy, but you’d probably still need to leave the class due to the needle thing (I can hear the parents now).

Good luck!

Cara –



I wanted to add I know what you are saying about the MM and not changing sites. Here’s my 2 cents. We had a lot of questionable days with the MM where my DD would run in the high 200’s and I was never positive it was the site so we’d try temp basals etc.



I find with the pod, her numbers are pretty darn consistent unless you have a problem and then she jumps up very very quickly. So it’s a lot more obvious when you need a replacement even if it doesn’t alarm. I do think we had absorption issues with our MM, but since she was receiving partial insulin clear that it wasn’t clear that it was a pump problem.



Honestly, we love the pod – stick with it for a few weeks.

Hi Carla…My 1 yr Poddiversary is on 4/14. I’ve had very little problems. I have had 9 pods to date go bad and about 5 were in a 1 week period just last month. I’m convinced it was the cheap batteries I was using at the time that were giving a bad connection while the pods where priming. Since I switched batteries I have not had any pods error out. Insulet replaced all of my pods that went into an alarm code(steady beep) Just make sure to contact them and give them the error code on your pdm.

I’ve never had an occlusion, so still not sure what that error even sounds like. But I stick with pretty conventional spots for placing the pod (back of arms and sides of my abdomen) I’ve ripped a few off my self but that’s user error and just forgetting they were there. I’ve saved a few pods in distress, get yourself some nexcare flexible tape, great for saving pods that are coming off. Also would advise getting some Uni-Solve for getting those sticky little things and tape off without removing skin!

I didn’t want to go to a pump but with the tubeless advantage I was ok with it, love it now and will not go back to MDI. Give it a chance and I think you’ll find it works great once you figure it out. I just feel the benefits of podding are worth some of the issues we have to deal with. Best of luck!!

Thank you all! I’m not giving up!

Dont want to hyjack the thread but where do you get the unisolve? Do you use the stuff in the bottle or the wipes? Id think the wipes would be easier to carry in the PDM case…

I got my UniSolve from Amazon and I use the wipes, so much easier:)