I’ve recently upgraded to the Omnipod 5, and have been using Omnipods successfully for at least the last 8 years. The 5 is almost everything I’ve been looking for. The algorithm works and I’m truly impressed…except for one thing. You cannot enter a target glucose for automatic mode lower than 110. This is clearly a CYA pushed by their lawyers. I was wondering if anyone has developed a hack yet that allows you to set it lower? Ideally, I’d love to set it at 85
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I’ve also been satisfied with it but I have no hack. Workaround is needed for the bolus calculator…it also uses a goal of 110 for meal bolus and corrections. The need for workarounds has me in manual mode about 20% of the time.
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I’m hoping that minimum target rate will come down as the FDA sees how this works in real life. I blame the FDA and not company lawyers for the restriction. It was a concession likely made to get the product to market.
This is with a G6 CGM, yes? Can you abuse the G6 “calibration” function to make the G6 think that a real 85 is “read out as” 110?
That way when you aim for 110 on CGM, you are really aiming for 85 in real life.
Fair point, Jim. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case either
Brilliant suggestion. Great example of how sometimes the most complex problems can be solved with the simplest solution. I recalibrated it this morning, and it seems to be holding. I’m not sure if it will eventually come back to the original true value, but we’ll see. The one way I know for sure you can get the calibration to hold is if you insert a new G6 sensor and do not enter the code. The downside is it will ask you to re-calibrate twice a day, just like the old G5
It’s required twice on the 1st day, and then only required once every 24 hours after the first day.
But the number will keep creeping back toward what the Dex believes to be your real BG. So you will have to keep re-calibrating on occasion to keep it lower than your BG really is. The calibrations don’t “stick”.
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Got it Eric. Thanks for clarifying. Yes, that’s my suspicion it will creep back to my real BG. I’ll try calibrating in both modes - with and without code - and see which one holds longer
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I always use the calibration method because I get better results that way. I test my BG a million times anyway, so I figure I might as well put in the number every once-in-a-while.
Non-calibration and using the code has always given me inaccurate numbers.
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So an update - @Tim12, your hack worked out brilliantly. I re-calibrated my Dexcom twice in the first 24 hours, and it consistently displayed 20-30 points above my actual levels through the remaining sensor period. In fact, that delta has held through a sensor switch after my last one expired. It still takes a little getting used to, seeing my BG displayed ~25pts higher than what it actually is, but it’s working in fooling the omnipod, and resulting in my basal levels holding between an actual level of 80-90
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Glad to hear the hack works! I can’t claim full credit because the idea is plainly stolen from the Monty Python “Mattress sketch” 
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6qglfb
If you get enough experience with forced Dexcom calibrations, maybe you can answer a question of mine: does setting it to read 80 as 110, just cause an additive offset of 30, or is more accurately a multiplicative factor of 110 divided by 80?
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That sketch is hilarious. I’ll be using those lines at my next Endo appointment. “You see - when it shows 110, you have to subtract 20…”
So far, it seems to be an additive offset, but if that changes, I’ll post an update to let you know
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Don’t blame Insulet’s lawyers; blame the FDA and other regulatory authorities who demand this stuff.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it came from either their lawyers or the FDA. Would you know if other systems also have the lowest target limit you can set at 110? Regardless, calibrating 20pts higher than actual is working brilliantly and holding
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Glad to hear that it worked…Thanks for being a trailblazer!
@Christopher5 are you still cheating the system with Dexcom calibrations? I’ve been thinking about trying this and am curious whether it worked for you longterm!
Hey ECnerd. Yes, I am and it works well. It does require you to recalibrate it every 2-3 sensors, but it keeps the algorithm fooled.
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i was fortunate enough to start Android aps around may 2022, right before the o5 was available, and am glad i did, especially when my endocrinologist emailed the insulet rep about the possibility of a working phone app and watch app, and he replied no…
bolusing using the wizard or straight units also works on the watch, for Apple phones, you’ll use loop or something equivalent, but for tighter control with temp targets that you can do on your watch, I’d say its definitely something to look into…if i started with o5, i might not have discovered the alternatives, but both the loop and aaps algorithms seem better, and are not based on total daily insulin which makes no sense to me. …always trying to trick the cgm seems dangerous…and not having to carry around an extra device should be enough motivation… especially for someone with nerd in their name
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@roger5 thanks for this! I hadn’t looked into loop in a while and didn’t realize it was now compatible with the DASH pods. I didn’t want to carry around an additional device (Rileylink or the like), but looks like I wouldn’t have to anymore. To be honest, I was really holding out for Tidepool Loop and am SO disappointed that Omnipod terminated their relationship with Tidepool. Seems like it might be time to try a DIY approach.
glad to hear it, it may seem a little overwhelming at first, but it’ll be worth it…if you already have a nightscout account, you’re at least a third of the way there…there’s just a lot more options, not having to carry around and worrying about charging an extra pdm, and bolusing without having to get out your phone or while driving is also a huge incentive