Hi, I hope I can get some good advice here. My Tandem TSlim X2 pump warranty is expiring at the end of August. Before that, I used Medtronic Minimed pumps for almost 20 years, starting with the Minimed 508. I’m considering going back to Minimed. Here are a few of the things I prefer from Metronic:
I much prefer using the AAA batteries to recharging the TSlim.
My charging port cover is almost completely ripped off.
I have to charge more often. I think the battery is getting old.
I still hate filling the cartridge on the TSlim, even though I’ve done it over 400 times so far.
My remaining insulin number is often wrong. I once had it stuck on 150 units for almost two days. Then it corrects itself.
I went the the Tandem TSlim because I hated the old Medtronic sensors. I used the Dexcom with Medtronic pump for a couple of years, and was happy enough with it.
So, any of you used both pumps? How are the Medtronic sensors now? Any other preferences for one or the other? I need to make a decision soon, I think.
Also, I am now on Medicare, but wasn’t when I got my current pump, so Medicare didn’t pay for it. Do I still need to wait for five years before they will pay for a new one? If so, I’m going to request a replacement pump from Tandem because of the problems I’ve listed above.
I’d appreciate any thoughts, good advice, experiences you all can give me. Thanks.
I’ll be following this thread with interest. I just picked the Tandem pump. A long time ago, I was on a Medtronic pump, but I changed back to MDI after several years due to the sites not healing. I’m dreading some of the things you describe. Charging the pump sounds like a pain, and being able to use batteries during a power outage is important. I chose Tandem even though I had a lot of reservations, though. It’s such a hard decision, made even more difficult by the 5 year rule! I wish you the best of luck.
If Medicare did not pay for your last pump, then you do NOT have to wait 5 years for them to buy your new one. As to which pump to select, I have never had a Medtronic product, so can’t say. Medicare paid for 2 of my Animas pumps so when Animas went out of business and I had to wait another 3 years to qualify for another Medicare-paid pump, I paid out of pocket for a Tandem Tslim.
I have been very happy with the T-slim and ecstatic over the nighttime control with CIQ. Charging the battery has not been a problem because I plug it into my computer when I am working and it tops off the battery very nicely. As to the flap covering the battery port, I gently swivel it out of the way and it sits there safely until I swivel it back to cover. I am on my second Tandem (this time Medicare bought it for me) and after 4 years of use, my original pump still has the flap intact. Yes, filling the cartridge is more involved. But it still takes me less than 5 minutes to accomplish the task.
I know that my experience won’t help you make up your mind. I am probably just tolerating the small irritants. However, you should go with whichever pump gives you the most peace of mind. Tandem does it for me.
I am watching this with interest too. I am having a ton of problems with Omnipods, but I really want a pump because of my DP. When my pods work right I wake up with “normal” numbers, when it isn’t, I get alerts at reaching 180 and have to give myself a shot. So I’m not sure I still won’t have problems with a regular tubed pump but at least I have more infusion choices.
So I am really interested in what is the preferred pump nowadays. I love my Omnipods but… I might need to change.
Have you checked out the Mobi?
I considered it, but decided to stick with tubed Tandem X2 for another 4 years, 5 with MC?
Tandem Mobi does have infusion set options. And the cartridge with the insulin has the option of a short tube away from the infusion site. I guess you can tape the cartridge to you and keep the control in your purse or nightstand, which might make it a little easier. I was originally excitedly waiting for it to come out. Unfortunately it still has to be disconnected in the water. It does have some pluses.
As for charging, I just charge it while taking a shower and that usually covers it depending on how low the battery has dropped. In case of a power outage you can use your car or get a “Charge Card” which will also charge your phone, handy for sitting in the airport, also. Amazon is the designated provider for replacement charging port covers and cases, both of which I’ve had to replace. The warranty has been out on my tSlim X2 for over a year and insurance will only replace it if there is a problem with it but it is working like a new one.
As someone who defected from Medtronic to Tandem, which I’m very happy with, I think they’re both about equally effective in terms of TIR, overall sensor accuracy and other measurables. For me, having experienced both, and having a background in UX (User Experience design) it comes down to a difference in design philosophy—what the engineers are aiming for as the ideal and how that gets reflected in how the thing behaves—what it communicates—what it’s like to use it and to live with it 24/7. To put it briefly, I think the MT ideal has always been to do as much as possible to take the difficult, unpredictable and crazy-making business of managing blood glucose out of your hands through automation. Hey, that’s why they call it “auto” mode. That has a strong appeal for a lot of people, but for others, you may find it feels like a lot of roadblocks are in your way when you try to tweak things for yourself. If you’re more hands-on, in short.
Being who I am, and having run away screaming from the first Medt AID pump, the 670G, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover after several weeks of use that the Tandem philosophy is quite different. None of this stuff is explicit, so maybe that’s why it was so surprising, but what I discovered was that the CIQ system wasn’t trying to make decisions for me, but to offer suggestions I was free to override or accept, without having to pop out of the system into dumb-pump mode. As a f’rinstance, it was only after several weeks in that I was quite shocked (pleasantly) to discover, when doing a bolus calculation, that all the fields were editable. These weren’t commands being spit out by the Algorithm, they were—gasp!—being offered to me as suggestions. My pump was there to help, but it wasn’t there to push me into the back seat and take over.
Now, I don’t know the 780G from experience, and I have read that there are a lot of things they are doing better now. And I also want to stress that there are a LOT of people who very much DO want a smart system that will do all of this stuff for them and relieve the stress of having to make decisions about this crap every day of their life. “Just take care of this for me and leave me out of it” is a perfectly valid thing to want. I think it’s particularly true for people who are struggling to get their A1C down from 8s or higher into the high sixes/low 7s that I know plenty of T1s only hope for. Also for parents and caregivers, for whom this whole business is even more of a nightmare than it is for us patients. OTOH, if you’re more hands-on and want to squeeze the best results out of the system you can, based on your own knowledge and experience with your own particular metabolism, but do want some smart assistance with that, that’s more the sweet spot for the Tandem CIQ.
The other stuff isn’t nothing. I really liked the Mio Advance inset system vastly better than the old-school spring-loaded thwack-and-bruise system Tandem uses. I struggle with that a lot. Also the reservoir injector thing is kind of kludgy. But just as a general matter, pumps introduce a lot more failure points than the direct simplicity of MDI. None of them are free of compromises and annoyances. But for me, having gone through this decision process recently, I found the most stressful thing was getting all the feature details and pluses and minuses to add up to some kind of sense of Yeah but what’s it going to be like to LIVE with this thing??? I think that’s the real question—hopefully this helps.
In my case I already have a couple of those external usb batteries I keep charged, so I just plug my pump into one of them when it’s going low. Takes maybe 30 minutes to charge, something like that. I had some concerns but in light of experience I definitely wouldn’t put this very high on my list of make-or-break features.
Just as a general FYI I happened to check the Tandem support docs re battery life and they actually recommend giving it a daily topping up for ~15 min rather than waiting for it to run low. I’ve usually just been charging when I get the %25 alert.
I have only been on Medtronic pumps starting with the 630. The sensors then weren’t so great.
I am now on the 780 with the Guardian 4 sensors, and I am really, really happy with it. No problems at all. My TIR is always in the 80s and sometimes in the mood to high 90 percent.
Hi Michelle-
I have experienced the same situation. I used a Medtronic pump for 8 years and 5 years ago I switched to a Tandem Tslim X2. I very much prefer the Tandem Slim X2 although I would agree with some of your complaints. My Tandem warranty expires in 3 weeks. And Medicare should pay for a replacement after the expiration if there has been a problem.
I had recent battery problems and even a low battery alert a month ago. So I made a few phone calls to figure out the procedures for a pump replacement. The Tandem Tech Support team was great. They walked me through a reboot that actually improved the battery. I then updated the software on the pump. Previously I had ordered a new cover for the charging port on the pump, so I easily replaced it when I had that problem.
I don’t know how good the Medtronic sensors are now, but the Medtronic Enlite was terrible. It was such a relief to be able to sleep through the night with the Tandem and Dexcom.
I also prefer batteries for the pump, but I routinely charge the pump when I am in the shower. It really isn’t a problem.
Everyone has different preferences and priorities. Good luck with your decision.
I switched from Medtronic to the Tandem T:slim X2 because Medicare pays for the Dexcom G6 (G7 now) sensors and (at the time) they didn’t pay for the Medtronic sensors. In fact, I switched before I was eligible for a new pump because the “cash” price for the pump was less than the cost of the sensors I would have purchased if I waited until I was eligible.
I called Tandem support when my charge port cover went wonky and they sent me a new one. They can also be purchased.
I use a Tripp-Lite Power Bank upb-02k6-1u which is very small, 2600 mAh, and fits in my pocket so I can charge my pump without interrupting my normal routine.
While the cartridge fill procedure is a PITA, I’ve gotten used to it and I’ve had the occasional hiccup with the remaining insulin number, it doesn’t prevent the pump from using “all” the insulin in the cartridge.
I’m using CIQ in 24hr sleep mode and it does a good job keeping my A1C around 5.5-5.8, TIR 90+ percent.
I believe that Medicare has expanded their coverage to include Medtronic sensors so my reason for switching probably doesn’t apply now.
I have been on Medtronic pumps and sensors for over 20 years. I have seen a huge improvement with their sensors. Now I have a 780G pump with Guardian 4 sensors and couldn’t be happier.
I used Medtronic pumps for 18 years. I’ve used their original Sof-Sensors (aka The Harpoon), Enlite & Guardian 3. The Sof-Sensors actually worked well for me. Enlite didn’t work at all. Not a single sensor. Not one. I gave up after 6 months of frustration and didn’t have a sensor for the next 5 years. When that pump (530g?) finally died, Medtronic talked me into the 670g. The Guardian 3 sensors worked great for me but auto mode didn’t so I was in manual mode. I paid to upgrade to the 770g because the 780g was “coming in 5 months”. That didn’t happen, delay after delay after delay. After being out of warranty for 4 months and still no 780g I switched to Tandem early last year, probably weeks before the 780 was finally approved.
I was worried about some things with Tandem such as charging the battery (not an issue, I do it every single day when I take a shower or when I’m sitting at my computer working from home. The cartridge fill is somewhat annoying but not as bad as I made myself think it would be based on stuff I read online. Right now Medtronic definitely has the advantage when it comes to infusion sets, definitely more choice there. The Mio Advanced are great! I never tried their 7 day version.
Because I had paid for the 670–>770 upgrade I was eligible for the free software upgrade to the 780g. I installed that last year and gave the 780 another try. Medtronic sent me a new G4 transmitter an sensors because my old G3 transmitter was still under warranty. The G4 were much like the G3, although I do think the Guardian 3 worked better for me. I don’t know if it was because the G3 forced at least 2X daily calibrations on me but it stayed accurate the entire week compared to my meter. There were countless times the number matched exactly or they were just 1-2 points different. With the G4, even if I calibrated when I didn’t have to, it was always off by more. Not a significant amount and it would have made a small difference in treatment options, but still not as consistent as the G3.
The 780 could not handle my dawn phenomenom, gave only the tiniest corrections and took hours to get that morning BG down. With Tandem, I set my basal rates very aggressively for a few hours in the morning and it’s great. Tandem keeps me in range overnight although there’ s some ups & downs on the graph. It will go up to say 142, then CIQ gets it down but then pauses basal for a bit and it will then go up again. I never go high and I always wake up at a great number. I’ll have to work on my overnight rates to smooth that out. The Medtronic 780g algorithm kept it at a flat line. It was beautiful. But every night it would keep my BG at a slightly higher and higher number. Instead of staying at around 100 it kept creeping up until it was now staying in the 120s. Waking up with that higher number mean my feet on the floor BG rise happened much sooner & much faster.
The remaining insulin number in the Tandem is annoying but I know how much I’ve put in. If it says I have 60+ units for two days, I don’t worry because I know I have at least 60 units. It does start to become more accurate the lower it gets.
The better (for me) algorithm, the small form factor and touch screen makes Tandem a better choice for me. If I’m on vacation eating & drinking way more than usual while also being more active than usual, my pump doesn’t have to “learn” what’s going on. It adjusts in real time or I can make my own adjustments (different basal profiles). With Medtronic, it takes awhile to realize something is different. Also, Tandem works with Dexcom G6, Dexcom G7 and Libre 2 sensors. Medtronic only works with their sensors and if those don’t work for an individual person, the pump is just a dumb brick like their older models. No algorithm.
I’m using the 780 and love it. Unfortunately it took a month or 2 for the algorithm to finally get me. I don’t have dawn phenomenal any more. The new sensors work great for me but I’ve heard stories from others who have constant problems. I don’t do blood sugars unless my pump asks for one. I’ve gone 2-3 weeks without testing! I love that!! They have a new sensor coming out that’s similar to the Libre. It’s still a 7 day sensor tho and no idea how long fda approval will take.
The Medtronic pump takes a single AA battery that lasts me about 3 weeks.
Good luck.
Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. After reading the answers, and talking with my doctor’s assistant, I think I’ve decided to stay with the Tandem TSlim. My charge port cover did fall off yesterday. I didn’t know you could replace them. I’ll call for that. And I’m relieved to know other people have problems with the insulin remaining and the battery life numbers that can be off. It’s a pain, but I can live with it. I’ll just have to be a little more watchful. Otherwise I’ve been very happy with my pump!
I’ve hear that the MT sensors are better than they used to be, but so are the Dexcom sensors. MT is way behind Dexcom.
I always want to start with a functioning sensor because without that, everything will just be a mess.
I would call the company because sometimes they will buy out your old contract if you want to change tech.
I’m still on my Omnipod - upgrading to Dash soon. I see problem when I use a tubed pump. The newest model is Omnipod 5 and that will communicate with the dexcom, but I don’t use automated pumps right. You might prefer the 5 if you moved in that direction.
Too late to put my 2 cents in but…I’ve been with Medtronic pumps for many moons. I recently upgraded to a 780G/G4 and couldn’t be happier. My TIRs have bumped up to the 90’s and my overnight readings are flat as a pancake (around 110).after having type one for over 53 years I was gettin’ burned out. the 780G has given me a bit of freedom and lets me think less about all the crap I have to deal with being a type 1. Now I rarely havin to test and letting it do it’s thing with corrections has lifted some of the weight off my shoulders.
Recently the shortage of G4 sensors was a pain-in-the-butt and there were a few weeks of being on the edge while they caught up.
they also seem to be having an influx of new workers that are training, other than that I give Medtronic a thumbs up.
I see you already decided to stay T:slim, but I’m curious, did you discuss Mobi at all? If the 200 unit cartridge works for you, it pretty much addresses your complaints (and mine) about the T:slim.
It has the same delivery mechanism as a Medtronic pump (literally, they entered a patent sharing agreement), so you get really easy cartridge filling. Just plug the vial into the cartridge, and draw into it like you filling a syringe, then plug it into the pump. That delivery mechanism also means it always knows exactly how much insulin is in the pump. It’s not making guesses using pressure sensors and refining the guesses over time. That also means it wastes it less insulin, since if doesn’t need a margin of error for those guesses.
The charge port and it’s cover is a complete non-issue, because there is no charge port. It is still rechargeable, but it’s completely wireless. You just set the pump on it’s charger for a few minutes here and there.
You mentioned the smaller size being a selling point, and Mobi is even smaller than T:slim. Half the size, in fact. It’s also 1/4 the weight.
Of course the obvious Mobi deal breakers for some are going to be the lack of screen, iPhone only control currently with Android compatibility not expected till 2025, and the 200 unit capacity. I personally don’t miss the screen, but I think a watch that displays BG is a pretty critical component to compensate for it. Since I’m not an iPhone user, nor do I want to be, I did have to pick one up to use a remote control for the time being. And surprisingly, I use a lot less insulin in Mobi than T:slim, so the 200 unit thing hasn’t been the issue at all I thought it might be.
I was averaging 63 units per day on T:slim, so 189 units per 3 days and that only left 11 units for tubing and wiggle room. I thought I’d need to refill a cartridge occasionally. Thankfully, I’m averaging just over 54 units per day with Mobi, so it’s been a complete non-issue. I don’t know if it’s delivery speed, different materials that preserve the insulin better, witchcraft, or what… But I’ll take it.
I wish want to remind you that you don’t have to choose a new pump right away just because your pump warranty expires. You still have customer protections. You can take time to think and make a good choice for yourself. Tandem says their average customer waits until the 5 year mark to make a new purchase. If you have a critical pump malfunction while you’re out of warranty, the Tech Support department can’t help you, but the Pump Renewals team sure can. So long as you start the process to obtain a new pump, they’ll go ahead and send you a courtesy pump replacement right away. It was this promise and hearing stories of people they actually got one of those Renewal Team replacement pumps that made me comfortable dining my T:slim for 3 years out of warranty.
Since you can still get an overnight replacement pump, the only real downside to being out of warranty is that you’re not eligible for software updates, unless there’s a recall and the update fixes said issue. That’s why every T:slim X2 ever made can receive the Mobile Bolus update, regardless of when it went out of warranty or newer pump purchases, because it was supposed to fix some critical battery issues.