I recently switched from medtronic to the omnipod..,so far things have been great, but after ready a few of the discussions on here I am becoming a little scared... and thinking maybe I made the wrong choice?
I think all pumps have "quarks" and "issues".. I had plenty with the minimed... but just looking to hear some positive feedback... as well as the main issues.
Lindsay
I am a firm believer in the Pod - I love it (well you know, not real love). The advantages of not being tubed or connected to anything is what got me. Was in the first few hundred to get it and yes there are issues sometimes but over all - wouldnt change a thing!!
I rarely have issues with the pod. I might have one failure every month or two but I can live with that. Omni always reimburses me a new pod. Like the other poster, once I changed to Omni from MM, I was sold on the tubeless feature. I frequently forget I'm even wearing it.
Hi Lindsey. The oPod has been my only pumping experience....I've been on it a few years....not had the problems that others have had. I've had very few occlusions and only a handful not prime during a change. No problems with customer service. I will say that the community here is an irreplaceable resource so ask questions and read through past discussions. Good luck.....hope it's love for you, as well!
we have been overall happy with ominipod the only issue that we struggled with was post pod change highs which we have finally figured out with some help from our friends here, we bolus .5 pre and 1.5-3 units post depending on jacobs blood sugar at pod change the temp basal thing did not help consitently. jacob loves being tubeless and swimming with no issues ( just can't jump in the pool without caution!) a year in with our major issue ironed out we wouldnt consider switching! best of luck! amy
Lindsay,I love the omnipod! I've always done shots and went on the omnipod 3 years ago and have few, if any, problems. When I have had problems, customer service has always been great to me.
Hi Lindsay,
My daughter has been on the Omnipod for almost two years. She has never once regretted choosing Omnipod. Overall, it has been a very positive experience. The only major negative we have experienced was a rash of failures but Omnipod was great about providing replacements and they ended up identifying the cause of failures and replacing the component in their manufacturing process.
I love it. Once I learned to prime it properly by scrupulously minimizing air bubbles, I haven’t had a failure in over a year. About one occlusion every 3-4 months. Also have the “new pod high”, but can handle it with a 0.5-2 unit bolus after changing.
Lindsay- I must admit I am one of the Big Mouths when it comes to dealing with Insulet....I have had "myriad" problems! But, then again, I have been on the pod for as long as it has been available, so I have had to deal with them for about 7 years. I did do a spell on the animas "Ping" when I was fed up for a couple months, but when it comes to the tubing, I just went crazy and switched back. Truth is, when it comes to tubeless options, it is either the pod or MDI which I am going to switch to as soon as I have run out of pods....(I find one of the great things about insulet is they are not savvy about finances or logistics, and they have shipped me over a years worth of new pods.) Whatever you finally do, goog luck and PEACE
Like you said, there are issues with all of them. Some people have problems because of their individual quirks and the pod won't work for them. Others have issues with other models. I absolutely love my pod. Yes, there have been times when I hit a bad lot and get 2 or 3 failures right in a row, usually as I'm filling, not after I get it on, but it's only happened a few times over the 2 years. I've only had one occclusion. Maybe others have more problems but mine have never been bad enough for me to want to quit or move to (yuck) tubing or go back to pens. Don't worry,you'll be fine.
I have been using Omnipod for about a year and a half and LOVE it. That said, I did have some issues in the first few months - pod failures and frustrations.
Since about month 2 or so until now, I have had only 1 occlusion and 2 failed pods (failed while priming).
Also, it took a little while to figure out pod change highs (which for me happen only when I wear on my arm, and now I do a process similar to Jacob's Mom when putting a pod on my arm).
My insurance is no longer covering my omnipod after my pregnancy and I am seriously depressed just thinking about having to switch to a tubed pump.
Give it a few months to get used to it and I think you will see a lot of your pod issues have disappeared or you have come up with methos to minimize them.
If you have specific questions or want to troubleshoot, send me a message and I'd be happy to help!
Kate
type1momma.com
Generally, I am very happy with the OmniPod. I've been happy with most, if not all, of the trade-offs. I like not snagging my tubing on doorhandles, I like not wasting insulin in the tubing, and I like that it stays on me no matter what. I haven't forgotten the PDM in years now, and although I have had pods fail during priming at varying rates over the years, Insulet has replaced them either immediately or around the start of the next month. They have been good about sending them more quickly if I let them know that I am running pretty low on pods. It is not ideal that they fail mechanically, but I cannot fault Insulet's customer service.
My omnipod functions in a satisfactory manner with very few issues.
hi kate, i think you are the one that i got the pod change solution from, i think i might of sent out a thank you but if i didnt thank you thank you things have been smooth sailing in that regard since! have a good weekend! amy
i LOVEEE my omnipod & wouldnt ever consider anything with tubing. end of story.
There are a few issues of course, but it's technology. I get frustrated with my computer too sometimes because it's not a perfect product.
My blood sugars are predictable on the Pod..
With the pod plus a Slow Carb diet my last several months of BGs have been averaging between 125 to 140. With very few lows. Can't be more thrilled.
Thanks Everyone!!!! I switched from minimed at my doctors suggestion... somehow I had the worse luck with medtronic! The final straw or so I thought was when the pump broke in my final trimester of pregnancy... but even after all that it took another year before I was actually able to make the switch. Reading everyones experiences has made me 100% certain I made the right decision. Hopefully my opinion will remain high in a few months :) Im a pretty avid runner... and I am looking forward to no tubes getting in the way!
Lindsay. I love the pod. It has it’s problems which I am convinced are to do with where they are shipped from. I have been on it for over a year now. I have only had one batch of 30, that I get at a time. I had 12 out of 30 fail. So I reported them to Ypsomed here in Europe. They were very good, but what I should have done is not use the rest. I was asked for the serial numbers and batch numbers of those that failed. I had to explain that 7 of them were in various freezers in London resturants ! And one was in a glass of gin and tonic !! That didnt go down so well. It’s the ones that just decided to fails and scream at me that I had to freeze to stop them. Since that lot I have had no issues at all !! Keep at it the Omnipod is fantastic
I think this is one of the biggest issues that Insulet faces in growing the OmniPod customer list. Keep in mind the idea of the vocal minority - if someone is having troubles or frustrations, they are going to be the people out here seeking help, advice, or even just a place to vent. That's true regardless of what the subject is - insulin pumps, cell phones, parenting, whatever.
On the other hand, if something "just works" and you go on every day doing just fine, those people have a LOT less reason to be vocal on forums like TuDiabetes. Think about it, why would the people who have no or little trouble be out here being vocal?
So there will always seem to be a lot of voices of discontent, but I firmly believe that is the minority, by far. There are thousands of people using OmniPod, most of whom you NEVER hear from or about because we're getting along just fine.
That's not to dismiss those people who do have issues. Clearly no pump is right for everyone; no doubt OmniPod is not the right choice for every diabetic.