I was using the DEV branch of Loop with DASH, but when OM5 came out for everyone, I jumped at the chance. I had to get a prior authorization for the kit and the pods, but both are completely FREE under my private insurance through my employer as is the insulin and anything else related to diabetes care. My PDM arrived last week and I’m already on my 3rd pod so far. The first major pod order is being released 6/22 because of my latest DASH order of pods was too recent. That’s fine, because the welcome kit comes with one pod plus a two pack of 5 pods. They even give you a case for the PDM, wall wart and a USBC cable. It also comes with its own data plan so you don’t have to use wifi if you don’t want to. I’m still unsure what cloud it uploads to and how often though.
So here, in no particular order, are some observations that will take some getting used to:
If you use Dexcom G6 app on your phone, you have to power down your phone first every time you change a pod, because the new pod has to re-pair to the G6 transmitter, so if you don’t it won’t pick it up.
Once you get it all paired and working, then you can turn your phone back on and it picks up any missing readings and back fills on the G6.
I’m using Sugarmate.io to show my graph in a web browser at work as well as push updates to my watch via a calendar complication. It’s clunky, but works and gives updates every 5 minutes automatically.
I can’t seem to figure out a way to see what it is doing insulin delivery wise. It only shows IOB but not what it is giving you like LOOP did on its graph.
I really love that you don’t need the PDM around hardly at all except for bolusing. Now if you want your dexcom data to update, you do need your phone around, but only if you care about that like I do.
So far, so good. I thought I would fall in love with it and be gushing about it. But there seems to be so much control I’m giving up compared to looping that I"m still torn and having second thoughts. But I haven’t used it long enough yet, so I’ll continue to give it a good, honest try. If it weren’t for the learning aspect and the not needing the PDM around because they talk directly to each other aspect, I’d probably go back to looping.
Anyone else using OM5? Anyone coming from loop, particularly DASH and the DEV branch? What do you think?
Thanks for sharing, we received our last Saturday; still debating when to give it a try. Tslim has been working great, but online comments are split, so we might wait a bit longer.
You actually don’t need to power down your phone - only need to power down you Dex PDM if you have and use that. The phone isn’t an issue.
IOB: When you bolus, it shows the insulin as it blouses and then the IOB reduces as that amount decreases in your body. If you need a basal correction (apart from a correction when you bolus), it will make that correction and it will show up in the IOB #. However, it takes a pod or two for its learning to really take hold and for the system to really start to aggressively take over in its correcting. It corrects (& does it more and more accurately) the longer you use the system, improving your I:C ratios especially as you go.
Part of the benefit of the O5 is getting to be so hands off. For someone like me, a bit of a control freak, that was a real challenge. But, letting it take over and me just doing my part, entering in carbs & BG, setting activity mode when appropriate, etc, but otherwise not messing with the system, I’ve seen incredible improvements and stabilization in my numbers. Like with all things, it took time to adjust to something new and to trust new tech with my health - and it took time to get settings correct - but for me it was a great decision.
Give the system a little time to get to know you, let it really get its system fully operational, and see how you like it then. Best of luck! Let us know how it goes.
I’ve been using the Om5 for about a month and am overall satisfied that it is an improvement over Dash. My BG numbers are definitely improving as I get more used to the Om5, with very few lows. Sleeping BG is outstanding, flat line at 110 in auto mode. I have been using manual mode for meals, including during the post meal rise. Once I am satisfied that the meal is not spiking my BG I switch to Auto mode.
I have not tried looping or tubed pumps so can’t do any comparisons there.
@BradP - Also, if you look in the “History” setting, you can see what basal insulin you’ve been given, at what times, and at what doses in the “Auto Events” - or a total amount for the day listed under “Summary”
Hope this also helps you feel like you have more insights/information!
I never new it had an “auto events” section! That’s pretty cool! that makes me feel a bit better.
Maybe I’m just impatient. Next time, I will change the pod with my phone on and near and see if I run into any problems. There are 2 channels, so I’m guessing the PDM can take the PDM channel and my iPhone the phone channel?
Anyone have any idea what cloud the the PDM is uploading to and how often?
I have no idea what you mean by “channels.” I have the Dex G6 with just the standard app installed on my iPhone 11 Pro running iOS 15 and I haven’t had any issues leaving my phone up and running with Omnipod 5 changes (in fact, my Insulet rep that is my point person was very specific in saying if I used the Dexcom PDM for my Dexcom - that I would have to power down when doing pod changes - I would not have to do that if I only used the Dexcom app on my iPhone.)
I work from home and I’m a distance student, so I often have my phone right next to me as I’m changing out my pod because I’m juggling way too many things to let it get far! Hopefully it was a fluke for you last time, if not, reach out to your Insulet point person and ask them about it for sure.
As for the cloud, I am not entirely sure. For some reason I was thinking it was proprietary storage - but don’t quote me on that as I don’t remember for sure why I thought that (whether I read it in one of the white papers or was something I took away from a discussion with an Insulet rep, etc.) I could absolutely be wrong - dang it, now I’m going to have to reach out to my rep and ask. Lol!
I’m glad I could give you the tip on the Auto Events. It’s super handy to be able to see how it’s micro dosing automatically. I like both that and the summary setting because I can see at a quick glance how much insulin has been dosed (thus how much total is left in the pod) and how much basal is being dosed and how my body is responding so I can have those conversations with my healthcare team. Like I said, I’m a little bit of a control freak - and so far the pod 5 hasn’t let me down in the information department.
@John58 - Why do you switch it out to manual mode for meals? I’m just curious. I’m wondering if this is a better (more efficient/effective) way to be using the system.
Why do you switch it out to manual mode for meals?
For one thing, I am hooked on extended bolus. I use it for almost every meal. Om5 does not allow extended bolus unless in manual mode.
The second reason is a gut feel that my I:C ratio is based on running my typical basal. Sometimes auto mode was running basal at zero before and during a meal which seemed to be causing post meal spikes.
I’ve heard the zero is an issue with people but is not something I’ve come across yet.
Do you find extended bolus to be something you use even for lower carb meals too? I have yet to use this function, but to be honest I haven’t had any meals yet that I felt warranted it (pizza, pasta, etc - things where I’d normally have split my dose to extend it before I was using a pump). I’m a bit worried I’d forget to swap it back to automatic mode, so I’m leery of switching it off to begin with.
Again, thanks for the answers. Good things to think on and to evaluate if they would work better for me or not.
Not usually, although I rarely have a meal with a bolus of less than 8 or 9 units. I consider myself diet to b moderate carb, 50 to 65 grams of carbs per meal, and I increase the bolus to account for protein. My rule of thumb is to extend the bolus if the total bolus exceeds 6 units.
I extend or inject if a bolus is more than 2 units approx. For breakfast and lunch I inject, with dinner I extend, since dinner is a leisurely meal to begin with.
But I’ve been wondering how I’d deal with the injection part with Omnipod 5. Would I have to extend instead of injecting, just so the insulin amount is accounted for?
I’m a bit confused. Are you talking about using the O5? I didn’t know it could use iPhone/iOS. Only PDM and Android phone. Are you using O5 with iPhone?
The Omnipod 5 app only works on certain Android phones at this time. If you have an iPhone, you have to use the included PDM.
We were talking about the Dexcom G6 - using the iPhone app vs the Dexcom reader.
When you are starting a new O5 pod, you cannot have a Dexcom G6 reader turned on nearby. If you’re using a G6 reader, you must turn it off.
However, if you are using only your phone Dexcom app (especially for iPhone users) to interface with your Dexcom, you do not need to power down your app or phone when setting up a new pod.
Again, to be clear, this is discussing the Dexcom reader vs Dexcom phone app - NOT - an Omnipod app which, at this time is only available for certain Android phones, not iPhones.
Thanks, I knew I was jumping in the middle … guess I didn’t go far enough back. I’m a long time looper and have the O5 kit, just sitting on my desk as I contemplate. I think it is just not going to work for me … no IOB, marginal reports, preset target range, not enough control on the high end. I wanted it to work.
I’m an old time looper as well and so far I’m still getting used to the OM5.
I"m like on pod # 8 or thereabouts, and I’m still running higher than I’d like in the 150-200 range. It does get down to 110 sometimes, but not nearly enough.
I still have an unopened box of 90 OM5 pods, so I guess I kinda have to try them as I can’t return them and I don’t have enough dash pods left over to ride the 90 days when I can get my next order.
Oh well. I can’t wait for the iPhone app to become available! Wish they’d give us some clue. All it still says is “coming soon!”.
Sorry it’s been awhile since I’ve written, but I need to vent.
It’s been just over a month now, and while I have it set to 110, I rarely get there, and when I do, it doesn’t stay there. It seems to be doing a great job soft landing me at lows, but it is horrible at preventing and treating highs!
Under DASH LOOP DEV, I rarely saw anything in the 200-250 range. Now its the new normal. it does come down, but it shouldn’t get there in the first place.
My A1C on 7/1 was a 5.8 but under OM5 it will definitely be going up to probably somewhere between 6.2-6.5.
Am I over-reacting? Is that slight elevation worth worrying about?
I see my endo 8/1 so I’m going to be asking lots of questions. If anyone has some good ones to ask as well, I’m all ears.
Part of me wants to go back to loop. But I have a ton of new OM5 pods that I need to use up.
Well, that’s just it. Supposedly after 2-5 pods it is supposed to “learn” you and not use any i-c ratio you put in at all. I even tried decreasing the insulin length or whatever it is called from 4 to 2 and it did absolutely nothing.
Now if I went out of auto mode into manual mode, then it would use ratios etc. but that defeats the whole purpose. If I have to use ratios etc. then I may as well go back to LOOPing.
