I just received my Intro Kit and first order of Pods for OM5. I have never looped before, so I know that I have some learning ahead of me; however, being familiar with the OmniPod DASH really will help. I have my Dexcom G6 set up on my iPhone 13, and I have OM5 training set up for mid-September. For those of you who have started the OM5, my questions are these:
Did you set up and start your use of OM5 before you had training or met with your endocrinologist?
When you set up the OM5 controller, did you just start with the settings from your DASH system?
Did you have any problems linking the G6 on an iPhone with the OM5 PDM?
Do you always have to carry the OM5 PDM with you? And why is it so HUGE? (I currently take walks or go about my daily life with the DASH PDM plugged in by my bedside. I only take it with me when I am traveling away from the house for more than 1/2 hour.)
I have been diabetic a long time and on various OmniPods since 2009, so I am familiar with how my body reacts to carbs, insulin, and other necessities of control. I just would like to learn from your experiences with the OM5 thus far.
It’s fine to get your pod going. I think maybe wait until training before you start looping especially since you aren’t really good at your needs yet.
You can start with your old settings and see how it goes.
Getting your basal fine tuned is going to go a long way to easing into the loop.
If you leave your pda behind, your pod becomes like the previous pump. Un looped.
It needs the pda to run the algorithm and it reverts to the data that you entered or the latest data it had before you walked away.
OK, now I am a bit confused. You say that without the PDM nearby, the OM5 will automatically adjust my basal – according to the G6 readings, I assume (i.e. looping)-- but Timothy’s response above says that without the PDM nearby, the OM5 will revert to the latest data it had (i.e. not looping) until I put the PDM nearby or back in my pocket.
I already lug my iPhone around with me so I can check my G6 readings; now it seems that I will have to lug around the even larger OM5 PDM, too. Sigh. I guess I just have to pray that I can control everything from an iPhone app that is supposed to come out “soon.” Sadly, we long-term diabetics know that the word “soon” in product release or app development dates may be anywhere from six months to six years.
Did you find that your settings (I/C ratio, insulin duration. correction factors, etc.) were drastically changed from your DASH settings?
Thanks for the reminder that I can put in my DASH readings, start the OM5, and just run it on Manual Mode until I can get in to see the trainer. I have some DASH Pods that I want to use before I make the change, so waiting a while does not bother me. However, I would like to get the OM5 set up on my computer, linked to my G6, and running smoothly before the meeting with the trainer. Perhaps I will start it just a couple of days before I go in; that way I won’t have to do any of the network connections in her office in a large medical complex.
My basal settings changed from Dash when I fine tuned with Omnipod 5. Other settings you asked about did not change…but I use Manual mode for meals. When I tried staying in Auto mode for meals I could not make sense of what Om 5 was doing, so I use Manual starting when I pre bolus and lasting about an hour plus after the meal.
First I increased my basal rates 20% across the board, which turned out to be too much. I settled in at 15% increase of my old basal rates. These basals are only used in Manual mode. In Auto mode the Om5 adjusts basal every 5 minutes based on the CGM trend.
@SherryAnn: To answer your question above, the PDM can be left behind and the pod will continue to run in Auto mode. Or Manual mode, your choice. Whichever mode you leave the pod in will continue when you roam around without the PDM.
You need the PDM to bolus for meals or corrections, or to do temp basals in Manual mode. I am sure Insulet is feeling the pressure to get the phone apps finished and available.
@SherryAnn Yes I started Omnipod 5 without any training from Insulet or my endo. The user manual is huge, close to 300 pages, and became my main info source when I was starting with the 5 pods.
That is good to hear. I don’t want to have to be tied to both my phone and the PDM everywhere I go. A woman only has so many pockets! If I go out for any length of time, I usually have a purse with me, so then the PDM is no problem.
Thanks to all of the responses, I plan to start the OM5 a few days before I go in for training. By that time, I will have some data to take in to the trainer, and we can “fine tune” my settings. I realize that I will have to make some adjustments, and that is just fine.
Interesting. I have read elsewhere that when people use the OM5 in Manual Mode, they have to increase their “old” DASH basal rates with the new system. That does not bother me at all. I hope to use the OM5 in Auto mode most of the time, and if either or both of the modes call for an increase in basal rates, I will be set. I am very sensitive to insulin, so I generally use less than 10 basal units a day and only 10 - 15 bolus units per day, so filling the Pods with the minimum amount of insulin still has me throwing away insulin left in the Pod at each Pod change. If I need to use more, OK. I still will only fill the OM5 Pods to the minimum amount-- at least to start!
The O5 is compatible with a small set of Android phones (https://www.omnipod.com/current-podders/resources/omnipod-5/device-compatibility) and an iPhone version is in the works (has been since O5 was put out). If you have a compatible phone, then the PDM isn’t necessary. This is what helped me decide to NOT try the O5 as yet, (that and the fact I’ve had great numbers with Dash and the Loop_dev app). I’m not going back to carrying multiple devices.
I understand that I currently cannot run the OM5 with just my iPhone. I have no objection to using the supplied Controller that came with the Intro Kit; however, I would rather NOT have to carry it on my person at all times. The darn thing is bigger than my iPhone!
@SherryAnn, you can go out without your phone or anything and the automated loop system will continue to run (as long as you have it turned on). You need your phone or app to turn it on or off, but once it is on or off, it will stay that way until you choose to change it.
You need your phone or app to do certain things, but you do not need it to run the automated loop.
So this is fine because it keeps looping, but the data it’s creating is not being updated until you are back in range.
So it can only go off of the data that it had while in range of a controller. Then when you are back it uploads that data and continues from there.
The pods are not just going by the glucose data, but it uses historical data in its calculation.
So it keeps running but it’s running adjusting in glucose data, but the historical data is missing.
It takes 3 days of data to establish a consistent algorithm
This all makes sense. From what you are saying, I should especially keep the controller with me when I first start on the OM5, establishing historical data. I can understand that getting that established probably will take three or four Pod changes to get a history established. Once that happens, I will have a little more freedom to occasionally take a walk or be “out of range” for a while since the controller will update the data once I get near it again.
As I said, I have much to learn, but reading the manual and getting help from users like you and the others who have so graciously replied helps me feel more confident as I venture down this new avenue of diabetic control.
Hi
I absolutely love the Omnipod 5. I did not use training and did not need any help from my endocrinologist. You should have your dexcom on the iPhone already. Nothing has to be done for the dexcom except writing down transmitter ID from your settings. I copied all of my insulin, carb ratios etc from the Dash right to the Omnipod 5. I did read the startup guide and paged through the setup
in the book. Omnipod also has training that you can do via the PodderCentral app but I didn’t do that either. I really needed the closed loop technology so I was anxious to start and I’ve had zero problems. Something I found out yesterday is not good though. The Omnipod 5 can not do automated insulin unless it can directly connect to sensor. I wear my sensor on my left arm and my Omnipod 5 alternating thighs every 3 days. Yesterday, all day my PDM said no CGM values received in an hour and knocked me out of automode and put me on manual mode. All day it did this so I called Omnipod. They told me the sensor and the pod need to see each other and make pretend they each have eyes. They must see each other. So rep told me to put pod and sensor on same side of my body. Sensor is on back of arm so she told me to put pod on my hip. That won’t work. This is going to be a struggle bc I can’t use my right arm or abdomen. Today it read each other fine even though they’re not seeing each other. I thought it is controlled by blue tooth. Definitely ask about this during your training. As far as the PDM goes, you don’t need it to control delivery of insulin unless you need to suspend or bolus insulin. The sensor and pod will communicate without PDM. Here’s my email in case you want to talk further, csacco14@yahoo.com and my name is Christa
