Omnipod pros and cons?

I think I’ve written about my son’s experiences with both fairly recently (in the past year). I’ll take a look and reply back if I find it. Caleb has used OmniPod for - holy cow - nearly 12 years. He’s more recently used an older medtronic pump in order to Loop while traveling. There are nuances about the medtronic that we like - less insulin waste, not a hard stop to change site (this is both a pro and a con), the pump is always with you - but overall, Caleb is always relieved to be back on OmniPod. I’m sure some of this has to do with the fact that it’s what he’s done for so long and it’s so familiar, but it’s got more to do with the fact that he simply prefers to be without a tube.

I’m sure I’ve got more specifics somewhere…will look. Good luck with your decision!

Found it and after reading it I’m reminded of the Pod failure issue. It’s infrequent and although irritating, completely manageable from our perspective, but someone who is not prepared for it may find it appalling! lol

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Man, I am still shocked at the fact no other company has entered this space. The tubeless thing is the only reason I am using a pump at all. MDI for 44 years before I got on a pump.

All the companies seem to be in lock-step for everything else.

“We are going to use CGM to stop basal…” Okay, now all the pump companies are working on versions of it.

“We are going to use CGM to adjust basal…” Yep, check! Every pump company is working on that too.

But for whatever reason, tubeless is just not seriously pursued by anyone else.

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To be honest for the most part I have really liked my medtronic pump. I found it reliable and it is all I have used for years. I was disappointed that they increased the size of the pump.Plus I use a dexcom and want a pump that will work with it. So then I started to look at the tslim and never considered an omnipod until I saw the actual size. I am so happy to read about peoples positive experiences on it. I have a few months to make my decision, but I am the type of person who does a lot of research and needs to think before I make the choice. My husband is super supportive but I think he is having a hard time getting his head wrapped around the omnipod. I think he is used to seeing me with a tubed pump and is worried about having a pod attached to me! lol! I wish choosing a pump was easier. Thank you all for the advise! I feel a lot more informed about the omnipod now!

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Except Roche in the UK finally supposedly bringing the Solo Patch pump to the marketplace (or whatever the thing is named nowadays…).

You may have mentioned this, but do they have a trial program over there like we have here? If you do the Omnipod trial, you get a free box of pods and the PDM. You don’t have to trade anything in, but it helps to make sure you have everything good to go if you decide to move on with the pods. It truly was so much better than I expected. Have fun making a selection!!

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I know people love their pods and I hate being negative but I tried to use omnipod for 1.5 years and it was a nightmare. My a1c went from 5.2 to 5.9. I’m convinced it was the 6.5 mm 45 % angle of insertion. Every time I changed my pod instantly 200 + , then I was taking more insulin when I was promised all this freedom and less insulin it was the total opposite.
I’m a yoga teacher and the pod was just so in the way I can hid a pump much easier (T-slim) than that. I also would waste sooooooo much insulin cause of pod that didn’t work and only needed 15 units a day I would just throw insulin out. Felt like a sin.

I use about 16 total units per day, and thought I was going to be tossing it like mad but actually I have barely been through any vials at all. Trainer said it would be one per month but I dont think so. I use the minimum fill line, and I use it for the extra 8 hours, so maybe that’s it. With the infusion sets I am not filling (I had terrible times in the last several years with them) and tossing, maybe it has equaled out. I don’t know???

I would have days I would use 3 pods just to get it to “work”. If it’s in a bad spot now I just pull my set out and use another one. People so they love their pod and I am like how is that possible lol
It just didn’t work on me and was so uncomfortable. But I am a yoga teacher and dance so I want as much ability to move as possible without a lump in the way. My pump fits in a bra pocket (T-slim)
What do you now for an infusion cause that is the biggest issue. I need a needle not plastic cause I will kink it and goes in at 90 degrees. I could probably also use the long one that goes in sideways.

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People debate about this, but here we go:

1.) Some people believe that medtronic delivers inconsistent amounts of insulin. If you hold the pump above the catheter site, some people have published that it delivers a different amount of insulin than if you hold it below the catheter site. Now, some people report different rates of delivery if your laying on your omnipod in bed. I, personally, feel I get more consistent delivery rates from omnipod.

2.) If you spend much time outside in the winter, medtronic tubing freezes. I have broken mine in half and seen ice come out. I had a lot of winter failures with medtronic because if the tubing gets exposed at all, it freezes, below a certain temp.

3.) If you are a Dexcom user, Omnipod is joining with them this year. But, they are behind schedule. Not sure when it will happen.

I love my omnipod and would never use anything else. I have trust issues with medtronic, as a company.

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I was in ballet 25 yrs, thankfully no pumps in those days and my diabetes did pretty good because of the exercise. I do know angled sets do not work for everyone, obviously. I used Silhouettes/Comforts for about 16 yrs, and Cleos last year before I got the pods.

Medtronic had a different delivery rate than Animas, and I used to really be able to tell the difference.

Go to:

Methods

We tested CSII pumps from Medtronic Diabetes (MiniMed 512 and 515), Smiths Medical (Deltec Cozmo 1700), and Insulet (OmniPod) using insulin aspart (Novolog, Novo Nordisk). Pumps were filled and primed per manufacturer’s instructions. The fluid level change was measured using an inline graduated glass pipette (100 μl) when the pipette was moved in relation to the pump (80 cm Cosmo and 110 cm Medtronics) and when level. Pumps were compared during 1 and 5 U boluses and basal insulin delivery of 1.0 and 1.5 U/h.

Go to:

Results

Pronounced differences were seen during basal delivery in pumps using 80–100 cm tubing. For the 1 U/h rate, differences ranged from 74.5% of the expected delivery when the pumps were below the pipettes and pumping upward to 123.3% when the pumps were above the pipettes and pumping downward. For the 1.5 U/h rate, differences ranged from 86.7% to 117.0% when the pumps were below or above the pipettes, respectively. Compared to pumps with tubing, OmniPod performed with significantly less variation in insulin delivery.

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I’m considering OmniPod for my next pump. For the past 11.5 years I’ve only used tubed pumps. I’ve never had an issue with them (I find it funny when people who have never used a tubed pump state that getting dressed is problematic…just disconnect the pump!). But I’ve been using my Ping long, long past warranty and need to pick something new. Debating between OmniPod or t:slim or, as a last resort, 630G.

I tried the non-functioning pod and quite liked it. It was smaller than I expected and I was surprised that I didn’t notice it at all once I put it on (and I purposefully put it in a place I thought would be annoying). However, my main concern with the OmniPod is that I have serious allergy issues with plastic infusion sets. I didn’t react at all to the OmniPod tape, which is good, but I don’t know how I’d react to the infusion set. With most plastic infusion sets I can’t wear them for more than 24-48 hours without my blood sugar skyrocketing due to allergic reactions at the site. Even with metal sets, I sometimes have to move them every 12 hours because, even though it’s supposed to be impossible, my body can make metal sets not work due to inflammation at the site.

I would like to try out the OmniPod, but I never got a response back after several attempts at communicating with the company. Which is disappointing…

My two other slight hesitations are that I use the touch bolus option on pumps all the time (as in to administer at least 50% of my boluses), and I think not having this option and having to pull the PDM out every single time I wanted to administer a micro-bolus would get really annoying. And finally, I don’t like that the PDM has a white background. A black background works much better for me, and I wish it had an option to switch to a high-contrast mode like phones, computers, and even some meters do.

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Sorry you are having issues connecting with them. is it possible to find a local rep? The free trial gives you the PDM plus a box of pods which should be enough to let you know about allergy issues. Also some people can get a prescription written for two day changes, so you are not stuck wearing the pod for three days. My stupid HMO wont do that, but some folks get it done. And then go online and look at the new PDM which will be out soon (if it isnt already) and check out the screen. You may like it better or it may not help. I thought the separate controls would bug me, but really I am only annoyed when I go upstairs to bed at night and realize I have the PDM downstairs…it is a bit freaky though when you realize your controls are separate from your pump!

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That’s weird. Someone has answered the phone every single time I have called. Are you using these numbers (from their website):

Sure, you have lots of questions – about how the system works, what you can do with it and even how to order it. The answers are all here. And if you have any additional questions, give us a call at 1.844.207.9982 or email us at omnipodcanada@insulet.ca. We’ll be happy to help you.

You can also submit an application online without having to contact them first: https://www.myomnipod.ca/content/en/getting-started/

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Back in 2012, I tried the Omnipod system. It was nice changing to something new. I used it for five months. In the end, I returned to my Ping pump since I experienced too many occlusions and bent cannulas. I’m not sure why my experience did not follow the satisfied reports of so many Omnipod users.

While I enjoyed relief from managing my tubing (I like the 43 inch length.), it was not that big of a benefit to me. I liken my tube management to putting on a belt and adjusting it a few times per day. It didn’t take much time and mostly blended in with things like getting dressed.

I also had a problem with post-pod change highs. I never did master that phenomenom even though I tried pre- and post-change boluses. I also left my old pod on for an hour or two so as not to disturb its final insulin effects.

There are so many happy podders out there, I think the chance of success with the pod system is high.

Oh, I did get in touch with them to find out I wasn’t eligible for their program to switch to the month-long pod trial from the Ping. But when I contacted them about doing some sort of trial anyway to determine if I could use the system, I never heard back. I was in e-mail contact with them. So perhaps my e-mails didn’t reach them, or that particular person has left or something. At this point I will probably just ask if a rep can come out and show me the PDM, and then ask them about a trial. (This is what I did with Dexcom and they got a new customer out of loaning me a receiver and transmitter so I could try it out for a month.)

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Try that! My first contact ended up quitting or something and then I had a whole new round of people to deal with to get the trial. I asked the guy if they were not still able to offer me a trial and he said yes, though the Animas one had ended 12/17. This was a program for all pump users, not just Animas. He was hard to get a hold of, and it took some doing, but he let me do the deal.

Background: T1 44 yrs, have worn a number of different pumps for the past 27 yrs and thus far Omnipod is the best one I have come across. I have listed both some pros and cons below which I hope you find helpful.

Pros:

  1. No tubing, honestly didn’t think this would be a big deal, but it is nice.
  2. So many more places to put the pod. This is the main reason I switched to Omnipod, I was really pumped out and had run out of places. Example I put it on my chest, or back of shoulder.
  3. Omnipod provides a replacement if you do not get 72 hours of wear AND they send you a check to makeup the insulin you lost. I just called today in fact, was 36 hrs into one, it came off (very rare) I called and they will add an additional pod within my next shipment and are sending me a check for $3 to makeup for the lost insulin.
  4. The pods are very easy to change, just follow the directions on your PDA, very simple.
  5. Waterproof - no issues with pool/ocean/shower or sweating/working out.
  6. Insert - its the same each time. I can’t speak enough about this, it is very consistent, I have received great absorption since switching, very consistent.
  7. Pro/con: Forces you to switch every 72 hrs - we all like to ride out a good site, but this is really a pro, since it limits the impact to one site.

Cons:

  1. Biggest Con for me: You have to pack a lot of stuff!! This has gotten in the way a few times, especially this summer. If I am over 30 min from home I have to take additional pods and my insulin. You will need to get a thermal bag to help protect your insulin against heat. Also you have to have the PDA device to control the pump, again not that big of a deal, but something to consider. I only use mine for basal and use Afrezza for all bolus’s so the PDA is one device I don’t have to carry constantly.
  2. New system (early 2019) there will be a new PDA, and the Pods will support Bluetooth, this is a good step forward and they will build the platform around that however the new PDA will NOT have a blood checker, so another device to carry around, if the person is not on a CGM (Dexcom/Libre etc).

I know that was a lot of information, but bottom line I am glad I switched over to Omnipod. Dragging all of the supplies around isn’t that big of a deal, and the consistent absorption has been great.

Good luck with your decision!!

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While I am not in the market to switch pumps, I find this observation your most persuasive. If any pump cannot deliver consistent insulin absorption almost all the time, then no other positive attributes are worth it to me.

Unfortunately, good absorption is not only controlled by the pump. It’s also dependent on the quality of the user’s skin tissue and how s/he treats those infusion sites over many years.

Nice summary.

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