I know this has probably been discussed here many times before…but…
I have been on the OmniPod system since November 2010. I am still using the initial set of supplies sent to me, 4 boxes of 10 pods each. So far, I have had 7 pods fail with the message “Pod Error” or “Occlusion Detected”. I still have 8 pods left out of the 40 sent to me. All of the pods are of the same Lot and have not reached their expiration date of 2012-09. Insulet (OmniPod) has been good about replacing the bad pods, but I am VERY tired of the pod failures!
I have the opportunity to change to the Animas Ping if I chose to do so. I really like the OmniPod system being tubeless, but the pod failures are just to frequent. The big strike (to me) against the Ping is the tubing, but I think it would be more reliable. I would also be interested to hear how everyone functions with the Ping and tubing…what do you do to sleep?
If you had to choose, which one would you go with and why?
I’ve never been on a tubeless pump so I can’t compare the two systems. The level of failure that you’re reporting, however, would irritate me enough to switch away from the Omnipod. I’ve used pumps with tubing since 1987. I had several MiniMed pumps and switched to the Animas Ping two years ago. The Ping has been a reliable performer for me.
As far as sleeping goes I just lay the pump down on the bed next to my waist. I’ve grown so used to the pump tubing that I can just move the tubing around in my sleep. Sometimes I wake up a bit tangled but it’s never been a big deal to me. The one disadvantage to leaving the pump under the covers is that sometimes I don’t hear the pump alarms right away.
Pumps are not a lifetime commitment. I figure you can always switch to something else in a few years. My insurance company would pay for a new MiniMed every three years, the length of the warranty. The Ping warranty is four years. I will be more motivated to get a new Ping when/if they integrate the Dexcom CGM.
I have a MM and sleeping with the pump is no issue. I just wear shorts to be and clip it to the waistband. If I just lay it in the bed, I usually forget t when I get up to use the restroom at night and it trails behind.
Tubing has never been a problem for me… apart from the occasional doorknob snag
Sleeping, if I am wearing some sort of shorts or pants, I just clip the pump to my waistband. Sometimes it comes off, but it’s never a problem. I really believe we develop a sort of 6th sense about where our pumps are and when the tubing is being pulled at night. I’ve never lost a site in my sleep… over the past 10 years, I’ve been pumping about 5 years (off and on).
Been an Omnipod user since September '10 and I’ve lost pods for various reasons, some replaceable by Insulet, and some because of my own errors which I wouldn’t hold the Omnipod system responsible for. I’m still extremely satisfied with the Omnipod and find the rate of lost pods acceptable because it has yet to affect my BG control or my pocketbook.
We all have our limits though and I can certainly relate to what you are saying. There’s nothing like putting on a shiny new pod and then losing it a few hours, or even minutes, later and having to go through the whole process again wondering if this next pod will fail too. If it’s time for a change to a different system, it’s time for a change to a different system. My final choice back in September came down to an Animas or Omnipod . I’d be interested in how it works out for you if you end up making the switch on the chance that I’ll have to make the same choice at some point.
I did the opposite. I was on Animas Ping and had the chance to switch to the Omnipod. I much prefer tubeless, after being tubed for over 5 years. However, that is a personal decision/choice/preference and I think we each have to figure that one out.
I will say that I had much better control with my Cozmore pump (first pump I owned but now out of business) and now with my Omnipod than with the Ping. The Ping ran my numbers erratically all over the placed. Again that was just me, your mileage may vary.
Agreed 100% about the smaller pods. They are supposed to be on the way and I had the opportunity to take a look at one. They are really nice. Not holdingf my breath waiting though.
From my limited experience, I’d say the two most common failures are due to bad infusion at a site (including but not exclusively occlusions) and errors during priming. I’ve only had one pod fail and alarm while priming. so I do’t know how common that actually is. Maybe other subsequent errors were due to a bad initial priming. I’m sure others have more input to share.
Site infusion issues are probably due, somewhat, to design limitations because you can never design the perfect cannula auto-insertion for every infusion site for everybody, for every situation. I’ve had to learn by trial and error which sites work best for me and which sites do not work at all. Since working through my ideal site rotation, I haven’t had a single pod error. So far, however, Insulet doesn’t seem too concerned about what the cause of a pod error is when it comes to replacing pods. Everytime I’ve reported one, they’ve asked for the pod error code and replaced it. I can only hope they then take the information and try to troubleshoot to find out “exact causes”.
I suppose that if you have to change sites every two days then, yeah, that’s more pods to use. =/
I know that the size of the reservior is problematic for people who use more insulin and they either switch to U 500 or have to replace pods more often. I’m not sure about the logistics either way.
I really liked the Animas when I looked at it. For a while there I was leaning heavily towards it because I had heard about all the Omnipod issues. I just couldn’t get over the idea of a tube though. I can’t say I’m sorry I went with the pod after all.
I’m pretty new to my Ping but “where to wear it” was only a problem for the first week or two after which I figured what worked for me. I don’t like to wear clothes when I sleep so I got a spibelt which I tuck it in and wear it loose enough to be comfortable but tight enough it doesn’t move. It didn’t work for me to just leave it under a pillow because I move around a lot and every time it got tangled it woke me up. The spibelt works for me. During the day I either hook it to my waistband or tuck it in a pocket; sometimes I actually forget it’s there and have to feel to make sure…lol
I am not hooked up to my ping yet but I went with Animas after seeing how big the pod is and I didn’t like the size of it. I’m tiny to begin with so the pod would be sticking out. I like the features that Animas has as it fits with my lifestyle and the way I am. I am getting excited about the food directory. That will be the biggest help for me as far as giving the right dosage. right now on MDI I give myself an estimate (if it says 3.123 I give 3 units, if it says 4.678 I give myself 5) and the estimate isn’t always the correct amount! I’ve played around with the meter and the pump itself and liking the features. I can have 12 different basal settings! And that is perfect for me as my life is crazy one day and calm the next.
My daughter is on the Omnipod also. We have been using it for a year. We have recently had a rash of pods “go bad”. I talked to a supervisor and was told that there was a lot that had a technical glitch in them. They have since been through a quality control review and have fixed the problem. Becky is getting ready to get a new supply in. Her last set was delivered about the time you started using the system. You might want to call customer service and have a supervisor call you back. They can check the lot number and see if this was just a bad set that you go. We love the system, but was getting worried. We have been told that the next set on order now should be good. If not, we are to talk to a supervisor. So…they are working on it. Don’t get discouraged.
I am using the Ping. I just started pumping in June. Although I liked the idea of tubeless, the Pods are way too big. I really resisted pumping because of the idea of having something attached to me 24/7 but the tubes really don’t bother me. I do get caught on stuff occasionally, but it doesn’t happen that often. I had a couple nights that the tube came off the pump so I started sleeping with the pump in my Spibelt and haven’t had a problem since.
I like the cartridge being separate from my infusion set. If I had a bad day and use more insulin than normal, I can change my cartridge without ripping out the site. The same works in reverse – if I have a site that is bothering me, I can change that without throwing away the insulin in my cartridge.
Just a chance meeting with Insulet reps with samples. It was just the plastic covering and adhesive, with no inner workings, but it gave me a good enough idea of how much easier it would be to wear in different locations.
My niece had Animas 2020, 2025 and now Ping and, although she has switched to MM Revel, still uses Ping on vacation, any time she is near water. Never had tubeless and is not interested because the tubeless pumps have a big footprint on the body. She can hide her pump, even in skinny jeans. Tubing is not an issue with Animas, as they have a kind of tube guard (forget exact name of it) you can hook on the back of Animas and wind the tubing around it. However, you cannot use the tube guard thinggy and in addition use a clip. So she gets short tubing and pulls pump over to the opposite side of her body, clips it inside her jeans, and the tubing lies flat across her waist. With Animas, once you have hidden the pump… in a pant’s pocket, leg thing, waist it or pouch of some kind, you rarely have to pull the pump out, which is not true with the Revel, and can easily bolus through the Ping remote. Have read about Omni Pod failures and that would not be acceptable for us, though I personally love the design.
