Which said that they were selling defective pumps to consumers and that it was under a company wide investigation since April.... Really????? I have also been trying to contact my local rep but he has not returned my calls or e-mails.
this scared the crap out of me. I think I'm going to pick the mini med for sure.....
In any case I hope that you folks haven't had any problems with your ping....
I picked an Animas in the height of all that stuff and never have had a problem with it. As a matter of fact, it was life-changing. I think the issue here is so technical that we as users have little clue to understand what the problem really is. No doubt, by now the have fixed it and it won't be a problem in the future. To my knowledge, no Animas pump has been recalled. Mine works flawlessly as the same pump used by a friend and cousin. I am not afraid of the Animas at all, and I know that you will be happy with your choice.
I've been using the Animas Ping now for quite awhile reliably. The article you've referenced from what I've read is referring to issues that occurred that Animas deemed it not necessary to report because they were believed to be at the fault of the user, and no fault was found with the equipment. For example, it was said that one was about a user that ignored warnings to do with the cartridge cap not being tightened. Also - if I recall correctly - the issues in question by the FDA were all from 2010, and I honestly can say that I've had nothing but good experiences with the Ping and with their customer service department.
In the end though its totally up to you which pump that you select, and you have to feel comfortable with it because its an expensive purchase that you will have to live with for awhile.
Personally, I love my Animas pump, and I have never had any major issues with it. Plus their customer service is outstanding. They do not hesitate to send you a new pump if there is even so much as a small crack in the casing. The only issues I have ever had were to due to the usual wear and tear, not inherent defects.
ANY pump can malfuntion. A MM almost killed me when it stopped giving me insulin for a day with no warnings/errors. The cannula was not bent. The little motor wasn't pushing up on the reservoir and the pump wasn't alerting me. I went into DKA and was in the ICU for two days. I don't think picking out this one thing about Animas means it's a bad company. MM has had many many issues as well.
I read this article in yesterday's local New Jersey paper (where J&J, Animas's parent company is headquartered). I almost get the feeling they are being more closely scrutinized because of other issues with J&J products.
Their response: "J&J's Animas unit says the injured patients didn't follow pump directions and the keypads weren't a risk to people. It will soon respond to FDA's demand to correct violations."
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. On the other hand, Tandem Diabetes Care, with their slick looking touchscreen pump, has obtained FDA approval but hasn't yet stood the test of time. I'd be more comfortable with an Animas.
I got my pump in Late November and started pumping Nov 28th. The customer service and 24hour tech support is awesome. I have called their support at 3am when I rolled over and ripped out my infusion set the phone did not even ring twice before I spoke to a live human who was there to help. I am happy every day with my choice. I a new pumper they were patient and helpful and offered to stay on the phone as long as I needed them to.
ok ok ok, maybe I jumped the gun just a little bit, still its hard for me to pick a pump from a company that prides itself on "CUSTOMER SERVICE" and yet I cant get a call or e-mail back from the rep... If you read the entire article it goes on to describe the other problems that Johnson and Johnson is having, that scares me too. I have to admit they are still in the running (me picking out a pump) but I am looking at this closely to determine which direction I want to go.... for example the mm pump holds more insulin but the ping is water proof... Also I was told that I can insure it with my house insurance, thats something I still need to check into as well.
Thanks all for your comments, it great to have all this support
I have had my pump since October of 2011. i got the mini med. it is awesome. i love my pump. i almost got the Animas. it looked to be a great pump, but i felt the mini med fit me better. like Kari said, any pump can malfunction. i also believe you will be happy with what you choose. but keep doing your home work on the companies. i know i read several things on each companies history that scared me. Good luck!!!!
My daughter got her ping in June of 2011 and loves it. We did experience one issue where the insulin onboard did not match what we put into the catridge after we filled and primped the pump. We put 110 units in the cartidge but the pump said it had 94 units. I called Animas and they had a new pump to us in 24 hours. I was shocked, I figured they would send a loaner pump while they serviced the pump or figure out if there was really an issue.
You bring up a good point Rpwils: Animas will send you a loaner backup pump if you're traveling abroad...just in case something happens. Both Animas and Medtronic will overnight you a replacement if something goes bad, though.
