I'm in the process of deciding which pump to use. I love the OmniPod because of the lack of tubing. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be yanking on tubing frequently and potentially injuring a site or yanking the tube completely out.
However, I've read many posts here and in other forums about the pods having frequent issues and failures. I would like to get some experienced users input on this. Have the problems been resolved? I've also seen issues with billing problems but since I won't be dealing directly with Insulet, I shouldn't have issues with that.
Hi Bonnie, I rarely get any issues with my pods, in fact I can't remember the last time I had a problem. I've had 1 occlusion over the 4 or 5 years I've been on the pod. When I do have a failure, Insulet has been extrememly helpful and will always replace pods that have failed. Remember that people who are happy don't usually begin a post to compliment, they are usually those that want to vent because they're upset about something. I get mine directly from Insulet with them billing my insurance and have never had a problem. I believe (with no actual scientific research mind you) that there are some people who tend to have issues more than others, whether it's reactions to the tape, having to fill with too much insulin or not having enough or too much muscle..whatever it might be, they just tend to get more problems and the pod is probably not for them. All you can do is give it a try. As for me, I will do everything in my power not to have to switch to a tubed pump. I LOVE it.
I agree with barbraann. Very happy with omnipod, there are occasional issues and you have to be assertive sometimes with Insulet but it’s worth it. I tested the tube version and was tugging in it constantly and didn’t like it.
just to give you a fuller picture - when omnipod works, it's a dream. you don't even know it's there. but when it doesn't work, which is far too often, it can be a nightmare. too often it malfunctions. and just as frequently, when putting on a new pod, it works very slowly at first & i'm in a state of not knowing for several hours if it's not working or if it's just "warming up." as a result of failed pods, there is also much wasted insulin & wasted time spent on the phone with insulet.
so, in conclusion, i would say, i far prefer it over the alternative - which in my case was taking about 10 injections a day! and with the omnipod i can adjust how much i'm taking frequently throughout the day without taking additional injections.
so the plusses far outweigh the minuses. but the minuses are pretty annoying! go for it!
Hi Bonnie. I’ll start by saying good luck with your decision, and it’s a good thing you’re researching. For me, the Omnipod was the only choice. I have no desire to pump with a tubed machine. I also agree totally with Barbaraann. I an extremely happy with the Omnipod as well as the support I get from Insulet. Since going onto the new pods (was on the old ones a while) nine months ago, I have had a total of zero issues. For me, it works perfectly and has resulted in an A1C that I’m proud of (and my Dr’s happy with). Like any product, some people will be happy, others won’t be - I for one am one of the happy ones.
The internet is a great resource as is this site, but it’s not the only resource. Talk to your Dr’s, pump sales reps, and try some out if you can, or eat least touch them. I was offered a 90 day trial period for Omnipod (not sure if this is available everywhere), but after the first few weeks I knew I wasn’t returning it.
I love my OmniPod! I still inject Symlin at mealtime, but with the pen and a set dose, that's easy. I've had a few problems, here or there over the past year, but Insulet (where I purchase my pods from) Customer Service has always been great. I can't imagine going back to MDI or using a tubed pump, but I know a lot of people who love their tubed pump and MDIs; it's all in what works best for the individual.
My daughter was diagnosed relatively recently (01/24/2014) and only started pumping in June, but the OmniPod has been a great fit for her. We were very hesitant to go with the OmniPod at first because of all of the complaints I read on CWD (Children with Diabetes). Just about every single parent there warned me NOT to get the OmniPod for my daughter. But my daughter definitely did not want a tubed pump, so we went ahead with OmniPod and have not regretted it once! No Pod failures, only a handful of site failures (which likely occur at about the same frequency with the various tubed pumps) and Insulet replaced every single Pod when we had site failures. We are definitely happy Pod people!
Omnipod help! I have a 5 year old son who has been on Omnipod for just over a year. We are still struggling with ".05 Bolus Remaining" failures (3 of the last 3!!), and when you combine those with the pump falling off and other hardware errors we are at our wits end.
So, I'm basically just asking for help. Any ideas? Has anyone out there been able to reduce or eliminate the bolus errors? Any tricks? Is there a known problem? Are other people struggling like we are with a failure rate this high? Is it always young kids? I was excited because I thought things had improved, but the past month has really been killing us (and Drew) again.
Thanks again for the help. - Dave and Carrie
Please feel free to contact me directly at gorajekd@yahoo.com with ANY advice!
Thank you everyone for the feedback. Unfortunately, I've run into a slight delay in making this decision....or maybe that's fortunate because I can spend some more time researching this. I'm definitely going back and forth between the Omnipod and the t:slim....it's so hard to decide.
yikes sounds like you have had more than your share of bad luck, Jacob has been on the omnipod for almost 4 years now the new model I feel is much more reliable, yes we (he) has is days but better for sure sometimes when we are having a string of bad luck we have him start with a brand new box. Jacob ran into some trouble bolusing lying down this is silly but depending on where his pod is perhaps have him do something quite while blousing since this is your troubled time. are you diligent about bubbles I tend to not dispense all of the insulin as the bubble tend to settle at the bottom of the syringe, do you keep the insulin at room temp, pinch in his sites, rotate sites frequently.... sooo frustrating, if his pod does fall off you can apply a tegaderm strip over it. hand in there bad luck with pod issues seems to come in cycles you are due for an upswing! best wishes, amy
This is what I mean about the pod isn't suited for everyone for a variety of reasons. I rarely if ever have problems, it works like a dream for me and actually the new new smaller pods seem to be even more problem free. Can't figure out why for some there are so many problems?
I would contact omnipod, you can get a sample (non functioning)to try it and also ask about the 30 day trial. Will tslim let you try theirs without purchasing?
I'm not sure about t:slim. I have contacted Omnipod, twice in fact - first to verify that my insurance will cover it and second to request a demo kit. Unfortunately, I'm not impressed so I'll likely be going with the t:slim....it was so much easier getting help and information from them.
I've been podding almost 4 years now. I love the system. I am a 57 year old courtroom attorney. I've never had a pod fail while in court. I just walked & played 14 rounds of golf in Ireland in 12 day, over 100 miles of walking without a pod failure. I've had 3 pods fail in the past 12 months. I wouldn't trade the system for anything with tubes. Once you get the hang of it there will not be any turning back!
I experienced some severe quality issues during the transition to the smaller pods about a year ago. Mercifully, the quality seems to have improved so much that I'm having no more than one pod failure every 2-3 months. During my 20 years on a tubed pump, the infusion set failure rate was about the same as that.
For me, it really comes down to tubelessness. I have run two marathons and 8 half marathons in the last 18 months, and a tubed pump is just a drag for me. After 20 years of tubed pumping, I still cannot believe how liberating it is to not contend with the "ball and chain" (i.e., my tubed MiniMed Medtronic pump) when I am sleeping, getting dressed, taking a shower, and just living life.
I've had basically the same experience as Jaybear. A little less than a year ago, there were one or two bad lots that got sent out. I had multiple pods quite after 24 hours, which was very unusual. But since Insulet fixed that issue or dumped those lots, I have had absolutely no failures. And I rarely had any with the larger pods.
Best part about a tubeless pump is being able to wear every single thing in my closet with no worries about where to stash my pump and where to thread the tubing and having to cut holes in pockets.
