We think that there might be some gases coming out of the plastic or something. So our first experiment is going to be leaving a pod out in the open air (just take it out of the hard plastic thing it comes in) and let it “air out” for a week. After a week, I will not fill it, but just put the aired out one on and a non-aired out one on too on skin that isn’t already a mess. (I have been on injections for three weeks now and my skin is STILL healing!) And we’ll see what happens. If the pod that’s been aired out works fine, than I’ll just keep doing that. If not…Well… We’ll try something else.
The other thing that is in the works is seeing if we can get a scientist that works in public health (one that my dad knows from where he got his PhD last year) to take a package of my pods and actually physically test them for VOCs (see my first post on here from April 4th). If his initial testing shows that there are gases leaking out of the pod, it will be a great first step to solving the problem. My dad is extremely excited about this option and is convinced that this guy is going to be also and will want to publish a scientific paper on it! I don’t know about that, but we’ll see.
Whatever we find out, we will post here and also tell Omnipod about. Whether they’ll take the information and give it to other users…I don’t know… But we can only hope. I sincerely wonder how many people are dealing with this right now… I am getting a new batch of pods sometime this week and am hoping (after my skin heals) that I will be able to go back to them! I’m keeping my chin up! (and fingers crossed!!!)
Definatly let us know what you find out. I have been back on the Cozmo (tube) and would love to go back to the OmniPod’s as I love the freedom from not seeing the device on my clothing and not getting the tubing stuck on a door handle. lol I had also heard that OmniPod is coming out with a smaller device so that really makes me want to get back to the pods! Good luck ~ hope you get some answers.
Hi Stef, Your theory about gases coming out of the plastic does make sense. I’m not sure if you read in one of my earlier posts that I tried wearing a pod without any adhesive (I ripped it off) and held the pod on with a tegaderm over top of the pod. I still ended up with a pod shaped rash on my skin. So I figured that it couldn’t be the adhesive as I orginally thought. I really hope the airing out strategy works. If it could be that simple! I’m wondering what kind of crazy chemicals are in this thing though, to cause such a reaction. I hope your connections are able to figure something out!!
Hey - I have a ton of expired pods if you would like them donated to your cause, just let me know where to send them! I’m very hesitant to send them to someone to use, but if it’s for experimentation on them, then I wouldn’t have the guilt of giving someone faulty equipment . . .
Natasha
I think I have enough for experiments so far, but I’ll definitely let you know if I need them! I have three boxes to play around with.
Jean, I did read your posts and tried the same thing. It was also horribly uncomfortable with the tegaderm on top! I tried almost everything you did. I just bought some AmLactin yesterday too to try and heal my skin. It really stings to put it on, but I am dealing with it. I need normal, healthy skin to do a good experiment. I was thinking, reading Kris’ post, that she may be having the skin reaction just because her skin is fed up with adhesives. My skin appeared to be healed before I gave up the pods so I tried one more and within hours, the slightly pink spot under the pod was completely inflamed and itchy and oozing. I think it was because it hadn’t fully healed yet. That is going to be the first step of my experiment!
Also my husband was planning on trying on one (without insulin obviously, just a pod!) to see if it affects his skin. The only problem I see here is that since I was exposed to pods for almost a year before the skin problems, it wouldn’t be a well-controlled experiment. We need it to be perfect so that we can really use our results. (I am such a science nerd…)
If anyone who’s skin isn’t completely horrible would like to try the airing out method on their skin, that would be great. I am hoping that I can heal up within the next week to really get this thing going. I haven’t heard anything from my dad yet about his friend, but we’ll see… I am hopeful. I am being really resistant to using my needles (not taking as many as I probably should and my sugars are showing that…) and I feel like I don’t even want to use them well because of how badly I want to be back on the pods. I know, I know. Bad diabetic… I am just sad about the pods and being defiant because of it…
Well, I will keep you posted and thanks for all of the replies. Every bit of info will help us come to a solution. I AM NOT GIVING UP!!!
Stef - My skin is completely healed up, so maybe my next change of sites I will try your “air out” method with the Omni Pod and see what happens. I’m thinking maybe even just putting a pod on without the insulin, that way I can keep using my Cozmoe and stay being in control and if my skin goes crazy I can just take it off and call it a day. I will let you know what becomes of my testing. Can’t wait to see if this really works. I love the OmniPods! Thanks - Kris
I am so intrigued by your theory! I have been using the pod since January, and a month ago, finally broke down and used my belly as a site - first one fine. Switched to the other side, and the site bugged me, but I put up with it for 3 days. I had not had ANY skin problems prior to this. I removed the pod, and the area underneath was COVERED in blisters. It has been 3 weeks, the blisters are finally gone, but my skin is STILL red, bumps, and ITCHY. My dr. thinks maybe I am becoming allergic, but it seems strange, that ONE site reacted so severely, and everywhere else is fine.
I will say I feel for those of you dealing with the skin issues! If I would have another reaction like that one, I think my pod days would be DONE, forget trying all the different methods!
My son is having a possible reaction at the canula site of his 1st pod ever. It is just a small red dot now. He has one more day on the pod before the change time which we will probably do a little early tomorrow night instead of 10 am the next day cuz of not wanting to be changing them at school. So far no alarms or trouble w/delivery. How worried should I be? I will call the pump trainer tomorrow. He says it doesn’t bother him.
Thanks so much for trying out the “Air-Out” method! Mine has been airing out since last Sunday–almost a week. My husband is going to put it on tonight with one that hasn’t been aired out on another site at the same time. Has anyone tried this yet? Kris, I would definitely keep your Cozmo going, just in case. This is just a hypothesis so far! But we’re hoping for results!
We’ve tried everything else… Hope you have some luck with this and I’ll be posting results of my husband’s test drive in about three days! Thanks for trying out! I miss my pods!!! Talk to you all soon!
Is it like a little blister? I never had a reaction at the cannula site, but underneath the body of the pod. I know this is a little late, but I hope you just changed it early. One of the problems I ran into when I started having reactions to my pods is that pretty soon, my entire body was covered with rashy, irritated skin because I was changing them sometimes every other day because of the itch. I never had any trouble with delivery until one time when it was so itchy and I wasn’t paying attention as I scratched it and I had mostly pulled out the cannula. I couldn’t understand why my sugars were high until I looked at the pod and saw what I had done.
Please let us know what happens and if your son is having the same reactions as we’ve been talking about here. Thanks!
I’ve have only had 3 pods on…but I noticed something when I removed my 2nd one. I took the first and third one off before I showered and virtually had no problems at all. However, when I took the second one off I did it in the shower, thinking it would be easier to remove. Actually I don’t think it was much easier but what followed was different than the other two I removed. My skin was red for almost 5 days now and was itchy for the first day or so. I can still see a perfect outline of where the pod was (on back of my arm). The only thing I did different was to remove it while in the shower…which I did not do and the next one and didn’t have the problem. So I have to believe that it has something to do with moisture as I’ve read in some other posts. While everyone reacts differently I hope this might help some others, I haven’t tried after taking a shower yet as I’ve see some others do. Just think the warm water had something to do with it—Good luck everyone~Schmutz
There was a spot of dried blood where the canula was when I removed it but it wiped right off. The area then wasn’t even noticable. He had no reddness or puffiness either. I think he just irritated it and caused some blood leakage cuz he was bumping/ messing with it. His second pod was a BUST though…it went in somewhere painful and kept being painful. We took it off after abt. 3 hrs. He is now about done with his third pod and it has been great and lasted all three days with no problem. There is dried blood around the canula site again…but I am assuming it will wash off like last time. He prefers it in his arms so far. I guess we go back to the other arm w/ canula down instead of up. Can anyone get away w/ just arms? He said he might try the stomach this time though. He changes it tonight.
Hey Katsz…I just posted this same question a few days ago (click on the link below) as I’m only on my 4th pod and since I like it best on my arms I was wondering if I can just rotate between arms. There are some good comments and I did try one on my stomach and had some blood there like you describe but have had no other problems. Just prefer the arms better but haven’t really given it a fair chance. But if you read the comments I think it’s best to try and keep a few more sites in rotation as others have commented you don’t want to burn any out for overuse. Hope this helps…Take Care ~Schmutz
No sucess with the airing out method. I set a pod out for a week, then tried it on last night (without any insulin in it). Lasted about 20 hours and when I took it off today, I had a red, puffy, itchy spot again. My doctor is getting me set up with medtronic pump. My AIC has gone from 6.8 to 7.9 since I’ve had the pump problem and been back on injections. I have to do something to get back in control and I don’t think I can wait for the pod to work itself out at this point. Anyone else having better luck??
Hi Jean…Sorry to hear all the issues your having. I’m very new to this only on my 6th pod but hope I don’t run into this as I’m liking the pod and the results I’ve gotten so far. Just a suggestion and I’m sure you may have tried or thought of this but have you contacted your Ominpod rep to see if you can trade in some of the unused pods that you may have or get them replaced with a different batch? Not even sure if you can do this or if they’ll take them back but wondering if by chance you got a batch that may have had to much adhesive or something to this effect.
Also, think someone else tried putting on a tape first and attaching the pod over it…I’m sure you’ve tried or read already but if not maybe it could help. It’s just strange that you an others started getting this after using the pods for some time. Best of Luck and hope you get this resolved. ~Schmutz
I’ve tried everything! I’ve had two different batches of pods, so it won’t do any good turning them in. I’ve tried putting tape down first…even taking the adhesive off altogether and holding the pod on with a tegaderm over the top of it. I’ve pretty much given up at this point. And it really is too bad…I had great results and loved the freedom of the pod. I’m hoping a new company will start making them…but for now, I’ll be trying a new pump.
Had a feeling you might have tried all of that, wish you’d have better luck with them. Did you happen to see the other tubeless pump. Solo is another pump system similar to the pod. I know you can get a demo unit but not sure there are in use yet. Maybe this unit will not affect you the same way. Could try to put a demo unit and try it. You can check it out at : http://solo4you.com/ Hope things get better for you. ~Schmutz
So we had zero results with my husband’s trial–neither pod bothered him. The only thing that happened was the aired out one didn’t stick as well. My skin has more or less healed so I started using them again. I’ve been on for about 2 weeks and, just like you, I am starting to feel that slight itch coming back. I tried one on over a spot that wasn’t completely healed and had to replace it after two days due to the itch. Where my skin is healed, it seems to be okay–not leaving any open wounds like before–but there is a slight, nagging itch after about day two.
I am so bummed out. I thought time would heal me! I went to see my endo on Thursday and he said we’ll have to start thinking about other options. Like you, Jean, my sugars went from okay to terrible while I was back on Lantus. I got so used to using extended boluses that without them, I don’t know what to do! How did I ever do it before?! I’ll probably end up on another pump soon too. Sorry to bring the bad news. I thought maybe the air out method would be a savior…
Well, if anything changes, I’ll let you all know… Otherwise, good luck with your sugars!
This new pumping system looks really awesome–just like Omnipod with a few improvements! I signed up to get an email as soon as it is available! I’ll be watching it closely and asking my doctor about it soon. It doesn’t look like they are offering any demos right now, not even on the Prescriber’s page. But maybe they’ll let us know. I’ve never heard of the company, but it says they are in the process of being bought by Roche, which I have heard of. This looks very promising! Thanks for the info!!!
I’m keeping my chin up! (and fingers crossed!!!)