Well, my insurance has approved my getting the Omnipod 5, but I’m having trouble trusting that my Dexcom readings will be reliable enough.
I’ve been on the Dexcom for a few years now, and it’s been mostly reliable. But recently it seems like its readings have been very slow to catch up to any fingerstick readings I’ve done as backups. And yes, I do calibrate when necessary.
I don’t know if there was some sort of dehydration issue or what, but it seriously makes me nervous about going automated with the Omnipod 5. If I get that sort of reading from the Dexcom and the pod autocorrects, even if a fingerstick tells me otherwise, then what?
What can some of you who’ve been using an automated system for a while tell me about this? Thank you!
we have been using it for my daughter and it has been truly life changing for my wife and I. We are actually sleeping straight through the night now since she was diagnosed 4 years ago. from our experience, if the dexcom is wrong its when it tells you you are low and you arent as low, it has never told us shes at 300 if shes at 100, if in the years before the omnipod 5 I would have a single case of that I would not trust it. Also, it has many safety features. If you are at 120 straight and you put pressure on the dexcom and it all of a sudden reads 50 (compression lows are common for us) it reacts like theres been a mistake on the readings and goes off automatic mode. Its honestly incredible. it sees a trend and autocorrects. it also has a limit on how much automatic insulin it will deliver, if you are sick and your numbers are all over the place it doesnt really work. But if things are right, you diet, exercise and sleeping is right her numbers are fantastic with very very very few dangerous lows and much more time in range. its honestly a game changer, you won’t believe the difference. good luck.
Sounds like dehydration but how far off are your readings 5%? 10%, 20%? if your readings are within 20 percent of a finger-stick then the Dexcom is working as indicated. If consistently outside those parameters when BG is stable and in range then the sensor may have failed and need to be replaced. Contact Dexcom.
These systems are built with some inaccuracy from CGM’s in mind, unless it is wildly off like when you start up a new sensor then the system will be unlikely to harm you. If readings are wildly off then just turn off automode until things settle down.
@Lisa_H1
I can´t answer because I´ve not yet tried Omnipod 5, but I asked a question along the same lines a while ago. Maybe some of the answers found there could help you?
My Dexcom is never accurate enough for insulin dosing. Sometimes it is exactly correct and sometimes more than 60 mg/dl high. The problem is that you are measuring glucose between the cells (interstitial). It is not always the same as blood glucose.
While we each are unique in the way our bodies react to the Dexcom, I really do not think you have to worry about the Dexcom/ OmniPod 5 interaction. Yes, as you start the OmniPod 5, you WILL have to give it time to “learn” your body and routine, and the only way it will do that is by having the patience to leave it on Auto mode and do not try to correct if you run a bit higher than normal. I have been on the OmniPod 5 for a little over 6 months now, and I have never had any problems with it overcorrecting and running low. Generally, I will run higher after meals than I like, and my lows usually are from too much exercise. That said, I am VERY sensitive to insulin, so it does not take much to throw me off. However, overall, the OmniPod 5 has helped me stay in range better than any previous pump (all OmniPods), and as other have said, to sleep through the night with no worries is amazing! You seem to be in tune with your control enough that I do not think you will have any problems as long as you have a bit of patience and learn about it as it learns about you at the beginning.
I’ll respectfully disagree with your comment, @Sherry Ann. The OmniPod 5 most certainly learns in Manual Mode. And it’s very helpful to correct for highs as needed during those first dozen pods. The O5 algorithm averages the total insulin dose over the last three pods and uses that number to determine how aggressive the Adaptive Basal Rate will be on subsequent pods. I spent 7 weeks in manual mode for just this reason and when I finally turned on Auto Mode my Adaptive Basal Rate took over like a champ and I missed all the drama most others report. If someone starts in auto-mode, right out of the gate, and tolerates high blood glucose levels waiting for the algorithm to slowly get what the total daily insulin dose should be, well, it’s going to be a long and frustrating slog.
I am glad that the manual mode worked for you, and what you say makes sense. I just went with what my trainer said, and for the most part the OM5 does work well. I think that most of us have found that evenings are great, and, as always, as activities change each day, we have to deal with adjustments.
