What technology next? Animas Ping/Dexcom G5 user

Hi: I appreciate @DrBB’s post about mothballing the 670G. My dilemma: I have a now-obsolete Animas Ping (still in warranty) and the Dexcom G5. I have an upcoming visit with my endo, where we will be discussing next steps. She seems to think the Medtronic 670G is good, but I have concerns (crazy alarms, “looping,” etc). My only two choices, due to Kaiser insurance, are Medtronic and Tandem. Do I go with the Tandem now and do the updates (low glucose suspend, hopefully AID (automated insulin delivery) in 2019)? Sounds like Tandem’s algorithm is superior to Medtronic’s. My concern with Tandem is that it is not waterproof, and also I am concerned about the financial stability of the company. I have even thought about going the DIY artificial pancreas (Loop with the older Medtronic pump + Dex). I would appreciate people’s input and suggestions, and I would really like to hear from current Tandem Tslim users. Thanks in advance for your help!

I am also currently using the Animas Ping and am concerned about my pump not being waterproof as I occasionally have to be in and out of water for my job. I met with a Tandem Rep last week and she told me that despite the Tslim’s IPX rating of 3 ft for 30 mins, getting the pump submerged for 10-15 minutes at a time shouldn’t be a problem. I wouldn’t go swimming with it, but if you were wearing it to paddleboard/kayak and were in and out of the water it shouldn’t be a problem. It should also survive being dropped in water; the rep’s example of this was the toilet, which is an experience I’m thankful I’ve never experienced with my pump. I also understand that Tandem’s warranty covers water damage. I’m currently leaning toward switching to Tandem next year when my warranty is closer to expiring. I’ll definitely miss my meter remote though.

Make that three of us… My issue with Tandem I that I really prefer Apidra currently, and that tends to fail in Tandem pumps. I’m hoping that between now and my Vibe’s expiry, one of the ‘new players’ (Sooil Dana RS, Cellnovo, Bigfoot) get approval/release. Otherwise, I’m considering going back to Omnipod, despite mixed feelings about it in the past.

Oh and I should have mentioned another concern with Tandem—I have heard it doesn’t work well for those who have low TDDs (total daily dose). I use 20-22 units TDD.

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I also used Animas Ping until I adopted Loop. There are enough 670G failure stories out there that I’d be concerned with making a four-year commitment to it. I’ve read about all the effort that some people have put into the 670G and still couldn’t make it work. I would favor Tandem and its intended path toward a closed-loop system except, like @Thas, I’m a long-term user of Apidra and wouldn’t voluntarily give it up.

I’ve been using Loop since November 2016 and I couldn’t be happier with its performance. My A1c, average BG, standard deviation, and time hypo are all lower and in a comfortable range. I like waking up, almost every morning, with my BG in the 70-99 mg/dL range. I like that some nanny regulator is not limiting my BG target to 120 mg/dL. I like aiming at 83 mg/dL and Loop lets me do it. I do better with Loop with less effort than before. I realize that a do-it-yourself solution, however, is not for everyone.

Is there anything forcing you to give up continuing to use the Ping beyond its warranty period? Maybe using it for another year could buy you enough time for things to resolve to a clearer picture.

As we’ve discussed, I’m seriously like to try Loop (or AndroidAPS), if I could work out the out-of-pocket portion – One of the reasons I’m hoping for that Sooil Dana RS…

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I absolutely love the 670G. I find most of the negative comments just do not apply to me. However I understand everyone is different. I believe however that if you not willing to give up some control the 670G is definitely not for you.

My first 3 weeks were rough with the 670G (most things we know about pumping do not apply to the 670G) and you will likely need to fart around with settings.

But oh the magic is magic when it works well.

FYI

Note: I am a Medtronic ambassador. My opinions are my own. They did not pay me to say nice things about Medtronic devices or the company. OK, they sent me a shirt and a cup but even I am more expensive than that.

Exactly. Had to get a refund at 45 days for this reason. Low basal and TDD (about 15) and the cartridge system it uses…

Can you give examples of what you mean, that one would have to give up?

If someone gave up that control, and gave pump enough time to learn, are you saying it would eventually work well for everyone?

I cannot say anything would work for everyone. It has worked well for me and I love it. Here are some factors to consider with the 670g compared to other pumps.

  1. The pump will try to drive its user to 120, many of us like 100.

  2. The pump will not usually permit a correction blouse unless the user is above 170. Many of us correct at 130 or 140.

  3. The pump feeds its Basel entirely off of the sensor. Most of us are used to setting a Basel and adjusting it at intervals.

  4. Most of us have found that our Bolus amounts, and insulin time (sensitivity) will need to be adjusted to use the pump successfully.

  5. Total insulin used will likely decrease in most 3 day periods.

  6. Due to it being an automatic delivery pump, Medtronic built in more safety clicks. This bothers some folks and if it does then the 670g is not for you. This is literally not a big issue. But if you cannot stand it then do not get it. It is what it is.

These may not apply to everyone, I am not suggesting it will. I have found each in some way applied to me.

Note: I am a Medtronic ambassador. My opinions are my own. They did not pay me to say nice things about Medtronic devices or the company. OK, they sent me a shirt and a cup but even I am more expensive than that.

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About your Tandem related worries:

  1. Do you really need the pump to be waterproof and for what reason? Impossible to disconnect for those 20-30 min swims?
  2. I would not worry about financial stability, the company is starting to deliver on European markets, i.e. the revenues will increase sharply as well as interest from investors.

Thanks, Terry. Congrats on your success with Loop! I have heard nothing but success stories with Loop, except for problems when the old Medtronic pump dies. No, there is nothing keeping me from doing a “watch and see” regarding my next steps. I just have an appointment coming up with my endo, so know it will be a topic.

Hi @BK1112, thanks for your comments. Good to hear your thoughts about the financial stability of Tandem. Regarding the pump being waterproof, all of my pumps have been waterproof (first Disetronic, now Animas), so I would definitely miss that. I live by the water and am a water baby, and also love snorkeling on vacation in addition to simple swimming. For snorkeling, I have put my Dexcom receiver in a waterproof dry bag and floated it along with me!

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If you live next to the water, then I can’t argue :slight_smile: I go on beach holidays quite often and then I choose to either go offline or disconnect temporarily. Not doable if you are at the sea every day.

Melitta I’m like you although not living by the water (not that lucky) I do swim for exercise and I’m an avid boater during the 5 month season here in Michigan and therefore want a waterproof set-up.
I use both the Vibe and a Dexcom receiver and discovered the transmitter doesn’t really work under water so I don’t worry about that.
Yes I do disconnect for the 30 to 45 minutes when my BG is not too high while swimming but when it is above 160 I keep it connected.
Secondly I like to stay with the dexcom transmitter (and supplies) so the Tandem T X2 will probably be the replacement when my warranty runs out and depending on insurance coverage.
My TDD is pretty high even when using U-500 (14-20u = 70 -100u of U-100) so I don’t have to worry about that with the 300u cartridge and might be able to go back to Apidra instead of the Humulin U-500.

Is the Apidra problem with the pump or with the tubing? It seems to me the tubing might be the issue. But I am not a biochemist so…

I don’t know - I’ve heard various things, such as the pump is warmer than others, and the insulin bag used somehow results in the clogs. I’ve used Apidra in my Vibe for years now with no problems of tubing occlusions, and since the same manufacturer makes almost all the tubing, I would assume that isn’t the problem…?

Pumper for 25 years. Dexcom 2 years. I tried the 670 for 4 months and I can’t express enough that it was the worst experience I have had with a pump/cgm system. It is so much I can’t even begin to describe how bad it was in this forum. I switched to Tandem X2 and went back to Dexcom G5. I have my sanity and life back. FYI I used and was happy with many Medtronic pumps. Tried all of their CGM sensors and was not happy with all of them. I have also used the Omnipod and was happy with it but had allergy to adhesive.

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I’m glad to see someone mention the truth about the awfulness of the 670–a pump that should never have received certification, IMHO. It doesn’t do what it is touted to do. The first two versions of Medtronic sensors should never have made it past the FDA, either. I don’t know about the current one. :slight_smile:

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I absolutely agree. Their sensors and cgms were all useless. I was being gentle in my first response as to how strongly I feel about the 670 and especially automode. Not only does it not do what it is touted to do but I felt like a guinea pig. It literally made me sick from exhaustion, lack of sleep and unstable BG. I wanted it to work so badly and was religious about following all of their usage parameters. I stuck with it way too long due to their rather condescending way of saying give it more time to “learn you”. The sensors were barely useful for 4-3 out of the 7 days. I had more lows and extreme highs. It’s dangerous.

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