Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Hockey Mom on August 19, 2011 at 7:32pm

The average in the PDM or any other meter will never equal your A1C. They are calculated differently and based on different samples.

The average of the readings is just that - all readings/# of readings. If you only test before meals and your readings are about 100, your average will be 100 and lower and not reflect that between meals your BG rose by 50 or 80 points. You get a better approximation of A1C by testing 1.5 hours after every meal and therefore including your highs in the average. It also depends on how long you are at each reading before it is corrected. You get a better approximation of A1C from a CGM that takes readings much more often.

Your A1C is based on a count of cells in a sample of your blood. It goes back 90 days. From the count of cells in different ages and stages, they can approximate what your normal BG has been for the 90 day period.

Permalink Reply by 4xgrandma on August 2, 2011 at 11:42am

Mike,

I'm sure sorry about all the problems you're having with the Omnipod. I guess I'm one of the luck few. I have been on it for almost 4 years and I'm very happy. I just had a pod fail during priming last week and that's the first one I've had fail since I can't remember when. I'm rapidly approaching Medicare age and dreading the day when I can no longer get Omnipod but have to switch to a tubed pump. Best of luck and let us know how the Ping works out.

Linda

Permalink Reply by Sophia'smommyLori on August 3, 2011 at 11:12am

We have been using omnipod for our 5 yr old dtr about 9 months now. One month we had a 50% failure rate in one box. Failure rate = pod alarm for whatever reason NOT an occlusion. I don't know what would have happened with the other 5 unused in the box because I insisted that Insulet take them back and ship me a new box even though they assured me it would be almost impossible for the unused 5 to have any problems. REALLY? We experience a 10 - 30% failure rate each month (for the month of July we were at the 30%). All of the failures have happened w/in 6-24 hours of activating the pod. Only one did not eject the cannula. Never have we had one alarm during priming. I'm sure that will happen tonight ;). We have had only 2 occlusions (which I am NOT counting in the failure rate #'s) since we started and I could find nothing wrong with the cannula or the site (like a bump or a knot). However, we have had high bg and I check and the cannula is completely bent but never an occlusion alarm...... We went on vacation to Disnelyand in June. For 9 days my dtr walked around with bg in the 200's for no apparent reason coming down each over night to normal. Insulet sent us a new PDM and said I should be using Energizer Max in the PDM because they see this problem a lot with people who use other batteries although they cannot dictate what batteries their customers buy or use. I WAS using the Energizer Max. I can't find a different brand of Energizer anywhere anyway!!! BG came back down to her norms with the new PDM..... They have replaced all the failed pods with the customary "did you use room temp insulin" "did you use a room temp pod" "did you pinch up the site" "what is the expiration on your insulin" "what brand of insulin do you use" "is your insulin opened less than 30 days" "what was your dtr doing when the alarm occurred" but it doesn't make up for the lost insulin (which I am not pulling back out to deal with air bubbles etc and another pump alarm....). I have contemplated switching to the Animas Ping but hate the thought of my dtr dealing with the pump hanging off her pants etc.... My husband is against anything but the omnipod (very anti tubing). That being said, when omnipod works (like it has the last 3 days) it is AWESOME. FYI to another responder who asked about A1C results being higher than you would assume when the avg bg on the PDM record would suggest something much lower.....we have the same problem. You could have knocked me over with a feather when the first A1C after starting the pump went from 6.something to 7.4..........

Permalink Reply by kms on August 3, 2011 at 12:23pm

I've been on the Omnipod for 1.5 years and I've had a total of 4 pod failures, Most of those (3 of the 4) in the early weeks of starting on the system.

I would be outraged if I was having a 40% failure rate as Steve D mentioned! I wonder why some people have trouble with this and others don't?

Permalink Reply by Emily Coles on August 3, 2011 at 7:44pm

Oy!! That's bad. I've been frustrated by frequent pod failures as well, but mine are more like twice per month. When I get several bad ones in a short time-frame I always wonder if they got hot, or dropped by the shipper, or any other such circumstance that might effect their viability. Doesn't seem like a life-sustaining gadget should be so fragile, but maybe some pods are. Sorry you're having such an infuriating experience, Mike.

Permalink Reply by annecy on August 4, 2011 at 7:12am

Does anyone know how the failure rates compare between all the insulin pumps? Is there a group or site that does that?

Permalink Reply by Kurt on August 11, 2011 at 10:40am

With my Animas, I think I had one occlusion and one total failure (water got inside due to a crack I didn't know was there) in 5 years. Once or twice I snagged the tubing and pulled the set out. I guess I don't make up a survey population by myself, but that's my experience. I like the pod, but I'm thinking of switching to Ping because of the failure rate.

Permalink Reply by MossDog on August 11, 2011 at 10:45am

Not sure there is a website.

I have used all of the pumps for at least 3+ months each and I would have to say that I have had far fewer problems with "tubed" pumps. First off there is NO communication errors that make it so you have to change the site. I also had far fewer occlusion type (read: poor absorption) problems as well using tubed pumps. I think the process of the tubed pumps relies less heavily on the technology so there are fewer places to get tripped up.

Maybe if using a tubed pump during these problems everyone is having there would have been an extended period of unexplained highs because of the problem the OmniPod picked up and made you start over with a new Pod for? My general sense is this is not the case but who knows?

Permalink Reply by Lyn on August 5, 2011 at 9:26am

My son have been using the pod since May of this year. I thought I was the only one that have this issue. We have pod failures at an alarming rate too. It seemed like we have a pod failure for every 3 good pod that I put on him. We only have one occlusion so far. However, when it worked (like the last 6 days) its wonderful. My son's A1C went down from 7.5 to 6.3. Insulet has been good about replacing the failed pod, however the insulin that we wasted every time I have to replace the pod that bothers me. All in all, we still would not switch to another pump. My son has been able to swim for 2 hours without having to take off his pump. OR the fact that he is also very clumsy will not make it easier for him if he has the tubing on. We will stay with Omnipod until another options (has to be another patch pump) come up. We definitely will not go with the traditional pump unless he is older and can take care of himself better. I am also worried that with the traditional pump he is going to forget to hook the pump back on after swimming, or shower or etc and left it behind. Last month, he jumped into the pool with his Dexcom receiver...
Anyway, keep us updated.

Permalink Reply by Don on August 5, 2011 at 9:54am

Here's hoping the upcoming smaller pod addresses this excessive failure rate!

Permalink Reply by marty on August 5, 2011 at 12:47pm

I had 1 failure last night while at work and the 2 pods b4 that I had the cannulas come out. Checking the cannulas, I saw that they were bent. Hmmm! Called customer service and they are replacing all 3 pods. I started on the Pod in March and have probably had no more than 10 mess up. 6 have been replaced and my local rep sent me 3 others. The way my basal rates fluctuate I would hate to return to MDI. Much easier to adjust on the fly with the pod. Yesterday my basal was at 1.15 and right now I am at 2.60 and it will go down shortly when I go to work in the 110 degree afternoon. Try adjusting to that with Lantus.
marty

Permalink Reply by Ron Doyle on August 8, 2011 at 7:49am

I had many (probably 5/10) when I first started on Omnipod while loading the insulin into them. I got the steady tone (problem) instead of the double beep which means all is well.

I found out, by accident, that I was turning the needle after sticking it in the pod, before filling it, don't know why I did that but I did. When I stopped turning the needle before filling and just push it straight in the problem has pretty much vanished. I may have had one go bad like that in the past 6 months since I changed my setup. I told the techs there -I haven't heard them mention it online anywhere. Just my findings.

Now in the last box I have had two fail while on me, no occlusion warning, just pod failure. I have never had that before, so I figure a bad box.

That's all the issues I have had.

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