maybe switching to minimed?

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on October 29, 2009 at 10:02am

Hi Jana:

I have been using the paradigm for about a month now and love it! Before deciding on a pump I did week long trials with the paradigm, the animas and the omnipod. (I figure if something is gonna be attached to me 24/7, I want to be sure its something I like!) What I liked about the paradigm was the bolus wizard feature and overall less "button pushes" to navigate through the various menus. For me, it was just easier to use than the others. Can't comment on the CGM, haven't gone down that road yet...Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Danielle on November 1, 2009 at 1:17am

That was the deciding factor for me too! If Animas didn't require all that button pushing, I probably would have picked it!

I have been very, very happy with MM. I guess all I care about is something that I can change basals on, and bolus from. All the other 'techno' stuff, I could care less about. The pump has been really good to me, and I like MM's costumer service. Everytime I have called, they have been very helpful.

The one thing I dont like? I wish I could use the cute infusion sets from Animas. They are made by the same company that makes Minimed's sets, but they don't come in different colors!

I don't have the CGMS, but I did trial it in July, and I liked it for the most part. No CGMS is perfect right now, but it was generally pretty accurate for me, and it did tell me of lows and highs. I know a lot of people talk about the needle size, but I honestly did not feel it go in, and it did not hurt the days I wore it.

I am planning on getting the CGMS in January, I do want to look at the Dexcom though, just to 'test drive' everything out there!

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Permalink Reply by Sophie on October 29, 2009 at 10:27am

Hi Jana,

I am a minimed user and I have their integrated CGM. I have had trouble with it but I am not giving up yet because there ARE people who use it successfully.

That being said, even though I HAVE the minimed cgm, I continue to read rave reviews from Dexcom users. Smaller needle, better accuracy. Have you considered the Dexcom? It is nice that the minimed CGM links directly to my pump, but I hate its sensor needle.

However, in terms of the minimed pump itself -- it's great. not one complaint!

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Permalink Reply by Ron on October 29, 2009 at 10:43am

Hi All, I am on a MM722+CGMS. I've been on a MM pump for 5 years and on CGMS for 2 months. I have had nothing but excellent results. In spite of what I read from others about the MM CGMS being a problem for them, it sure is not for me. I love the "trend" feature. I can litteraly watch what a meal does to my BG over a 3 hour period. This feature also let me see how I was affected by the "DP" problem. I tweaked my basils according to when the DP started and have not had any DP issues since. Fantasic results for me!
I will say the sensor needle didn't look fun, but I was willing for the added benefits. Much to my surprise, I have yet to really "feel" anything bad at all. When I would use a Quick-Set infusion, it would sting when I put it in, and that needle is much smaller. Why this sensor needle isn't hurting a bit still surprises me. I'm sure there is someone out there that would say it's just is too painful to use. Sorry, not me.
I have hypo unawareness and since using CGMS, I have hardly had any trouble. Now I am able to see that I'm getting low BEFORE I get there. This has been an answer to prayer for my wife and I.
I wish you well and good luck with your decision.
Ron

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Permalink Reply by David C Weisberg on October 29, 2009 at 4:38pm

The pump is great, but it is difficult getting supplies from liberty medical as medtronic does not work with my insurance company and medtronic is unable to supply liberty adequately due to a recent quick set recall. The sensors are another matter. Sometimes they are unable to be calibrated. Recently, I had to try three different sensors to get one to work properly. While the sensors give grossly inaccurate readings, sometimes as much as 100 mg different from my meter, at other times they work fairly well. On several occasions I have been awakened by false lows, at other times, I have been saved from disaster by being awakened by more accurate low sensor alarms. The long sensor needles are not a problem for me. They look intimidating but have never caused me pain.

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Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on October 29, 2009 at 7:37pm

I was with Minimed through their 508 series in the early 2000s and then into several of the Paradigms. It's a good pump - reliable, easy to use, and served me well - but when my last Paradigm warranty went up in 2008 and I did comparisons of features between the newest Paradigm and other pumps on the market, in my opinion, everyone beat them out for features. Other than the integration of their system (though I dislike their CGMS), I feel like they're behind even though they're the market leader. They make a good pump, but with systems like the Ping, Solo, Pod, etc, coming to market, they need to raise the bar.

The features I feel they NEED to add are: to make it waterproof, to allow the use of non-proprietary infusion sets, a carb/meal/bolus database, more than 3 lines per screen (I don't miss all the scrolling...), and more graphs/stats/history options for review. Yes, I got along for nearly a decade just fine without those things, but once I went to other pumps, I've personally gotten spoiled to those features. If you go with MM, I doubt you'll have any complaints or problems. I'm just saying that this is my take on it.

If you're already with Animas, you might consider just adding a Dexcom CGMS to your current pump. Animas will be integrating with them in the next year or two. And most Dex users here seem fabulously pleased with the accuracy over the MM. I've demo'ed all three CGMS devices and opted to wear the Freestyle Navigator for the last year, first with a Cozmo pump and now with the Omnipod.

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