Omnipod vs Insight

vans

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Hi All,
I've been pumping for 5 years this year - love it and it's completely changed my life around.

I've been offered a replacement pump (currently using the Roche Accu Chek Combo) and wondered if anyone had any opinions or advice about which to choose?

Omnipod -
  • love the idea of tubeless
  • concerned about the pod coming unstuck
  • concerned about all the extra supplies i'd have to carry (pods, insulin, syringes)
  • slight worry that it will be very visible under clothes

Insight -
  • I'm used to the menu system & the infusion sets
  • the handset seems to be difficult to control via touchscreen (more like a sat nav than a iphone!)

Just wondered if anyone was using these 2 systems and if you could give me your opinions on them and let me know of any issues/problems you've had?

Many thanks in advance
Savannah
 

noblehead

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Hi Savannah,

I'm using the Omnipod pump and so far so good, but I'm new to pumping insulin so have no experience of using other insulin pumps like the Insight.

I really like the Omnipod, the reason why I went for this pump was because it was tubeless, the Pods are really small and I don't have any issues wearing it as I'm not body conscious so don't really care if its on show or protrudes through clothing.

You do need to carry a spare Pod but the syringe is inside the packaging with the Pod, the PDM case supplied is large enough to carry a spare Pod and as the PDM double up as a bg meter there's not as much supplies to carry around as you may think, plus you can purchase little syringes called mylife Daily Dose which come in handy should the Pod fail and you need to administer insulin fast.

As for the Pod coming unstuck, there's no fear of that as you may find out if you ever come to change one, they stick hard & fast and stick even more the longer they are worn on the body.

Hope you get a few more replies, especially from those who use the Insight pump. Good luck.
 

donnellysdogs

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Love my insight. Had combo before. Fine tuning on it is sooo much better....some really good improvements. Ie if you wish to eat but you are say 4.0 - 5.0 level you can delay your bolus if you want to and it will do it say 15 mins later (or more).
Increments over 1 unit per hour are now in .01 not .05.
Lots of better things.. 1/4 hourly basal rates if you want them....pre filled cannulas superb!!

Downside.. The current case is too small for the handset.
The cartridges are only 1.6 compared to 3 so need to be changed more often.

I looked at omnipod last year but not so minutely programmable as insight. So instead of getting upgrade in Aug I waited until Nov for the Insight
 
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ElyDave

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wot she said ^^

TBR is a godsend for sport, as long as i remember it.
 

donnellysdogs

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Oh yes.. Forgot that. Somebody mentioned a while ago that there omnipod only did 90% TBR whilst the insight does 50 to 250%. Good point...
 

misswhiplash

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Oh yes.. Forgot that. Somebody mentioned a while ago that there omnipod only did 90% TBR whilst the insight does 50 to 250%. Good point...

I've just started omnipodding (moving from MDI) and this is the only annoyance so far.
I've been using the TBR for exercise and +95% isn't really enough for some of my sessions.
Otherwise, though, it is AWESOME.
I don't think I'd feel the same way about a tubey pump.
 

MushyPeaBrain

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Only 95% TBR :nailbiting::wideyed: That would rule the Omnipod out straight away for me then. As a brittle diabetic when I am ill with a bad virus I can easily need +150%. Also use this or higher at Christmas.

A friend is in the same situation as you choosing between Omnipod and Vibe. She has got a trial pod to wear to help her decide. Might be a good option for you?
 

ElyDave

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I've just started omnipodding (moving from MDI) and this is the only annoyance so far.
I've been using the TBR for exercise and +95% isn't really enough for some of my sessions.
Otherwise, though, it is AWESOME.
I don't think I'd feel the same way about a tubey pump.

Blimey, is that all?

When I'm doing aerobic stuff I go for a TBR or 30%, 3 hours before I start if it's in the evening. Longer sessions, morning sessions or miidday sessions and it get turned down a bit more adn previous meal bolus reduced as well.

Can you turn the omnipod off to give a pseudo 0% TBR for any length of time?
 

misswhiplash

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Blimey, is that all?

When I'm doing aerobic stuff I go for a TBR or 30%, 3 hours before I start if it's in the evening. Longer sessions, morning sessions or miidday sessions and it get turned down a bit more adn previous meal bolus reduced as well.

Can you turn the omnipod off to give a pseudo 0% TBR for any length of time?

There is a "suspend" instruction - I haven't tried it, but I imagine it works!

Also - it's easy enough to switch between "non temporary" basal programmes, so you can always get round stuff if you need to :)
 

Spicey245

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I am waiting to try out the Insight in June, I have tried the Omnipod and the Animas Vibe. The Omnipod has an alarm which goes off if it fails (and it did when it failed on the second day for me)... woke myself and my husband up at 5.30 am!! I wouldn't want it going off if I was at a theatre or cinema as it's REALLY loud!! Also, the pod never stuck down properly from the start even though I'd followed the instructions of the DSN and then it managed to become dislodged which was very painful and I had to remove it on day two. So, after my own personal experience with the OmniPod, I am now certain I want a pump with a tube and a choice of canula's but also with a separate handset. The Vibe was good but I had to keep routing for it under my clothing which was a bit annoying. You should be allowed to trial both though and hopefully you will have a better experience with the OmniPod than I did. :)
 

noblehead

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I wouldn't want it going off if I was at a theatre or cinema as it's REALLY loud!! :)

You would if the pod failed or you had an occlusion and no insulin was being delivered.

I think you've made the right choice going for the Insight, good luck and hope all goes well :)
 

Spicey245

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Very true Noblehead!!
 
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noblehead

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There is a "suspend" instruction - I haven't tried it, but I imagine it works!

Also - it's easy enough to switch between "non temporary" basal programmes, so you can always get round stuff if you need to :)

The suspend option certainly works, if your making adjustments to your current basal programme you have to suspend the pump until you've completed the edit, it then ask you if you want to resume your basal programme.
 

Alzibiff

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I have tried the Omnipod

How long for? How many pods did you try? After pushing for the Omnipod for quite a while - and moving hospitals in order to get one - I was allowed a trial for 3 months. In the first couple of weeks I ran into similar problems but persisted, in the knowledge that there are thousands of people in the world using the Omnipod successfully and I am glad I did. I found that there is definitely a learning curve with this pump even though I had been using a pump with a tube for over 5 years.

One thing which I now do in order to minimise the possibility of an occlusion because the Omnipod cannula is significantly narrower than those I was used to in the Medtronic pump, is to extend any bolus above 5 units over a 30 minute period. (Longer if a high fat content meal of course). Since using this technique, I have not had any beeping Omnipods .... which is nice!

On the subject of occlusions, it would be interesting to learn how quickly tubed pumps react to such events as I believe that quite rightly, the Omnipod is relatively sensitive in this area. I seem to remember that as a result of some problem a few years ago, I was asked by the telephone helpline person to pinch off the tube and set the pump to deliver insulin. I cannot recall exactly how much insulin was pushed out of the pump and into the tube before the occlusion alarm went off but I have a vague memory that the unit number was well into the teens which I found quite disturbing. (The problem by the way was unrelated to an occlusion event - this was just a routine test). Just a thought.

Alan
 
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Spicey245

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How long for? How many pods did you try? After pushing for the Omnipod for quite a while - and moving hospitals in order to get one - I was allowed a trial for 3 months. In the first couple of weeks I ran into similar problems but persisted, in the knowledge that there are thousands of people in the world using the Omnipod successfully and I am glad I did. I found that there is definitely a learning curve with this pump even though I had been using a pump with a tube for over 5 years.

One thing which I now do in order to minimise the possibility of an occlusion because the Omnipod cannula is significantly narrower than those I was used to in the Medtronic pump, is to extend any bolus above 5 units over a 30 minute period. (Longer if a high fat content meal of course). Since using this technique, I have not had any beeping Omnipods .... which is nice!

On the subject of occlusions, it would be interesting to learn how quickly tubed pumps react to such events as I believe that quite rightly, the Omnipod is relatively sensitive in this area. I seem to remember that as a result of some problem a few years ago, I was asked by the telephone helpline person to pinch off the tube and set the pump to deliver insulin. I cannot recall exactly how much insulin was pushed out of the pump and into the tube before the occlusion alarm went off but I have a vague memory that the unit number was well into the teens which I found quite disturbing. (The problem by the way was unrelated to an occlusion event - this was just a routine test). Just a thought.

Alan

I wish I could have trialed it for 3 months... only 3 days for me. :( Well, two days as I had to remove the pod on the second day as I'd disturbed it and was in a fair amount of pain. I suppose it was just bad luck but it kind of put me off. :( And that is a bit disturbing about the tubed pump alarm not going off for the occlusion too!!
 

vans

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Brilliant. Thanks for all your replies. Good to hear some positives about the omnipod. I think I'll see if I can get a trial of it. The tbr isn't really an issue for me as I don't really use them at the mo
 
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JaneC

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I'm in my 4 th year of using the Omnipod and while there are problems occasionally, I wouldn't want to use a tubed pump as having something on me that is waterproof, is hidden really well under clothes and is so convenient for the sports I do, is as good as it's going to get for a type 1 currently. I also hear though that you do get used to a tubed pump. There is a definite learning curve to having a pump, even an Omnipod, they all have idiosyncrasies and as a newbie it's hard to choose. I'd recommend pushing for as many goes as possible on each one you like as you do have it for four years before a change is possible.
 

JaneC

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Forgot to add that having the integrated blood testing meter as part of the remote with the Omnipod is useful as it uses the figure to calculate your insulin dose, it's also one less piece of kit to cart around.
 
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noblehead

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Forgot to add that having the integrated blood testing meter as part of the remote with the Omnipod is useful as it uses the figure to calculate your insulin dose, it's also one less piece of kit to cart around.


That's very true plus the Freestyle strips need very little blood and I've yet to have an error message, the only downside is I've forgotten to Confirm the screen and wasted a couple of strips as a result.