Flying with Omnipod for the first time

Hi @sophc, i cannot inform you about the Omnipod but with both the Animas and Tandem Slim pumps i never bothered to change anything.
But these were domestic flights so the air pressure change may have been different to say, an international flight where the flying might be a higher alritudes.
I reckoned the stress of take off and landing plus the inactivity between seemed to even out the effects of any change in insulin delivery.
Of course, others may have had experiences different to mine.
But as always test , test, test and i learned to never order a diabetic meal for the flight. I preferred to take my own food.
There are other travel threads dealing with pumps and airport security and about insulin carriage etc plus dealing with time zones.
Most important, enjoy your trip.!

Hi. I've flown three times with my omnipod and didn't notice any problems. Just hate the security part. I always go through the full body scanner (with my Dexcom), but now looks like I'll always have a pat down as well. Oh, well. I had read that pumps with tubes can have issues, but omnipod is tubeless.

I’m afraid I’ve not flown with mine. But I have read that people sometimes suspend for half an hour when they’re about to take off after giving a bolus to account for the missed insulin.

I've never disconnected and I've flown 100's of times with pumps. Some people enjoy creating horror stories, please don't worry.

I pump but not with OmniPod.
I have flown with both a tubey and a patch pump (not at the same time), never suspended during take off and landing and never had any problems.

I have flown with my Omnipod a few time never had any problems I just advise them when I go the security that I’m wearing a pump and they just swab it.Enjoy your holiday

Please ensure you have a letter from your soecialist about wearing your insulin pump and not having it removed from you plus to justify carrying spare patches etc and needles/syringes in your emergency kit, ( threads on kits also in pump forum threads) taking all insulin with your carry on luggage or also some very well insulated in cargo. Plus looking up info on managing times zones.
Enjoy thevtrip in safety and preparedness

I have just had my first flights with my patch pump. It set off no alarms in security so I had no need to tell anyone about it.
Just remember the manufacturer advice to avoid xray and you should experience no problems.
I found the patch pump easier in airport security than my previous tubey pump.

@kitedoc I find managing time zones much easier with a pump than injecting. The advice I was given was to change the time on my pump to local time and it takes care of itself.
To be honest, I don't change it for a 1 hour time difference. But definitely do when I cross the Atlantic.

Hi @helensaramay, but as i recall my basal program is sculpted to cater for various things such as Dawn phenomenon and i am not certain how quickly one's body adapts to that.
What is your experience?

kitedoc said:

Hi @helensaramay, but as i recall my basal program is sculpted to cater for various things such as Dawn phenomenon and i am not certain how quickly one's body adapts to that.
What is your experience?

Click to expand...

My body just shifts DP according to the timezone.
It maybe slightly awry the first day but not in a predictable manner so nothing would be perfect... my usual profile is as good an approximation as anything.
After the first day, provided I try to follow the usual daily pattern according to the local timezone, I am OK.
It is worth noting, whenever I travel for business or pleasure, my usual daily regime is ignored unpredictably. So no basal profile would be ideal.

I have flown with my Omnipod a few times this past year. The first time they put me through a full body scanner which I gather might not be the best for the pod, depending who you talk to. Most people have said it's fine and I had no troubles with it. But I did read where someone did have an issue with it. If you don't want to go through the scanner it's supposed to be best if you call beforehand and make arrangements in some of the airports. The smaller airports seem to be easier than LAX was, where you had a choice of a body scanner or an x-ray or go to the other side of the airport.

I have worn my pod through an x-ray and it's been fine. I figured I would have to pull it off or see if it was okay anyway. And so far it has been the few times it's been through it. (Not the reader of course)

Now I have a Dexcom G6 in the mix soooo................

@Marie 2 i have never called ahead about avoiding X-ray with my pump. I have been manually scanned in multiple airports in the US and Europe. They all understand insulin pumps.
Some are more understanding than others but I have remained calm and politely explained my pump keeps me alive and I do not want to go against manufacturer’s advice even if the risk is low. On the one occasion when security were aggressive, I remained calm and polite but determined and complained to Heathrow airport security management by email later.

I had no issues with Hawaiian airports or the smaller ones in So Cal. But when I went to LAX, I literally was told I had to pick the full body scanner or an x-ray. When I questioned the full body scanner I was told that was what everyone picked when they wore devices and it was one or the other. When I asked again can't you just be manually checked as I had before, (a few years before this) I was then told I would have to go to another terminal to check in differently. I know someone that calls the day before to let them know and they direct her to a specific area. And going through the full body scanner I was still wanded and checked for residues.

At the time I didn't really think about it as I had just fractured my back a few weeks earlier and in a wheelchair for the airport, so I wasn't feeling the greatest and I don't think I wanted to care too much??? Later I did learn it's not recommended but it did function completely okay. The Insulet Omnipod people when I first called them a couple of years ago I thought they said an x-ray was okay for the pod, but then the next time I called they said no. But mine has been through an x-ray a couple of times and been okay. (the pods themself only) But I believe there is the chance it might not be.

I was ready to kick and scream the next time, but it wasn't LAX and I didn't have an issue at any other airports. I also took all my "supplies" with me on the plane. Too important to have any of it in my luggage and possibly lost.

Please do a search on this forum - I'm pretty sure a year or two ago someone posted up a link to the Omnipod spec where the manufacturer had fully tested the Omnipod with airport scanners, as far as I know at the time it was the only one. I'm not a user but I do remember it being posted.

From the Omnipod users guide

"If you are concerned about going through the walk-through metal detector, notify the security officer that you’re wearing a pump. You should advise the security officer that the insulin pump cannot be removed because it is inserted with a catheter (tubing) under the skin."

Pods and PDMs can safely pass through airport X-ray machines (see the "Omnipod® System Notice Concerning Interference"

I would suggest calling Omnipod for the latest suggestion. I know I've been told 2 different things by them. But maybe they have decided certain things are okay. Mine have been going through x-rays okay though.

Last time I downloaded an airport flight memo from this site informing staff at airport that pumps and pods etc plus spares can be carried on the person. No xrays/ scan to occur alternative check to be carried out. This worked fine and I was patted down. Equipment was checked/ swabbed and handed backAirports generally . send liquids insulin cool bag etc to have visual check after X-ray -ensure you have medical letter prescription evidence in same luggage tray as meds . Enjoy your holiday.