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Hybrid closed loop / CGM - reviews please

I

Icantsleep

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi if i may ask some advice

So theres a 6 month waiting list to get an insulin pump from DSN

Im not really sure what to choose
Id like something that would be controlled via iphone

BG is all over the place - low to highs to rarely anything in between
Choices below
The T-Slim pump
The Omnipod
The Dana pump
The Medtronic 780G

Need accuracy & ease of use
 
In the UK none of those are controlled by phone (yet)

I’ve had tandem, and now got Medtronic I prefer the Medtronic as it gives me better control
 
All pumps are accurate and offer ease once the initial ratios have been tweaked and adjustments made - bedding in with a pump can take up to 3 months for adjustments to work and the algorithm to settle in.

Best to do your research on YouTube.Tik Tok and look at pump users to see how they promote their system and how it works for them, they are all pretty similar now - I am a Tandem user and really happy with the system - however I cannot comment on other pumps.
 
Hi @Icantsleep - agree with @Juicyj, pumps are all pretty much the same (few minor differences but usually its a try and see thing - which is a bit frustrating I know).

My experience:

Dana-i (current pump) - works well - fiddly to fill but you get used to it, has a very small bolus size so insulin delivery is less likely to cause damage and can be more comfortable.

Medtronic - found the cases cracked (in 4 years had to return 2) which was a known fault - took them 12 years to fix it, apparently the new ones don't have this problem. Found their support to be terrible, and supplies became difficult to get at some times (Christmas came as a complete surprise to them every year) - wouldn't use again.

Omnipod - loved them, however ended up with insulin resistance due to the cannula they use (6mm at 45 degrees insert) so needed another pump - would recommend trying these as easy to live with.

More important is the HCL software (how they work and are they working for people in the 'wild' - I'd recommend reading the face-book groups for each pump and HCL and see what people think.

The CGMs are all generally 'ok' - none perfect but they do a job (its very easy to get wrapped up in the accuracy of them - they are all withing boundaries and as long as consistent will work for Looping, if its .4 of a mmol high, its not going to be that big an impact tbh)

For tech info search on the diabettech website, as I say - HCL looping software is the critical bit.
 
I’ve only ever had the Medtronic so I do think my experience will be biased towards that. It does give me really good control and I am in range usually above 70% of the time. The only thing I struggle with is lunch times and it giving too many corrections but I am working with my diabetes team to try and combat that. I’ve never had any issues with the CGM, some people do say they don’t get the 7 days out of the G4 but the Simplera is out now and don’t know if that fares any better.
 
I will do the tandem bias now as that's the only closed loop ive used.
I love my tandem because I feel its the ' right pump for me ' I am a bit of a control freak and after almost 20yrs of pumping I would have struggled to give up all the control. I have a very close friend who started the Medtronic closed loop about 6 months ago and I can see it's much more ' hands free ' which is perfect for many people and her time in range has improved massively ( as has mine, im 80% she is 70% but she started at a lower place )
I like having a pump where I set my basal as I need different basals depending on where I am in my cycle and those changes need to happen overnight so no time for ' learning ' and also I live a very erratic life exercise wise depending on work so again no time to learn. I am very happy to have a few different basals and swap and change when I need but I know many people don't want to worry about that.
I run my tandem on sleep mode most of the time because that way it only adjusts basals when I go too high, I want to do my own corrections most of the time because I can't risk a large correction if im about to be physically active for a few hours!
I've probably waffled but hopefully it's just backed up it is all about researching ( as you are doing ) and finding what you think is the right pump for you.
 
I use a Medtronic 780g. The sensors can be problematic, unless you have Simplers, which I don’t, but it’s grest otherwise. It has changed my life. The best TIR I’ve had in over 20 years. I stay in Smartguard mode, which means it automatically adjust my insulin delivery. Set basal rates never worked for me. My system is just very unpredictable. This system is the only thing that’s really helped.
 
 
Please can I ask you? I have been on the Medtronic 780g since March this year and I was on the Omnipod Dash. 46 years type 1. I seem to struggle after I have change my Sensor as I keep going high. One minute I am 7.6 then next few hours 16.3. I change my pump yesterday and my Sensor today. Check for bubbles and not any. Do you think I should change my Pump every two days? I have just notice I’m now 13.5 coming down fast ???
 
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