I have been on the MiniMed 670G for about 3 months now. It seems that when it is working well, it works well, but . . .
Recently I have been having issues where it requests a Calibration. Then immediately requests a BG entry, then requests another BG, then requests a Calibration. You get the picture. It just loops through these requests, and then ultimately the sensor fails. I have had to call Medtronic 6 times over the last 3 months for these failed sensors.
I just want to know if anyone else is having this happen?
The company offers some suggestions on actions I can take to deal with this issue, but I am thinking a well tested medical device should not require interesting work arounds - I would hope it would just work right!
Interested in hearing if others are experiencing similar.
Hi @burgerpd Paul,
I don’t have the 670G yet, but I’ll be due very soon. My experience comes from the gen 1,2,and 3 CGM. The calibration routines that minimed uses can be tricky - if the sensor calibration suggests a bigger error than anticipated, the sensor can fail. I sometimes lie to the pump and tell it to either find a lost sensor or tell it I replaced the senosr and let it warm up again.
the best results I get is when I calibrate the sensor, only when I am sure my blood sugar hasn’t changed in over 1 hour. because CGM readings can lag actual blood sugar readings calibrating when your blood sugar is rising or falling is more trouble than it’s worth.
good luck!
Thank you for this information because I am strongly considering switching from my Animas Ping to the 670G. Not too sure after reading these accounts. May be better off just getting a new Animas Ping and use my Dexcom G5 CGM. Any comments or thoughts on this? Thanks
I’ve been on the 670G for 3 months as well and I also feel like when its working well its great…and it does have glitches…which I expect with new technology and with the safe guards in place I don’t mind some hassles for the new features and increased freedom it provides.
I have had the same problem as you cite and I have a direct Medtronic rep I deal with (who did the training with me) and she is more knowledgeable than the general support line at Medtronic, I’ve found. My rep told me to let the pump “cool down” for 30 minutes and do not enter the BGs or do a calibration for 30 minutes or exactly what you described will happen (and has happened to me). This comes from her direct experience working with 670G users newly on the pump.
If you want to share any info directly on your/my experience using the 670G, let me know. I’ve figured out a few things with regards to sensor placement, exercise, etc. that Medtronic doesn’t yet have an official guidance on.
Thank you for this information because I am strongly considering switching from my Animas Ping to the 670G.
I’m switching from the Animas Vibe to the 670G, and am looking forward to be done with that setup. If you do switch to Animas I will caution you: DO NOT GET THE VIBE. THE VIBE USES THE G4 NOT G5, and recently I’ve been getting readings that are up to 100 points off. The Vibe is not approved for some bizarre reason to be in compliance with the G5, which is extremely more accurate than the G4 (after looking at things like customer reviews and the MDA). The Vibe basically puts the CGM readings on the pump itself, thus eliminating the need to carry around an extra device (I don’t like the idea of using the phone because unless it is a brand new phone, phone batteries die quickly).
Not sure if they would try to push you towards the Vibe instead, but wanted to throw that out there…
I’ve been using the Medtronic 670G for about 3 months. I have had the same problem with being asked to provide a calibration then a blood glucose reading, etc. The last time I called the help line I was told that the calibration is used by a ‘different system’ inside the pump than what the blood glucose reading is used for. They told me to wait longer for the pump/sensor to adjust and see if that takes care of the problem. I sometimes have this problem even when my BG is fairly stable. There is a lot to learn with the 670G.
Sometimes I’m happy with my blood sugar numbers but sometimes not and it’s very frustrating to just wait for the pump to get you back to what is in range. My doctor recently made changes to my settings but I don’t know how I will ever reach and A1C of 6 or so if I rely on this pump. Anyone else have issues with their blood glucose numbers while using the 670G?
Hi,
I have seen a similar issue with AutoMode (never with manual mode) and what my Medtronic rep suggested was, if you just took a reading to calibrate and now it wants a reading for BG to manually enter the BG at a number close to the calibration number. For example I checked BG at 1:00 for calibration (after 2 hour warmup, so auto mode has “kicked me out”) and it is 130. Then within a minute or so the Automode is asking for a BG so I will manually enter a number that is 1 or 2 points highter or lower (132). This mostly sorts things out. Once I had it loop back to ask for the calibration and I just select Calibrate for the same number I just entered. It seems to sort itself out. Mostly I am loving my pump and how free I feel from constant worry. I do wish, however, that I could set the average BG to be 110 instead of the 120 default. This will, I’m sure change my A1C from 5.5 to something over 6. I’ll let ya’ll know when I next get checked. It has taken a couple of months for the Automode to work through my needs and for me to understand Automode better. Things are getting more in synch and I am Quite pleased.
Hi timg, I would love to hear more about your experiences and share some of mine. Is there a discussion already started in T1D where we can share these things?
Animas just discontinued insulin pumps.
I know but thanks for replying, going to the annual Diabetes Fair at the PSU Hershey Medical Center in Nov. to review multiple available pumps, my PA uses the Mectronic but I am leaning towards the tslim especially since it is compatible with my Dexcom G5 mobile.
I’ve just had the looping problem recently. They told me to disconnect the sensor & have have the pump forget it. Then find it again. I’m going to try that when I get home from work.
Very similar issues here. I have been on the 670G for about 3 months as well. I have used the “manual entry” trick a few times, as well as the “cool down” suggestion. Both seem to fix the problem. I have noticed that this will take place if you do not clear the alerts soon before entering the calibration. If you wait too long, it seems to make the looping worse. I tend to try and calibrate / enter BG right after acknowledging the alert, and that seems to prevent the loop - at least in my experience.
I do agree that the benefits of this pump are awesome. I’ve had T1D for 36 years, and have been on a pump for over 17 years. They have sure come a long way!
Just yesterday, I used 6 glucose test strips in a 15 minute time span.
The pump kept asking for a BG calibration. It’s not cheap to use so many test strips since the insurance company only covers so many a month.
The loop has given me multiple issues. Especially in the middle of the night when I’m trying to sleep!!
Medtronic needs to resolve this issue or start paying for all of the test strips used over what is normally used.
Hey Jeffrey
I am the one who started this thread a few months back. I continue to experience the “looping” issue every now and then.
Although I completely disagree with Medtronic’s recommendation for how to deal with it when it happens, and am a strong believer that there is a software bug in their system, their suggested work around does actually work
If you have just entered a BG (either Calibration or BG) and it asks for another one right away - ignore the request and let the pump rest for a while. I have taken to pretty much ignoring the pump for about 2 hours and then enter a new BG (not calibrate). Almost always this takes care of the problem and it goes back into auto mode.
Paul
Thanks for the advice Paul.
If your sensor and meter reading is more than 35 points are part do not calibrate. Wait until the sensor catches up to your meter reading and then calibrate when you are within 35 points. I never ever calibrate if my cgm and meter are more than 35 points a part because it will send you into a continuous loop.
I have been going through this…i just got the machine and in 1 week had to change the sensor 3 times…wth what a waste of time i am so upset and no one seems to care.
Hi Paul
Thank you for posting this and for setting up a great conversation about the looping issue. I am now 5 weeks into the 670G and 4 weeks on Auto Mode and am still on the fence about the nuances with it. I have had T1 for 42 years and have been on Minimed and until recently Animas pumps for about 21 years. I was really excited about the forced switch from Animas to the 670G, but like others posting here have yet to really trust it. I started the looping thing after about 3 or 4 days and after testing a number of different things, I found that like you waiting it out does work.
With these, I think it is pretty odd that the pump asks for us to clarify if we want to Calibrate a testing entry or just enter it as a BG. If it needs a BG or a Calibration and we test, why doesn’t it just take what it needs and use it. I am not sure if this is a software bug or just all of the built-in safety checks getting in it’s own way. Hopefully Medtronic will continue to develop the software based on user feedback. I will be patient in learning all of the tips and tricks because the potential seems to be incredible.
Tim I’d be interested in your findings on sensor placement. I do rigorous kickboxing daily and in certain areas I don’t have issues but in other areas I run into finicky sensor readings at times. Thanks!
I’ve tried the standard Medtronic recommended locations but the One I like the best and that other active people seem to use is the back of the arm. The trick and difference between the sensor working right and not is making sure to hit the areas on the back of your arm that have at least some fat or looser skin. If I get it in muscle then the sensor wire gets tweaked. I also skip Medtronic’s oval tape and instead cover the entire sensor with a GrifGrip. Been working great for me no matter what activity I’m doing with my arms.