Does anyone have any experience with either the Minimed 530G pump and enlite sensor or the animas vibe and dexcom? I’m looking to get a CGM and pump in the next few months and have heard conflicting views on both. From everything I’ve gathered it seems like Dexcom is the better CGM but Metronic is a more practiced company. I’ve been on Minimed pumps before, but since I’m now getting both…does anyone out there have experience with any of these 4 products? If the Enlite sensor is really as impractical and unreliable as I’ve been reading I’m considering making the switch to a different company. Anyway - any input would be great! Thanks!
I’ve been on the 530G/Enlite for over a year. Honestly, I’m happy with it. The enlite is better than Minimed’s old Sof Sensors and it’s what I’m used to. I do not have any experience with Dexcom or Animas. I have heard that Dexcom is much better with accuracy than the Enlite. I always stuck with Minimed because they had the only pump/sensor combo and I’ve been on a Minimed pump since 1999. Personally I’m not a fan of the low glucose suspend feature on the 530G. The lowest you can set the threshold for it to kick in is 60 and it’s annoying if it goes off during the day. I only turn it on if my husband is out of town for the night and I know I’ll be home alone.
530G/Enlite user for over a year - never used any other pump - been pumping since 1996 - Medtronic only. The main feature I like is that the CGM and pump work together - but I think Animas is coming out with a link with Dexcom?
Also Medtronic is coming out with a new pump soon (already on the market in Europe.
You should ask your endo for the names of some reps in your area and try a few before you BUY something you find you don’t like.
I tried both the Minimed and Dexcom CGM’s several years ago, and neither of them provided me accurate data despite working with their tech support. Didn’t matter how often or seldom I calibrated. But my understanding is that the technology has improved, so I will probably try it again now that my pump is coming off warranty. I’ve always been with Minimed because I have had no issues with them, which is much more than I can say for the Animas users I’ve heard from. I just spoke with a women a couple of days ago that loves her Enlite and says it’s very accurate and helpful.
Dexcom is they way to go for sure for your CGM in my opinion. Been using it now for close to a year. Check out T:slim by Tandem and the Animas pump by J&J. Both will have CGM integration with their pumps soon (on the ladder) and Animas does it now. Medtronic’s suspend feature on low BG is a great feature and I am in hopes that the T:Slim has it soon. What a cool pump! I have used Medtronic for 19 years but have no faith in their CGM based on everything I have read.
I would ask the age of the person using it? My 2 year old son uses the medtronic minimed with enlite sensor for 7 mos now and i do like it when it works properly. I do everything the way it is recommended and sometimes it works properly. I know.it isn’t recommended for a child his young and medtronic has wonderful support. They bend over backwards to make this work. There are days that we just dont put a new sensor in because we get tired of the false alarms. I actually got an order from dr to change sensor everyb4 to 6 days because they die after 4 days usually. I wish we could change to dexcom but it is not working in our favor with our insurances. Ive heard though that they are upgrading to enlite 3 sensor next year. Would be my choice first if it worked properly. Medtronuc i a great company.
I’m 24 years old. I love Minimed, but I think it’s time to switch it up a little now that there are other reputable companies besides Medtronic. What’s your opinion of the T:slim? I love the look of it, but it seems tedious to have to charge it… right now I’m leaning towards Dexcom and Animas.
I’m curious if anybody here is using the Animas Vibe and the DEXCOM G4, and if so, did you perhaps switch from a Minimed pump to it?
I’ve been with Minimed since I started on the pump (back in 2002/2003, not 100% sure now), but like @laurenwatsek, I’m currently leaning towards the Dexcom and Animas.
I do have some hesitations though, and I’ve been doing a lot of research the last month on the different pumps and the positives/negatives on them.
I’m new to this group, and I’m glad I found this informative thread. I’ve been using the Medtronic pump and CGM for eight years, and am just out of warranty. Due to market changes, I’m also considering the Animas Vibe/Dexcom CGM combo. I did a 7 day trial with the Dexcom and compared the results to meter readings and the Softsensor readings. Surprisingly, I found that the differences between the two were negligible with the Dexcom and Softsensor being equally accurate. Of note, I felt that the Dexcom predicted/caught the lows more quickly than the Softsensor. Although I know that the Enlite is supposedly more accurate that the Softsensor, I can’t get past the literature on these CGMs which clearly shows that Dexcom is more accurate. As for the pumps, Medtronic’s threshold suspend, while new and noteworthy, doesn’t impress me much since my basal rate is so low and I probably wouldn’t benefit that much from it. On the other hand, I’m not happy that the Vibe doesn’t recognize the latest algorithm that Dexcom uses and is not upgradable when Dexcom comes out with the G5. So I’m still undecided. Would love to hear from people who have made the switch or are considering switching.
Hi everyone,
I have been using MiniMed pumps consistently since 2000.
I have been on the 530G with Enlite for a year, and love it. I find the CGM insertion process much easier than the SofSensor, and love that it’s approved for 6 day use, as opposed to the 3 days with the SofSensor.
My 2 favorite features of this pump are the Enlite CGM and Threshold Suspend, which when set up and activated can suspend insulin delivery if your cgm readings reach a certain low level. You can read more about it here:
Feel free to send me any questions, happy to help, and share more of my experiences with this system.
I have the Dexcom and the t:slim pump. I love both of them so much. I had a Medtronic minimed insulin pump but just switched to the t:slim. I love the Dexcom because I can take it to school with me. On the bright side both of them look like phones. I have the Dexcom G4 right now but for Christmas I am getting the G5 I am so excited.
I’ve only used Medtronic but I wouldn’t change it. The enlites for me have been amazing. It takes a little bit to get used to when to calibrate and such. The pump also will suspend if you don’t answer your low alarms. That’s a good feature to have if you are unaware of lows.
I was a Minimed user for 20 years. Yep, you heard me right. I have to say speaking as a T1D for 30 years, I do not like change. I am comfortable with predictability. However I recent changed to the Animas Vibe with the Dexcom CGM and wow, what a positive difference.
Benefits:
The insertion of the infusion set is WAY less painful.
The Dexcom I was using with the Minimed so I already loved it and had experience with it. I had heard bad things about the Minimed CGM and was the primary reason for my decision to change.
The pumps themselves program similar enough so I have not even done the training (youtube with diabetic Danica was enough and she uses the Animas vibe with her Dexcom)
The Dexcom 5 talks directly to the iPhone 5C and the iWatch so I see my BG just with the rotation of my wrist directly on the iWatch.
I am 100% pleased with my decision to change from Minimed to Animas Vibe.
I was right where you were. Loved Minimed. I research the heck out of the new minimed and enlite and went with Animas Vibe with Dexcom. All you need is the pump and an iPhone. The Dexcom is painless and you wear it longer to less needle sticks. I could not believe the difference between the insertion comfort of the Animas verses the Minimed. Animas is much better. I have had a Mininmed since 1996 and had a lot of anxiety about change. I made the change 3 weeks ago to Animas Vibe and Dexcom and have no issues and one youtube training with diabetic Danica was enough to get it all going.
Love love love this pump and CGM.
I did not like the charge feature of the T:Slim. Rather have batteries that I can carry multiples of.
I recently changed to the Animas Vibe with the Dexcom CGM
Your choice to use an Animas Vibe with a Dexcom G5 is somewhat interesting in that, while the Vibe includes integrated support for Dexcom it will (currently) only work with the Dexcom G4 transmitter, not with the G5 you are using.
The main reason I point this out is that it may matter to some for reasons of total average cost. While it is not completely clear yet what the lifespan of a G5 transmitter is, the anecdotal posts I’ve seen imply it is likely to be less than what was often seen with the G4. In other words, the average cost of using the G4 may be lower for some than using the G5.
This appears to be even more true for some living outside the US. For example, it appears that in the UK the G5 is not sold in pairs as it is in the US. That, plus the fact that most people in the UK self-fund their CGM, makes using the G4 with the Vibe the less expensive way to go.
Just wanted to suggest that people “run the numbers” to see what combination works out best for the options they have.
I’ve been using Medtronic/Minimed pumps and their SoftSensor CGMS for eight years. As I came out of warranty, I did months of research, trialed the Enlite and the Dexcom G4, and finally decided to go with what appears to be the proven and more reliable/accurate CGMS - Dexcom. For the pump, I have never had any negative experiences with Medtronic/Minimed, but since their pumps will never work with Dexcom, I stepped out of my comfort zone and just ordered a Vibe. My concerns, as of now, are two-fold - the Vibe cannot be upgraded to the G5 technology, and never will be. I just made a four year commitment to Animas, and if they come out with a next generation pump that works with the G5 and beyond technology, I hope I’ll be eligible to trade in the Vibe at a reasonable cost to obtain the next generation pump. For now, I’m okay either using the G4 with Vibe or carrying a receiver and using the G5. Secondly, I have heard that Animas’ customer service leaves something to be desired. I’ll take that at face value for now, but if I ever have trouble, I am not shy and will quickly escalate my issue to Johnson & Johnson’s executive team if necessary. Hopefully, all will be smooth. More in a few weeks after I’ve used the Vibe!