Can any one give me any info on the pros and cons of these two insulin pumps please
hi @avebabe62 Sara, so I am guessing by what I’ve read in that you’ve been diagnosed with T1 about 3 months, and never used an insulin pump before. It matters because when you start pumping, you are starting over and the experience can take a little bit of getting used to.
please forgive me if I am stating the obvious, mansplaining, or if you are already an expert… sorry in advance.
There’s a good all-purpose book called “Pumping Insulin” which is a really good collection of information that can be used for any kind of pump. I recommend you get yourself a copy.
So the truth of the matter is that all pumps are essentially the same. you fill them with fast acting insulin (no more separate shot of long acting). and off you go. There is a “program” inside the pump which delivers the fast acting over time… and this program needs to be adjusted and it eventually becomes your basal rate. Some pump (not omnipod, not Dana) use a CGM sensor to automatically deliver this basal rate.
All pumps require you to tell it how many carbs you ate, or what your blood sugar is, and then the pump delivers your meal or correction “bolus”.
Once you get your programs right, pumping offers the most accurate way to deliver basal, the ability to micromanage a blood sugar like 147 mg/dl that you might not want to do an injection for, ease of travel outside your time zone, ease of meals at weird times or fasting, and means of manipulating your basal when you are more active or less active than typical.
The POD is a self-contained pump delivery system that you glue to your body. It’s like a small computer mouse. no buttons. disposable.and it’s advertised as “tubeless” but there is a tube it’s just under the shell. The POD is 100% dependent on the POD controller, which deploys your programmed basal rate and talks to the pump for when you need a bolus.
all other pumps, Dana RS included, use a separate infusion set which is a smallish band-aid type thing on your skin, and a re-usable pump component with typically a clip. You put the pump in your pocket or clip it to your clothes. The pump is connected to the infusion set with a small tube that you can tuck or manage into your clothing.
The pump typically has buttons to operate and program it for basal rate changes and for meal and corrections and meal bolus.
Pump (all pumps) pros
closest match to actual basal requirements
Basal modification during the day
micro management ease
very flexible at meals, you can bolus to cover carbs and eat without pulling out a needle kit
Universal Pump CONS
increased incidence of DKA, and local site infection
Increased scarring
additional component failures (adds difficulty in troubleshooting a high)
pumps (or controllers) are DME and can have very high deductible, insurance may prefer one over the other
Omnipod specific Cons
pod is glued to you, if you don’t like where it is (sleeping, etc.)
pod depends on controller, controller loss or damage is catastrophic
increase waste stream
Omnipod parent company has financial difficulties, not strongest
Dana specific cons
tubes must be managed
infusion sets and reservoirs are covered by pharmacy insurance
damage to the actual pump is catastrophic
Based in Korea, SOOIL parent company is among the weakest in industry (Medtronic, Tandem/Omnipod, and then the bottom percent)
Pod Pros
compact, discrete, fairly cool interface
waterproof, no removal for showering, swimming
Dana RS
intriguing phone app and remote control interface
I don’t have either the pod or the Dana, but at some point you have to commit and just get one… No pump is perfect. I don’t think pumping is “so great”… but I used MDI for 27 years and pumping is way less of a pain in the a$$ than MDI for me, if you get my point (sorry for the diabetic pun)
It is also recommended you check with each manufacturer to see a full picture of costs, based on your insurance, so you can pick a financial favorite as well as an aesthetic favorite. good luck.
in my opinion there are two pumps
tubeless and tubed
omnipod is currently the only tubeless pump on the market for type 1’s… i love my omnipod and it is integrated with my g6 and running( loop )software, i dont have to remove it to take a shower or go for a swim… its small and can be placed multiple places on the body… yes it is stuck to your skin but a infusion set is also stuck to your body… cons are 200u capacity is not enough for some people, but can use u200 insulin now… and the need to carry a pdm or rileylink to control the pump… to me it isnt a con because it is still smaller foot print then a tubed pump
you have a lot more options for tubed pumps… to me hands down the tslim would be my pick if i was ok with tubes, as it has basal iq, and is a update away from closed loop, and uses dexcom g6
In all fairness I pulled the list outa thin air for talking points. The OP is new to the club and wanted information on these 2 pumps. You’ll get no argument from me.
@joe i didnt mean to quote yours… sorry about that, i was just pointing out there are two types of pumps… yours was very well written and had great info in it
i just did a quick google search and didnt find anything on this? something new or something that is a on going problem?
this may be fake news.
I’ve been watching Insulet since they began… in the first 5 years or so they were losing money. I just looked at the corporate statement http://investor.insulet.com/news-releases/news-release-details/insulet-reports-fourth-quarter-2018-revenue-1649-million-26-year and I have to edit my previous comment… they don’t look like they are having the same trouble anymore.
they are, as a company, still very small compared to Medtronic.
oh and no worries - no offense taken I just wanted to say I have no preferences and the list is really opinion based.
Hi @avebabe62. I have an omnipod and I love it. I never considered a pump until the omnipod, as I had no interest in the tubing aspect. I have rarely had any issue with it. I also think because I wear it loud and proud (it’s visible on my arm a lot), people ask me about it and it starts a convo. Ask away, if you have any specific questions!
@jonboy688 I’m new to the G6. What is the loop software you use? Does the G6 just update with the Omnipod, so you’re only bolusing for meals? I don’t see my endo for another month, but I’ll def have to ask about it!
https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/
this will give you all the great info you could ever ask for!!! and if you have more questions i will be glad to help
basically loop is a closed loop aps, that you have to download yourself since it is not fda approved, it works great and makes a huge difference in control
Sara, love my Omni Pod, what’s not to like, tube less, wireless, good up to 25 feet in water and I can put it anywhere, right now mine is on my shoulder blade. Back on after 1 year off due to ins, was on 8 years before. keeping it, perfect fro me and my active life, no tubes to get twisted or caught. Hope this helps Bye Jan
I was fortunate not to have started with the Omnipod, which seemed wonderful when I read about it, because it turns out I would be allergic to the cannulas on the Omnipod. I have to use the steel needles.
I tape a portion of the tubing to my body. I can put my tSlim in my pocket, and no one knows I am wearing it. But the Omnipod would show under any of the clothing I wear, which I would not like, had I been able to purchase one.
One con listed above for pump CONS is "increased incidence of DKA and local site infections. I have to say, I have never had DKA, despite having diabetes for 49.5 years. And the only site infections I had were when I had an allergic reaction to the infusion sets that were not steel. My sugars improved immensely when I went from multiple daily injections (and multiple chances for infections) to a pump 11 years ago.
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