Pump Choice Help!

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PumpUpTheJam

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all

Appreciate any advise/anecdotes that can help me choose a pump

I am T1, diagnosed for 19 years (how time flies!) and after completing DAFNE last year I have now been allocated funding for a pump from my NHS trust

I have been offered the choice of 3 - Ypso, T-Slim and Omnipod - and I currently use Libre 2 so don't think there are any looping capabilities?

I think Omnipod might be a bit of a stretch (despite being my favourite at first glance) as I have calculated my average insulin usage at 65-70 units per day - though I have also heard that insulin need is sometimes reduced when moving to a pump?

Ypso I like due to the insulin being in cartridges, but does not having a "360" movement on the canula affect anyone?

T-slim seems to be the most popular from my limited research - is this due to it's function or mainly for the increased insulin capacity?

Thanks in advance for any help!
 
Omnipod holds 200u of insulin so at high end of 70u a day you would struggle, having said that my basal needs decreased when changing from pens to pump so you could be OK. There's a low reservoir alert on pump so will be warned if it gets to low where you might run out, imagine all pimps will have this feature.

Maybe later in year Omnipod will be changing to 5 version, this integrates with Dexcom G6 so pump will automatically adjust insulin where needed.
 
Hi @PumpUpTheJam

Lovely news you can start to choose a pump.

My hospital has a choose your pump day where the different pump reps come along and you can talk to them, see & handle the pumps and discuss what links to what in terms of cgm. I'd ask if your hospital clinic does the same thing.

I'm hopefully choosing between T-Slim /Dexcom or Omnipod/Dexcom. I've just requested an Omnipod kit to see what the pod feel likes on my arm/leg/stomach and more importantly for me if I react to the adhesive. I'm having real issues with my skin reacting to cannula and cgm adhesive on my current pump and my body pushing cannulas out of my skin!

This is the link to request an Omnipod trial obviously without the insulin! Scroll down to the try a sample pod link.

Omnipod: Tubeless Insulin Delivery System | Omnipod UK

Simplify life with Omnipod®: a tubeless, waterproof insulin delivery system. Discover if it's right for you in the UK.
www.omnipod.com www.omnipod.com
I've had a really helpful call from Omnipod to discuss my needs as I'm partially sighted and can't read pump screens very well. They did say Omnipod 5 is being launched in the next few months which can loop with Dexcom.
 
My kid uses a tslim and self funded a G6 for a while but he’s now been offered NHS funding. Not sure adults will get that option but it seems to vary.

The filling of the pump is a bit fiddly but we’ve used Basal IQ and now Control IQ and that’s been really effective and getting tight control. Obviously that only works if you’re looping. But otherwise as a straight pump you have options to suspend basal and to split doses so combined with a good understanding of your basal needs giving the algorithm the best chance of matching your insulin needs to your life. Basal requirement is about 2/3rds of when he was on tresiba so you may find your insulin usage drops.
 
I’ve always preferred the idea of a tubed pump than a patch pump (because of the flatter profile of the infusion sites).

I’d also struggle to go back to a pump that wasn’t sensor-augmented now (having had predictive low glucose suspend and now a hybrid closed loop.

Any pump will pretty much have the main pump benefits if you!ve not had one before (bolus calculator, precision doses, push-button dosing, basal profiles, extended bolus options, temporary basal rates… blah blah) so I don’t think there’s a bad choice.

Just go with your gut feeling. 🙂

Many people do seem to find that they need a little less insulin on a pump (something about the infusion sites being a more efficient way for insulin to be absorbed than injections?)
 
I’ve discovered that the Tandem T-Slim with ControlIQ and the Dexcom G6 is the tool of choice for those with gastroparesis, so that is what I’ll be getting soon, though Tandem say it willl be around three to six months before they make the T-Slim compatible with the G7, which I use.

One little note about the Dexcom G7. The advice from Dexcom is to stick it on the back of your arm only, unlike the G6.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Many people do seem to find that they need a little less insulin on a pump (something about the infusion sites being a more efficient way for insulin to be absorbed than injections?)
Click to expand...

Very interesting, my nurse said I am on low levels now, and I am quite sensitive to exercise etc. This is good to know.
 
I decided to upgrade to the Ypsomed, looping with Dexcom G6.

I have been using the Accu-Chek Insight pump for the past four years and love the convenience of using an insulin cartridges. I don’t use a lot of insulin (unless I have a carb fest for a few days.)
I change my cartridge every three days.

I considered the Omnipod, and tried out a dummy version. I didn’t like having a large pump glued to me 24/7.

I considered the Tslim but, since I have been using insulin cartridges for four years, the thought (and reviews) of faffing around filling the reservoir was extremely off putting.

My Ypsomed start date is 27 February and I’m looking forward to looping.

It is a very personal choice choosing a pump, I think it’s perhaps easier choosing your first one because you can’t compare.

Whatever you choose will be life changing, I promise you that!
 
@ChristineBee if you use prefilled cartridges, don't use a lot of insulin and change the cartridge every 3 days, do you throw out much insulin?
I have always been put off a pump with these cartridges because I use less than 100u in 3 days and hate waste.
On the other hand, I can see the appeal of not having to deal with air bubbles!
 
Honestly, it just depends.
I sometimes get a ‘low cartridge’ warning before I’m due to change my set, (following indulging in higher carb meals.)
However, there is usually another day or so worth when I change my set.
Sadly, there is a huge amount of waste in general when it comes to our treatment. It pains me. I recently started Dexcom 6 and cannot believe the inserter is so big and thrown away. Awful.
 
helli said:
@ChristineBee if you use prefilled cartridges, don't use a lot of insulin and change the cartridge every 3 days, do you throw out much insulin?
I have always been put off a pump with these cartridges because I use less than 100u in 3 days and hate waste.
On the other hand, I can see the appeal of not having to deal with air bubbles!
Click to expand...
Hi there, I started looping with the Ypsomed pump and CamAPS FX on Monday.

I was very pleased to find out that the pump cartridges can be used until empty!

I changed the cannula today and the pump cartridge was just over half full, so I’m using it for another three days!

So no waste! Yay!
 
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