Pump Choice

[SR90]

I have recently been placed on wait list for pump but have to pick a specific pump. So much to read and feel overwhelmed with info out there. I have to choose from the following:

Medtrobic 780g
Tslim
Ypsopump
Omnipod
Medtrum

I am looking for any feedback to help chose. Or if anyone has used different pumps. Patch pump vs tubing also interested to get views. My immediate preference for vanity is patch...

Any help be greatly welcomed!

 

[Maco]

@SR90 If you went with the Medtronic 780G with you get the guardian 3 cgm funded? Also with the Tslim would they fund the dexcom? With the features these two pumps have they really need to be used alongside the cgm. I have the 780G & absolutely love it. You'll find a few reviews from me on this forum

 

[SR90]

@SR90 If you went with the Medtronic 780G with you get the guardian 3 cgm funded? Also with the Tslim would they fund the dexcom? With the features these two pumps have they really need to be used alongside the cgm. I have the 780G & absolutely love it. You'll find a few reviews from me

@SR90 If you went with the Medtronic 780G with you get the guardian 3 cgm funded? Also with the Tslim would they fund the dexcom? With the features these two pumps have they really need to be used alongside the cgm. I have the 780G & absolutely love it. You'll find a few reviews from me on this forum

I have Freestyle Libre and I think this is the only option at present.

Tubing puts me off if I am being honest it is more a vanity and practical issue. How obvious is this with the 780G? I have read very varied reviews.

Do you mind if I ask re lifestyle? I run alot and (when COVID allows) go to gym. Want to pick a pump that works well.

 

[Maco]

@SR90 Id ask about the cgm, the 780G & Tslim without cgm will lose massive features unless your willing to self fund the sensors? Have you had a read about the automode features on the 780G? You'll lose them features without the cgm, same goes for the Tslim I believe.

Tubing isn't an issue for me at all, I fit the infusion set on my thigh. That way the pump slips straight into my pocket so easily hidden if you wanted to. I go to the gym 6 days a week, still going now due to having keys for a gym. Haven't had a single issue as of yet, lifting heavy weights running etc no issues at all. Theres a number of accessories such as pump belts that go round your waist to tuck the pump away.

 

[stephknits]

I have the omnipod and a libre. I think you get used to whichever you have. I was reluctant to go on a tubed pump as it was my first pump and am very happy with my omnipod. If I could get funding (which I cant) for dexcom I would look at t-slim. Without the link up with cgm, I think they are all much of a muchness feature wise and thus just down to personal preference. Am happy.to answer any questions re the omnipod. My favourite things about it are being able to go in the shower / bath without taking it off and to just wear anything g without considering where I am going to clip on / put my pump
However as I said, I'm sure you'd get used to whatever very quickly and people with tubed pumps will say this is absolutely no big deal (which of course its not!).

 

[helli]

My first pump was tubed. We had a love hate relationship. I loved the control I had from the pump. I hated that my diabetes was on show all the time.
My latest pump is a patch pump. It is hidden away and controlled via my phone.
It is not perfect because a larger surface area is attached to my skin which itches. I have less places to put it because I need an area away from scars and bones that are flat. Once I place my patch, it is there for 3 days so I have to decide ahead what I am going to wear and plan when I am going climbing so the pump is not under the climbing harness.

Overall, I prefer the patch pump.

I have left it to the end of my comment to tell you which patch pump - I have a Medtrum A6.
The customer support is brilliant. I am on first name terms with the local rep and her dog.
However, this has come about because I have had quite a few pump failures. This has improved over the last 6 months.
Where I have seen complaints about delayed delivery of Medtronic supplies since Brexit, my Medtrum supplies arrive the next day. Hopefully, It was a minor hiccup for Medtronic.
I am looking forward to the Nano Pump that is coming out later this year. The smaller profile will give me more site options. Everyone with a Medtrum will be entitled to the upgrade which is great and maybe a feature of patch pumps.
As I mentioned above, I love the phone control. One less thing to take out and much more discrete than extracting something on a tube from my clothing.

Medtrum have a CGM. Again a smaller one is due out this year. It is integrated with the pump with the same controller and automatic basal suspend when low.
I have no experience of it as I have funded Libre.

 

[Inka]

I don’t have any of those particular pumps (I have the DANA RS) but I can comment on the patch/tubed thing a little and give my opinion.

I find my tubed pump less obvious than a friend’s patch pump because I can move my pump wherever I want when I want. This also makes it a lot easier for different outfits as I can choose where to put my pump for that outfit eg on my waist, on my thigh, in my pocket, etc etc. Personally I prefer the tubed pumps and have never had any issue with them either vanity-wise or function-wise. I like the robustness of them. It’s also easier to fit my small cannula in more places than my friend’s patch pump. I also don’t think I would tolerate something sticking out like that and stuck to me all the time. Apart from knocking it off, it doesn’t appeal at all.

For choosing a pump, the best way I’ve found is to start with your available list then narrow it down to 2 or 3 pumps and draw up comparison charts circling things that are important to you or potential problems eg size of minimum bolus, cannula availability, etc etc

Also look at the reliability of the company supplying the consumables and their customer service. You can see that some are better than others!

Finally, there’s no best pump - only the one that’s best for you.

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Watching with interest...not due my next pump for a while, interested to see what will be available to me.

 

[KS76]

I have the omnipod and a libre. I think you get used to whichever you have. I was reluctant to go on a tubed pump as it was my first pump and am very happy with my omnipod. If I could get funding (which I cant) for dexcom I would look at t-slim. Without the link up with cgm, I think they are all much of a muchness feature wise and thus just down to personal preference. Am happy.to answer any questions re the omnipod. My favourite things about it are being able to go in the shower / bath without taking it off and to just wear anything g without considering where I am going to clip on / put my pump
However as I said, I'm sure you'd get used to whatever very quickly and people with tubed pumps will say this is absolutely no big deal (which of course its not!).

 

[KS76]

Hi
I'm new to this website and I noticed your post about the Omnipod. I am also on the Libre and just moved onto the Libre 2 recently. I'm hoping to go onto a pump in the next few months and the Omnipod was mentioned so I got the demo to try and it seemed ok. I like the wireless option, don't fancy the messing with wires before showering. Do you find the Omnipod bulky? I don't find the Libre gives me any issues with being knocked and I have no problems in bed with it while sleeping. Do you wear the Omnipod on one arm and the Libre on the other? Do you control them both from your phone? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Paulbreen]

Take a look at my thread in the pumping section

My Meditronic G670 CGM experience

I am sending back the pump so I thought I would share some of my experience. The pump has completely changed my Diabetic journey, I have gone from 1-2 Hypo events per day to only one in the last 3 months, my time in range has dramatically improved from 30-40% up to more than 90% TIR and my HbA1c...

forum.diabetes.org.uk

I just finished a trial with the Meditronic 670G which is almost the same as the 780G
Great pump and CGM system but only if it fits your lifestyle

 

[stephknits]

Hi
I'm new to this website and I noticed your post about the Omnipod. I am also on the Libre and just moved onto the Libre 2 recently. I'm hoping to go onto a pump in the next few months and the Omnipod was mentioned so I got the demo to try and it seemed ok. I like the wireless option, don't fancy the messing with wires before showering. Do you find the Omnipod bulky? I don't find the Libre gives me any issues with being knocked and I have no problems in bed with it while sleeping. Do you wear the Omnipod on one arm and the Libre on the other? Do you control them both from your phone? Any info would be appreciated.

Hi, am due to move to libre 2 a couple of weeks also. I don't find the omnipod particularly bulky. Am a size 10 smallish woman and find plenty of places to stick it. Sometimes I have librd on one arm and pod on the other. Also wear my pod on stomach, thighs, lower back. Other people I know sticking on their chest and lower legs. I have had it nearly four years and gVe knocked it off twice, once when I got in the shower as soon as I had put it on and it hadn't stuck properly. I don't find it s problem to sleep on. I have the old system which has a Personal Diabetes Manager to control it, but the new Dash system has its own mobile phone. You have to use this and can't use your own phone. So would have to carry both around.
Please do ask any more questions if they come up, am happy to help

 

[KS76]

Hi, am due to move to libre 2 a couple of weeks also. I don't find the omnipod particularly bulky. Am a size 10 smallish woman and find plenty of places to stick it. Sometimes I have librd on one arm and pod on the other. Also wear my pod on stomach, thighs, lower back. Other people I know sticking on their chest and lower legs. I have had it nearly four years and gVe knocked it off twice, once when I got in the shower as soon as I had put it on and it hadn't stuck properly. I don't find it s problem to sleep on. I have the old system which has a Personal Diabetes Manager to control it, but the new Dash system has its own mobile phone. You have to use this and can't use your own phone. So would have to carry both around.
Please do ask any more questions if they come up, am happy to help

Thanks for the info. Do you find you have much better control now being on the pump? I'm running out of places to inject as been type 1 for 35years. Also I cant seem to get tight control during the day, always going higher in the am without food. Feel like I'm always correcting. Anyway I think this pump will suit me from what I've read. Have you been on any other pump?

 

[stephknits]

Thanks for the info. Do you find you have much better control now being on the pump? I'm running out of places to inject as been type 1 for 35years. Also I cant seem to get tight control during the day, always going higher in the am without food. Feel like I'm always correcting. Anyway I think this pump will suit me from what I've read. Have you been on any other pump?

This is my first pump. I do have much better control. On MDI I used to go low in the night,but with less basal would have problems with dawn phenomenon. I don't eat breakfast and can now go all morning with a nice steady line on my libre. I'm not perfect, but manage around 85% in target. Today so far 100%, but have just had a chippy tea...
I think moat people on pumps would not go back on mdi.

 

[KS76]

This is my first pump. I do have much better control. On MDI I used to go low in the night,but with less basal would have problems with dawn phenomenon. I don't eat breakfast and can now go all morning with a nice steady line on my libre. I'm not perfect, but manage around 85% in target. Today so far 100%, but have just had a chippy tea...
I think moat people on pumps would not go back on mdi.

You sound a lot like me with the things your saying, not eating breakfast, lows in the night and dawn phenomenon. I have trouble with hypos in the night so have only 3 units of Levemir overnight. This going high when I get up until afternoon is a nightmare. Waiting for a phone call from DSN to discuss what to do. I might try and push again for a pump sooner!! Thanks again for your comments

 

[SB2015]

I have been on a pump or eight years, and have always used a tubed pump. This has never been a problem to me. The tubing Is long enough that when I let the pump roam free at night I do not get stuck with it and can roll over as I wish.

Switching to a pump from MDI was a game changer for me as I was able to eliminate night time hypos. It also enable me to deliver my Bolus insulin in different ways to suit the different foods I was eating to take account of the speed of release of carbs.

I started on the 780 recently and ran it in manual mode until yesterday when I went over to the auto mode (Smart Guard) where the pump makes adjustments to my basal insulin every 5 minutes. I will let @Maco give more on this as he started a long time before me on this. 1 day is a bit early for me to comment on how effective it is.

Using the 780 in manual mode I liked the ability to slow the delivery of my bonuses. This has meant that I have much happier cannula sites. It also alerts me if I forget to do the actual delivery of a Bolus. It sounds a mad thing to forget but I know I am not the only one that does this on occasions. The pump works out the Bolus, asks you if you agree, and then asks you if you want to deliver it, and then if you really want to do that. I sometimes forget the last button press. The cartridge fill is brilliant and I now don’t get bubbles at all. The only irritation is that I have to access the pump during the day to do any Bolus. On my old one I could tuck it away and manage it all from a handset.

I hope tha is of some help

 

[KS76]

I have been on a pump or eight years, and have always used a tubed pump. This has never been a problem to me. The tubing Is long enough that when I let the pump roam free at night I do not get stuck with it and can roll over as I wish.

Switching to a pump from MDI was a game changer for me as I was able to eliminate night time hypos. It also enable me to deliver my Bolus insulin in different ways to suit the different foods I was eating to take account of the speed of release of carbs.

I started on the 780 recently and ran it in manual mode until yesterday when I went over to the auto mode (Smart Guard) where the pump makes adjustments to my basal insulin every 5 minutes. I will let @Maco give more on this as he started a long time before me on this. 1 day is a bit early for me to comment on how effective it is.

Using the 780 in manual mode I liked the ability to slow the delivery of my bonuses. This has meant that I have much happier cannula sites. It also alerts me if I forget to do the actual delivery of a Bolus. It sounds a mad thing to forget but I know I am not the only one that does this on occasions. The pump works out the Bolus, asks you if you agree, and then asks you if you want to deliver it, and then if you really want to do that. I sometimes forget the last button press. The cartridge fill is brilliant and I now don’t get bubbles at all. The only irritation is that I have to access the pump during the day to do any Bolus. On my old one I could tuck it away and manage it all from a handset.

I hope tha is of some help

Wow I am so not up on these pumps and how they work. Think I need a sit down chat with a DSN to know all about them.
I will have a look into the one your using and try and get an understanding.
Looks like from what everyone is saying the pumps are the way forward. I think after 35 years of injecting I need to move over. Thanks for the comments

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I really like my TSlim, much smaller and neater-looking than my old Medtronic, and all their current pumps use the same chassis

 

[SB2015]

Wow I am so not up on these pumps and how they work. Think I need a sit down chat with a DSN to know all about them.
I will have a look into the one your using and try and get an understanding.
Looks like from what everyone is saying the pumps are the way forward. I think after 35 years of injecting I need to move over. Thanks for the comments

After some issues around sensors, I have now had a few days of stability and started to get to know h this pump alters my background insulin. It seems to be coping with the variations in my days, including long walks and shorter walks, which I was keen to sort out without hypos.

There are so many choices, and pros and cons for each. It is a case of finding what best suits you, and that will probably only become clear once you have started to use a particular pump.