Pump start 780G

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Sensor accuracy

Have either of you noticed increased gaps between SG and BG as the sensor comes to its end.
My current one (which is only my second, so not exactly a pattern!!) was very stable at the start, but yesterday it was reading about 2 below BG when I was low. It is changeover day tomorrow.

I know it is measuring different things so expect a time lag, which would be more evident if my BG was on the move. This happened overnight, so it switched off basal for a bit. Last night was gentle hills rather than flat.
 
SB2015 said:
Sensor accuracy

Have either of you noticed increased gaps between SG and BG as the sensor comes to its end.
My current one (which is only my second, so not exactly a pattern!!) was very stable at the start, but yesterday it was reading about 2 below BG when I was low. It is changeover day tomorrow.

I know it is measuring different things so expect a time lag, which would be more evident if my BG was on the move. This happened overnight, so it switched off basal for a bit. Last night was gentle hills rather than flat.
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Haven’t found much difference between SG & BG as of yet, normally within 1-2mmol which is pretty good given they are reading different things & the SG is around 15 minutes behind I think. I quite regularly get matching SG & BG readings which would never happen with Libre..

If I’m honest I just leave the pump to it’s own devices, I never come out of automode for exercise or if I think there’s something going on that isn’t perfectly right. My Medtronic trainer advised that the Medtronic geniuses believe coming in and out of automode, giving fake carb boluses etc etc can mess with the algorithm. The only time I ever go against the pump these days is if I go really high then I just disconnect for half an hour, take a bolus injection and normally go for a quick walk.
 
@SB2015 Little bit in interesting information I’ve just found it & something i definitely wasn’t told by Medtronic Uk. In the Netherlands the Medtronic trainers are telling new users that any high carb foods that starts with ‘P’ such as pizza & pasta to only bolus for 70% of the carbs. You then autocorrect give correction bolus for the remaining 30%.

I’m going to give it a go this weekend, when I eat high carbs for a cheat meal on a Saturday evening I usually always go hypo then gradually go high through the night because of the way the fats and carbs are released from things like pizza. Giving the 70% upfront should stop the hypo but not sure I trust automode for the other 30% but ill try it.
 
That wasnt my experience over my years of using Enlites, and later G3s @SB2015

I restarted all of mine, and as long as I kept them well calibrated, they mostly gave me solid data for 10-14 days.

G3s were a little more twitchy on the calibration front for me unfortunately, and on reflection I think Enlites probably suited my body chemistry better.

But I didn’t notice any fall-off in accuracy at 6-7 days
 
I have had another sensor that is going bonkers.
This afternoon after lunch, with known carbs which I bolused for, it just rose and rose.
I didn’t notice until I did a peek at it after a bit of a busy afternoon by which time I was up in the 14s. The Medtronic tech wizards had a look at my readings and could see that the pump was cutting out after any blous and they didn’t know why. Possibly sensor or could be transmitter. Another replacement sensor on its way and if necessary a new transmitter.

I am not enjoying this. It is certainly not leaving me thinking less about my Diabetes. It is causing more stress and I am spending so much time asking for help. I am very very close to giving up on this. I have spent this evening in tears as I just don’t know what to do!!! My TIR is no better than when I managed it myself. I am thinking that the Libre 2 with a Combo is looking like a very good option, although I know I have not kept up to date with any experience with that. I am not sure how long to stick with this system.
 
Ps I am doing regular calibrations, wearing the sensor correctly, ....
I have gone through this so many times on calls to Medtronic.
 
SB2015 said:
Ps I am doing regular calibrations, wearing the sensor correctly, ....
I have gone through this so many times on calls to Medtronic.
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Where abouts are you fitting the sensor? The day I had 7 fail the same day I was on the phone constantly. Just like you fitting/wearing the sensor correctly, by the end of the day Medtronic didn’t have a clue what the problem was. Eventually they just ended up giving me a new transmitter. I switched from the back of the arm to the love handle area towards my back & since then I haven’t had any issues (touch wood).

I feel for you because it’s soo frustrating, especially when you feel you’ve done everything correctly. I still have days where I eat exactly the same food & take exactly the same amount of insulin but I spike massively. Straight away I second guess the pump, change infusion sets etc & grab my Pen. To be honest I’m having a couple crappy days, TIR is still in the 90’s but for some reason I’m fighting against hypos then random raises to around 10-11.
 
@SB2015 Out of curiosity, did your BG match your SG? If so, why have Medtronic replaced the sensor?
 
Hey @SB2015 I’m sorry to hear of your struggles after so much effort. I got to the same point as you and gave up on the 680G, what it did was great but it was just needing too much attention to keep it working, I’m back on the libre2 and injections again TIR is down to 65% but I’m treating myself on my own terms now
 
Thank you both for your support.

I have put Humphrey on a final warning!!!
@Paulbreen were you still mid contract with the sensor package.
What happened about that when you stopped it.
 
Maco said:
@SB2015 Out of curiosity, did your BG match your SG? If so, why have Medtronic replaced the sensor?
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BG and SG matched within a reasonable variation. There were interruptions throughout yesterday.
I have put yet another sensor in and we will see what happens. If this doesn’t work they will try replacing the transmitter. I guess it is cheaper than replacing the transmitter.

My sensor is in the ‘spare’ bits at the bottom of the top of my arm, where I used to put my Libre without any issues. My pump is on the same side of my body, and they should have no issues talking to each other. However if it continues to need me to sort out any arguments they are having, I shall send them both away with a flea in their ears, and plead for a Combo. A good reliable workhorse that ‘does what it say in the tin’. (That probably shows my age - Ronseal advert)
 
Hi @SB2015
I had funded the 680G pump and CGM through my health insurer, I think it works a little differently here in Germany than the UK. I just told them it wasn't working out for me and I sent it back to Meditronic.
I'm going to see what come into the market in the next 12 months or so before i dip my toes into the pump world, I had 2 great meetings with YPSO mylife and Tandem Tslim reps in the last month and both were telling me about the new features coming online this year from both of them so I'm waiting to see what arises, I've had diabetes long enough to have heard too many "the next big thing" promises to be taken in but both were promising almost closed loop systems and they are both working with Dexcom G6 which I like because of the lack of calibrations required for those sensors.
SB2015 said:
Thank you both for your support.

I have put Humphrey on a final warning!!!
@Paulbreen were you still mid contract with the sensor package.
What happened about that when you stopped it.
Click to expand...
 
So SG & BG where within good enough range, so quite possibly not a sensor issue & im guessing the sensor didn’t fail? Did Medtronic run through all of the transmitter tests with you?

What was your main issue, that your bloods where raising & the pump didn’t jump in with auto corrections? Sorry if I sound daft I’m just struggling to find out what the main issue was/is.

Personally I don’t think the auto correction features works very well at all & it’s actually something that I don’t rely on. If I see arrows shooting up especially if I see 2/3 arrows and I’m already above around 10 then I’ll just bolus with fake carbs. The most I’ve ever seen auto correction bolus is for half a unit, when your raising rapidly I don’t really see the point that small of a correction. Half a unit would only be expected to bring my readings down at the very most 1mmol.

Like you said earlier, it’s fantastic when your asleep and it keeps you in range all night but you’ve probably done all the hard work yourself to make sure your going to bed with a reasonable BG. Making the pumps life a lot easier just maintaining it with micro basal throughout the night.

It’s a cracking system that works well, but you certainly need to put just as much effort in as any other pump. I weigh out every meal so I can count the carbs exactly, I make sure I bolus at least 10-20 minutes before a meal. I eat a relatively low amount of carbs all week so that I’m not taking large amounts of insulin. I certainly haven’t gone onto the 780G and forgot about being diabetic, roughly guessing at carbs or eating a low carb snack without even a bolus. It’s still hard work!
 
Just had a Zoom session to move on to SmartGuard a week after getting the 780G, so must be winning on points. The Medtronic rep told me they had a new sensor awaiting approval, likely to be released in a few months, that will avoid the need for calibration. Will have to wait and see whether that is true.
 
JohnWhi said:
Just had a Zoom session to move on to SmartGuard a week after getting the 780G, so must be winning on points. The Medtronic rep told me they had a new sensor awaiting approval, likely to be released in a few months, that will avoid the need for calibration. Will have to wait and see whether that is true.
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That would be the Zeus sensor, still awaiting approval I believe. Keeps getting pushed back because of COVID. Last I heard from Medtronic was early 2022 but hopefully it’s before!
 
After five replacement sensors I have finally had a chance to see how this pump behaves. The past three days have been very stable, ranging from 98% to 100% TIR, and including a walk using the temporary target. I finally feel like it will reduce my worry levels.

Like you @Maco I stick a lower carb target for meals, carefully measure carbs for meals, and expect to do this all the time. What I wanted was a chance to think less in between meals. I am definitely a perfectionist who has had to learn to accept that that is impossible with Diabetes, and to set myself more realistic targets.

I have stuck to the advice to tell the pump whatever carbs you eat, and it now seems to have settled into my bodies patterns. I used the temporary target for a walk yesterday but topped up with JBs, telling the pump, when things started to go a bit lower. Today I trusted it to sort things out, and I ended a three hour walk spot on. I am finally beginning to feel that Humphrey and I could get on with each other.
 
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