Thanks guys! I am having the same struggles with the OmniPod 5 Auto Mode. I have reset my Controller values to what you suggest and will try it for several days to see if this reduces my high BG values.
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Not detailed enough in my review of it and I listened to all 3 episodes. Note that the juicebox host was paid for this from Insulet.
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When the G7 came out I tried it as soon as it became part of my formulary with Caremark. I wish I hadn’t. I absolutely LOVE the 30 min warmup, 1 piece, and smaller size. But Out of the 20+ that I’ve tried, I think I’ve made it to day 10 < 5 times. Uusually by day 6 or 7 the readings go way off, and if you try to calibrate, it disreguards you. I finally told my endo I"m going back to the G6 and my next order has the G6 so one I run out of G7 I’m back on the G6 until such time as Dexcom can get its act toghether.
Dexcom has finally admitted to some issues and has issued a revision as well as several phone updates, but they still don’t help.
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I use xDrip+ as my collector for the G7 and, while it is very, very quirky wrt the G7, the calibrations work.
Overall my experience has been very positive but that’s mostly because the ability to do a 12 hour overlap on two G7 sensor/transmitters has meant that my first 24 hours have been much, much better. So far as accuracy etc I’m on sensor 8 of my first 90 day supply and most of the math seems the same. I couldn’t possibly say if the G7 is more accurate but, for me, it is not provably less accurate. 10 day (well, 10.5day) lifetime seems more accurate; i.e. I see few drop-outs at the end of the 10.5 day lifetime even though it is 12 hours longer than the G6.
I can also wear the G7 on my upper arm (indeed, that is where Dexcom say to wear it). That might explain my positivity; wearing anything around the abdomen after 50 years of whacking dubious insulin in there (cow, pig, human, vaguely human) makes the whole of my abdomen a minefield for science.
There are problems compared to the G6 (xDrip+ support is fragile and poorly documented) but my experiences have been positive in aggregate.
IMO Insulet need to support it but they need to support both. Given the way JamOrHam has delivered the support in xDrip+ Insulet shouldn’t have a problem; so far as I can tell the xDrip+ code is the G6 code with the ability to recognize a “secret” transmitter change, or something like that 
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There are lots of things Insulet should be doing. It is weird that they have not come out with an iphone app for the Om5, among various other things they’ve dropped the ball on. As far as I can tell they have never updated the software on the Om5 Pdm.
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Agreed. This is my first pumping experience. Frankly, I’m not terribly impressed. I’m looking forward to the tandem mobi… unless omnipod gets their ■■■■ together.
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Insulet has always had problems with the US system; remember how coverage under Medicare was denied for years because there was no Medicare code for a disposable insulin pump? At present:
The Omnipod 5 App for iPhone is pending 510(k) clearance and is not yet available for sale within the United States. We look forward to bringing this update to our users soon.
That’s from The future of Omnipod® | Omnipod (US residents only). I don’t know what the state is WRT other countries; Apple won’t allow it in the US iPhone store but maybe it is available in other countries which have approval (anyone in the UK like to comment?)
US 510(k) clearance is described here:
Now the iPhone app is not, itself, a “closed loop” system; the loop software is in the Omnipod itself, so iPhone clearance should be easier than Tidepool which actually runs the loop software on the iPhone. The same applies to other commercial “hybrid closed loop” systems such as the various systems on tubed pumps which, I assume, have iPhone apps.
Tidepool is also iPhone only (unless something has changed) and it did get 510(k) clearance in January (see the list on the fda.gov page above):
DEVICE: Tidepool Loop
Tidepool Project 510(k) NO: K203689(Traditional)
ATTN: Howard Look PHONE NO : 650 3532352
3340 Hillview Ave SE DECISION MADE: 23-JAN-23
Palo Alto CA 94304 510(k) SUMMARY AVAILABLE FROM FDA
The link K203689 is not included above. If you care to follow it you will notice that 510(k) approval was granted on this basis:
We have reviewed your Section 510(k) premarket notification of intent to market the device referenced above and have determined the device is substantially equivalent (for the indications for use stated in the enclosure) to legally marketed predicate devices marketed in interstate commerce prior to May 28, 1976, the enactment date of the Medical Device Amendments, or to devices that have been reclassified in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Act) that do not require approval of a premarket approval application (PMA).
So I assume that because Tidepool Loop does actually run on an iPhone it gets approval because it is an “[i]nteroperable Automated Glycemic Controller” (like, I assume, the Omnipod 5 pod itself) and therefore doesn’t require approval.
It may be that because Insulet chose to rewrite the existing, approved, Android code to be more Apple’ish the FDA decided that they needed new approval not based on stuff in existence in 1976.
Personally I would have told them to write everything using Qt. But that’s what I tell everyone
Nevertheless this is politics; most of the decisions inside the FDA are controlled by political interests and that means the biggest medical and food suppliers in the world (e.g. Abbott; milk, remember?) pretty much control approvals. This is how I look at Insulet’s long-running problems with “federal” approval. I’m amazed TidePool hasn’t run into a brick wall yet.
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That is probably true. Meaning we should fault Insulet for not playing politics adequately to advance the Omnipod 5 system. The PDM controller has the look and feel (and bugginess) of an interim initial setup intended to hold us over until an iPhone app is approved.
I cant comment on the Android app but the screensaver on the PDM still shows the message “This device is managed by your organization”. Makes me laugh every time I see it. Gives everything a tossed together feel. But has never been updated 18 months after they started selling it. I think that attitude of not improving on version 1.0 is just a business decision on their part, not politics.
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At this point I’d be comfortable saying I had significantly better control on mdi with tresiba and novolog than with the omnipod 5 technology with novolog alone. That’s a banket statement that doesn’t really account for how much easier pumping has made things, which it has, but hasn’t been helpful to my overall levels of bg.
There have been benefits… I’ve had many, many more uninterrupted nights asleep with good control.
It just seems that overall, for me, the “adaptive basal” with novolog isn’t as effective as using basal 1x daily with tresiba.
That said, the convenience factor is huge, and with this I’ve traded worse control for diabetes being a smaller part of my life— which is a very difficult pro/con to weigh. I’ve worked on 6 different cruise ships this week at all hours of the day and night and it’s hard to imagine bolusing indefinitely via mdi in that case. And honestly the om5 algorithm is incredibly effective for me at preventing lows.
At this point I’m wondering if it may be a technology that works better for me just during my busy season— or if the tandem mobi will be a better fit for me
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@Sam I’ve got a pretty invasive question here, but… What job takes you on six cruise ships in one week? Wow. It sounds interesting!
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Marine pilot / Unlimited Master Mariner
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Geez, so you’re one of those brave souls who are responsible for getting massive ships through small inlets and into port safely? As a cruiser - I really enjoy watching you get on and off, while underway. Thanks for sharing this.
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First a1c on omnipod 5 came back at 6.2. Historically I’ve been in the mid 5 range with mdi
To be fair I’d spent the last 4 months eating largely at the buffet on cruise ships.
There has been a learning curve— and ultimately I’ve arrived at the conclusion that the auto mode just isn’t reactive enough for me during the day, and switched recently to running a pretty hot manual profile during the day, and then switching to auto if I trend low, and before bedtime… I believe with this technique I’ll be able to bring that d a1c down some. The convenience factor has been well appreciated.
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