After I was identified with kind 1 diabetes 22 years in the past, I did not anticipate a tubeless automated insulin supply (AID) system to be attainable.
At age 12, I used to be handed a syringe, a number of vials of NPH and R insulin (pork insulin) and informed to check my blood sugar ranges greater than 10 instances a day and anticipate one of the best. It was brutal.
A long time later, expertise has come a great distance, to say the least.
You may remotely bolus the insulin and look down at your smartphone to seamlessly verify your blood sugar ranges. With the newest Omnipod 5 system, you will not be too frightened about low blood sugar ranges in case your blood sugar ranges are excessive.
The system mechanically adjusts my basal insulin price for me, relying on what my blood sugar is.
On this article, I’ll clarify the brand new Omnipod 5 system, my first impressions, and what you possibly can anticipate if you happen to select this method your self.
Brief Historical past of Automated Insulin Supply (AID)
Automated insulin supply, or support for brief, has been the holy grail of the diabetic group and has lengthy been the holy grail.
Even with conventional insulin pump remedy, folks with insulin-dependent diabetes typically stroll on tightropes that handle their cussed heights and horrible lows, typically really feel imprisoned by blood sugar ranges.
Help hopes not solely minimizes highs and lows, but in addition reduces the psychological burden of life that has lived with diabetes.
Folks with diabetes within the #WearEnotWaiting motion have hacked years of previous insulin pumps to realize hybrid crop loop methods, however these have by no means been authorised by the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA), not beneficial by docs, and no security ensures.
The primary system authorised by the FDA, the Medtronic 670G, turned out there within the US in late 2016. The system mechanically adjusts fundamental supply primarily based on Guardian, Medtronic’s proprietary steady glucose monitoring (CGM) system, and was extraordinarily common.
The TSLIM Management IQ system, which turned out there within the US in early 2020, shortly adopted from tandem. It is a first support system to work with the Dexcom CGM system and didn’t require fingertip calibration (in contrast to the Medtronic system, which requires calibration each 12 hours).
The Guardian CGM needed to be modified each 7 days, however the TSLIM system utilizing Dexcom CGM required adjustments each 10 days.
Folks have been very enthusiastic about these methods, however hundreds of thousands have been embracing hope for the (on the time) Omnipod horizon system by Insulet.
This method is exclusive in the truth that it should all develop into the primary tubeless support system operated by Bluetooth.
Many individuals choose the Omnipod system as a result of they lack tubes, giving them the liberty to train and really feel extra free. Additionally, there is no such thing as a want to hold insulin when you find yourself within the bathe or swimming.
The Horizon system, now often called the Omnipod 5, was scheduled to be authorised by the FDA in 2020, however the Covid-19 pandemic shortly triggered a serious bottleneck within the approval course of, which was repeatedly delayed.
Lastly, on January 28, 2022, the FDA introduced approval for the Omnipod 5 system. The approval is for folks with kind 1 diabetes over the age of 6 and is suitable with Android smartphones and Dexcom G6 CGM methods.
Insulet will launch a restricted launch in February, and a market launch was anticipated in March 2022.
How Omnipod 5 works
You will need to be aware that this can be a hybrid crop loop system and customers must rely carbohydrates and bolus insulin for each meal or snack.
You additionally must let the system know when you find yourself planning your train. It additionally has an exercise characteristic that means that you can scale back your insulin wants while you’re bodily energetic.
Nonetheless, the help system mechanically adjusts the basal insulin price in line with your blood glucose degree 24 hours a day in line with your blood glucose degree.
The system is just like earlier variations, working with Dexcom G6 CGM, which requires the pod to get replaced with insulin each 72 hours and crammed with insulin, and each 10 days.
My first impression
I used to be fortunate sufficient to be a part of a restricted launch group and obtained the Omnipod 5 system on February eleventh, 2022.
My first impression was that my private diabetes supervisor (PDM) seemed like a smartphone (it is in all probability one), and the pod (self-contained insulin reservoir) was similar to the sooner variations of the Omnipod (each the Eros and the Sprint Use Pod).
PODs at the moment are “talked” to Dexcom CGM sensors. So, even when the PDM shouldn’t be close by, the basal price might be mechanically adjusted (required solely close to the bolus). Or, if you happen to use an Android cellphone, there is a suitable app that you should utilize for PDM as a substitute, and a bolus straight out of your smartphone (how cool is that?!). Since I am utilizing an iPhone, I selected the normal PDM.
There’s a saying that iPhone suitable apps are approaching.
I had a 2 hour coaching session and instantly jumped into computerized mode (why do I wait?). It was superb.
I used to be solely within the system for 2 weeks, however I’ve already seen some important enhancements in my well being.
The standard of sleep has been improved
After switching to computerized mode, I shortly folded, ate, and acquired my mattress prepared for a daily dinner.
Like many individuals with diabetes, I did not all the time get a lot sleep at night time. Between hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia and the accompanying alerts and alarms, I typically get up one or 4 instances at night time.
If I am not awake to the alarm, I normally really feel thirsty or at the very least must pee as soon as. So once I awoke the following morning, I used to be capable of keep ecchi with out interrupting my 8 hours of strong sleep.
I seemed on the Dexcom graph briefly and located that my blood sugar degree stayed between 110 and 130 all night time.
Most of my nights seem like this now, and the sensation of full relaxation is unbelievable. It is a full pleasure to really feel like diabetes is not stealing my sleep as a lot because it was. And sleeping all night time is unquestionably one thing I look ahead to getting used to!
Much less confusion within the train
I’m an avid athlete who workout routines 6-7 instances per week. I like operating, mountaineering, swimming, biking and weightlifting, and one of the vital irritating facets of diabetes is how typically hypoglycemia will get in my method.
I additionally hate having to eat earlier than exercising. As a result of if I am making an attempt to drop some weight, I generally really feel like I am beating my objective.
I went low nearly on daily basis whereas exercising. Effectively, since I used to be with Omnipod 5, I’ve suffered one hypoglycemia in two weeks sporting the gadget. One!
This method means that you can set the goal blood glucose degree (in my case I’d set it to 150 mg/dL), decreasing the basal velocity (or pauses insulin supply) till you possibly can predict that it’ll attain that altitude.
You may set the 1-24-hour time to interact within the “Exercise Operate” and it’ll expire mechanically.
Set the exercise characteristic to “ON” on daily basis roughly 45 minutes earlier than beginning your train routine. It would enhance your blood sugar degree easily and make sure that it doesn’t crash. That is superb.
Much less psychological pressure
General, being on Omnipod 5 eased my psychological burden of residing with kind 1 diabetes.
In a single research, diabetics add 180 selections nearly each day simply to correctly look after themselves, and having an support system feels that these selections have been decreased in half.
There is no such thing as a must micro-manage the fundamental price through the day. I have not woken up a low alarm in the midst of the night time to pause my insulin and eat some juice. I am sleeping higher than ever earlier than.
Train is straightforward (and I can train with out concern of lastly getting low!).
And whereas it feels the identical as regular once you administer insulin on your weight loss program (it’s a must to rely carbohydrates and bolus on your meals and snacks), I do know that refilling carbohydrates to forestall highs, or decreasing insulin if you happen to take it by probability and take it by probability, will replenish extra basal insulin in your system.
Diabetes is all the time a psychological burden on those that stay with it (and their households!), however having an support system reduces that burden considerably.
Conclusion
Though the automated insulin supply (AID) system shouldn’t be but a therapy for diabetes, we discovered that the Omnipod 5 system has considerably improved sleep high quality, motor expertise, and decreased the psychological burden skilled as a girl residing with kind 1 diabetes.
Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless an exterior medical gadget. You may expertise dangerous pump websites, blockages, infusions into scar tissue, and failed adhesives.
It may possibly trigger excessive blood sugar ranges and each hypoglycemia ranges, which might considerably enhance your sleep high quality, however you in all probability must pee on occasion in the midst of the night time. CGMS exerts errors and gives incorrect readings.
Actually, your “pancreas” each night time (battery can final a mean of 48 hours), and if there is no such thing as a energy for a protracted time frame, the battery might run out.
There’s nothing good. However whereas we’re always ready for the evasevasevasive Remedy, this can be a step nearer to it.
