Is anyone using the Animas R-1000, besides me!!!????
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You are the first person I have heard of to use this pump; I would be very
interested in your opinion and experiences with it.
I just had a Minimed failure; I have a 507 (not 507C) and this AM had an E35
error, which repeated itself several times. After a conversation with Minimed,
I will have a replacement pump in a couple of days. The E35 is some kind of
lead screw error, and what was happening was that the delivery screen would
advance, the there would be no ‘click’ from the stepping motor. Hence the
error. First time I had even heard of this error….
But, rather than go back to the old habits of multiple injections, I was able to
revive my old 506 pump, ;which had laid dormant for almost four years. New
batteries, and a reprogram, and voila, I was in business! I didn’t think the
standby batteries would last that long.
Anyone else have this experience? For some reason, when I upgraded to the 507,
Minimed never wanted to reclaim the old 506 pump; I offered it to the UCSF
Diabetes Teaching Center, but they ultimately declined taking it for insurance
reasons. So, having the spare was very worthwhile….
Sorry, Jan, but you are not correct; the E35 is a valid Minimed error on the
507, and has to do with an error in the check process that goes on in the
background all the time.
I had a long discussion with Minimed this AM about this problem, and after going
through a sequence of checks, decided to replace the pump ASAP as it was not
functional.
1. The message was directed to anyone using the Animas pump!!
2. I have had very good luck, so far. I have been on this pump, my
first, since March 20th, this year. I started with the R-1000 and
switched to the R-1000-A April 5th. There were a few reasons for the
switch: the original pump malfunctioned (due to bad insulin), but
because Animas was concerned, they immediately replaced it with the R-
1000-A. (Within 24 hours) I believe that some cloudy insulin clogged
the tubing, causing an occlusion alarm. However, the alarm registered
as 12 midnight, instead of the actual time. The second reason for
replacement was the fact that I sometimes bolus more than 9.5u.
3. Has anyone experienced cloudy insulin caused by pulling the
insulin out of the vial and pushing it back in to remove bubbles??
Originally I thought that the insulin was bad from the pharmacy, but
now I am wondering. Today, I filled a new reservoir and in removing
the bubbles, I pushed some insulin back into the vial and when
finished, the vial had something in it. Very small particles, they do
not look like bad insulin, but I could be wrong.
4. I chose the Animas over the Disetronics D-Tron because of the ease
of use. The menu is very simple. The batteries are available locally.
(357’s) The pump is completely waterproof, down to 12 feet, without
any added protection. The only requirement is that you change the o-
ring on the battery lid at each battery change. And they are the only
company that contacted me personally to talk about their pump. In
fact, their rep called me the very next day after I requested info
from their web page. Their rep came to my home in Raleigh,NC from
Greenville,SC to demo the pump and answer questions. So far I have
recieved excellent service. As an added bonus, they state in their
literature that they will not deprive patients of medical supplies in
the event that they may loose insurance coverage.
5. Thanks to everyone for the excellent info posted here!!!
6. I believe that I am the very first patient to use this pump in
North Carolina. They are exclusively marketed by Insulin Infusion
Specialties out of Louisiana.
7. If anyone is interested in this pump, I will try to answer any
questions that you may have.
— In Insulinpumpusers@y…, " David Lytle" <dlytle@m…> wrote:
> You are the first person I have heard of to use this pump; I would
be very interested in your opinion and experiences with it.
>
No, I didn’t have any lows at first, I have had a few recently. I
believe that they were do to several reasons though. I have been
feeling much better, therefore, I am starting to be more active.
However, they are much more milder and managable. I will need to
learn to adjust my basal during exercise to correct the lows, but I
feel that it will take some experimenting. I don’t actually exercise,
but I walk the dog every evening, wash the car, etc. the first couple
of weeks, I didnt do anything to make sure that the basal was set
correctly and that my bolus ratio was correct. I have pretty much
mastered that part, now it is on to the exercise portion. I hunt
during the winter, so I have some time to get in shape and experiment
with the basal rates, etc. The lows I have experienced were very
managable because of the pump. All you have to do is suspend it and
eat!! But you must find out what the correct amount of carbs is right
for you to correct the low. The key is to eat only what is needed to
avoid the highs that usually follow. I have been learning as I go.
Tell hubby to hang in there, it will get better. I was very excited
to get started, but I am also into the tech stuff!! So I adapted
pretty well. Besides, I don’t have to inject 4-6 times a day now
either!!! You may want to purchase a book entitled," PUMPING INSULIN
Everything You Need For Success With An Insulin Pump" by John Walsh
and Ruth Roberts published by Torrey Pines Press. Your hubby would
benefit from it greatly. I found my copy on the Barnes and Noble
website. It was cheaper than buying locally and no one had it anyway.
Only took 2 days to recieve it at a cost of $23.58 including shipping
and handling, (less than the list price of $23.95)
Good Luck, Mike
Also, his doctor should start him at a conservative basal rate to
avoid any lows. Did they give you any formulas to figure his basal
rate with?? I would have to look them up, but I have 2. One goes by
weight and the other goes by your current total daily insulin intake.
I would be happy to forward them. Let me know.
Just encourage him to pay close attention to what he is bolusing and
leave the basal screen alone until he feels more comfortable.
Did they tell him when they want him to take his last long-acting insulin
injection? That will make a start-up difference. You don’t want that lingering
too long and overlapping into the Humalog infusion. The beauty of just Humalog
is that it can be added or stopped when you want to - you don’t have to wait.
They will figure out his total daily intake, divide that by half - and I
forget at what point, but will subtract 25% because with the fewer hypos, less
insulin is usually needed.
Next year at this time he going to look back and wonder why he was so fearful.
Keep us posted - we’re all pulling for him. (~_^)
<< The message was directed to anyone using the Animas pump!!
>>
I do have a question. If after your on one kind of pump you decide you would
like another kind instead do you have to wait for your warranty to run out?
Also even if your warranty does run out can you go to a different brand? I
dont know that I would I love my MM but I wish it was waterproof. Chrissy
<< Did they give you any formulas to figure his basal
rate with?? I would have to look them up, but I have 2. One goes by
weight and the other goes by your current total daily insulin intake.
I would be happy to forward them. Let me know.
>>
I would like to get those too if possible. Chrissy
I think the whole answer to your question, Chrissy, is your insurance company.
They are the ones footing the bill (mostly) and what do they allow?
Jan (~_^)
<< I think the whole answer to your question, Chrissy, is your insurance
company.
They are the ones footing the bill (mostly) and what do they allow?
Jan (~_^)
>>
Oh OK good idea Ill check w/them. Thanks. In the meantime I want to check
out the other pumps anyway. Do you know about web sites for the other pumps?
Chrissy
To be honest, I am not sure about that one. I believe that would be
upto the insurance company. Another thought is to call the compamy
that you are interested in and ask if they would allow a trade-in. I
know that Disetronics has offered to trade me, but I can’t say that
would apply to every situation. Never hurts to ask though!!
> I do have a question. If after your on one kind of pump you decide
you would
> like another kind instead do you have to wait for your warranty to
run out?
> Also even if your warranty does run out can you go to a different
brand? I
> dont know that I would I love my MM but I wish it was waterproof.
Chrissy
This error message is a delivery check error. This can be caused by moving the
lead screw while the pump is delivering a bolus. In my cause, it was a total
failure of the lead screw motor. The replacement pump was delivered today.
In the process, I learned a few things from the support group:
1. There is no alarm built in that is triggered when the pump is out of
warranty.
2. You can leave the batteries out for an extended period, maybe a month or two
without a problem. In the case of my old 506, where I had the batteries
removed for 3 years, this is beyond what they would expect, but since installing
new batteries after that time caused new life and performance, that is unusual,
but not unexpected.
So, I will retain the old 506 for the next emergency! The 507 is back on line.
> 1. There is no alarm built in that is triggered when the pump is out of
warranty.
>
Why would there be an alarm to inform a warranty is out of date? Never heard
of that feature on a car, blender, or pump. The D pumps (I believe) have a
*check-up* alarm. I used one pump over 9 years and it was well out of warranty
(CPI/Lilly 9200) and my 506 was six years old.
i was terrified!! what i have found is even if i do go low, a few glucose
tabs will bring it up really quickly! before i would go low and have to eat
half of the house to even touch the low….. i laughed at glucose tabs!! i’d
just go for the glucagon after a while actually! now i find a couple tabs
just brings me right up…
as far as going low right away, they will msot like start him out on a basal
level that will be rather safe… and set his goal at 120 or maybe even 150
but not lower in the beginning…. well, YMMV, but that’s what we did for me
and i was fine!
good luck to you!
gina
Jan,
I only asked the question because you are the one who suggested the idea in the
first place:
Quote:
"I have no idea to whom this message was directed since the Animas R-1000 was
released less than a year ago. I believe the E35 error is a factory
notificationable message - time to get a new pump. Since you were using the
507 it’s time for an upgrade. "
Having used the 506 for two days, I am not sure really why I ever bothered to
upgrade; it works just as well, did the job, and I only missed the square wave
bolus once. So I will stay with the 507 until the warranty runs out in
November. Then it is decision time! If you get a 508 now, they will
guarantee upgrade to the 511 when it comes out at no charge.
<< Glad to hear you are so pleased. This pump was not an option for my Hubby
as his insurance would only cover either the MiniMed 508 or the Disetronic
D-Tron. He felt the MiniMed was more suited to him.
FYI, he’s getting better at changing the infusion set, and has not made any
errors with boluses or finding the correct screens since his CDE visit 4/18,
so maybe he will be using the "real stuff" in a couple weeks.
Did you (or anyone reading this) have any problems with low glucose levels
when first using the pump? He really is petrified of having another severe
hypo, and is concerned that when he starts using insulin in his pump he’ll
end up too low. Reassurances by MD and CDE have had no effect.
Marj >>
Hi Marj: most important thing to remember is that he should not overreact
to correct a high number. Frequent fingersticks are an absolute must. Other
thing is that his insulin sensitivity factor has to be calculated. It will
be far less than what he is used to taking. So carb counting and
understanding how he allows so much insulin to keep his glucose in a certain
range will be the next hurdle……Joan:))
I didn’t have any severe reactions initially…but I think we
intentionally kept the blood sugars a little high until I felt more
comfortable. Also try telling him that with the pump, if he has
a "severe" low, he has the option of suspending the insulin until his
blood sugar comes back up. Not a really good practice, but I used it
a few times when I starting having severe lows again. But I live
alone and would have a severe low (30s or 40s) and total lose of
motor control, and very slow response to treatment. I would treat
best I could, suspend insulin and try to stay sane…not easy in that
situation. When I finally came back around I would treat, test, eat
and resume the insulin.
Anyway…that suspend option may reassure your husband a little,
since if he isn’t getting any insulin his sugar will come up more
quickly (response to treatment will be more intense). Of course his
knowledge of that option could be a two edged sword. Hopefully he
won’t suspend based on ‘feelings’ alone, because that could be a real
problem if his sugar is high not low!
I’m glad that the audio bolus was covered and that he is more
comfortable with the pump. I think that with enough practice he’ll
become really good at this, because he is taking the time to really
learn the system! His patience (and yours!) are good signs of
success!
>>> Also try telling him that with the pump, if he has a "severe" low, he has
the option of suspending the insulin until his blood sugar comes back up. >>>
<< I Also try telling him that with the pump, if he has
a "severe" low, he has the option of suspending >>>
I would agree to lose that idea, that is very dangerous indeed. It is
always better to treat the reaction with some fast acting carbs then
wait 15 minutes and eat some complex carbs. The problem with
suspending and waiting is that the blood sugar could continue to drop
to an even lower level especially if the reaction was caused from an
over bolus or exercise.
I hope these Polls are not becoming bothersome to people. They are
used for information purposes for the members of the club only. If
anyone has any ideas for a new pole please just E-mail me. When these
2 are concluded I will post a new one.
Dear R-1000A pump user,
In your post you mentioned cloudy insulin and particles….I have, a few
times, had some particles in my insulin bottle, I believe this is from the
reservior or the syringe part of the pump. It has not effected the insulin
as far as I can tell. I use a 507 minimed and the refill items to match, of
course. But I have also used disertonic brands for the infusion set or
tubing part…..so maybe all of the "parts" are inter changable, I don’t know
this for sure???
Melissa, in Tampa,Florida
This is my first post, I have been "listening" for a couple of weeks, getting
courage I guess? Anyway, I am thankful for the info so far.
Melissa
I know, in fact, MM does not recommend this practice - at least the PR officer
told me personally they don’t, and retrained a local CDE here who recommended
it. As I stated before, I was in a very severe low and heard of this practice,
my mind wasn’t functioning correctly and instead of Suspending, I bolused
1.9u! That’s dangerous. A SEVERE low connotates just that = SEVERE. Those are
the kinds you are *out of it*. The best thing is to treat it first, test - if
not that low and too much is injested, cover the excess carbs with the
appropriate bolus.
How many of us have done stupid things because our BGs are low (not even
*severe*)? I’m going to go out on a limb and guess the CDE is NOT a DMer and
has no clue the actual experience of decreased brain function with a lack of
glucose for the brain to function correctly. If Mike is having problems
learning the intricacies of pumping, this is certainly one practice (IMHO)
that can be ditched. I have heard of others (including myself) who have
forgotten to restart the pump. Being in a SEVERE low just about cancels out
memory of what you are doing - let alone should do when recovered. (~_^)
I agree with Jan. A severe low is life threatening. Always treat, then
check if no one is there to do it for you. Why? Because you can die much
faster in a low than high. If it is high you will get very sick first and
have time to get to a hospital, not so a low.
EMT’s and paramedics are told to treat a DMer in trouble as a low always
until it can be checked out.
Gail
<< Dear R-1000A pump user,
In your post you mentioned cloudy insulin and particles….I have, a few
times, had some particles in my insulin bottle, I believe this is from the
reservior or the syringe part of the pump. It has not effected the insulin
as far as I can tell. I use a 507 minimed and the refill items to match, of
course. But I have also used disertonic brands for the infusion set or
tubing part…..so maybe all of the "parts" are inter changable, I don’t
know
this for sure???
Melissa, in Tampa,Florida >>
Hi Melissa: the infusion sets are compatible with all the pumps. Joan
> . As
> she said, if he’s not really low, he’d only be in suspend for a few minutes
>
if your basal is less than 1.0 an hour, what good does this do? there is no
insulin going in and the stuff that goes in, would it make a difference right
away? seems like this kind of is confusing me….LOL
Being confusing now, Gina, what do you think it would be like if in a severe
low and trying to figure it out? But let’s say the basal is .6 - that’s 0.1u
every 10 minutes on a MM (don’t know what Mike has). Suspending for a half
hour would me missing 0.3u - not only that, it takes effect after a couple of
hours. That’s why if someone has dawn phenomenon, the basal is upped a couple
of hours before the rise hits - not *when* it hits.
I will hold firmly to the belief this practice is of suspending in a severe
low is recommended by a non-DMer who hasn’t lost brain function due to a low.
Treating is instant and safer. (~_^)
One thing to keep in mind; the basal rate effectiveness is dramatically
different when using Humilog. Since this insulin acts quite rapidly, the basal
function is closer to ‘real time’ than when using regular insulin. Thus,
starting and stopping, as well as timing for dawn syndrome, will be considerably
different.
When I switched to Humilog, I found that the basal rate control was dramatically
improved; also, it was easier to determine what to do when a problem arose.
Audra Noble
Type 1 for a long, long time
-previously 4 shots a day, Humalog and NPH
PRESENTLY ON MINIMED 508. Since Thursday before dinner. Last night
I got too high because of the pasta and Alfredo sauce,
recovered that with a 2am bolus. Was good for a while, UNTIL I
FORGOT TO BOLUS FOR MY BREAKFAST AND LUNCH. I was taking
too much time testing and marvelling at what I could do, AND what I
couldn’t remember to do. This evening I’m better. I’ve decided not
to be in a panic about anything. My trainer said I had to think like
a normal pancreas: eat carbs, get insulin; no food, no insulin, etc.
I am liking this, although I was quite weepy about having this
attachment. Since it doesn’t hurt, I’m not noticing that I AM
attached!
Yeah!!
BTW I’ve got the MM508 and have been using the belt clip. Never mind
it not falling off, the clip is built so that you really have to
consciously unclip it to get it off the belt. I practiced wearing it
last week before getting attached and found putting it in my pocket
was okay and very accessible. The trainer also pointed out that you
can just put it in your underwear if they will hold the pump in. I’m
female… I declined.
I was having a reaction during a small part of the training - thought
I was just being overwhelmed by all the computer-like stuff, but
tested, my BG was low, and treated.
Wish me luck guys. So many of you have given me the impetus to move
on to the pump. I’m so looking forward to having more flexibility.
PS My training was just over 3 hours. Boy, Canadians must be FAST>>>>
April 24th, 2006 at 11:48 pm
You are the first person I have heard of to use this pump; I would be very
interested in your opinion and experiences with it.
I just had a Minimed failure; I have a 507 (not 507C) and this AM had an E35
error, which repeated itself several times. After a conversation with Minimed,
I will have a replacement pump in a couple of days. The E35 is some kind of
lead screw error, and what was happening was that the delivery screen would
advance, the there would be no ‘click’ from the stepping motor. Hence the
error. First time I had even heard of this error….
But, rather than go back to the old habits of multiple injections, I was able to
revive my old 506 pump, ;which had laid dormant for almost four years. New
batteries, and a reprogram, and voila, I was in business! I didn’t think the
standby batteries would last that long.
Anyone else have this experience? For some reason, when I upgraded to the 507,
Minimed never wanted to reclaim the old 506 pump; I offered it to the UCSF
Diabetes Teaching Center, but they ultimately declined taking it for insurance
reasons. So, having the spare was very worthwhile….
David
April 25th, 2006 at 8:32 am
<< Is anyone using the Animas R-1000, besides me!!!????
>>
Me Minimed 597c
Chrissy and Susie Q
April 26th, 2006 at 12:11 am
Sorry, Jan, but you are not correct; the E35 is a valid Minimed error on the
507, and has to do with an error in the check process that goes on in the
background all the time.
I had a long discussion with Minimed this AM about this problem, and after going
through a sequence of checks, decided to replace the pump ASAP as it was not
functional.
David
April 26th, 2006 at 5:59 am
Was it still under warranty? What will they replace it with? A 508 or
reconditioned 507?
Just wondering.
Connie
David Lytle wrote:
April 26th, 2006 at 4:26 pm
Yes, it is still under warranty. Until November, when the 4 years is reached.
So, I will wait until about then, and upgrade to the 508, and at that time I can
still get the 511 when it comes out without further cost.
David
April 27th, 2006 at 12:34 am
Forgot to add; they will supply a reconditioned 507, or a loaner until my
original 507 is fixed and returned. I opted for the first alternative.
David
April 28th, 2006 at 12:29 pm
1. The message was directed to anyone using the Animas pump!!
2. I have had very good luck, so far. I have been on this pump, my
first, since March 20th, this year. I started with the R-1000 and
switched to the R-1000-A April 5th. There were a few reasons for the
switch: the original pump malfunctioned (due to bad insulin), but
because Animas was concerned, they immediately replaced it with the R-
1000-A. (Within 24 hours) I believe that some cloudy insulin clogged
the tubing, causing an occlusion alarm. However, the alarm registered
as 12 midnight, instead of the actual time. The second reason for
replacement was the fact that I sometimes bolus more than 9.5u.
3. Has anyone experienced cloudy insulin caused by pulling the
insulin out of the vial and pushing it back in to remove bubbles??
Originally I thought that the insulin was bad from the pharmacy, but
now I am wondering. Today, I filled a new reservoir and in removing
the bubbles, I pushed some insulin back into the vial and when
finished, the vial had something in it. Very small particles, they do
not look like bad insulin, but I could be wrong.
4. I chose the Animas over the Disetronics D-Tron because of the ease
of use. The menu is very simple. The batteries are available locally.
(357’s) The pump is completely waterproof, down to 12 feet, without
any added protection. The only requirement is that you change the o-
ring on the battery lid at each battery change. And they are the only
company that contacted me personally to talk about their pump. In
fact, their rep called me the very next day after I requested info
from their web page. Their rep came to my home in Raleigh,NC from
Greenville,SC to demo the pump and answer questions. So far I have
recieved excellent service. As an added bonus, they state in their
literature that they will not deprive patients of medical supplies in
the event that they may loose insurance coverage.
5. Thanks to everyone for the excellent info posted here!!!
6. I believe that I am the very first patient to use this pump in
North Carolina. They are exclusively marketed by Insulin Infusion
Specialties out of Louisiana.
7. If anyone is interested in this pump, I will try to answer any
questions that you may have.
— In Insulinpumpusers@y…, " David Lytle" <dlytle@m…> wrote:
> You are the first person I have heard of to use this pump; I would
be very interested in your opinion and experiences with it.
>
April 29th, 2006 at 4:44 am
No, I didn’t have any lows at first, I have had a few recently. I
believe that they were do to several reasons though. I have been
feeling much better, therefore, I am starting to be more active.
However, they are much more milder and managable. I will need to
learn to adjust my basal during exercise to correct the lows, but I
feel that it will take some experimenting. I don’t actually exercise,
but I walk the dog every evening, wash the car, etc. the first couple
of weeks, I didnt do anything to make sure that the basal was set
correctly and that my bolus ratio was correct. I have pretty much
mastered that part, now it is on to the exercise portion. I hunt
during the winter, so I have some time to get in shape and experiment
with the basal rates, etc. The lows I have experienced were very
managable because of the pump. All you have to do is suspend it and
eat!! But you must find out what the correct amount of carbs is right
for you to correct the low. The key is to eat only what is needed to
avoid the highs that usually follow. I have been learning as I go.
Tell hubby to hang in there, it will get better. I was very excited
to get started, but I am also into the tech stuff!! So I adapted
pretty well. Besides, I don’t have to inject 4-6 times a day now
either!!! You may want to purchase a book entitled," PUMPING INSULIN
Everything You Need For Success With An Insulin Pump" by John Walsh
and Ruth Roberts published by Torrey Pines Press. Your hubby would
benefit from it greatly. I found my copy on the Barnes and Noble
website. It was cheaper than buying locally and no one had it anyway.
Only took 2 days to recieve it at a cost of $23.58 including shipping
and handling, (less than the list price of $23.95)
Good Luck, Mike
April 29th, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Also, his doctor should start him at a conservative basal rate to
avoid any lows. Did they give you any formulas to figure his basal
rate with?? I would have to look them up, but I have 2. One goes by
weight and the other goes by your current total daily insulin intake.
I would be happy to forward them. Let me know.
Just encourage him to pay close attention to what he is bolusing and
leave the basal screen alone until he feels more comfortable.
Mike
April 29th, 2006 at 9:30 pm
Did they tell him when they want him to take his last long-acting insulin
injection? That will make a start-up difference. You don’t want that lingering
too long and overlapping into the Humalog infusion. The beauty of just Humalog
is that it can be added or stopped when you want to - you don’t have to wait.
They will figure out his total daily intake, divide that by half - and I
forget at what point, but will subtract 25% because with the fewer hypos, less
insulin is usually needed.
Next year at this time he going to look back and wonder why he was so fearful.
Keep us posted - we’re all pulling for him. (~_^)
April 30th, 2006 at 10:27 am
<< The message was directed to anyone using the Animas pump!!
>>
I do have a question. If after your on one kind of pump you decide you would
like another kind instead do you have to wait for your warranty to run out?
Also even if your warranty does run out can you go to a different brand? I
dont know that I would I love my MM but I wish it was waterproof. Chrissy
April 30th, 2006 at 6:34 pm
<< Did they give you any formulas to figure his basal
rate with?? I would have to look them up, but I have 2. One goes by
weight and the other goes by your current total daily insulin intake.
I would be happy to forward them. Let me know.
>>
I would like to get those too if possible. Chrissy
May 1st, 2006 at 6:01 am
I think the whole answer to your question, Chrissy, is your insurance company.
They are the ones footing the bill (mostly) and what do they allow?
Jan (~_^)
May 1st, 2006 at 10:50 am
<< I think the whole answer to your question, Chrissy, is your insurance
company.
They are the ones footing the bill (mostly) and what do they allow?
Jan (~_^)
>>
Oh OK good idea Ill check w/them. Thanks. In the meantime I want to check
out the other pumps anyway. Do you know about web sites for the other pumps?
Chrissy
May 1st, 2006 at 10:16 pm
www.animascorp.com www.disetronicsusa.com or www.minimed.com
Jan
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:01 pm
To be honest, I am not sure about that one. I believe that would be
upto the insurance company. Another thought is to call the compamy
that you are interested in and ask if they would allow a trade-in. I
know that Disetronics has offered to trade me, but I can’t say that
would apply to every situation. Never hurts to ask though!!
> I do have a question. If after your on one kind of pump you decide
you would
> like another kind instead do you have to wait for your warranty to
run out?
> Also even if your warranty does run out can you go to a different
brand? I
> dont know that I would I love my MM but I wish it was waterproof.
Chrissy
May 3rd, 2006 at 4:51 am
Correction Jan www.disetronicusa.com
fp
May 4th, 2006 at 11:23 am
More on the A35 Pump Error Message (Minimed):
This error message is a delivery check error. This can be caused by moving the
lead screw while the pump is delivering a bolus. In my cause, it was a total
failure of the lead screw motor. The replacement pump was delivered today.
In the process, I learned a few things from the support group:
1. There is no alarm built in that is triggered when the pump is out of
warranty.
2. You can leave the batteries out for an extended period, maybe a month or two
without a problem. In the case of my old 506, where I had the batteries
removed for 3 years, this is beyond what they would expect, but since installing
new batteries after that time caused new life and performance, that is unusual,
but not unexpected.
So, I will retain the old 506 for the next emergency! The 507 is back on line.
David
May 4th, 2006 at 11:25 pm
> 1. There is no alarm built in that is triggered when the pump is out of
warranty.
>
Why would there be an alarm to inform a warranty is out of date? Never heard
of that feature on a car, blender, or pump. The D pumps (I believe) have a
*check-up* alarm. I used one pump over 9 years and it was well out of warranty
(CPI/Lilly 9200) and my 506 was six years old.
Jan
May 5th, 2006 at 2:55 am
i was terrified!! what i have found is even if i do go low, a few glucose
tabs will bring it up really quickly! before i would go low and have to eat
half of the house to even touch the low….. i laughed at glucose tabs!! i’d
just go for the glucagon after a while actually! now i find a couple tabs
just brings me right up…
as far as going low right away, they will msot like start him out on a basal
level that will be rather safe… and set his goal at 120 or maybe even 150
but not lower in the beginning…. well, YMMV, but that’s what we did for me
and i was fine!
good luck to you!
gina
May 5th, 2006 at 7:53 pm
Jan,
I only asked the question because you are the one who suggested the idea in the
first place:
Quote:
"I have no idea to whom this message was directed since the Animas R-1000 was
released less than a year ago. I believe the E35 error is a factory
notificationable message - time to get a new pump. Since you were using the
507 it’s time for an upgrade. "
Having used the 506 for two days, I am not sure really why I ever bothered to
upgrade; it works just as well, did the job, and I only missed the square wave
bolus once. So I will stay with the 507 until the warranty runs out in
November. Then it is decision time! If you get a 508 now, they will
guarantee upgrade to the 511 when it comes out at no charge.
David
May 6th, 2006 at 4:04 pm
<< Glad to hear you are so pleased. This pump was not an option for my Hubby
as his insurance would only cover either the MiniMed 508 or the Disetronic
D-Tron. He felt the MiniMed was more suited to him.
FYI, he’s getting better at changing the infusion set, and has not made any
errors with boluses or finding the correct screens since his CDE visit 4/18,
so maybe he will be using the "real stuff" in a couple weeks.
Did you (or anyone reading this) have any problems with low glucose levels
when first using the pump? He really is petrified of having another severe
hypo, and is concerned that when he starts using insulin in his pump he’ll
end up too low. Reassurances by MD and CDE have had no effect.
Marj >>
Hi Marj: most important thing to remember is that he should not overreact
to correct a high number. Frequent fingersticks are an absolute must. Other
thing is that his insulin sensitivity factor has to be calculated. It will
be far less than what he is used to taking. So carb counting and
understanding how he allows so much insulin to keep his glucose in a certain
range will be the next hurdle……Joan:))
May 7th, 2006 at 12:12 am
Hi Chrissy: Disetronic.com; and minimed.com..Joan:)))
May 10th, 2006 at 3:42 am
I didn’t have any severe reactions initially…but I think we
intentionally kept the blood sugars a little high until I felt more
comfortable. Also try telling him that with the pump, if he has
a "severe" low, he has the option of suspending the insulin until his
blood sugar comes back up. Not a really good practice, but I used it
a few times when I starting having severe lows again. But I live
alone and would have a severe low (30s or 40s) and total lose of
motor control, and very slow response to treatment. I would treat
best I could, suspend insulin and try to stay sane…not easy in that
situation. When I finally came back around I would treat, test, eat
and resume the insulin.
Anyway…that suspend option may reassure your husband a little,
since if he isn’t getting any insulin his sugar will come up more
quickly (response to treatment will be more intense). Of course his
knowledge of that option could be a two edged sword. Hopefully he
won’t suspend based on ‘feelings’ alone, because that could be a real
problem if his sugar is high not low!
I’m glad that the audio bolus was covered and that he is more
comfortable with the pump. I think that with enough practice he’ll
become really good at this, because he is taking the time to really
learn the system! His patience (and yours!) are good signs of
success!
Suzanna
May 10th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
>>> Also try telling him that with the pump, if he has a "severe" low, he has
the option of suspending the insulin until his blood sugar comes back up. >>>
May 12th, 2006 at 4:57 pm
<< I Also try telling him that with the pump, if he has
a "severe" low, he has the option of suspending >>>
I would agree to lose that idea, that is very dangerous indeed. It is
always better to treat the reaction with some fast acting carbs then
wait 15 minutes and eat some complex carbs. The problem with
suspending and waiting is that the blood sugar could continue to drop
to an even lower level especially if the reaction was caused from an
over bolus or exercise.
Frank
May 13th, 2006 at 9:12 am
I hope these Polls are not becoming bothersome to people. They are
used for information purposes for the members of the club only. If
anyone has any ideas for a new pole please just E-mail me. When these
2 are concluded I will post a new one.
Frank
May 14th, 2006 at 11:55 am
Dear R-1000A pump user,
In your post you mentioned cloudy insulin and particles….I have, a few
times, had some particles in my insulin bottle, I believe this is from the
reservior or the syringe part of the pump. It has not effected the insulin
as far as I can tell. I use a 507 minimed and the refill items to match, of
course. But I have also used disertonic brands for the infusion set or
tubing part…..so maybe all of the "parts" are inter changable, I don’t know
this for sure???
Melissa, in Tampa,Florida
This is my first post, I have been "listening" for a couple of weeks, getting
courage I guess? Anyway, I am thankful for the info so far.
Melissa
May 14th, 2006 at 7:08 pm
I know, in fact, MM does not recommend this practice - at least the PR officer
told me personally they don’t, and retrained a local CDE here who recommended
it. As I stated before, I was in a very severe low and heard of this practice,
my mind wasn’t functioning correctly and instead of Suspending, I bolused
1.9u! That’s dangerous. A SEVERE low connotates just that = SEVERE. Those are
the kinds you are *out of it*. The best thing is to treat it first, test - if
not that low and too much is injested, cover the excess carbs with the
appropriate bolus.
How many of us have done stupid things because our BGs are low (not even
*severe*)? I’m going to go out on a limb and guess the CDE is NOT a DMer and
has no clue the actual experience of decreased brain function with a lack of
glucose for the brain to function correctly. If Mike is having problems
learning the intricacies of pumping, this is certainly one practice (IMHO)
that can be ditched. I have heard of others (including myself) who have
forgotten to restart the pump. Being in a SEVERE low just about cancels out
memory of what you are doing - let alone should do when recovered. (~_^)
May 17th, 2006 at 9:05 am
I agree with Jan. A severe low is life threatening. Always treat, then
check if no one is there to do it for you. Why? Because you can die much
faster in a low than high. If it is high you will get very sick first and
have time to get to a hospital, not so a low.
EMT’s and paramedics are told to treat a DMer in trouble as a low always
until it can be checked out.
Gail
May 20th, 2006 at 5:12 am
<< Dear R-1000A pump user,
In your post you mentioned cloudy insulin and particles….I have, a few
times, had some particles in my insulin bottle, I believe this is from the
reservior or the syringe part of the pump. It has not effected the insulin
as far as I can tell. I use a 507 minimed and the refill items to match, of
course. But I have also used disertonic brands for the infusion set or
tubing part…..so maybe all of the "parts" are inter changable, I don’t
know
this for sure???
Melissa, in Tampa,Florida >>
Hi Melissa: the infusion sets are compatible with all the pumps. Joan
May 21st, 2006 at 5:11 pm
> . As
> she said, if he’s not really low, he’d only be in suspend for a few minutes
>
if your basal is less than 1.0 an hour, what good does this do? there is no
insulin going in and the stuff that goes in, would it make a difference right
away? seems like this kind of is confusing me….LOL
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:04 pm
Being confusing now, Gina, what do you think it would be like if in a severe
low and trying to figure it out? But let’s say the basal is .6 - that’s 0.1u
every 10 minutes on a MM (don’t know what Mike has). Suspending for a half
hour would me missing 0.3u - not only that, it takes effect after a couple of
hours. That’s why if someone has dawn phenomenon, the basal is upped a couple
of hours before the rise hits - not *when* it hits.
I will hold firmly to the belief this practice is of suspending in a severe
low is recommended by a non-DMer who hasn’t lost brain function due to a low.
Treating is instant and safer. (~_^)
May 23rd, 2006 at 10:33 am
One thing to keep in mind; the basal rate effectiveness is dramatically
different when using Humilog. Since this insulin acts quite rapidly, the basal
function is closer to ‘real time’ than when using regular insulin. Thus,
starting and stopping, as well as timing for dawn syndrome, will be considerably
different.
When I switched to Humilog, I found that the basal rate control was dramatically
improved; also, it was easier to determine what to do when a problem arose.
David
May 23rd, 2006 at 9:45 pm
Audra Noble
Type 1 for a long, long time
-previously 4 shots a day, Humalog and NPH
PRESENTLY ON MINIMED 508. Since Thursday before dinner. Last night
I got too high because of the pasta and Alfredo sauce,
recovered that with a 2am bolus. Was good for a while, UNTIL I
FORGOT TO BOLUS FOR MY BREAKFAST AND LUNCH. I was taking
too much time testing and marvelling at what I could do, AND what I
couldn’t remember to do. This evening I’m better. I’ve decided not
to be in a panic about anything. My trainer said I had to think like
a normal pancreas: eat carbs, get insulin; no food, no insulin, etc.
I am liking this, although I was quite weepy about having this
attachment. Since it doesn’t hurt, I’m not noticing that I AM
attached!
Yeah!!
BTW I’ve got the MM508 and have been using the belt clip. Never mind
it not falling off, the clip is built so that you really have to
consciously unclip it to get it off the belt. I practiced wearing it
last week before getting attached and found putting it in my pocket
was okay and very accessible. The trainer also pointed out that you
can just put it in your underwear if they will hold the pump in. I’m
female… I declined.
I was having a reaction during a small part of the training - thought
I was just being overwhelmed by all the computer-like stuff, but
tested, my BG was low, and treated.
Wish me luck guys. So many of you have given me the impetus to move
on to the pump. I’m so looking forward to having more flexibility.
PS My training was just over 3 hours. Boy, Canadians must be FAST>>>>