# Medtronic 640G extreme experience



## Rob Oldfield (Apr 30, 2019)

I've had a 640G for a couple of years now (and another one for four years before that), but yesterday I had a really bad experience with it.  Not to say that I'll be getting rid of the pump, but just to make others aware.  I'd be interested to know if anyone else has had the same issue.

Standard day at work, standard lunch with no carb or bolus in the afternoon (lunch at about 12.30 so insulin clear from that).  Before I left at 17.39, took a reading and that came out as 6.1.  Lovely.  For info, the set had been connected two days earlier and no problems over that period.

Got home and, at 18.24, feeling a bit hypo, so did another.  2.1.  A bit odd but three jelly babies and back to normal.  

18.51 and whacked by worst hypo I've had in about the last 10 years - I had maybe 10 seconds between feeling iffy and legs starting to wobble.  Think if I'd been on my own I might have struggled to keep standing up and getting to sugar, but happily my wife was nearby so got me some.  Think I had about five jelly babies.  Level checked: 2.3.

19:02 and another test: 2.2.  More sugar.

19:09 same again: 2.1 and more sugar.

At some point here I realised something was going seriously wrong, so disconnected.

19:19 2.1 and more sugar.

19.31 2.8 and more sugar.

19.46 2.9 and more sugar.

20.06 3.3 and more sugar.

20.55 - HOORAY! - 9.5.  Left myself disconnected anyway.

At about 20.15 I'd tried calling Medtronic.  Put on hold.  No "You are third in the queue" type info and no option to request a call back.  About 20 minutes later decided that I must have done something wrong as they're always been very good at answering when I've called before.  Hung up and looked for different numbers but nothing out there so went back on hold again.  About 90 minutes later finally got through.

Phone call took about 90 minutes with no real resolution.  Quite a lot of nonsensical and repetitive questions, but I guess the lady was following procedure.  Uploaded readings to Carelink (Medtronic's management/recording system) so they could have a look but that didn't help. 

Eventually decided that she didn't know what the problem was and passed a replacement request to the UK team (out of hours so she was in the US).  Also said that I'd need to put 'the emergency plan that I'd agree with my care team' into action.  Does anyone have one of those?  I don't.

Ended the call pointing out - hopefully in not too pointed terms - the delay getting through and lack of feedback systems.

End result is that I chased UK support just after 9 and new pump on the way (target is 6 hours).  Been jabbing myself at various times over the day - how very old fashioned.

Request for feedback received from Medtronic.  Strangely enough, it didn't get much in the way of positives.

Rant over.  Overall Medtronic have been very good for the 6ish years I've been using a pump, but a bit worrying that this type of thing can happen.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Apr 30, 2019)

Yikes! Sounds very scary Rob - hope it hasn't shaken you up too much.

Not had an experience like that. Did the pump history show any errors? Or anything that might have contributed?

I seem to remember that @trophywench (who is now a pump user) had similar frightening experience of low BG but while on MDI - it was that insulin had got locked in scar tissue and remained unabsorbed, until one day when it suddenly made an appearance. Not sure of you've many years of T1 under your belt or if you have any dodgy spots yet/

I did have one clanging hypo overnight which was entirely user-error a few years back. I had corrected 0.6u to take the edge off a slightly raised BG. When I was trying to work out hwat on earth happened I noted in the history that I'd actually dosed 6u in my nighttime bleariness. Hardly surprising I crashed hypo!


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## Rob Oldfield (Apr 30, 2019)

More worried about scaring Mrs Rob to be honest, but many thanks for the good wishes.

Nope, no alarms showing on the pump.  Always possible that the scar tissue thing could be the cause but never picked up as a potential issue during hospital visits.  I've been T1 for about 25 years now, but pretty good (I think) at rotating sites - currently using a pattern of 10.


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## stephknits (Apr 30, 2019)

How scary, like you say - good thing you weren't alone.  Not great customer service there!  I do wonder about fully closed loop systems going wrong -i guess that is why they are taking do long to get to market.


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## SB2015 (Apr 30, 2019)

Welcome Rob, and I hope that you are feeling a lot less wobbly now.
That must have been very scary, and I am glad that you had someone around.

I have been on a pump for 7 years now and not had an experience like that.
It is a different pump from yours so I cannot offer any ideas.


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## Pumper_Sue (Apr 30, 2019)

Did you check how much insulin had been delivered? was there anything in the history or did the cartridge show more insulin had been delivered than shown in the records?

I've had odd days when my basal needs suddenly changed and ended low all day long and eating myself out of house and home.

Yet this time round for no known reason I have had to increase my basal by 20% during the day and by 10% at night also my carb ratio needed major adjustment as well. I know it's not the pump as I have swopped to my spare.


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## Rob Oldfield (Apr 30, 2019)

Hi Sue, thanks for the ideas.

Yes, we did check the cartridge against apparent amount of insulin delivered and decided (well, the Medtronic rep decided - by that point I'd kind of lost the will to live after such a lengthy call) that all looked OK.  The idea that the pump just suddenly decided to dump a number of units of insulin into my bloodstream is one that I'd thought of.

I've not had any sudden changes in ratio before.  Have to say that I think the amount of sugar I had to avoid going hypo would make me think it was too massive an incident to be that.


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## trophywench (Apr 30, 2019)

This happened to a lady on another forum I'm on, some years ago now.  There was never any explanation for that either - but it put her completely off pumping at all.


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## Rob Oldfield (Apr 30, 2019)

I can understand that but not my reaction.  Very odd spending a day without a pump attached but new one arrived at 5.30 today and I had no hesitation reattaching (and then immediately loading up with insulin for a takeaway pizza).  Think it will mean that I try to keep sugar tablets in immediately accessible places.


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## trophywench (May 1, 2019)

Rob Oldfield said:


> Think it will mean that I try to keep sugar tablets in immediately accessible places.



What? - you mean like we're always supposed to do ever since insulin was first prescribed?  Shock, horror!!!!!


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## Solent1982 (May 21, 2019)

Hi,
Can completely concur - this scenario has happened to me on more than one occasion - and a 37 year veteran - you would have thought I'd know better. But - in truth, Diabetes will do what Diabetes wants at times...... frustrates the hellouttame   I'd profer the kidney dump theory, maybe a sudden burst caused the  re-occuring hypo's.  For example, I tested in bed last night after waking, 2.4 - 3 JB's later and 15mins LO...... 5JB's, 10 mins - 2.4 I'm running a libre - and we know they are 15 mins behind, you cant govern or know what the bod does in the mean time. Reason why? I'm adding burn-out to the scenario as suffering right now. Piled on some timber (the Winter Fuel allowance  & trying to Low-Carb to loose weight.....Its kicking my ass.


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