# Omnipod vs. Roche Accu-chek Solo Pump



## katiel

Hi there!
I'm due to start on the pump for the first time this year after nearly 17 years on MDI since my diagnosis at the age of 10.

My control is reasonably good but is let down my bloods running higher than I'd like in the night as a security blanket due to constantly dropping in the night on only 4u of Levemir before bed - tired of waking up to treat low levels so go to bed higher than they should be!
I know the pump is the best solution for this due to the small degree to which you can change your basal rate.

I had my heart set on the Omnipod having known a T1D  who highly recommends it but the only patch pump my hospital offers is the Accu-chek solo pump which I've read very mixed reviews on.

I'd love if it anyone could shed a little light into the pros and cons of both! Or if anyone has been able to go on the pump of their choice, even if their hospital doesn't offer it, and how you went about doing this?

So excited to finally start on the pump but there's such mixed opinions on each it's slightly overwhelming.
Any guidance would be so hugely appreciated - thanks so much!


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## trophywench

Certainly where I live (Coventry) where they've been practically welded at the hip to Roche until fairly recently, and the Solo is very new, we only get a replacement after 5 years so you'd have to find someone who had changed fairly recently from an Omnipod to a Solo and hence could compare them.

On the forum we have certainly got a few Omnipodders, but I've not heard anyone say they have a Solo, yet.

I know 'my lot' now offer Omnipod cos it was mentioned to me during a phone call we had in April (cos my renewal's due soon-ish) when I did enquire about the T-slim which they said wasn't on their list then, but I'm seeing them (in person woo hoo!) next Wednesday so who knows?

Originally (so 10 years ago) we were told if we wanted eg a Medtronic and the price was the same as a Roche, then they couldn't stop them but the snag would be if you had a problem whereas the clinics could talk you through most 'everyday' glitches with a Roche - you'd be more on your own with any other brand since they wouldn't (at that time) have been trained with them.

OTOH the UK Pump Helpline at Roche really *are* helpful - I was once put through to the US helpline and they weren't, merely taking a message rather than asking 'have you tried this, have you checked that?' to try and fathom it out.


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## SB2015

Like @trophywench our clinic start everyone in Roche.  The others on offer for us are Medtronic and Ypsomed.  As others have said the clinics are trained up in specific pumps so if you want a different one you would need to rely on the pump company for help.  

I have had a combo for eight years and I am switching to an Insight which in the future will be linked to a phone.  I also wanted to stick with Roche, who give excellent support.

Are you after a patch pump for any particular reason?  I know some are averse to tubing.  I have had no issues with it and know no different.  With the Combo and Insight The pump is linked to the handset by Bluetooth, so once I have put it on and ticked it away that is it for the day.  So my tubing is tucked away.

Whatever you choose it is only for a few years and 
The Solo is very new so there is unlikely to be much feedback as yet.


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## trophywench

I wholeheartedly agree with you SB2015 - I was first encouraged to go for a pump in the early noughties when we got a more modern consultant but it was about 10 years later when I actually did though I'd never met anyone with a pump (except an old friend of No 2 daughter who less said about the better - suffice it to say she was NOT a good example of a T1 diabetic let alone a pumper) but @Pumper_Sue impressed on us all back then when quite a few of us were embarking on this new to us venture, and still does, that whatever pump we plumped for - we would love!

You know what - she's still right about that.

I can pick flies with my pump - users normally can whatever one they have - but the ONLY reason we can, is because we know em so well by that time!


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## everydayupsanddowns

Welcome to the forum @katiel 

I’ve been aware of the ‘any minute now...’ Roche solo for a while, but I don’t think I am in contact with anyone who has opted for it.

Do you have the option of ‘Kaleido’, I think they have fairly recently launched too? (Autumn 2019)


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## stephknits

Hi, exciting times getting a pump and as you say should help with the night time lows. 
I have had an Omnipod for about 3 years and am very happy with it, but don't know anything about the Roche one.  If you have any specific questions about the Omnipod I'd be happy to answer.  Although as everyone says, you get used to your pump and they all do pretty much the same thing.  I think having the support available, especially with your first pump is important, so would take that into consideration


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## katiel

Thanks all for the advice! Seem general consensus is it's best to go with what your hospital offers due to the support you'll receive, which makes total sense. 

I've actually now decided to opt for for the Tandem t:slim X2 as it will integrate with my Dexcom G6 for the option to use Basal IQ Technology - sounds like a no brainer really!

Again, anyone who has used the Tandem as a pump (with or without CGM integration), I'd love to hear your experience on it. I'm slightly apprehensive having been on MDI for so long. I'm especially interested to hear how commonplace issues with insertion sights are as this is the main worry of mine!


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## trophywench

There are two people on here both embarking on a t-slim journey right now - one is our Admin, Mike aka @everydayupsanddowns and the other is @Sally71 's daughter Charlie - I think?


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## Sally71

LOL we’ve been on the t-slim for precisely 2 days so probably can’t help much yet, haven’t even done our first set change yet!  That will probably happen tonight or tomorrow morning.

First impressions are good though. We were using Roche Combos for 8 years (good solid pumps and always good customer service from them) so it's very strange having a different one! We like it though,  some of the settings are much more precise than the Combo, colour touch screen is great.  Combo was fully remote control but actually already we aren’t missing that as much as we thought we would! Refilling seems like slightly more of a palaver on the tandem but we’ve only done it once so I dare say will get used to it, like the fact though that you just squirt in however many units and it will work out exactly how many are there over the next few hours, rather than having to tell it the exact amount and then get the cartridge to fit snugly on the Combo. Some of the alerts are great, daughter has just been dancing and came back very high, did correction, then a few minutes later decided she needed a snack so bolused for that, got message “blood sugar is high, due to insulin on board no correction will be done at this time, check again later.”  Combo would have just done it and not told you. We’ve had warnings when programming basal that we had jumped more than twice as much (yes that's correct, she has some big basal increases at times), used basal of less than 50% (she was hypo in the night), I think even if you get part way through doing something and don’t complete it within a certain time it will ask you if you want to do continue rather than just cancelling it etc.  So it sort of teaches you as you go along and hopefully it will be fairly difficult to do things wrong.

The only thing daughter is less keen on at the moment is the cannula, she says less comfortable than the Roche ones and not so easy to unplug the tube when she wats to take the pump off for a shower etc.  But I hope that's just a case of getting used to it.

For the record we are not using it with Dexcoms yet because we are still waiting on a decision about who is going to pay for them, once that is decided we will get them ordered, hopefully might have them before school starts again.  Fingers crossed...


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## everydayupsanddowns

It was an easy switch for me from Medtronic MM640G. Though I am still learning shortcuts and where things are that I want to use or information I am looking for.

Early results are very positive for me including a few days of very ‘in range’ results. I wouldn’t expect this all the time, but it’s encouraging to know it can happen every so often!


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## katiel

Thank you @everydayupsanddowns and @Sally71 for sharing!
That's really encouraging to hear that your initial experiences and impressions of the t-slim are positive.

Interested to see how your journeys with these progress 
I've since been doing loads of research on the t-slim and am so excited to try the Control IQ function, sounds like a game changer.

Thanks again!


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## everydayupsanddowns

katiel said:


> I've since been doing loads of research on the t-slim and am so excited to try the Control IQ function, sounds like a game changer.



Yes I am still awaiting upgrade - my pump shipped with basal IQ (their predictive low glucose suspend), but I have now done the additional video training for control IQ and I'm just waiting for the approval and upgrade code.


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## trophywench

Oh Esteemed Admin, solver of problems, father of two Bristolian Mike aka @everydayupsanddowns - you need to update your signature !


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## everydayupsanddowns

trophywench said:


> Oh Esteemed Admin, solver of problems, father of two Bristolian Mike aka @everydayupsanddowns - you need to update your signature !



Ah well... hold your horses there just a moment! There is madness in my method.

I still have one last Guardian G3 sensor sat all forlorn on the shelf, so once this restarted Dexcom has sensed its last I will be switching back to my ole MM640G for a last 7-14 day stint (reservoir changes and sensor restarts permitting).

Only then will Threepio be consigned to the ‘holiday spares and historic diabetes curios’ shelf.

Which reminds me... I’ve not really considered a name for my tSlim.

Hmmmmm...


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## trophywench

Ah, OK then, pardon my ESP's absence .......


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## trophywench

Tweedledee.  Tallulah if it's a girl.


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## Matchless

Hi Katiel i am allso interested in the solo pump along with the Tandem pumps for my next change next year,on facebook there are diabetic groups for all pumps and software programs xdrip+ ect,  Berni warren gives advise on the Accu chek solo micropump good luck with your research.


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## katiel

Thank you @Matchless, really helpful to know there are FB groups dedicated to pumps! I'll do some research!


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## Martin the Spartan

My first experience of a pump was the Roche & I thought it was good, 10 of us were given it, I knew nothing better.  I recieved a call from the hospital after a couple of months saying 7 are giving theirs back( they'd all been on pumps previously), they don't like it but its up to you and we'll still support you.  I'm old enough but maybe not wise enough (9/10  owners said their cats prefferd it & all that) so I went with the flow and went on to an Omnipod.  I LOVE IT!!! Looking back the solo in my opinion was pants comparativley but hey what do I know I've beeen dealing with this stuff for 42 years and still get it wrong sometimes, acually alot of times! but I'm still here riding the rollercoaster that is T1.


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## everydayupsanddowns

Welcome to the forum @Martin the Spartan 

Was that the Solo patch pump, or the tubed Roche Insight?

Some clinics seem to have had a tough time with Insights


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## Martin the Spartan

Thank you, it was a patch pump. I did think it was good but as I say, I didn't know any better.


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## everydayupsanddowns

Martin the Spartan said:


> Thank you, it was a patch pump. I did think it was good but as I say, I didn't know any better.



What were the main differences that led you to prefer Omnipod?

I suspect @katiel would be very interested in your feedback!


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## Martin the Spartan

Advice from the health care proffesionals who I deal with at Newcastle General Hospital, they are great in my opnion and a little more research.  I was probably to excited of changing to a pump in the first instance.


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