# Animas Vibe or Accuchek Spirit Combo?



## Pattidevans (Apr 29, 2013)

I have been lucky enough to be accepted for a pump.  I can't tell you how excited I am.

So I have the choice of the Animas Vibe or the Accuchek Spirit Combo... which would you choose and why?


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## Northerner (Apr 29, 2013)

No idea Patti, but fantastic news!  Really pleased for you!


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## Steff (Apr 29, 2013)

Patti great news congratulations..


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## Lauras87 (Apr 29, 2013)

Yay!!!!!!! Do you have a start date?

Mine will be the aviva, the meter thinks for you or it feels that way.

The only think I know about the animal is I believe they are waterproof


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## AJLang (Apr 29, 2013)

Patti that is brilliant news, I am so pleased for you. I have the Accuchek Combo and really love it.  With the remote control it is so easy to use.  However it isn't waterproof but I always disconnect for baths and don't have any problems.


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## Redkite (Apr 29, 2013)

Pattidevans said:


> I have been lucky enough to be accepted for a pump.  I can't tell you how excited I am.
> 
> So I have the choice of the Animas Vibe or the Accuchek Spirit Combo... which would you choose and why?


Great news!  You'll never look back, whichever pump you get.

The Accuchek Combo has a separate handset, which can be an advantage if your pump is worn under clothes and you don't want to dig it out to do a bolus.  On the other hand, the separate handset would be a major disadvantage for us, as my son would be bound to lose it!

The Animas is the only pump that is waterproof, so recommended if you enjoy kayaking, sailing, etc., though you can't scuba dive with any pump due to pressure changes.  The other feature that the Vibe has is the integrated Dexcom CGMS capability, so you would have the option to use glucose sensors in the future if you wanted to.  Having used sensors occasionally with my son and seen the huge benefits, I would dearly love to be able to afford them full time for him!

Given the choice I'd go for the Animas


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## Pumper_Sue (Apr 29, 2013)

Lauras87 said:


> Yay!!!!!!! Do you have a start date?
> 
> Mine will be the aviva, the meter thinks for you or it feels that way.
> 
> The only think I know about the animal is I believe they are waterproof



You are having the combo, theres no such pump called an aviva.


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## Lauras87 (Apr 29, 2013)

Pumper_Sue said:


> You are having the combo, theres no such pump called an aviva.



Thank you! Can you tell I've been up all night & had no coffee?


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## Pumper_Sue (Apr 29, 2013)

Pattidevans said:


> I have been lucky enough to be accepted for a pump.  I can't tell you how excited I am.
> 
> So I have the choice of the Animas Vibe or the Accuchek Spirit Combo... which would you choose and why?



First thing to look at is the cartridge size...... Animas 200U Combo 315, so this would depend on how much insulin you use in a day.
There are dif in the vibe and the 2020 which I have so do check out the functions on the vibe compared to what I am telling you.
If you want the animas reps number than pm me for it he is lovely and can answer you better re the vibe.

Battery alert is very hit and mis, it can show as 3/4's full then all of a sudden you have the pump wailing like a banshe due to a flat battery. It's best to change the battery before a meal or when no insulin on board as it wipes out the IOB info. It does leave the last bolus record though and time.
The software for the pump is not compatable with windows 7  You are expected to put all your info on line at diasend. (Which I object to)
The info stored on the pump is cr*p IMHO the animas 2020 is about 10 years behind the Cozmo which was discontinued 4 or 5 years ago.

Combo is bulky and many (not all) have found the handset to be unreliable. So if you don't do maths you up a creek with no paddle as the wizzard is in the handset.

Bottom line though is what ever pump you have you will love it as you have known no difference due to it being your first pump.


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## Pattidevans (Apr 29, 2013)

Thanks for the good wishes everyone

Laura, I've been told I should get it in July!

Sue, thanks for the info - I will PM you for the rep's number.  One minute I'm thinking the Vibe because it's smaller and then I waver and think the Spirit Combo because I'm used to having a meter that does the calcs for me.  In truth I rarely have a bath (prefer showering) and only swim if I'm in a country where it's really hot, so perhaps the waterproof issue isn't so important (don't kayak or any other such sport).

I'd like to ask about the software compatibility of the Accuchek with Win 7 & 8.  At the moment that isn't an issue because I have XP on my PC and we have a laptop with Vista on, but obviously we'll be upgrading at some point 

I'm expecting an appointment with the pump nurse where I'll be able to discuss the issues surrounding the different pumps, but obviously I'm excited and would like to go armed with a list of questions to ask if nothing else.


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## Pumper_Sue (Apr 29, 2013)

Just another thought for you Patti, if you go for the combo make sure you have a spare meter to record iffy (low blood sugars) you do not want those on your pump for the pump team to see due to dvla


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## Pattidevans (Apr 30, 2013)

Good thinking Sue.


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 1, 2013)

I'm pretty sure the 360 software for the combo works on Win 7 - it didn't when I first had the Expert but I'm sure someone commented on the blog to say that they had fixed that. Their website will doubtless have a spec/requirement, as will Animas for whatever they use I'd have thought.

Loved my expert, but still unsure about how the combo shows 'active insulin'/IOB. If it is like the Expert then it only tracks active correction, nothing to do with bolus for carbs. You could ask TrophyWench who has done some thinking about this - there are threads somewhere!


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## Pattidevans (May 1, 2013)

> Loved my expert, but still unsure about how the combo shows 'active insulin'/IOB. If it is like the Expert then it only tracks active correction, nothing to do with bolus for carbs. You could ask TrophyWench who has done some thinking about this - there are threads somewhere!


It would seem odd not to track bolus for carbs, but I'll look into it,I'll look for threads that trophy has posted.  If it's not too busy on Reception this afternoon I intend to try to find out what I can from the 2 manufacturer's websites.  The Accuchek one has a comparison table, but it's somewhat biassed i.e. it tells what the Spirit does that other's don't but doesn't mention what they do that the Spirit doesn't!


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## Pattidevans (May 1, 2013)

PS, if you don't do it on a meter, how do you calculate your doses on the Veo?


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 1, 2013)

Pattidevans said:


> PS, if you don't do it on a meter, how do you calculate your doses on the Veo?



Contour meter bluetooth's BG to Artoo, one button press to bring up the bolus wizard, scroll up/down for carbs, dose is suggested, bolus type selected and away you go. Pretty much the same interface as the Combo I'd think (at least getting the Expert bolus advice was almost identical) except the buttons are on the pump. I quite like that though as I can do mini-boluses 'on the hoof' eg to cover beer with just a couple of button presses on Artoo without having to worry about taking a BG (combo/vibe prob have similar ability.


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 1, 2013)

Patti - here's the thread I was thinking about re: 'Active Insulin' (which seemingly is only ever 'Active Correction' on the Expert/Combo) http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=34729

I think there's another over on DSF too.


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## m1dnc (May 1, 2013)

The Combo 360 software will work with Win 7 and 8.

Also confirm that you can input bolus directly to the Combo if you don't have the meter with you.


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## Pattidevans (May 1, 2013)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Patti - here's the thread I was thinking about re: 'Active Insulin' (which seemingly is only ever 'Active Correction' on the Expert/Combo) http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=34729
> 
> I think there's another over on DSF too.


Ahhh yes, I remember the thread on DSF (I wasn't reading the pumping section here at the time as I didn't think I'd ever get one).  ISTR I joined in pointing out how IOB worked on the Insulinx and showing Trophy she might not be right.  Seems the Spirit does only do Active Correction.  Hmmm  and then further into the thread you linked to above was the info that the Vibe only does 9 different basals... but wasn't that proved to be a bit of a red herring in the end?

M1nda

Interesting about using the Combo without the meter.  Thanks for that.


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 1, 2013)

Pattidevans said:


> Hmmm  and then further into the thread you linked to above was the info that the Vibe only does 9 different basals... but wasn't that proved to be a bit of a red herring in the end...



Wasn't it the number of changes one could have - ie only 9 in 24 hours. Which is actually quite a lot since quite a few of those 'segments' are going to be a few hours long at least. Other pumps do allow more segments, (I can have 48 in 24 hours) but I can't imagine *anyone* whose basal requirement is so complex and so reliably similar that they need to set up 48 different half hour segments?! 

But yes IOB on the Combo/Expert does seem to have a very odd setup/logic, and people just seem to work around it or ignore it.


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## Pattidevans (May 1, 2013)

How many segments do you have Mike?


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 1, 2013)

I'm pretty sure it's a possible 48 in 24hrs, but my most complex pattern requires a maximum of 9:

12.00a  0.425
3.00a  0.425
5.00a  0.650
7.00a  0.700
10.30a  0.625
2.00p  0.500
3.30p  0.425
8.00p  0.500
10.00p  0.425

Sometimes I need to drop the level at 3am, but I haven't needed that recently. Helps to keep that slot in there though as otherwise I need to update all the following slots one by one to add that in!


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## Hanmillmum (May 1, 2013)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> I'm pretty sure it's a possible 48 in 24hrs, but my most complex pattern requires a maximum of 9:
> 
> 12.00a  0.425
> 3.00a  0.425
> ...



I do the exact same with keeping "slots" in. It really irks me that you lose the following basals if you pop a new one in. I try to remember to jot them down now if I make any changes. It is one thing I would want to change on a newer design - that it doesn't lose those other basals.


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## spiritfree (May 2, 2013)

I have a combo and it is really fantastic. The bolus wizard works out how much insulin you need for meals. The handset means that you don't have to fiddle around finding and setting the pump because the handset will do it. All in all I think it's a really great pump.


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## Pattidevans (May 2, 2013)

I don't know where my days go.  I've spent all week "intending" to read the online manuals for both pumps so I'm more informed and as yet have got near neither of them.  

Thanks Mike & Adrienne for the information regarding slots, and Spiritfree for endorsing the combo.


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 2, 2013)

Pattidevans said:


> Thanks Mike & Adrienne...



Erm... Hanmillmum?


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## Pattidevans (May 3, 2013)

Oops, sorry, where did I get Adrienne from????  Clearly I am going senile.


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