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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Minimed Revel: Jury still out, but underwhelmed

I hate to judge something without ample time to use it, but I am pretty underwhelmed with the Medtronic Minimed Revel and CGM package. I have been using the Medtronic Minilink CGM since it came out, ordering a new one after my other konked out after 18 months.

I had the 722 Minimed Paradigm pump and it has worked really well for me. But, back when I started this blog, I was testing the Freestyle Navigator. I loved it; for the most part.


I LOVED the predicative alarms. I actually stopped lows before I had them. What could be better. So when the Revel promised predictive alarms, I thought, "Hell ya!"


I have received predictive alarms, but many came when I was already low or moments from the threshold. I'm not 100 percent sure exactly what was happening with many of these, because I don't tend to take my BS when I wear the CGM (slap my wrist). It has been really accurate for me the majority of the time. Not perfect, but really good. So several alarms I got were maybe five minutes before the actual low alarm, but I don't know what my actual BS was.


So, I decided to check sugars when I got the alarm and the first time I did this I got the Predicted Low alarm and I was 55 mg/dl. This thing is supposed to warn me 30 minutes before a low and I was already 55. This happened several times with similar results.

Benefit of the doubt wants me to say, "I need to get used to it," "its a new machine, give it a break," but a big part of me is saying send it back.


It isn't any more helpful that the 722 at this point, it just has more alarms.

OH! Big issue, I can't hear the freakin' alarms at night.

I went for two hours with No Delivery and I didn't hear or feel a thing. The alarms were not great to begin with on the 722, but they were WAY too soft on the Revel. They have different low and high chimes, but they are not better and sound softer to me because they are so high pitched.

So, I haven't put a sensor on for two days because it makes me tired thinking about verifying the readings. Easier not to know, but I better figure this out soon, I'm running out of decision time.

Anyone using the Revel have some thoughts to share? I'd love input.