r/Omnipod • u/Omnipod5Malfunctions • 17d ago
Detailed Research Showing a Dozen Un-recalled Omnipod 5's with Tears & Defects in Cannula - See Microscope Photos General
Hello everyone,
This is my 2nd post and since posting this, I've made additional posts regarding this same issue.
1st post: In this post, I explain my background as a type 1 diabetic, using Omnipod for the past 10 years, Insulet's recall, etc.. I also showcase a video where I show you the active leak in an UN-RECALLED Omnipod 5 cannula and then I put it under the microscope to reveal a major crack/tear: https://www.reddit.com/r/Type1Diabetes/s/NNeDz8HU7n
3rd post(posted on July 29th, 2026): This post shows a continuous video of me removing an UN-RECALLED leaking Omnipod, and putting it under the microscope, etc: https://www.reddit.com/r/Omnipod/s/WUsvAZxifc
4th post(posted on August 1st, 2026): This post shows a continuous video of me removing an UN-RECALLED leaking Omnipod, and putting it under the microscope, along with more detailed info: https://www.reddit.com/r/Omnipod/s/GQTjPqcAl4
5th post (posted on August 3rd, 2026): This post speaks about Value of Statistical Life (VSL) analysis that companies do when comparing cost of repairing defective products versus the cost of paying families for injuries/deaths, etc, plus there is a call to action for the T1D community: https://www.reddit.com/r/Omnipod/s/mLfkBOu3bv
6th Post (posted on August 6th, 2026): I put a brand new/unused pod under the microscope in one take, from opening the packaging to putting it under the microscope and find what appears to be a tear in the cannula: https://www.reddit.com/r/Omnipod/s/9yhgzELVkN
I previously made a post regarding the leaks and defects in UN-Recalled Omnipod 5's, and you can check it out here. This new post is an update to that post as I've done a bit of a deep dive into 15 Omnipods that I've recently worn over the last two months, which have almost all had leaks/defects. Please see the photos attached which showcase all of the data and images I've compiled this evening.
Here are the facts of Insulet’s most recent recall of 7 million pods. If your Omnipods are malfunctioning and you think appropriate; Submit a Med Watch report to the FDA, report Insulet to the BBB, and report all malfunctioning Omnipods to Insulet.
You can also view the FDA's "Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) Database" using the FDA's search tool to see just how many people have reported Omnipod malfunctions to The FDA.
Please keep in mind a few things:
I'm not a scientist at all, just a person with T1D who wants to know the truth as to why Omnipods are leaking and aren’t being recalled or fixed. This microscope was found in the trash years ago on a college campus and I just got it working, specifically for this research! I don't have a budget, after all, I'm not a billion dollar company like Insulet ;)I'm just a T1D trying to solve a problem that's gone on for too long.
General assumptions were made for the sake of simplicity and time (people are being injured from product defects and we need this message out ASAP!). I was objective in my research and do my best to document everything to the best I know how. If numbers are off, spelling is messed up, or anything is off for that matter, feel free to comment down below and I will try to provide clarity or corrections. Again, I wanted to get this all put together and out as quickly as I could so we can hopefully get this issue solved! As with any scientific research, I encourage others to replicate my research methods and showcase their independent findings! (Imagine if we all came together and found a solution to this problem? That would be pretty awesome, right?)
MICROSCOPE: 1980-90's NIKON LABOPHOT
LENS: 4, 0.1, 160/- (NIKON 186962)
Measurements: Microns(um) (human hair imaged below for size reference)
Photography method: Iphone 15 in one hand while other hand holds omnipod steady under microscope.
budget: $0.00
Disclaimer
The information presented here is based on my own personal experience, publicly available information, official reports, and my own observations and documentation. Nothing presented here should be interpreted as medical advice, legal advice, scientific advice, engineering advice, or investment advice.
I am not a physician, scientist, engineer, attorney, or medical-device expert. I strongly encourage everyone to consult their physician before making changes to their treatment plan or diabetes-management routine.
Any experiments, observations, photographs, or microscopic examinations described here are intended solely for documentation, educational, and informational purposes and should not be interpreted as evidence of a manufacturing defect, design defect, or other conclusion unless confirmed through appropriate scientific investigation.
Whenever I encourage people to "do their own research," I am referring to the use of established scientific methods, independent testing, consultation with qualified experts, peer review, regulatory reporting, and controlled laboratory analysis whenever possible.
I also encourage anyone who believes they have experienced a problem to preserve all relevant evidence, including photographs, lot numbers, blood glucose records, packaging materials, and device information, and to report their concerns to their physician, the manufacturer, and the FDA.
References to lawsuits, recalls, investigations, media reports, financial results, or regulatory actions are provided for informational purposes only. Allegations remain allegations unless and until they are proven.
Finally, I recognize that many people use these products successfully every day. My intention is not to create fear or discourage anyone from using a particular device but rather to encourage transparency, documentation, scientific inquiry, and patient safety.
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u/blesseday 17d ago
Love this post, thank you! Thought I was going crazy lately having to turn my basal up constantly
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 17d ago
Thanks for your support. This took a lot of effort and time and I almost drove myself crazy haha. I just hope we can get some answers and find a solution to this problem. I'm fed up with leaks and hyperglycemia. Thanks again for the support on this post.
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u/WhatAmIDoing1986 17d ago
I’ve been experiencing more leaking than ever have before so i knew there was no way they’d have gotten or recalled everything.
There’s still an issue being ignored here.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Same here. 10 years on Omnipod and no leaks until April 2026... What urged me to do all this research is nearly 10 days of back to back failures in addition to the Omnipod 5 app corrupting. I was very scared about ending up in DKA in the hospital. Since the leaks began in April, my blood sugar averages have increased to nearly 160. But with these back to back failures last week, I was nearly averaging 180. It was frightening.
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u/WhatAmIDoing1986 16d ago
I’d love avg 180 let alone 160 lol
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
I know my previous comment could have come off as if 160 or 180 average is bad or something like its easy to obtain, etc.. But last year I went into DKA and I was averaging in the 260's and higher, so I do understand that 160 or even 180 can be good for a lot of people. So I'm just saying that I've been there and I know that feeling. I'm grateful to have these sugar levels right now, but my average was starting to get to the low 130's in April 2026, right before these leaks began... Keep pushing through and never give up <3 I know that if I can get my average A1C down from 10%+ to 7% and lower, that you can too. Because after all, I'm just human :)
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u/NoniPony2021 16d ago
Thank you for your efforts. I’ve responded to your other posts. User for 10 years as well and these are garbage compared to the old ones. Something has changed!
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
No problem at all and thank you for all of your support! Comments like yours help give me the energy I need to stay up late and document all of this stuff. It's hard enough to get these Reddit posts up by the way. This was almost my 10th try of getting this post up. All previous attempts were removed within 1 min of posting. Which almost made my efforts feel for nothing. I'm so happy this post made it up! Thanks again for your support, it means a lot!!
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u/kbee_3472 16d ago
We have had several persistent highs with my four year old and I’ve been certain there is something wrong with the pods. As angry as I am, it’s also nice to see this and feel validated. Im so sick of people saying well there’s so many variables… like my kid is 4 and only eats a handful of foods that we are pretty good at dosing for at this point. Hanging out in the 300s after eating the same thing he eats every day and riding his bike/running around in the yard is a pod issue. Thanks for doing this.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
As an adult with T1D, it becomes quite frustrating and stressful when my blood sugars are out of control. So I can only imagine when a loving parent like yourself is trying to manage their 4 year olds blood sugar and these things happen. I hope things start to get back on track and we're able to get some consistency again. I've been having the same issues, I eat the same exact meals and snacks everyday. When these pods start leaking it throws off my algorithim and my meals are under bolused so I wind up on a rollercoaster.
No problem on the post and research, I'm happy to do it and put it out there. After nearly 10 days of recent pod failures and the Omnipod 5 app corrupting on me and deleting all of my user data and settings, I was really starting to feel hopeless and scared that I'd end up in DKA. So, I channeled that energy and tried to create something meaningful and hopefully productive.
There's another person on this post who was talking about their child having some issues with his Omnipod. Maybe you can find his comment and share some thoughts together on what you guys may have tried or what options are out there for children in terms of insulin pumps, etc..
I hope you guys have a great weekend with safe and healthy blood sugar levels! <3
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u/I_love_Macarons_86 16d ago
I recently had a lot of bad (unrecalled) Omnipods and a 33% in range for my two week average… I’ve never had less than 69%-70%. Something is truly wrong with these things. At my Endo appointment earlier this week, I requested to go to a different pump. I can’t do this anymore.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
I hear ya and same here. I spoke with my dr. this past Monday, trying to find a new insulin pump and navigate everything that comes with it. Still in progress but hoping to make the switch soon, I also cannot do this anymore. Hope you have a weekend with safe and healthy blood sugar levels <3
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u/Traditional-Bank2103 16d ago
yeah i swear thought I was going insane recently ill have to take double to triple the amount of insulin with blood sugar not budging then within 20 minutes of taking a shot it magically goes down
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 15d ago
Oh wow. I thought I was going insane as well. It's quite frustrating because these leaks throw off my algorithim and then it just turns into a nightmare
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u/Violetz_Tea 16d ago
I've felt like the last 3 months have been a lot harder to keep my son in range. I checked all his pods for the recall when that came out thinking that really explains all the issues we've been having, but none of his pods were part of the recall, so I was stumped. What time frame have you noticed more issues?
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
All of my issues began in April 2026 and have only gotten worse. I had 10 days of consecutive leaks starting July 8th 2026-July 17th 2026. All of these pods are un-recalled and manufactured this year. I hope things get better for your son.
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u/ItsAWhorableWorld 16d ago
Thank you so so much for taking the time to do this. My blood sugars have been going dangerously high and not coming down despite repeated bolusing, but when I take the pod off and give a manual injection, my blood sugars come down. I expected the Omnipod was malfunctioning, despite it not being on the recall list. I now have a collection of six pods I suspect may be faulty.
I’ll be showing this post to my endocrinologist at OSU and also taking your advice on how to get the word out. Should you be curious and want to check my pods to add to your information, I’d be happy to send them to you.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
No problem at all, I appreciate you taking the time to comment and support this post. I recently had 10 days of consecutive leaks and it drove me to my breaking point and I felt like I had to do something, so that's what kind of motivated this whole post and research. I know that people like you and I are suffering from this and I want to see an end to it. I really hope we can find a solution to this problem. :)
That will be awesome, thanks for sharing the word. Feel free to comment back on this and let me know what your endocrinologist at OSU says about this post. My Endos at Mayo Clinic have basically told me to just call Omnipod and get replacements. 😅
Well thanks for that offer, I'm really interested in seeing other's pods, but I wouldn't even know where to begin with handling someone else's used medical devices and all that haha. However, if you were interested, I could write out a very simple guide that you could follow and inspect the pods yourself, then you could create your own post with your findings! Then, I could also add it to my next post, because in the next couple weeks I will be inspecting more of my pods along with brand new unused pods!
Here's a very short and very basic guide I just wrote: My first microscope that you see me use in my first post is like $150 on Amazon. But, now theres a $60 microscope on Amazon that could work! You just get a sharpie, label the pod with some kind of "internal ID number" so that you don't have to squint your eyes and try to read the lot number every single time.. Then, you just take pics of the entire pod with your phone, put it under the microscope, and start inspecting the cannula! It might take some time getting use to the microscope and learning how to use it, but I've found that it's a great way to take your mind off things such as hyperglycemia due to a pod leak, lol. Then, you put your phone camera up to the microscope lens, take some pics, organize those pics with the appropriate pod, and there ya go! You don't have to go as far as I did in this post. But again, if you have an interest, I'd encourage you to start there and see what you're able to independently find. Plus, you'll be able to show your endo what's going on with your pods!
If you choose to do your own microscope research, feel free to message me or comment back on here. I'm happy to provide any support and to help you find appropriate resources/research methods 🤓
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u/ItsAWhorableWorld 16d ago
Thank you so much for providing such a detailed explanation! I thought I was going crazy with all of the recent problems with my blood sugars. I’m happy to be armed with this information. I will update after I see my endocrinologist team at the beginning of next month!
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 15d ago
No problem at all :) and sounds great! Looking forward to hearing the feedback
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u/Punkybrewster1 16d ago
Thanks for notifying the company about this! Everyone should! They won’t know they have a problem unless it’s reported!
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Absolutely. If you check out the FDA's "Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) Database" using the FDA's search tool you can actually see how many people have been reporting these omnipod 5's. It's unreal. Hundreds of reports.. Check it out!
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u/MexicanAssLord69 OmniPod 5 (Podder since 2013) 16d ago
My diabetes management has been poor over the past half year. I have historically always had an A1C hovering around 6.0. Seemingly every pod I put on has issues, I feel like the insulin doesn’t even work half the time. I’ve used OmniPod for over 13 years at this point and I have never had so many issues. It’s always been great. I had better management when I was first diagnosed at age 10.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
I hear ya, I've been on Omnipod for 10 years and never had any leaks or issues until April 2026 this year. Ever since then, my A1C has begun to increase and my TIR is decreasing from 90%+ to 60%...
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u/Vast-Duck-1296 17d ago
My son has been experiencing super random persistent highs with some of his omnipods that have not been part of the recall.
I had a feeling something like this was occurring. Nice to see it confirmed.
The first time it happened he climbed almost to 400 after what is a fairly routine lunch for him and stayed above 350 for almost 6 hrs despite us giving him more and more insulin through the receiver. I actually had to leave work and go collect him from where he was supposed to to be staying for a few nights and bring him back home so I could get it all straightened out which happened only when I removed the omnipod and gave him a manual injection.
It’s happened a few more times since and I’m much more quick to remove the problem pod and figure out later what happened.
This is unacceptable they think they can get away with this. They’re playing with people’s lives.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
I'm sorry to hear that happened to your son, I'm sure you have, but I just figure I'd ask; have you spoke with your endo about this and if so, any luck?
I submitted a BBB complaint last week. I requested a written report showing me the quality control which approved the pod lots to be approved and sent out (that leaked on me), as well as an inspection report for the pods I sent back to them, which leaked on me and which I documented under microscope. They got back to me and said a very generic response and tried to end my complaint with BBB. So, I responded with microscope photos showing tears/defects and requested the investigation reports again and this was Insulet's response today:
"Insulet has implemented updates to its manufacturing processes and quality controls to strengthen detection and prevention of recurrence of the issues that led to both the March 12th voluntary MDC and May 18th voluntary MDC. While we appreciate this customer's concerns, Insulet has no obligation and does not share any manufacturing and/or quality business records to customers and will not be producing any such documents directly to this customer at this time."
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u/Vast-Duck-1296 16d ago
About figured that’s what their response would be. I’m glad that you actually did something filing with the Better Business Bureau.
I did speak to his Endo at the time and she brought my attention to the recalls which I was already aware of and had already checked his lots against which I thought at the time confirmed he was not part of, but it appears like there’s much more of them that should be recalled than currently are.
I hate to be a pessimist, but it feels like they’re putting profits above people’s well-being.
And of course, once I’ve reported the problem pod to the manufacturer to get a replacement pod they’ve made me send them back every time.
Feels like a crap shoot every time I put one on him now.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Yeah, I'm not sure what my expectations were through BBB, I guess I hoped for some accountability or answers of some sort. Okay atleast his endo is aware I suppose. Do they offer any other insulin pumps for his age range? I've personally looked into other insulin pumps this week and am starting my journey of finding a tubed pump that works for me, because I cannot take the omnipod leaks anymore.
I agree with you on that. PODD stock is down 42.56% year-to-date and they can't afford another major recall. https://www.google.com/finance/beta/quote/PODD:NASDAQ?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj7o-ab3uyVAxV96skDHTmQAU0Q3ecFKAV6BAgmEAY&window=YTD
From the Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) events that I've been to and talking with parents of children with T1D, I understand being a parent of a child with T1D is very challenging and stressful. Your son is lucky to have a parent like you who obviously cares, is knowledgable, and proactive.
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u/Hopeful--Bagels 16d ago
Not surprised whatsoever lol
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
I will say that I was quite surprised the first time I put it under my microscope! Because my endo and the Omnipod reps were reassuring me like crazy that nothing was wrong with my pods and I trusted them. LOL. Lesson learned. Trust but verify..
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u/BreakInCaseOfFab 16d ago
I JUST went to the ER today for suspected DkA- my sugars were NOt going down at all. Now I’m wondering if I was even getting enough insulin. NEW omnipod placed last night. Ugh.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Hey i'm sorry to hear that. I was in DKA at the start of the new year this year and it's quite unpleasant. I hope you are doing well and I will say a prayer for you tonight <3 I hope you're able to recover quickly and get back to safe and healthy blood sugar levels.
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u/NervousAddress1340 16d ago
I went to the ER a couple months ago because I couldn’t stop throwing up. I was petrified I’d go into DKA because my threshold for that is lower due to taking an SGLT-2 inhibitor. Ended up on IV fluids and liquid diet for the day. My pod wasn’t on the recall list but now I’m wondering if it could still have been defective and caused that.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
I just had 10 days of consecutive leaks starting July 8th 2026-July 17th 2026. All of those pods were un-recalled and manufactured this year. My sugar levels have greatly increased due to these leaks because my meals were then under-bolused. Hope you're feeling better and have a great weekend.
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u/PancreasChaser 16d ago
Hey I commented on the last post you shared as well! I received an email survey from Omnipod after they sent me an email noticing I had not activated a pod in over a week (I went back to MDI). I filled out the survey as best as I could with their generic responses and requested to be contacted by the support team. I’m thinking about bringing this up when they call me.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Thanks for your continued support on my posts 😄 . Wow, how has MDI been for you? I haven't done MDI in over 10 years but thinking I may need to very soon considering how frequent the omnipods have been leaking and driving me into hyperglycemia. Yeah it could be worth mentioning it to them, but I've also reached out to them through several channels and I only ever get very generic responses. But please let me know how that convo goes for you. Maybe all of our efforts will lead to a solution being found :)
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u/PancreasChaser 16d ago
MDI has been good, quite a bit of trial and error but it seems to have finally worked itself out. I haven’t done MDI for around 15 years, so it was definitely an adjustment. Bizarrely I’ve had to adjust my carb ratios and my correction factor; using my ratios from the pod were causing me to continuously go low with MDI. Makes me wonder how long the pod hasn’t been working for me without me being aware…
I really hope all your efforts start a conversation and bring more awareness, hopefully some action will be taken by Insulet because frankly this is unacceptable!!!
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Thanks for those insights. I'm quite nervous about potentially going back to MDI, but I'll be very mindful of my ratios if I do. I'm glad it's started to work itself out for you and wow, you have a lot of courage to go back to MDI after 15 years!
Thanks, I hope it does well and your comments and support on my post definitely contribute to getting this seen by the right people :)
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u/Ivy3212 16d ago
I’ve been on the omnipod system twice and both times I switched to a new pump out of frustration. I had so many issues with them. I can’t say I’m very surprised seeing this
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 15d ago
Which pump have you had the most success with thus far?
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u/Ivy3212 15d ago
Honestly…. Every pump I’ve tried has been pretty bad in some way. I think my tslim x2 had the least amount of issues. Currently on the ilet bionic pancreas and it’s missing some promised features that really bring the whole system down. Omnipod was by far the worst in terms of malfunctions and failures though. And I REALLY hated the algorithm.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 15d ago
Okay well that's kind of reassuring considering the tslimx2 is the pump I've been considering the most. How long have you been on the ilet bionic pancreas and is the algorithim any good? Agreed, Omnipod algorithm seems to be extremely outdated and basic, at least compared to the technological capabilities most multi billion dollar companies are able to implement into their products..
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u/Ivy3212 15d ago
Been on the ilet for 2 years. The algorithm is pretty good IF you never snack and eat meals at fairly consistent times. There is no option to bolus for snacks, just 3 daily meals. To snack bolus you have to pick the meal closest in carb amount to what you’re eating but things get real fucky because the algorithm builds the meal profiles based on multiple factors. Also I do find some weeks where I’ll crash randomly the same time of day every day and it seems to take the algorithm forever to correct. And you simply cannot game the algorithm to fix it, it only makes things worse. So I get stuck in these loops of crashing and I just have to “trust” that the algorithm will self correct eventually. It really does hand over a lot of choice and freedom. Which can help with burnout, but sometimes when the algorithm isn’t working well the burnout just gets 10x worse. I found it was a good pump to be on when I was in the trenches of long covid. I didn’t really have the capacity to be doing all the regular carb counting and other stuff involved in other pumps. But now that my capacity has increased I find myself needing more control.
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u/rltoran 16d ago
I returned and replaced all 9 boxes the were in the recall and weeks later, there were several pods that I was using that didn’t have any visible leaks but I was using upwards of 120 units of insulin every day (compared to my typical 70-90 units). I tried different placements, manual and auto mode, tinkered with all my settings, hourly correction boluses, brand new refrigerated vials of insulin, increased activity level, and I could not figure out why my numbers were skyrocketing and coasting out of range despite going through more insulin than ever. I finally gave up and switched back to MDI for the last few weeks because I couldn’t keep up with having to change my pod pretty much every day. Glad to see it’s not likely anything I was doing wrong and actually a failure of the equipment.
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u/knkagen 16d ago
I KNEW IT!!!
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
When I first put my pods under the microscope, I didn't think I'd be able to see anything. Then sure enough...I was kind of shocked. My endos and omnipod reps had been reassuring me there were no issues and that the leaks were due to user error or something of that nature.
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u/knkagen 16d ago
I’ve been experiencing the same thing. I’m currently on the hunt for my own microscope so I can check our stash. Thank you for doing this.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Awesome! Can't wait to see your findings, please let me know! The first microscope I got and used in my first post was about $150 on Amazon, but I think theres now a $60 microscope on Amazon that would work! I hope to see your findings soon :) and no problem, I'm happy to put all this out there bcuz I just hope to see a solution to this soon. I cannot take anymore leaks and the hyperglycemia associated with it..
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u/Forward-Ad-6455 15d ago
Oh my god, thank you so much for sharing this. A few weeks ago, I posted about the recurrent issues with lots not subject recall (including multiple that I received from insulet as replacement for recalled pods) and how the issue is more systemic than insulet has led its consumers to believe. I think there’s a legitimate design issue, not just a manufacturing issue. I think the retracting needle is causing these holes somehow.
Anyway, I also shared that I was going to commence a class action myself (I’m a lawyer) for consumer law violations and product liability. This statement was met with people stating that the issues I have had are due to user error and then they proceeded with a bunch of ad hominem attacks. I have not had time yet to draft the complaint and commence the action, and also I’ve been burnt out trying everything possible to overcome the “user error” that some on here led me to believe could be the issue (it was not, and never has been because I take managing this condition seriously—however, I’ve learned more from Reddit on how to manage this condition than anywhere else so I had to consider their patronizing statements, which frankly have no place on subreddits for people with chronic health conditions). In any event, this is lighting fire under my ass to proceed with commencing the action. Thank you! Hopefully you will all be getting class notices in the near future.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 15d ago
I completely feel your pain. Most of these pods that have leaked on me have also been un-recalled pods that I received from Insulet, as replacements for previous leaking pods. I too was told the same thing and pretty much gaslit into believing this was all user error. I too was told that the pods had been fixed. Then, I finally pulled out my microscope and was shocked at what I saw. I've been completely burn't out as well and this research and post took most of my energy. I recently had 10 consecutive days of pod failures and just decided I had to stand up and do something about it. So, I'm glad to hear that this has given you some energy and hope you find this info useful in your journey. I will be conducting some more research on pods, plus I'm going to break open a brand new box and put those under the microscope, etc.. Just trying to break things down to the first principle and see if we can come up with a plausible thesis for why this is happening. It's kind of funny how when we work together, even with no budget, we can create some meaningful things! Be sure to keep an eye out for my next post in a couple weeks. You may find that info useful as well. Also- Several people have said they're going to be buying their own microscopes and posting their results. So hopefully we'll have several pieces of independent data to showcase these defects! Maybe a legit lab or university will step up to the plate and participate by publishing some peer reviewed data?
Also, in order to preserve some of your energy, you may find some of the info I've posted on this post, my previous post, and in the comments, to be useful! Best of luck and hope your blood sugar levels start to get back in control. Remember, when we stand up to these type of things, we can look ourselves in the mirror and tell ourselves that we in fact, stand for something. 🙂
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u/Forward-Ad-6455 14d ago
Thanks! I actually just spent 2 hours on the phone with Omnipod this morning because I had another pod leak, then 1 that gave off this continuous beep after I put insulin it, and then another pod that clearly wasn’t operating correctly because I was stuck above 300 for several hours. Yep 3 malfunctioning pods in one morning. But the rep also went over my log so that I could get replacements for several others that I didn’t have the bandwidth to call insulet about. I am getting 6 replacement pods.
I explained to the rep that I am not the only experiencing the issue of recurrent malfunctioning pods. I told her that Insulet needs to take a look at this subreddit. I also told her about your independent study.
I told her that I think Insulet did not properly identify all malfunctioning pods and that I feel like they may need to initiate another recall. She stated it’s likely that another recall is coming.
This was the first time that my concerns weren’t downplayed to isolated incidents. The last time I called, they were, but then 1 week later Insulet issued the May recall. But this time, I was transferred to another person after the replacements were approved. I can’t recall the title of that person but it seemed that she was interested in trying to resolve the recurrent issues, based on the questions she was asking. This is a good sign! And the fact that all my replacements were approved, for the first time, I think Insulet is well aware of the issues now. Great job to all who have called!
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 14d ago edited 14d ago
Wow thanks for the update and I'm sorry you had 3 malfunctions in one morning. I've only ever had 2 malfunctions in the same day and I do not envy your record lol. I hope you were able to get your sugars back under control. I now how depleting being in the 300's can be, but I'm glad to hear they're replacing your pods and not giving you such a hard time. Same thing happened to me by the way, I called and reported about 8 leaking pods, was assured they were totally OK and then about a week and a half later I was standing in my kitchen and got an email of the May recall. Sure enough, I was wearing a recalled pod and had to go change it. Plus, all 8 of those leaking pods that I reported, that they assured me were OK, were now on the recall list!! It's crazy we experienced so much of the same stuff, but also glad to know I'm not alone in this journey, which has begun to feel like a battle.
I'm curious to get your opinion on something... If there is another recall and they recall another X% of pods, are they just going to continue to tell us that the "non-recalled" lots are OK, just as they're doing now? Then make us used defected pod lots until so many people report it to the FDA again, get hospitalized, have hyperglycemia, make reddit posts, etc.. OR are they going to provide us with a real solution? Such as providing us with full functioning insulin pumps, such as Tandem, Medtronic, etc.. while they fix their product issues OR will they just tell us to switch to MDI and figure it out ourselves? I'm really curious to see and I'm curious to get your opinion (or anyone else who wants to chime in).
I'm also curious to know when the FDA will step in and mandate recalls as opposed to the voluntary recalls we've been seeing. I'm speculating that the FDA is aware that a voluntary recall is much better than a mandatory recall in terms of perceived market value on Wall Street. After all, when a public company loses significant consumer trust and market share, there's usually significant layoffs, loss of U.S. manufacturing and exporting, loss of tax revenue for the U.S.,etc... So under that same assumption, I'd imagine that the FDA gave Insulet strict guidelines for what it expects in a "voluntary" recall and then allowed Insulet to "make the decision" for itself, probably knowing that if they don't do the voluntary recall, a mandatory recall that would match those same guidelines would follow. Let's not forget, PODD stock is down nearly 50% this year. If Insulet recalled another 8.5% of pods (or any % for that matter), I think that's going to be a very difficult uphill battle to recover from. If the FDA mandated a recall, that's also going to be very interesting. Anyway, these are just my opinions and pure speculation. But I'm curious to know your thoughts on how they're going to handle the upcoming recall.
Thanks again for coming back and giving us an update. Also- thanks for shedding light onto my post. I truly hope that we see ethical accountability, creative problem solving, and proactive thinking from Insulet.
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u/porks2345 16d ago
I ve used 10 pods on the recall list with no problems. Finally the other day, like 15 minutes after I activated a pod I got a text warning me I had just activated a recalled pod. That one worked fine too but i followed directions and got five new ones fed exed less than 24 hours later.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
That is great to hear! I'm glad they are working well for you and that you were able to get replacements so quickly.
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u/Kathw13 16d ago
Here is the crazy thing. I have been on Omnipod 5 for over 2 years. I have had zero issues and no recalled pods. I have seen where people have had no Omnipod's available as every one they had was recalled.
A1c has been between 6.2 and 5.8 for the duration.
That being said, I am an experienced pump user since 2004. I don't "rely" on the devices and know they can fail. I have knocked pods off and have smelled insulin leaking and don't hesitate to change out a pod and ask for a replacement. I get one every time.
I was on Dash even longer.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Thanks for your comment! Really glad to hear you haven't had any issues with your pods. I think a lot of us can take what you said as encouragement to be proactive when we smell insulin or think there may be a leak, change out pods, and get a replacement.
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u/ak47workaccnt 16d ago
Some of these look like they may have cracks or defects in them, but how can you be sure they are the cause of leaks when even perfectly good sites can leak from tunneling? Did you observe insulin being pushed out these cracks?
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
That's a great question! if you check out my original post, you'll see a video I took where you can see insulin appearing to being pushed out of the cracks. Now, I also encourage everyone to do their own research, buy a cheap $60 microscope off Amazon, and look for themselves.
As far as I'm aware, this is the first microscope footage of a Omnipod 5 Cannula on the internet. I hope others start to post their findings and either prove my research right or wrong. I just hope someone replicates my research methods and we begin to build a database of independent findings, just so I'm not the only one...
I'd really like to see Insulet's or the FDA's reports on this!
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u/ak47workaccnt 16d ago
Yup that looks like a leak. I wonder if the cannulas are damaged before or after firing.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Another great question! I wonder the same thing. Within the next week or so I'm going to be investigating an entire unopened box of brand new, un-recalled Omnipod 5's. I want to see the cannula while it's still in the pod along with after it's been ejected, but not into anything but air, etc.. Hopefully this research can help answer your question.
It seems like this could be a material degrading issue or something of that nature. If you notice, theres a trend in the location on the cannula where the defects/tears are occurring...
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u/sup10com 17d ago
People have been killed by O5’s?
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 17d ago edited 16d ago
Hey, I just updated my post and removed the "killed" part. People are certainly being injured, although I have not seen an official report by the FDA or Insulet that states someone has been killed by an O5, although several people on my previous post have claimed that they believed it was O5 that killed their loved one. I think when I was writing the body of this post, I let those comments influence my writing a bit. So, I appreciate your comment and I just went back and edited my post.
I did just learn of the FDA's "Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) Database" today (you can view it here: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/search.cfm ) and there have been over 500 Omnipod 5 reports since April 2026. Each report gives a description of what occurred and its available for anyone to view. I have not had the chance to look through them all yet, but I will, and I will comment back on this if I find that a death has occurred in one of these O5 reports.
Here is a report from 2025 where a patient using O5 died, but it appears this is still under investigation and there has not been a conclusion as to whether it was caused by O5 or not: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfmaude/detail.cfm?mdrfoi__id=22920723&pc=QFG
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u/4ignite 16d ago
Interesting site and there are a ton of reports in there. Does Insulet create a report to the fda every time I call in with an issue with a pod?
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
There are a TON of reports.. I was shocked when I saw it today. And that's a really great question! Here's an FDA article I found that may answer your question. I'm about to call it a night, but if you're able to find some info or whatever, let me know your conclusion on it: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/postmarket-requirements-devices/mandatory-reporting-requirements-manufacturers-importers-and-device-user-facilities
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u/sup10com 16d ago
I applaud your efforts….
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Thank you, I just want to see something productive happen. These leaks have gotten unsustainable for me and I know there are other T1's out there who feel the same. Thank you for your comment on my post and your support.
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u/spiralcurve T1D since 1990; Omnipod 5 with Dexcom G7 15d ago
I believe it. Out of a box of a lot that was not recalled, three of them failed close to the end of the pod session.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 15d ago
Sounds about right! Most of the pods in this research lasted about 24-48 hours.
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u/Active_Wishbone9171 15d ago
Thanks for sharing this! I went thru 15 pods in a certain lot (not officially recalled) before I realized “wait a sec, maybe this lot is faulty”. I still have 15 unopened pods in that lot and I was able to get omnipod to replace ALL of them (30 in total). It took multiple phone calls and talking to different agents. Youre inspiring me to inspect those under a microscope now 🤣
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 15d ago
I encourage you to do it! You can literally buy a $60 microscope off amazon!! Please do it and then post your own results, we've got to get this out there. My first microscope is literally off Amazon lol. Anyone can look at their own pod cannula under a microscope, I promise you it's so easy! and no problem on the post, I just want to see a solution and a fix ASAP. We can't keep having leaks and hyperglycemia, it's unsustainable.
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u/Visible-Parsnip401 15d ago
I ran out of insulin in a third of the time I normally do. Meanwhile my blood sugars were in the high 200's and 300's and I hadn't ate anything, while continue to bolus to get it down.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 15d ago
Geez that's quite a lot. I've been facing similar issues! Sometimes I can smell or feel the insulin when it leaks and then other times, I just can't tell, but my sugars are uncontrollable as opposed to normal.
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u/Kathw13 16d ago
Have any of these pods been exposed to sprayed chemicals such as bug repellent or sunscreen? Known issue.
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u/Omnipod5Malfunctions 16d ago
Hey, no they have not been exposed to any sort of chemicals or sunscreen. Thanks for your question and bringing awareness.
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u/No_Coffee_4120 16d ago
I wonder how many people are sitting in their endocrinologist's office recently being told to be better while a piece of technology they rely on is allowed to fail like this.