1st sensor - 26 days!

Diabetes Technology Glucose Monitoring
#1

Well, it was a rough start for my first sensor. but i'm happy to report that the first one lasted a whole 26 days! today there was quite a discrepancy from my finger sticks, then tonight i got the dreaded question marks - so i think i did pretty good for the first go round! hope the next one goes as good.

took it off pretty easy - feels so good to itch where it was! i was a little worried what i would find underneath all the tape after having worn it so long. but except for a little redness of the skin where the tape was, it seems to be ok.

it's getting late, so i'm thinking i'll leave it off for the night and give my body a break from wearing it, although after 26 days i think i've become addicted to it and i'll be waking up in the middle of the night to check it only to realize it's back up to a finger stick when i go pee! oh well, just for one night-too tired to reapply now.

#2

I am impressed - Now I would like to now the magic trick on how you got it to stick for that long. I use skin-tac, and tegaderm and it looks like mine will be packing it in soon ... this one is at 16 days.

#3

I use an old sensor bed as a template to cut hole in a four inch long piece of opsite flexfix. Then place that over the sensor as soon as I insert it. I don't use skin-tac since I'm sensitive to it. Also for me the placement site makes a difference in how long I can run a sensor. Arms work better than belly works better than thighs.
If the opsite starts to peel I will trim the loose parts back and place a new piece over the remainder. I may have a layer or two on by the end of the sensor life. If I can keep it tacked down I get at least three weeks.
I just alternate sides rather than taking time off. Don't like that naked feeling with no readings for prolonged periods. A dab of neosporein on the old site and you can't tell where it was by the next day if there is no mark from the adhesive.

#4

The most mine lasts is 19 days, but towards the end of life the Dex readings are way lower than finger BG. Was your experience similar?

#5

Good for you Gayle, 26 days is my record and you almost broke it first time out. Glad you have an almost 3 week start on the next one. Continued good luck.

#6

Do you get low Dex readings towards the end of sensor life?

#7

Yep, Dex was much lower than my fingersticks on the last day. that's why i knew it was time. that and the ??? i got towards the end of the day.

i've only used one sensor, so i'm not expert. just lucky, i guess. but i did my homework and read lots of posts to find out how to get it to stick for so long. i bought the opsite tape and put it on after about day 7. i did like others have suggested and cut a hole inside about a 4x4 square piece so that that the transmitter would not be covered; only taped over the Dex tape. it got pretty itchy at times and it's now been 3 days since i took it off in that area, and i can still see where the tape was. it's still a little reddish.

i put a new sensor on last night and don't plan on using the opsite tape again until it's needed. hoping to ward off the "itchies."

#8

I am new to the whole DexCom stuff and a little confused. I started today with the Dex Com 4. The part I am confused on...is the length of time people are wearing their transmitters more than 7 days. According to the book, the sensor is only good for 7 days before it shuts down...how are you wearing it longer? Sorry if this is basic...just new and confused :)

#9

Krztina, the sensor "shuts down" after 7 days but there is nothing that says you can't just restart it and continue to wear it until it really starts to fail. I have restarted a sensor 3 times before it actually finally stopped giving me good readings and started giving me the ??? all the time.
So the basics after 7 days the receiver will say "sensor stopped" so you push the button on the receiver and hit "start sensor" and it will go through the whole 2 hour calibration process and usually you can get a couple of weeks out of a sensor before it starts to give you bad readings or no readings then you know it is time to replace it.

#10

I know the dexcom guidelines say the change the transmitter site every 7 days..... aren't you afraid of increased risk of infection for keeping it in 3x longer than recommended?

#11

if i didnt' know about this website and the wonderful people who post comments, i would have never even considered wearing it past the "prescribed" 7 days. i've yet to read of anyone getting an infection, although i'm sure it could happen. but it could happen wearing it just one day too.

#12

Since you are not infusing like a pump site, Most do not have issues. I do use good cleaning practice before I do the insertion. Will wash with a chlorhexidine scrub like i do for my infusion sites. So far, i have not had a problem. usually by a day or so after pulling a sensor you can not see where it was placed.

I also find the the second week tends to be the best week for sensor accuracy.

I will restart mine until - it itches too much, it falls/gets knocked off, becomes too eratic, or i get the ???

#13

Krztina, I don't worry about infection with the sensor. It is a piece of wire that goes in to you skin, it doesn't carry any liquids like an insulin pump. So long as you keep the whole transmitter, sensor and adhesive attached there is nothing to get infected.

#14

Just started day 15. Pretty excited