After reading articles here, I realized I could continue to use my sensor past 7 days by just going to the “start sensor” option after 7 days expired. It worked twice on my last sensor. On the 20th day the reading went haywire both high and low and I changed sensor. Have others experienced extended usage beyond 20 days? What symptoms does your meter develop to indicate the sensor is really dead?
max for me is 9 days. I have no deductible so I dont have incentive to go beyond the prescibed duration. I was thinking we could create an online “goodwilll store” where people who have sensors can send it to others who badly need them and not financially able to
I generally get to about ten days, but that’s mostly because I’m very active and cycling all the time and the adhesive just gives out after 5-6 days and it’s held on by tape for the remaining time. Once it’s past 7 days though, if it tells me it’s flat when I know I’m going high, or if it gets ??? for a while, that’s when I change it out.
I usually get about 20 to 25 days (my insurance refuses to cover the Dexcom, so I have to keep mine as long as possible).
I experience the same things you mentioned - going up and down for no reason - at around 20-30 days (longest I’ve gone so far is 28) and that’s when I know it’s time to change the sensor. One sensor, after a long time, started giving me the ??? every few hours for no reason, which I also took as a sign to change. But, every other time, I just get the rollercoaster, even when my sugars are steady. Usually, it takes a few days to get really bad - for example, on the 24th day, it will go up and down a few points, but nothing serious, but by the 25 or 26th day, it’s going up and down by 50 points.
I have no deductible,
But I always keep it for the second week because the second week is always much more accurate.
Not having to change sensor and getting better results.
The third week has usually been bad for me. by day 17 - 20, I start getting ???, and off readings.
So, I have stopped even trying the third week.
This morning (day 12) my BG was 1 point off. I never get that in the first week. Even the Meter can be off by 10 or 20 points.
I have actually used my meter way past the 7 days days by accident. I lost track of the days and forgot I was even wearing it at times. Before I knew it I had worn it for 2 weeks. Now I do it all the time. I keep the sensor on until the meter tells me to change it. I do nothing in between. When it is time to change it the meter will show an hour glass and give me a countdown to when it is going to expire and that’s when I change it. I was changing it every 7 days but once I figured this out I leave it on for as long as I can, they are not cheap. But I have never experienced any problems with my readings at all. They are close to perfect at all times even past the 7 days.
I also find that once I wear it for a few days and into the second week my readings become more and more accurate also.
Just restarted mine for the 3rd time on Tuesday. So far, so good. I attribute part of the life of the sensor to using an upper/inner thigh site.
I have had my sensors last until about the middle of the third week. I pay out-of-pocket so every little bit of improvisation and experimentation makes a difference! I know that its time to change the sensor when the readings start to look erratic. When the little plus signs that indicate a reading start to jump around or bounce up and down, I know that the sensor is probably starting to fail. The graph should be a smooth line. For instance, if the numbers are 100, 108, 112, 116, etc…the graph line should look pretty steady. However, if they’re 100, 97, 103, 101, 105, 102, etc…their will be a zig-zagging pattern to the graph line. This usually tells me its about time to change it. I have pushed a little past that mark but once I start to question the accuracy of the Dex, it’s kinda obsolete bc I’m testing anyway.
The most amazing thing that has ever happened in my personal struggle with diabetes type 1 is the dexcom. It has changed my life and I’m absolutely addicted to it!!! Good luck 
Jen
where precisely is the upper/inner thigh?
OK, a little hard to describe. I sit in a chair, go down about 1/4 the way down my leg. That’s the upper part. I find inner by squeezing my thighs together (still sitting) and using the spot closest to inner thigh that is still exposed, plus maybe 1". No, it doesn’t hurt. You have to be careful pulling pants up/down.
Like Jen I am addicted. I’ve been on the Dexcom for about 2 years and I love it.
Unfortunately my insurance doesnt cover it. So I stretch my sensors as far as I can. I changed my sensor yesterday mainly because I knew it was getting so old. When I went to my calendar to check how old it was I found out it was 31 days (and still reading pretty accurately). I did have a couple of days where I was getting the ??? and I would just stop and start the sensor again and it would come back reading within a few points of a finger stick.
I cover the transmitter with IV3000 and change that when I need to.
I do find that it reads more accurately after the 2nd week.
31 days! Wow! The longest I’ve gotten is 19.
Great tip!!! Thanks! My DE said 2 weeks is a good bet…longer, even better!
I am semi-retired and work for a small accounting firm. I normally have Fridays off, but during tax season they asked me to work more hours meaning Friday. My dexcom sensor had been expiring on Fridays. I normally use the sensor for two weeks and had been changing after 14 days for over a year. Friday came and the sensor wanted to be changed after two weeks. I restarted it and it kept plugging along until the next Friday. Again I restarted and made it to 22 days before I changed the sensor. It still seemed to be giving good readings and no ???. I have now been on the dexcom for over two years and wonder how long the transmitter is going to last. Anyone have any ideas how long the transmitter is good for?
yep, I'm up for that we are cash pay...
wow... I heard the device was originally supposed to be inside the body rather on the outside, is that why it can work so long?
wow, good to know accuracy better in the second week, in the first week, how far off is it in normal range? how far is it off in the <70 and over 200 range? Curious, considering for my 11 year old t1
wow! even in high and low ranges?
your accuracy is good in the thigh area? off label right? but it looks like everyone is trying other sites...