A few hours after my post, I inserted my fifth sensor and it didn’t go well. The first few readings were actually really close, but then I had a few readings that were way off, after which I calibrated. This continued for the next 24+ hours.
That’s when it became really annoying. The alarm went off and it showed 65 when my blood sugar was 89. I calibrated and it gave me a calibration error and to do it again in 15 minutes. Rinse and repeat for about an hour, and a half, after which it went to urgent low without a number (just “Low”), even after eating and my blood sugar was in the low 100s. Calibrating gave me a number, until it updated and it went right back to “Low.” It stayed this way for about 4 hours.
I called customer service and they answered right away. It probably helped that it was the middle of the night. She said it won’t take a calibration during an urgent low, which makes some sense. I don’t know why the sensor never recovered after that, though. She asked for my weight, which she said was required by the FDA. The bottom line is that they’re sending me a new sensor, and my G6 love has taken a hit.
I had one that was wonky too, kept saying retest but then it froze up. They replaced it because it froze up, not because it was off because it was still within their accepted 30% off range. That is nuts because there is a big difference in being 69, the CGM saying 82 or being 156 and the CGM saying you are 120. That was nuts! Not acceptable to me!!!
I’ve also had a sensor that just kept asking to be calibrated until I called customer service and they told me to give up on that one and sent me a new sensor.
It is disappointing.
I would add that when my G6 goes off it’s always in the first 10 hours or so of the session and it’s always lower than my actual BG. I find it pretty alarming, so to speak, when my Dexcom tells me I’m at 54 and a finger stick tells me I’m 78. Even when I kind of know the finger stick is right, I’m nervous enough that I sometimes don’t know what to trust.
For what it’s worth, I think minimal calibration is a good idea. If you can tolerate it being wrong and don’t have to calibrate, in my experience it usually finds its way back after a while. I’m not saying never ever calibrate. I just think that in those first few hours calibrations don’t always help that much. At least that’s my theory. I don’t really know for sure.
Never was I asked for patient weight. If that is an FDA requirement in order to obtain Technical Support from Dexcom then it is a very new requirement.
My approach also. I will not calibrate within the first 12 hours. I let it be. If it is off then I ignore the readings and use frequent meter checks to know the BG, ignore the Dexcom and let it be.
After 12 hours, I expect the G6 to be within 10 points of our Contour Next One meter. If the spread exceeds 20 points then I would do a calibration assuming normal calibration techniques (straight level bg seems right meter seems right blah blah blah)
I’ve never been asked my weight either, but then again I haven’t had enough problems with my G5’s to warrant much in the way of Dexcom support needing to get to the bottom of any problems. Having said that, I’m not using the G6 such as Badlands is, so knowing that the G6 is more problematic for those with low body fat (straight from their tech support mouths), than those using the G5, perhaps they want to know either BMI or weight/height?? Just a thought,.
I have been on the phone often with Dexcom. For all of the Dexcom cgm systems we have used.
I don’t necessarily need it to be a big issue. I will call them up even with a question. I figure they are the experts so I rather get the information direct from the best source.
I was asked only once for troubleshooting purposes - trying to determine if I had sufficient fatty tissue. I was never told it was an FDA requirement. I’ve used Seven through G6. If I remember correctly, the question came while I was using G4 or G5.
I’ve only used xDrip for IOS (of which Spike is a fork) and it needs to have the Dexcom app disconnected. Dunno if Spike gets around this limitation, but it would be nice if it did.
I just started using xDrip on Android, but have friend that has iPhone with Dexcom G5 app, not using receiver. Wants to try Spike, but keep Dex until comfortable with results. May only use spike for trans reset.
What do you mean by xDrip for iOS. Is that on your iPhone? (I assumed iOS generally meant iPhone, and xDrip only worked on Android)
It is kinda confusing. The original development version is listed as iosxdripreader on GitHub (it’s still being updated and you can still can download and run it, though you need an invite from the developer, Johan Degraeve). Spike is a development fork from that original. I started using xDrip for iOS before Spike came along, and I never switched over, so it still appears as “xDrip” on my iPhone. I haven’t used Spike, so I’m not sure how different it is, but Johan’s Git now indicates it’s the production version, even though according to the install instructions page you have to re-authorize it on a weekly basis unless you have an Apple professional developer account (ah, the wonders of open-source software). Not sure if that’s how it’s always been or a condition of their recent contretemps with the App store.
IIRC you only have to go into BT preferences and “forget” the G5 connection, not actually un-install the Dexcom app. I assume the data for the period when you’re using Spike/xDrip is “lost” as far as Dexcom Clarity is concerned, but that isn’t a big concern for me so I haven’t actually checked. I only use it to bridge the gap when I’m waiting for a replacement transmitter and need to keep the old one going for a while past the official end-of-battery,
The advice not to over-calibrate is helpful. I did calibrate that sensor several times in the first 30 hours before it went crazy.
I didn’t check or calibrate the current sensor in the first few hours because I was sleeping, but it was very accurate when I woke up and has been since then. Some of my previous sensors were far off in the first few hours and I calibrated, but maybe they would have corrected themselves.
With the G5, it’s OK to force a sensor into submission by calibrating 3x, 15 minutes apart. It works, but I seldom have to do that. For some odd reason, my has more issues with her G5 and complains that it will show her glucose lower than what she calibrates it to, when it reads low to start with. I keep reminding her, do it 2x and if that fixes it you are good to go; otherwise calibrate a 3rd time.
I don’t know if Dexcom suggests doing the same with a stubborn G6 sensor.
Best advice I’ve received from Dex tech support is to ignore the repeated request for calibration and let the sensor settle down. Except for one sensor, they’ve all settled down and started working fine 6-8 hours in.
The last 4 sensors I’ve “soaked”, inserting them 4-6 hours before starting a new session and it’s dramatically cut down on the calibration errors, false lows, etc. Just make sure you wait about 15 minutes between ending the old session and starting a new one.
