I've had an ongoing issue with the alert function and settings and hopefully someone can tell me if I'm doing something wrong or whether this is just an inherit problem with the Dex.
For example: I have my low setting at 80 and if I haven't physically pushed the buttons to looked at my Bg it will alarm as soon as it drops below 80, no problem, nice early catch. But if by chance I have previously looked to see where my Bg is and it's 83 →(sideways) and even though it shows → it really is dropping slowly enough not to trigger a falling arrow. But then the Bg falls below 80 but no alarms sound. Later, sometimes as much as 30 minutes or more, I'll get an low alarm but by then I'm 50. This condition only happens when I've pushed buttons to look at Bg previously and I'm above 80. It doesn't happen if the receiver has been left alone like at night or if I'm busy (no buttons previously pushed), it alarms right when it crosses the 80 limit, (within the 5 minute sampling schedule). The situation is the same for a rising Bg.
I think it has something to do with the "snooze" setting which must trigger on when buttons are pushed but I've tried both the least snooze time of "30 min" and "None" but can't overcome this time lag of alerts. I look often during the day and this is a problem especially if I get occupied and stop looking for awhile. At night there's no problem with getting a quick alert, other than the 3 feeble vibe/beeps that never wake me without the addition of the $100 baby monitor I've had to add.
Very well explained. I've had the same problem, but haven't been able to document as well as your post did. Sorry, no suggestions, yet. I'm still relatively new to the CGM device. Thanks for your account. I was worried that it was a unique problem to my system, and would have to go through the process of return/replace with Dexcom. I'll follow along, and hope something is suggested. Thanks,
I've had the same problems Franco but figured it was maybe a limitation of the device? I have no explanation, always wondered why half the time my alert would go off at 80, and at other times at 50, aptly put Franco! I haven't been wearing mine much due to ongoing ??? every other day, so i'm kind of annoyed with it at the moment.
Here's what may be happening, though I am not sure. When you look at your receiver, if you push the clear button, it will clear the alarm. If you push the ok button, it will not clear the alarm. I find that if my receiver alarms, and I push the clear button, it doesn't keep alarming. (Unless I go really low). But if I push the ok button and not the clear button first, then it will alarm over and over again. I would look in the manual, but I'm too lazy, I guess. So, that's my theory and it seems mostly to hold for me. My biggest problem is that the vibrate is so noisy, even when I don't have it set on vibrate and beep. when I'm out in public, it vibrates so loudly that sometimes people stare.
I never use that the "C" button except to cancel some entry I've made. I always use the OK button whenever it alarms but I don't get the same results that you experience. Also, I have a terrible time hearing my vibrate/beep. If it's in my pants pocket I never hear it so I clip it to my belt or carry it in a shirt pocket. I always have it on vib/beep, maybe vibrate only is louder, I'll try that and see if it's different.
One thing I've noticed with my Dexcom is that when I have it currently on Vibrate/Beep...
Sugar = <80 - First reading - Vibrate, 5 min later - Beeps. Continual beeps 'til I hit the button. If I hit OK or clear (I've never noticed a difference)- it sets my delay back to 30 minutes. All in all - it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but that's how mine works.
Daniel W,
Is your Dex a 7plus model?
My 7plus never will beep continually even when I ignore or sleep through the 3 feeble vibrates. It will do 3 feebles about every 5 minutes but I don’t wake up with that either. I’ve tested this and after several 5 minute spaced 3 vibes it changes to 5 beeps. They would never be loud enough to wake me and by then my Bg would probably have dropped me into deeper sleep.
My previous Abbott Navigator CGM would never stop until you acknowledged the loud continuous alarm. It always woke me and my A1C was a few 10ths % better with Nav because you could catch those out of range Bg’s so much faster and treat them before they got out of control.
I have had so many issues with the alarms. I was used to freestyle navigator that beep on a regular basis. The alarms were so good and annoying. Since I have been using this Dexcom machine it has been terrible. They are fixing some of the problems that I think people have been complaining about when the new system comes out. Not sure why the alarms have to be fixed. They should have been right the first time. If you miss how much time you have when the current sensor has to be changed you can not go back and see. I don’t need bells and whistles but this machine needs so much improvements. Good luck I hope they make good changes.
