Shouldn’t the neighbors have contacted you immediately? I once had a misdirected package (very important) end up at a neighbor’s house 2 doors away. The moron opened it and didn’t tell me that he had it. I tracked it down to his house and got it back, thankfully, but what a jerk!
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I think customer service has improved dramatically since they opened their new center in Mexico and actually have a representative for each area in the US. If Manilla can’t handle an issue promptly and efficiently then Mexico picks up the follow up process. The only issue I had with Mexico is that they promise to call you back and because they are swamped, most of the time they don’t call as promised. On the bright side you get the name and direct telephone number of the representative following up on your issue and can always call him/her for an update.
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Hi,
Thank you for your kind reply. I agree with you about looking into other options, only to read that the grass is not greener! You’re also right about the G6 being a different animal than the G4.
I’m happy to hear that you’re having more success with the G6 now. To answer your questions, I rotate sensor insertions in my abdomen. My sensor error readings would occur at varying times during the 10-day wear period. I could not see a pattern with respect to when. I would also look to see if the sensor appeared loose in any way, which it wasn’t. I also get periodic readings that would say I was out of range of the receiver, when clearly it wasn’t (I wear it inside my bra).
I think all of that, plus customer service issues with Dexcom, the high price of the system and its components just collectively got to me, and I decided to take a ‘vacation’.
Perhaps I’ll give it another try at some point…I’m glad to hear it’s faring better for you.
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Thanks.
I used the G4 for almost 4.5 years, exclusively placing the sensors in the FDA-approved lower abdomen, rarely extending the sensors beyond a total of 10 days, so I probably used 150+ sensors in that time. I also eliminated that area of my body as an area for infusion sets.
When I started the G6, I quickly discovered that due to overuse, that area needed a rest. I also had error readings at varying times during the 10-day wear, and a lot of “alarm fatigue”. Calls to Dex customer service and their resident CDE folks for placement advice was of zero help.
I went through over two weeks of never getting a sensor to last through the warm-up. I insisted on having a new transmitter sent even though the one I was using was just over a month old (coincidence? I don’t think so!).
After receiving the new transmitter, I finally bit the bullet and used the back of my arm. Success! The one-touch inserter really helps.
I’m now trying a new routine that rotates between my arms and stomach. This will give me at least 30 days between the same area. I’m on day 32 of this new routine, and I’m again getting excellent results.
Here is a number that has as a choice to go to the corporate office. Don’t know what to do beyond that, but they need to know their customer service is crap.
Also, were the support people foreign?
How do we get in contact?
Mexico now huh? well, maybe that’s an improvement.
Dexcom seems to have been working to convince my Endo that their G5 is much more reliable than it actually is. So, I have resorted to more finger sticks because the G5 keeps taking extended " rest breaks", sometimes for several hours. I have experienced times when it has been " on break" but I didn’t feel quite right and testing showed I was at 48!!
Now, when that happens, I call and go thru their question routine and they send me another sensor. At some point, they’ll hopefully discover that this is a problem that needs to be solved, as the cost of sending replacement sensors will eventually become concerning. I’d encourage anyone experiencing problems to take the time to call and do likewise; there’s strength in numbers.
I would think twice about the G6, and try for a G5, especially if you rely on acetaminophen.
Last year i was upgraded to G6 by Dexcom (i did not initiate the request). I had excellent results with G4 and G5. My experience with G6 sensors has been horrible! And when i first had problems, i spoke to Dexcom tech support, and viewed various diabetes blogs to see if there were things i was doing wrong and could improve on, what i instead found was there is a vast array of dissatisfied Dexcom customers, especially with G6. Count me as an extraordinarily frustrated, dissatisfied customer.
Why? The G6 sensors fail regularly and the reorder system - at least for Medicare patients - was horrible in 2019. I now keep (and still have) the paper backing of each sensor to maintain notes of the rare successes and overwhelming failures of sensors. On average at least 2 out of 3 sensors fail. Some failures are due to sensor error readings that begin as intermittent loss of signal and end as sensor read errors - failures - that last over several minutes to several hours to permanently. Some failures begin on day 1, with the majority (for me) by day 7. On average 1 out of every 6 to 8 sensors do not self-calibrate properly initially or even with 24 hours, and give data that is wildly divergent from finger-stick data. When these errors occur, some sensors can be recalibrated manually and thereafter give valid data (which i continue to check daily with one evening fingerstick throughout the sensor life for peace of mind). Some do not stay true and must be replaced.
Each sensor, and once a transmitter, failure results, you usually get a long phone hold with horrible music. When a live human being answers, the techs always suggest the same ways to improve sensor performance, and i have incorporated each suggestion: Everything from patch failure (now i add a Skin Tac Wipe - MS407W) before installing, and an overpatch (only available from Dexcom tech support and more hold time), to waiting 15 minutes between one sensor ending and inserting a new one due to a processing issue, to allowing a new sensor to soak for 15 minutes in the interstitial fluids before attaching the transmitter, to turning off the receiver for 10-15 minutes. I avoid acetaminophen and only apply sensors to the abdomen. Various techs have told me there is are design or programming issues, or perhaps a particular factory that is the cause of the errors. All to no avail. My sensor failure rate is approaching 70%. The ordering process for Medicare patients (possibly non-Medicare) is also aggravating.
Granted, each of us who deals with diabetes has a different body chemistry and medical profile that may affect performance, but this has been my experience. Your mileage on a G6 might be better.
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Like you, I exclusively used my abdomen for sensor attachment. Also, like you, I was finding a huge failure rate with the G6 of over 70%. The new sensor design (and the related SW) is way more sensitive than the G4/5 version.
Thanks! I think i’ll have to try that. When a sensor fails, the techs always ask where the sensor is placed, and they pretty much require the answer be ‘abdomen.’ But between the insulin pump and the sensor, and avoiding veins or surgical scars, you kinda run out of places, and time for them to heal. Any recommendations on where on your arms works well for sensors?
When a sensor fails, the answer is ALWAYS “it was placed in the abdomen”. Since it’s the only FDA-approved location.
I have had success in the back of my arms. There’s been an added bonus of fewer compression lows.
I’ve seen others place them on their calves, breasts, backside and in the rear love handle area.
I’m avoiding the last two locations because I use them for my infusion sets.
Dex won’t discuss other areas because of the FDA-approval straightjacket.
Let me know if any new sites work for you, okay?
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Before Dexcom moved their CS to Manila, I probably spent 5 hours total on hold this year waiting to speak with a rep. The awful hold music haunts me. This morning I called my pump supply provider (Pumps-It) and they have the same damn hold music! I broke out in a cold sweat. Thankfully I only had to tolerate it for about 30 seconds. 
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Since i began putting the sensors on my upper arms, failures have been a thing of the past. Two inches past elbow, midway between elbow and cubital fossa (elbow crease) works great. Thanks for the advice!
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what’s a “compression low”?
When you put too much pressure on the area the sensor is getting its readings from, lying on your sensor for example, the interstitial fluid gets spread out too far from the wire . The wire doesn’t have enough fluid for accurate readings.
So, it uses the available fluid and determines that the glucose amount is much lower than it actually is.
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