Thighs, upper arms, love handles, are all fair game, never tried butt or back, some guys actually use chest area - but I imagine it would all depend on how hairy you are. Granted if you have a problem with the sensor and have to call Dexcom - when they ask you where it is the answer is always horizontally on the abdomen.
I always tell them that I have it on the thigh because it is more accurate there.
Just because they haven't spent the money to get FDA approval for a location other than the abdomen........
I am usually only calling them with a problem with a sensor. I don't want them to say well you are not wearing it on your stomach so that is why it is not working correctly. Just figure it is easier to lie and save myself the hassle.
Maybe I have had good luck. They have told me that it is only approved for the abdomen, but have always been good about replacing sensors that didn't function well.
Same for me, Suzan. I always tell them where I wear it. I have to listen to them tell me how it's not approved there, blah, blah, blah, but they always replace it.
I wish they would just go ahead an do the trials for other areas :)
I'm gonna change my sensor tomorrow (i've gotten 10 days out of this one) and want to use my thigh, i don't have much fat on the thigh, where are you putting it? I started the Omnipod on Tuesday and trying to save my tummy area for the Pods. I did try Dex on my arm, not much fat there either, didn't seem to last too long. I also use the Opsite tape to secure Dex, now gonna use the BARD barrier wipes for the Omnipod. OMG, so many supplies..so much stuff. :(
My dexcom sensor is currently on my right thigh on the outside maybe about 6-8 inches down from my hip bone. I do not have a lot of fat either but the most accurate and longest lasting sensors for me have been on my thigh. The current one will be 2 weeks old on Sunday. I don't feel it and it is still giving good readings so I will just leave it be until something changes.
thanks! will try that tomorrow. don't you hate waiting the 2 hours for the new sensor to restart...feel lost during that time; it really is a nice, useful piece of technology, glad I was able to get it.
OK, next on my adventure.
I peeled it off after two weeks this weekend. The Skin-tac caused no issues, it came off once I wiped down the edges with an alcohol swab and got it really wet. I then yanked it off and it was not painful, just stuck. I then took a shower and washed off the residual with soap and water, no biggie.
Now I did have an issue during the night. I put the new sensor on my stomach toward the right side. During the night I got woken up, oh, maybe 5,000 times. (OK, not really but it sure felt like it, but constantly none the less.)
It said my BG was 65. I trusted it and got a snack to make it back up. About 30 minutes later it said 43!? I felt fine and figured I would check and compare. My glucometer said 89. I redid the test on the G4 and it leveled at 75.
Another 20-30 minutes it goes off and says, 50. I checked the BG again and it was 89.
I adjusted again and it was going off once again in a little while.
I thought hmm, maybe it is because I was laying on it. I tried to consciously sleep on my other side or back. I woke up a couple of hours later and it and my glucometer matched.
Can you not lay on the sensors? Has anyone else had this issue before?
Yes laying on the sensor is not a good idea. It tends to get compressed by the mattress and your body weight and can give you all sorts of funky readings from high to low and all things in between. I generally put the sensor in a spot that I do not lay on.
I never start a new sensor too late in the day, mostly because the initial few days can be a bit rocky and I like my sleep too much.
Every sensor session is a new "adventure". Some are super accurate from the get go and others not so much. It's all about placement and some sites are much better than others. As you use it more you will find sites that you like and others that are not so good. Trial and error. Good luck
true, try not to lay on sensor. i put a new one on on saturday, on outer thigh, as clare suggested..had horrible numbers, 2:30am sensor buzzing low, low, double arrows down, did it again and it just screamed LOW. I had to change it at 3:30am. I wouldn't advise putting it on the thigh unless you're for sure not going to put any pressure on it or sleep on that side.
Sorry Sarah - I still have the same one on my thigh and it is now more than 2 weeks old. But I also sleep on my back, not on the side or stomach so the only place really that won't work for a sensor for me is my butt or love handles.
Great insight all...thanks!!!
I just got some Skin-Tac, and am using it for the first time. It's a WHOLE lot better than trying to tape the thing down. I have yet to remove it though, and I do appreciate you tip on getting it thoroughly wet with rubbing alcohol. Not an expensive substance, whew!! :-)
As far as sleeping on it, I've never had any problems. I've always put the sensor on either the right or left side of my upper abdomen, and that's where I sleep, too. So I'm not quite sure what's going on with you. I do remember that people had issues with sleeping on the 7+, but I never had that, either. So looks like you're going to have to do some experimentation to figure out what's going on with you, because YMMV! (YMMV is OLD diabetes speak for YDMV. We used that before there even was an internet!) :-)
I have mine on the thigh, at about 10 or 11 o'clock, on the outside. I sleep on my side where the sensor is, but as I am positioned at 7-9 o'clock, I have no problem.
i put it back on my abdomen, side are and sleep on that side but it's not as much pressure as it is when sleeping on the hip - leg area..IDK, it didn't work for me at all. I have little fat on my thighs, so...maybe it was that. Dex advises too to not put sensor (cannula) through any skin prep, so leave area where actual cannula goes through clean...don't know if it will make a difference. I bought some of the Opsite Flex tape...works well.
Another caution for the thigh location, if you have a lap dog(mine is a 55 lb. "lap dog") the dog can interfere with the signal. My Dex always correct as soon as the dog gets off my lap but he is thick enough to block the signal occasionally:) I also notice if I get the sensor cannula to shallow under the skin I will get more false low readings.