This morning I was inserting a new sensor for the G4, in a site I’ve used many times before - the left side of my abdomen. I got a little wimpy while inserting it, and I went really slow with the needle, which I know always makes it worse for me, but it’s usually fine anyway. This time, however, there was a lot of blood at and around the insertion site, and some pain. I was worried about it, so I removed it right away (I had just got done with a 3-week sensor so I didn’t feel as bad about throwing a fresh one away, but alas). I then went ahead and inserted a sensor on the right side of my abdomen, and same thing!! This time I went quick with the needle cause I thought maybe that caused an issue, and there was even more blood at the sensor site for this one. We’re talking a lot of blood, it looked like the whole area under the sensor kind of “filled” with blood. Anyway, I couldn’t bear throwing away another perfectly good sensor, so I went with it and I’m now waiting for the 2-hour calibration window to end.
Does this happen to anyone else?? Is it okay to just use the sensor site, or are my readings going to be all whacked out for the next week? I can’t remember reading anything about bloody sensors on the G4. Thanks!
Bullseye! I hate it when I hit a nerve/blood vessel directly on! My first experience with a CGM setup the training nurse hit one so dead on I bled like a stuck pig! Of course I'm on blood thinners too due to the diabetes so that made it even worse.
I've had bleeding at sensor sites too, but so far the blood has never affected a reading. Incidentally, in my experience, Dexcom will replace a sensor that's been in for less than seven days, whatever the reason. No need to worry about wasting one.
I didn't know that, thanks! I'll have to give them a call. It freaked me out more than anything - I just didn't expect it to be so much blood, especially when the second insertion didn't hurt at all haha
I have had it happen a few times. Once when I took it off it actually was spurting. My Dr. said that I must have hit a vein that was close to the surface. I just treated it with Neo-Sporen and a bandaid it healed quickly. The company never seems to mention it or care about it. I guess we are on our own after we buy it. I have an Omnipod and it will do the same sometimes. If its painful I remove it but it is so expensive that I try and keep it on if at all possible. Wish you could just remove it and reinstall it but its all or nothing. This does not happen often so I just live with it.
I had this happen to me also.This was only my second time inserting in the sensor.I have not encountered any really big differences in my glucometer and my cgm.I have noticed the lag time when bolussing and eating that it takes a little while for the sensor to catch up with the blood.
