I just inserted a new sensor for my minilink CGM and I am bleeding way more than usual. Like dripping a lot. I am wondering if this one is even going to work? I hate to waste a sensor since they are so expensive and I have few left.
I would hold some pressure at the insertion site and blot the blood near the site with a tissue. It may work. I have had a few bloody insertions that wound up OK. As for the insertions - I guess I have been lucky. They have been little to no pain for the most part. I do pinch little and maybe this helps to distract from the needle pain. I don’t know. Works for me.
I had a sensor yesterday that was a little bloody but would not calibrate correctly for the life of me. Talked to the hotline and I had already tried all of their tricks so I wound up pulling it. But they did overnight me a replacement free of charge.
I don’t remember what diabetic group website I got this idea from, but it works most of the time for me with insertions. Once I have chosen the area, I use an ice cube and ice the area. Then clean as usual - takes a little longer for the alcohol to dry when my skin is cold, then insert as usual. What I have found is I allow a good 5 minutes more of the prep time once I have inserted before I stick the transmitter on otherwise I may not get the blinks. I assume it just takes a little longer for the area to warm up again and stuff to start circulating.
As for the bleeders, sometimes I think being a little chilled (from the ice cube) helps a bit. Then there are those days where its just going to bleed. So I have been known to take a piece of gauze and tape it over the area. If the start up readings seem wacky, I may pull the transmitter off, recharge it, pop it back on and then wait overnight or better than 4 or 5 hrs. Sometimes it saves it when the insertion has not wanted to stop bleeding. And when all else fails, call the helpline. I have always been successful if the fault isn’t all mine with getting a replacement sensor sent out.
I just had this happen a few days ago, and so I sympathize. That heavy gauge needle is a bit daunting. The longer I go between sensors, the harder it seems to be to start using them again–even though I love them when it’s working. I ended up having to pull the sensor out, and they did overnight me a replacement free of charge. Ice sounds like a good idea.
Yeah, it happens a lot to me. You know, being the size and weight of a small nail, with similar rigidity but much greater sharpness, it has far greater potential to nick a blood vessel and the hole it makes in your flesh is substantially larger than a pump’s infusion set insertion needle.
It really is a ridiculous and intimidating needle.
I use all of Korrie’s aforementioned techniques ( icing,pull off the transmitter when readings are “wacky”, making sure you get at least 4-5 hours of soaking up the interstitial fluid before you start up the sensor-yes overnight is much better) and they do work. This sensor can be reliable and last longer than 3 days, if you “work it”. There is a CGMS user’s group that has all sorts of information from experienced users.
It also took me many weeks of constant usage, refraining from ripping it out in anger and storing it in the box for weeks when I was frustrated; in order to understand how to make this new technology work for me… I was ready to throw in the towel., but I used “tricks” that are not mentioned in the user manual nor by the MM trainers…I have received pretty good assistance from MM and they will send another sensotrif all else fails and you HAVE to pull it out and use another sensor Hang in there, the "learning to mastery " curve is long…
Gd Bless,
Brunetta