I have been using my CGM for about 2 months and it seems I have had nothing but trouble from the start. Over Thanksgiving seemed to be the worst…I was doing fine and things were great…I was happy because I was able to bypass the alarm for the 3 days on the sensor, and it wasn’t hurting me or anything…then I had to change my infusion set…things were fine then the CGM started having alarms…lost sensor, etc…I had about 15 alarms in about 2 hours time…called Medtronic and was on the phone with them for about an hour and finally ended up having to change the whole sensor and all…So now I have the sensor completely off and where it was I have little sores and they are really red and angry looking…Now I am just wanting to not ever put the sensor back on…I will be talking with the nurse that set my up today and just am so frustrated with all this crap and just having diabetes in general…Does anyone else seem to get more depressed around this time of the year?
They call it SAD or seasonal affective disorder. I would say that I am not as happy as I usually am in the summer. However, in the summer I am out biking, hiking and going to the pool. The winter time just doesn’t offer the same amount of outdoor activities. I would love to be skiing every weekend but first it need to be cold enough to at least produce fake snow!!
As far as the CGM hurting the biggest factor is making sure that it is taped down and does not move. If it moves around a lot it will hurt or irritate the surrounding area. It will also mess up your readings and cause weak signal or any of the other warnings. Unless you need the alarm feature I would turn it off. I couldn’t stand the alarms and I hate being awakened during the night.
Make sure that your site is a couple of inches from your sensor because that can cause problems with your BG readings as well.
Dave
Dear Dawn: I just read your comments today here a month late. Sadly, the Medtronic system didn’t work for me and I really wanted and needed it to. I just used it a month. It let significant lows go without alarming me and beeped wildly in the night waking me up for perfectly normal readings. With all the trouble to use it, the discomfort and being inaccurate, I gave it up. I hope you aren’t depressed today. I hope you are full of happiness and well-being. We are more than these difficult bodies. I was talking about this matter yesterday with a friend. We decided that bodies are like rented apartments. We don’t own them and you have to pay the costs (rent) to keep them for however long you are in one. But its always temporary and you don’t get to stay if you are destructive and tear up your “apartment.” Anyway, hope that got at least a little smile going. Have a great day. jansfronk@aol.com
Wow Dave. Maybe this is why I failed with CGMS. No one told me all of this. Thanks. jansfronk@aol.com
I always put a little circle bandaid with a drop of neosporin ointment over all my sensor and infusion sites when I remove them. Prevents infections and limits scarring. Infections and scarring are an obvious risk of leaving something inserted under the skin for days at a time. I don’t know how long you were leaving the sensors in, but I leave mine in twice as long as I keep infusion sets in so the risks of infection and scarring just increase. You just have to be proactive to prevent that, especially if you’re more prone to it than other people might be.
Also, if you’re depressed, that’s going to reduce your frustration tolerance and make minor issues and problems seem amplified. So maybe these things just feel more aggravating than they would otherwise. I know when I’m depressed, little things seem like bigger, more annoying things. I hope you’re doing something to combat any depression regardless of the CGM frustrations you’ve experienced.
I hope you’ve had a chance to troubleshoot with your nurse, and things are going better by now.
If I leave a sensor in more than three days it will always be angry red and sore–my body just does not want a sensor in for more than 3 days (infusion sets either).
If I get a tiny bit dehydrated, it messes up my readings and can make me sore–easy to forget to drink enough water when really busy
I cut a piece of IV 3000 in half, put the first half over the sensor when I insert–I wait about half an hour (sometimes more–I get distracted) to let the sensor settle before addding the transmitter–then tape that side down with the other half. Also means you only have to replace 1/2 the IV 3000 if you are one of the lucky ones who can leave a sensor in longer,to recharge the transmitter.
And every once in awhile I nick a capilarry and end up with a nasty bruise–those sets are always a little off and hurt (to the touch-not constant)…just kinda comnes with the territory. But since I am Hypo unaware–worth the hiccups
Hang in there
Hypo unaware?? I’m in the research stage of getting a CGM. Isn’t the point of having a CGM to be AWARE of oncoming Hypo in order to avoid these events?
Frankly, the CGM is beginning to sound like it is not worth all the hassle, I.E., un-needed alarms, changing every three days, possible infection, still must use finger stick method, and more. ■■■■ !!
The CGMS does make me aware by way of an alarm–but without the CGMS I can get in serious trouble very easily (I am also very insulin sensitive)
Not many people need to change every three days, I just happen to be one of them,and for me it is still worth it.
You do still have to do finger stick–but for me not near as often.
you have a possibility of infection ever time you poke yourself–properly taken care of sensor/infusion sites I don’t see as that big of a risk.
There are other pros and cons…CGMS is obviously not for everyone (yet); but for some of us the hassle and the other cons are still outwieghed by the pros.
It is a very indiidual decision
I use the 3000 tape to help secure the CGMS. If it doesn’t move, I don’t get sore. It is tape that has four different pieces to pull off. I also put the sensor in but don’t shower or put on the transducer for at least 1/2 hour to let it get adjusted. Then when I put on the transducer and tape over it, and start the sensor, it usually works okay. I also calibrate before each meal and bedtime when my blood sugar is not changing rapidly. That helps too. I use one sensor for a week.
I found out that the sensor is not waterproof unless the transducer is plugged into it. I took a shower with the sensor in and the transducer off and the sensor was totally messed up and gave me many alarms for 12 hours! If finally dried out and worked.
Once you figure it out, the CGMS can really help. I’ve been on it a little over 2 months and my A1C is down.
Best of luck.
Dawn-- per many posts above, LOTS of users put tape under the MM Sensor (not just on top), and lots of them use the same tape under the MiniLink too-- for many people, it rubs and causes skin rash as well.
Try all the alternate brands: Opsite “Flexifix” is very popular with rash-prone people, so is 3M’s “Tegaderm”. From what I’ve seen in Internet chat, IV-3000 is the less likely to be successful than these two-- but if the first two don’t work out, give it a try too: It works for Denise, and maybe for you too.
Now for a bit of OT: As Dave said, the FIRST “key” to long Minimed Sensor life is to keep it absolutely motionless within your skin. (The second “key” is to keep your average bG low-- AFAIK, all the people who get a month or more have A1c readings in the 5’s.)
It’s very possible that you simply bought the wrong product-- Dexcom has it’s disadvantages (Sensors cost $60 each and don’t last as long; the Receiver is another thing to carry around, AND it uses a rechargeable battery like Minilink-- the battery wears out after 12-18 months of use, and it costs $$$$ to replace the Receiver.) However, the Dexcom Transmitter doesn’t rub your skin; the Sensor is much thinner; and most important of all, the surface of the Sensor wire is mostly non-reactive titanium, causing much less IR.
I too never wanted to put a Minimed Sensor back in-- but mostly, because the durn things hurt so much more than Dexcom’s do. (I gave both machines a “trial” for a week, at the same time.)
But it sounds like you’re talking about surface sores, not IR from the actual Sensor probe. If so, then you should think about it a bit-- are the sores from underneath the Sensor adhesive pad, or under the Minilink, or under both areas?
Another OT: SAD used to happen my house, too. We solved it by getting one of those powerful florescent reflector “sunlight lamp” thingies. DW only needs about 10 minutes, right at wake-up time, to prevent all of the symptoms. And to my surprise, I noticed a benefit for myself, even though I had never previously thought that I had a touch of SAD. The things really work, but you need to use them right at wake-up time.
Depression? Sure!
I have to promise and remind myself at least once every day that that this damn sugar may have made my life a little more difficult, but it is NOT going to kill me. Its a ballgame I will not lose, period.
Been shooting up for 56 years now.
There has been improvments over the years, some would argue major improvments, but I’m not at all satisfied.
Needles into my body, many times per day, depleats any improvments.
The Medical profession is in the pioneer stage with all their intrusive solutions regarding diabetes and everything else. They haven’t come to far with brain surgery either, just to name an example.
I’m appealing my insurance rejection and the more I learn the more I hesitate to buy now.
Jim