Dex failures

Diabetes Technology Glucose Monitoring
1

hello new here though I’ve been posting on Children with diabetes for a while. My son Kai is 6 and was diagnosed T1 1 year ago this month. We’ve just started with pump and cgms at the beginning of June.
I posted this on CWD but thought I’d try here too. We have had the worst run of sensor failures im beginning to think there is something we are doing wrong. The first few weeks of dexcom were amazing wonderful 10 days average sensor life spot on accuracy…and then the last 3 we’ve just had sensor failures every time. They last a day or so, then get spotty in accuracy, and then die after 3 days. We’ve had 4 failures in a row and I’m thinking that the sensor we put in yesterday is failing. tonight it alarmed low 39 and Kai was 150. I entered the 150 waited a bit and it alarmed low again. I retested 168 entered the number. a few minutes later it alarmed asking for a blood test. I tested again 151 entered it. now i wait fully expecting the thing to die tomorrow.
To make things worse we are in France for 3 weeks, could really use the extra level of BG monitoring what with unusual food and time changes and we have only 2 sensors left.

I’ve not heard anything about a rash of sensor failures so I’m thinking it is something I’m doing wrong. Kai is thin so we pretty much use the top of the tush and move the pump around in a circle on the top of the left cheek and the cgm around on the right. we cant really do tummy. could it be scar tissue?already? just bad sensors? often when we pull them out the wire is slightly bent. I’ve tried restarts with varied luck last one said bad just a few minutes after restart. We have been bathing and swimming more often and use IV3000 though it never keeps the water fully out.

sorry for the long first post, any thoughts?

2

I have had similar experiences. My first 4 I always got 14 days out of them, but ever since then, I don’t think I’ve made it more than 10, with most being around seven, but a few under. I had one die on the first day, so I called and they replaced it right away. They do want you to send in the old one though, so don’t throw it away. Have you called Dex yet? The one I am wearing right now is giving me all sorts of spotty feedback, and I am only on day 4. When you call Dex, don’t tell them you are using the tush though, because it has only been approved for the belly (this was a tip from my Dex rep), so they may not replace them.

1happydiabetic just posted a video on tudiabetes showing how he inserts his dex, so you might watch that to see if that is how you are doing it. However, I was told by my trainer not to use an IV prep, as it has a sugar base that makes it sticky, and it will give you false numbers. However, I have seen many post here that they use it.

Hope you find a solution. I am leaving for China Thursday, and had planned for this sensor to last a bit more than four days. I especially wanted it for the long plane ride over.
~Toni