I’ve been using the arm location very successfully for a year, following the general idea of this video. The abdominal site did not stick well and felt more in the way when I was exercising.
Placement is as close to armpit as possible. I’m a lean man, so I’m hunting for maximum flab without taping over armpit hair. (Sorry.) For me, the sweet spot to avoid pressing on it during sleep is slightly to the rear of where the arm presses my side, but not so far back that I’ll lie directly on it when on my back. Hope that kind of makes sense.
Thankfully, on my left arm I have a mole at exactly the right spot, so I use that as a guide! I don’t know where you can purchase one of those!
I know I’m a bad person for using this in a non-FDA-approved location, but it works great. Only rarely do I snag it on a sleeve while dressing now that I’ve learned new habits.
I just ordered some black grifgrip’s. I had the Dexcom G5 on my right side ten days ago. I have it on my left side of my abdomen for 10 days and going. The only thing is my right side that had the Dexcom on is still itching. What can i do to relieve the itching?
IDK what to do about itch relief…everything I have found for that makes the adhesive non-sticky. However, I have noticed it’s MOST itchy on my stomach.
I just placed my order for my G4 today. YAY!
I plan on trying Skin-Tac first, but I’ve definitely bookmarked these as well.
They’d definitely make for some interesting tan lines if worn on the arm for a couple of weeks. Which just brought up a whole new concern for me. I normally use spray-on sunscreen. If I wear my Dexcom on my arm, I’m guessing I now need to avoid spraying it right over the Dexcom both for the integrity of the sensor/transmitter and also to help keep the adhesive sticky.
I have huge adhesive issues and there are several options to see what works best for you. As usually YDMV rules applies. (Your Diabetes May Vary, a Bennett saying).
What works best for me is:
Avoid more tender skin like your stomach and buttocks. I prefer the backs of my arm and my thighs. I have known people who wear it on the forearm and calf. If you are hairy, it is important to shave the area or even better for long term wear (like a week) wax the area.
Clean the area well. (Like over clean it.) Some use flonase, some don’t. (after cleaning.)
Apply a skin barrier. There are several brands of this as well. I suggest you talk to your doctor about getting samples of all types. Again…YDMV. For me, Skin Tac works the best.
Try IV Prep and Tegaderm, and other like products. It works for some. For me…no. The rash from those products were worst. I would suggest to put these on without any medical device for a couple of days. That way, you are not wasting supplies. If this works for you, be sure to cut a hole where the cannula or wire that goes under your skin in the product.
Insert medical device
When you are ready to take off the device, use a chemical solvent, like uni-solve (there are many on the market). Be sure to let it sit on the adhesive and soak in completely. (Some people swear by baby oil.)
Ask for a prescription of Triamcinolone Acetontide Cream. It helps a lot with the rashes. Mine sometimes look like a third degree burn, and often there are blisters that take weeks to heel. For those I use silver nitrate.
When it came to insets, I tried every one on the market. All brands affected me differently, and I was able to choose the one that least affected me (which was the contact detach). Again, here my endo was instrumental in getting me samples. (I love my endo…ask anyone here on TuD )
None of these solved the rash problem, they just help lessen the rash and the itch. If the itch is unbearable…I remove the site and use another site. My doctor has been most helpful in getting my insurance to cover insets for my pump for every two days instead of every three days. This alone cut the severity in rash significantly and it is now tolerable with proper rotation to ensure my skin healed completely.
I hope this help. It is based on my experiences, and you may find something works better for you.
I take a Q-tip, dip it into Mastisol adhesive, and paint it on the sensor tape (after removing the covering). Once I have a good coating, I let it dry a couple of minutes then attach the sensor to my body. Works great and I have no more issues of my sensor getting loose while exercising.
I use UniSolve to remove any leftover adhesive after removing tape or sensor.
We have a huge box of little sachets of UniSolve with which to remove sticky residue left after removing a Dexcom sensor or a Pod. But no, my daughter can’t be bothered (and won’t allow me to do it for her) and those sticky leftovers just sit around on her skin, picking up cat and dog hair, clothes lint, food crumbs, boogers, dead skin cells, and G-d knows what else, and it looks like $h!t…
Hi, sorry this isn’t exactly about the CGM. It’s about the patch. My patch has been coming off more easily in the summers with even short runs. I’ve moved to the pump a couple of months back and I run long distances and marathons as well. It’s really annoying having the patch come off mid run or post run. Any help or ideas on adhesives or other cool hacks would be welcome
I would guess that the same approach most of us use for Dexcom sensors will work just as well for infusion sets. Paint the area with Skin Tac adhesive before insertion. Cover the adhesive patch on the set with Opsite Flexfix (you should cut a piece of the appropriate size and then cut out a hole large enough to allow the plastic part of the infusion set to stick through. You can purchase Skin Tac and Flexfix from Amazon or sellers on Ebay.
I didn’t realize you were in India. Do you have an Amazon site in India? If not you should be able to find the items on Ebay. I am in the UK - most sellers on Ebay are in the USA but will post them overseas. I have had some difficulties in the past getting the Skin Tac. You can buy it either as a liquid or in packets of swabs. The liquid is cheaper and more convenient, but apparently there is some sort of problem sending it through the mail (it’s dangerous on aeroplanes or something like that). You may need to order the swabs (which work fine). The Flexfix comes in two widths, 5 cm (2 inches) and 10 cm (4 inches). Order the wider stuff, it is easier to cut out the hole.
Good luck with your marathon running (particularly in such a hot climate). I ran my last one in 1984 but it is a lot cooler over here.
Yep, there is an Amazon India site (can’t see the stuff there). I found both these on Ebay, though I can see only the 2" Opsite Flexifix available. Maybe I’ll start running with Skin Tac first then! I’m so relieved there’s a legitimate solution. Thanks. Hope you get back to running too!
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