Here's a question for all you full-time Dex users.
I got a week's trial with a Dexcom and really loved it. I found that, the more I calibrated, the more accurate it's readings were. I checked my bg with a fingerstick at the same times that I normally did without a Dex (7x a day) and would always enter that value into the Dex. After a few times doing this, Dex was always within a few points of my actual bg.
Is this true for everyone? Does everyone that uses a Dex calibrate as I did? Or do you think that's where you run into issues with the Dex being 50+ points off your actual bg level?
Sad to say, I have been denied a 2nd time by my insurance company {citing "a poor A1c that can be controlled through other methods" --my A1c is only 6.4!!} so I probably will not be getting one soon. I'll try again after the first of the year with my insurance, and will probably look into paying cash for the new G4 system.
I find that it's not the frequency of calibrations that helps, more just calibrating when you are level. Calibrating when you are rising or falling is sure to lead to off numbers later.
What I 've found with insurance is to prove that you need the alerts, especially at night. If you have lows at night, that require assistance then be sure that your doctor indicates that in a letter to the insurance company.
It's generally true for any CMGM that the more calibrations you feed it, the more accurate it will be.
I find that with the Dexcom, if I feed it a lot of calibration readings the first day I start a sensor, it's typically very accurate thereafter. Depending on the insertion site, after that some sensors can require as little as the minimum 2 calibrations per day to stay accurate, but you shouldn't change your testing regimen to any less than it already is (7x) unless your A1C improves. Try light exercise, like a brisk walk for 30 min every day for a while, and see if that helps.
+1 on reporting the lows at night to insurance. That's a major advantage of a CMGM and there's no other way to get it.
I don't have nighttime lows. Very, very rarely. I'm more concerned with being high, especially certain times of the month {I've yet to figure out a formula to anticipate and correct that}. But my insurance doesn't see it that way.
To me, it's circular reasoning. I need to be "better" at managing my diabetes during the day, increasing the risk of nighttime lows, just so I can prove I have nighttime lows, just to get this machine. What sense does that make?
I don't *want* lows at night that require assistance. What kind of goal is that??
I know I need better control throughout the day - who doesn't? I'm living my life keeping my health and overall diabetes control in mind. I'm not holding myself back from things because of my diabetes. I'm eating fewer and fewer carbs and my blood sugars have slowly been leveling out over the past several months.
One of the main reasons that I wanted this CGM was to help keep my high blood sugars in range to help with a possible pregnancy in the next few years. I know you have to be very strict with your control during that time and I want to start now. ALL of that was documented by my doctor in my appeals paperwork.
My a1c is perfectly fine and right where it should be. My doctor is very happy with it. I'd never test my bg less even if my a1c decreased. And we all know that a1c results are not indicative of anything other than an average. Meaning I sometimes still swing wildly from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Sorry to rant to everyone on here. I'm just frustrated with this entire process.
