Hi! I have a Dexcom G5 CGM and over the past two months everytime I take it off I have this really bad rash and itch. My skin is really red and dry right under the plastic piece, and just red everywhere else. It itches really badly while I’m wearing it too, so much that I scratch at it and the white adhesive backing comes off a bit. This has caused the G5 to only stay on my arm for 2-3 days, so I bought some simpatch adhesive and that had it stay on for about 6 days total before it came off. I also regularly use skintac.
I considered that it was because I was allergic to the adhesive, but I use the omnipod too and have no itching or trouble with that. I only use skintac with my G5 but I swabbed that on another part of my body and there was no rash from that either. I put that on my hip and the G5 on my upper arm.
Any ideas as to the itch and rash? If there’s nothing I can do, and ways to get it to stick better would help too. Thanks!
My regimen is half a Tough Pad on the sensor site before insertion and then cover over the sensor with Opsite Flex-Fix. The Tough Pad is used to speed healing on a wound. It takes care of the itching that comes with extended senor use. I can go 14-21 days per sensor with no itching.
Hello, I have been using a Dexcom G5 for the last 6 months and initially had experienced a rash. I now spray the area with Flonace allergy nasal spray and the rash has never returned. Just make sure to give the spray time to dry before putting on the sensor
Kerri Sparling has written a lot about adhesive issues with Dexcom on her blog. Her most recent post about it indicates that sensors with an expiration past 8/17/17 have a different adhesive and are not causing the rash.
http://sixuntilme.com/wp/2017/03/06/the-follow-up-about-dexcom/
You can also go to her blog and put Dexcom adhesive in the search box and read her previous discussions about what products she used.
I personally do not get Dexcom adhesive reactions on my arms where I normally wear the sensors. However, I often do when I wear them on my abdomen.
I started with an awful rash too, @Mila helped me with a video she created for her blog with some good tips. Hopefully she´ll share again here 
I never had other allergies to adhesives with my pump so it came to a surprise that I had such a terrible rash thing.
We use a hydrocolloid as the barrier between the Dexcom adhesive and my son’s skin. There are several brands, we tried a few of them until we found one that his skin would not react.
Update! The rash is still there, but I now use IV patches (? like the clear barrier usually between IVs and skin) and I’m still getting a rash. I recently bought some Benadryl antihistamine spray so we’ll see how that works, and if it doesn’t I’m going to try the Flonase!
Hi. I’ve had the same problem. Flonase worked for a few months with a Tegaderm patch. But then the rash came back. I’m now using DuoDerm Extra Thin CGF Dressing. This is the 3rd sensor insert and no itching. The only thing is that the sensors don’t seem to last as long. The last two only lasted 1.5 weeks before I got a no signal and had to replace. But the itching is gone.
Do you think it’s from contamination as the sensor is installed?
Hi @Dave44. I don’t think it’s contamination. I think it’s the transmitter. After I posted earlier I tried another sensor and immediately got no signal. Waited a couple of hours, called Dexcom. They said it wasn’t the sensor or transmitter, but Bluetooth. I use my phone vs. the receiver. I re-paired the transmitter to my phone and it working. This is the same thing that I did 3 weeks ago when I had this problem. My transmitter is due to be replaced in 2 weeks I think it’s just dying. I’m going to use the receiver this week with the phone and see if I lose the signal on both.
If anyone is following this. It’s the batch of sensors. Dexcom still denies it. I used the one replacement they provided and it lasted 2 weeks. I changed it out 2 days ago and I keep getting no signal. This is the last one in the box so I’ll see what happens. This one works better with the receiver and not iPhone. I go this CGM to use with my phone. Disappointing.