Dexcom monitoring device

So I am wondering if any of u use the dexcom monitoring device and if so if u really think it's better than the traditional method of checking ur blood sugar i.e. the pro's and con's of it. I am interested in it because I struggle with getting a lot of lows especially at night which scares me.

You still have to check your BG and calibrate the CGM with finger sticks. The CGM will change the way you manage your BG buy warning you when you BG is on the move giving you time to take action before it get's out of hand. I have normal A1c's and on a good day lab tests would not say I'm a PWD and this was never possible before I started using a CGM. My BG is not easy to control and I was placed on a CGM because my night time BG was unpredictable and this caused a lot of sleepless nights and a negative impact on my overall health (physically and mentally). If your not using a pump you should start...it's the first step in getting control

over crazy night time BG. I see that you are also active and this can also cause night time lows, your body

will steal away BG to restore your muscle's causing low BG many hours after the activity.

Life's good with a pump and CGM

Hey Angel, I've been wearing a Dexcom for going on a year now and I would be lost without it. I agree with everything that JohnG said above. The greatest part of the Dex is that you get to see what's happening between the finger sticks. As John said, it doesn't eliminate the finger sticks, but you can see the in-betweens too.

Having a Dexcom has almost completely eliminated my lows. If I see I'm trending downward, I'll bump it up with just a few carbs before I get in trouble. I got the Dex because I was having big drops at night of up to 100 points from Lantus peaks and I had developed hypo unawareness. I've since gone on a pump and the two combined are powerful tools.

Another significant benefit of the Dex is seeing what happens to your bg when you eat. Without it, you test 2 or 3 hours after you eat to see where it is. The Dex lets you see how high different foods spike you before you begin to come back down. Seeing what was going on that my finger sticks weren't catching is what keeps me away from lots of carbs. There's no hiding from it and no excuses because you can see it on the monitor.

Hi Angel: I have been using my Dexcom for a little more than 1 year now, and I love it! I simply don't know how I managed without it! Initially, it can be overwhelming because you get SO much data, but I have adjusted now. It really helps with nighttime lows--I have mine set to alarm (vibrate) at 70 mg/dl, and the Dex allows me to catch the lows that previously I might have missed. And as smileandnod says, being able to see the trends is so helpful. You just can't get the trends (up or down) with finger sticks.

I started with the Medtronic Paradigm with the CGM. I HATED putting the Medtronic sensors in! I love what they show you throughout the day, but almost wasn't worth the pain. I recently got a Dexcom. The Dexcom is the BEST CGM EVER!!!!!!! Inserting it is about the same pain level as taking a shot, so it is not bad at all. You still have to do fingersticks to calibrate the sensor, and before any meal. This Dexcom can help you figure out why you are dropping at night. They can be expensive, but seriously, can you put a price on better control and see EVERYTHING that is going on during the day? I hope this helped. If you get a CGM, go with Dexcom!!!

Hi Angel,

Did yo know there is a Dexcom users group on this board? You might want to post there too.

I have been on the Dexcom since January 2010 and it literally changed my life. I am safer now, especially when driving and sleeping. I believe it is a necessity for any type 1 diabetic.

I love mine.
I have the minimed one.

It's a mixed bag and it takes a little getting used to, but every time I thought I was sick of it, the instant it wasn't there and I couldn't do the instant glance at where I am by looking at the face of my insulin pump, I missed it. Now I can't live without it.

Inserting the sensors isn't great, but it's once every 2 weeks(ish) and I get at least 9 days for each, so it's forgivable.

While it's great, it's also not without it's teething problems. I feel I get far better use out of it (ironically) when I'm having pretty good control. The little up's and downs register far better and more accurately than giant roller coaster changes.
They do still register of course, but I find the wider you veer from your finger stick result you calibrated it with, the less accurate it becomes. You learn when to calibrate, and when to wait as it won't be as reliable. Again, you get the best start here when super stable.

These are trifling matters compared to the gains. You WILL tighten your control. You will begin to see trends that can be helped.
In fact my control is so flighty and weird that even though I'm no closer to being as automated with my control as some, it does at least allows me some decent A1C results because I can micro-manage the hell out of my day. A shift of 20 can be bludgeoned into control with a bolus of 0.1 of a unit, etc. This wouldn't be possible with finger sticks as it doesn't show you the direction you're going in. If I'm at 148 on my meter but it's coming down by 5-6 points every 5 minutes, then I still know it's coming down. If it's been stable and there for 30 minutes, I'm going to tap it back into being perfect with a tiny bolus. All accomplished in seconds. Finger tests cannot do this.

Err, just get it :D They're awesome.

Thank u all so much for the information!!! I have been considering this for some time now and just wanted to hear what real people say about it and not just what the doctor is telling me. Im just getting so tired of struggling with having so many lows and with trying to train and do races it makes it even harder for me when im out running. Im just trying to figure out this strange world of being diabetic....im not willing to give up what I love to do so I need to find a way to make it work :-)