I went to use my last 2 sensors today.
This has been 3 months since I started dexcom.
However I had 2 sensors fail. And dexcom immediately sent me new ones.
However here I am with 2 good sensors and my transmitter won’t let me use them.
I’ve heard people say they work for 110 days but mine shut off at 90 exactly.
So what is the point of them giving me replacement sensors when you can only use 9 sensors on a transmitter.
It’s a bizarre thing. And now I don’t have cgm until I get my new transmitter.
I have Kaiser insurance so the only way to order is to get the kit. 9 sensors and a transmitter 4 times a year.
There is a hole in this logic though.
And yes I asked about buying a transmitter and they said I am ineligible to do that.
Hahahaha
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You need to start a sensor on day 89 and then I got past 90 days using X2 pump to start. I think I got one more start, but bad/shakey data on day 104 so switched to new transmitter.
With older transmitters, and using xDrip you could get even longer, until battery really died.
The good news is that if any of your next 9 sensors fail you already have replacements and can start a new one right away without waiting for Dexcom to send new ones!
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Is this something unique to the Dexcom app (since I know you can’t use the receiver)? How do you know you didn’t just run out of battery, are you using Xdrip or some other app that tells you exactly how much battery you have left?
Since I restart, I don’t think I’ve ever used that many sensors on a transmitter, but I’ve definitely started more than nine sessions. I’m currently on my fourth transmitter, day 92, and just waiting to see when it dies. I had one transmitter only last 27 days and get replaced, but the others have all died sometime closer to 110 days than 90. I went through sensors like water, sometimes 2 a day, before that 27 day transmitter death, and never saw an issue from starting too many sensors.
I don’t use any Dexcom issued software, though. So if there’s a kill switch embedded in something, I’m guessing it’s the phone app and/or receiver, not the transmitter.
So didn’t you get a new transmitter with 2nd 90 day sensor supply ?
I just ordered my second set. But I thought I had 2 sensors left. My pump just says enter new transmitter. My dex ap says the session ended.
Unfortunately, the transmitter life is mostly dependent on the battery. It doesn’t know you had replacement sensors. Are you sure you got to 90 days? If you had two sensors fail early and didn’t get to use them, you might actually still be within the 90 day warranty window and they’ll send you a free one in the mail. It’s always good to have a backup.
I don’t know if the app tells you how old your transmitter is, but you can find it on your pump if you dig through the “sessions and calibrations” option in the settings menu. You’ll see something like “transmitter ID entered”.
Just commiserating. I feel your pain, @Timothy. I’ve been outta sensors for about a week. Just got more today. They were out of transmitters, but I got a little life yet.
My pump says 90 days exactly. It was working perfectly till I tried to start a new sensor and it wouldn’t let me.
Under which menu on pump?
I agree that Dexcom has end-of-transmittter problems. As I understand it, there is both a day counter and a battery life check.
Note: I use a t:slim as my receiver, but recently got a “you have 23 days left on your transmitter” alert. So, I carefully noted the date and thought to myself: “Good, two more full sensors before the next transmitter change.” But no, I inserted the second sensor 13 days before I have been told my transmitter should end … and got the “Sorry, can’t start this session without a new transmitter”.
While Dexcom is good about sending a new sensor to replace the one that you just wasted, it is TOTALLY BRAIN DEAD that they do not check the day counter and battery life as you near the END of a sensor session and tell you “Sorry, you will not be able to start a new sensor until you replace your transmitter.”
I have made that very suggestion to Tech Support on more than one occasion … and they just ignore me. I couldn’t get them to understand the argument that for many of us they are actually giving us 10 sensors (including the replacement) for every 9 that we or insurance buy. Given that Dexcom has had chronic problems maintaining adequate G6 sensor inventory, you would think that they would be more keen to address this issue.
Stay safe!
John
What’s the first few #'s on the transmitter model, just so we can keep an eye out for this prob and investigate further?
@John_S2, Nobody is doing and product development now, I bet.
All those little problems that everyone failed to address are becoming big pains in the asses, now. You can really see who does their jobs well, now, during this time.
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8k is the start on mine
From what I understand you can’t reset them on drip any more either although I haven’t tried
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Haven’t been here for a while, and saw this first. The entire healthcare system has gone completely insane in the US.
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The older G6 transmitters with 80 and some 81 could be reset. So as long as battery was strong enough, it could be used until battery wore out. Often it was only a few more weeks.
Battery replacement only works with these older transmitters, because the software transmitter day count needs to be reset after battery replacement.
Mine is k and now L. They only last 3 months so most people should be in the non resettable range now.
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YOu can buy them “outside of the Rx”. You need a separate Rx. I like having a “stash”, so about once a year I get an additional Rx (I also have Kaiser) and using GoodRx go to Walgreens. It’s $$$, (but a taf less with GoodRx) but I don’t like being without my Dexcom