Dexcom sites

jjm335,

after wearing your sensor for the recommended 7 days, do you have to stop the sensor and go through another 2 hour “sensor session” to boot up again? or do you just leave it on?

also, just to keep myself in the loop. my abdomen didn’t have enough fatty skin/tissue to successfully wear the sensor w/out hitting a nerve, muscle or blood vessel; now i wear mine on my back by my hip area. i rotate my pump on my abdomen from side to side every other day. for the sensor, being on my back, is very comfortable and does not even budge while i am sleeping. i use the Tegaderm adhesive over it (i cut out a hole for the transmitter to send info to the receiver)

I ordered it through my Pharmacist today! True, maybe not the fairest of comparisons, but I’ve had to change a dexcom the same day as putting it on after rowing…hot hot day, but still…very frustrating. I’ve never had one last the full 7 days. I’m sooooooo looking forward to the skin tac. Do you just wet the edges of the adhesive? Or soak all around it? how much? is it in a dropper or a swab (like an alcohol wipe)?

Excellent. Glad you could get it, Jennifer. Placement is key. I never could get the sensor to stay on reliably after a 4-5 days when placed on my abdomen - especially when engaged in strenuous physical activity. I found that I get the exact same accuracy when placed on the back of my arm, and as such, it is subject to less movement and risk of getting torn off. I usually forget its even there. I will dab a little Skin-Tac around the edges after about day two or three, right after coming out of the shower. The water dilutes it a little and draws it across the entire surface. I then touch up as needed over the remaining 14 day period, making note to never do it at bedtime. There’s a risk of it coming off while you sleep while its still drying. Hope this helps and good luck!

Thanks, Christopher. I will try my arms once it’s sweater weather! :smile:

Hey Jennifer:

You don’t have to wait that long. I place it such that even just a T-shirt covers it up. The trick in placement, I’ve found, is to lift your arm like you’re scratching your opposite ear, and then insert the sensor as close to your armpit and shoulder joint as possible, with the filament inserted in the direction of your shoulder joint. When you let your arm down it ends up at the very back, and very high. It’s a little challenging at first, but once you get the hang of it you can do this within minutes. The only time it’s noticeable is in a tank-top or swimsuit, but even if people do notice it, I’ve found that it can be a good conversation starter or an ability to have a good laugh. Sometimes I tell them its a tracking device and a condition of my parole… :smile:

but if you wear it on the inside of your arm, doesn’t the sensor rub against your side/chest?
i would think it would make more sense to wear it on the outside part of the arm. just curious.
i am thinking of putting my next sensor on my left arm, b/c i sleep on my right side. i know there is a way to put it on yourself, but i am pretty certain that i will need my husbands help to pinch up the skin. i’ve heard you can lean your arm against a chair, but i don’t think that would work for me. any suggestions?

Wow–this stuff is great! It came in a box of wipes not a dropper. I realize I have to use latex gloves putting it on because if you touch the wipes good luck getting the glue off! I’m changing my pod tonight…not looking forward to ripping it off!

Hey Daisy Mae:

I place it such that when I relax my arm its stuck to the very back. Yes, the inside would not be practical. :smiley:

There’s no need to pinch the skin when inserting the sensor. Once I’ve stuck the backing tape onto my skin, I tilt the inserter a little that the insertion goes a little more shallow.

All the best,

Christopher

Hey Jennifer:

I didn’t realize they came as wipes. You’ll have to let us know how it works. I use the bottle with applicator.

I thought of you this weekend with regard to your statement of how well the Omnipods stay on. Unfortunately, they’re not as sticky as we thought - mine came off after two days of motorcycle racing. However, my Dexcom was solidly stuck on in week 2, having used SkinTac.

All the best,

Christopher

They work amazingly well! I tried it on my omnipod and my cgm tape…I’m really excited to have finally found a solution! As someone who is very active I was getting very discouraged with being unable to use some sites that rubbed too much and ultimately wouldn’t keep a pod on…I never had issues keeping it on my stomach, so that’s where it stayed…so glad to have new canvas now thanks to SkinTac!! yay! :slight_smile: Happy girl :slight_smile: ha ha

thanks christopher. i just got back from my endo and cde; the cde explained exactly what you suggested: tip the sensor so that it goes in on a shallower angle. i’m trying that nxt time.
i hope it works. i have such limited body areas, and it drives me nuts.

i am considering my upper left thigh as a new site. does your son have trouble pulling up and down his pants? i use Tegaderm over my sensor to keep it in its place. just wondering.

thanks,
Daisy Mae

He’s never complained about it - even with tight baseball pants or compression shorts he wears for dance. And he uses no extra tape. He does not like to use his buttocks for this reason, but legs don’t seem to be an issue.

Lorraine,
i just put my new sensor on my upper left thigh. it fits very comfortably. i am wearing stretchy leggings (summer clothing), and i was wondering if the pressure from the leggings will give me false readings of my BGs. i know that you said that your son wears all sorts of tight clothing and has no problems. i think i just want some reassurance that it really will work there…also, what about pulling pants up and down? any problems w/ that? i put the Tegaderm over to hold everything down, but its a new spot for me and i am having anxiety.
( i think also, part of my anxiety is b/c i have accidentally slept on it during a period of wearing it on my right side (the side that i sleep on). i had LOW alarms going off all night w/ False Lows( after checking w/ a finger stick)

all suggestions appreciated!!!

Pants up and down - that’s your original question. No problems. Accuracy/pressure - not an issue. Dexcom is rarely, if ever off - loose, tight or in between. :slight_smile:

Thank you so much. i am sweating this out for absolutely no reason. my only reason for concern was that others from TuD mentioned the “false” lows during the night while they were sleeping on the dex sensor.

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how was your experience when you used your thigh as a sensor site? i just put mine there yesterday and although i stuck it down w/ tegaderm, i am afraid that i might accidentally tear it off when i pull my pants up and down. also, i am concerned about it rubbing against my pants.

Right. I agree w the pressure while sleeping, although I think we see ??? as opposed to false lows. I don’t think you’re sweating for no reason - diabetes is unforgiving particular to these little nuances. I would call is reasonable caution. :smile:

I like the bottle with a pad suspended from the lid. But it’s not recommended for travel because the bottle will leak.