I've been considering getting a dexcom 7 or getting the cgm that i could hook up to my minimed 722 pump. So i was wondering if theres any minimed pumpers out there that use the dexcom, and if u've used both systems which one do u like more??
Another thing is, I dont know if they are available in Canada, so if they're not i'd just get it from the US. So this raises anyother question. How much does it cost? and i know the box comes with 4 sites, so how much are thoses?
The minimed cgms come with 10 in a box because you have to change it every 3 days, and it costs close to 400$ a box where i live. So far i'm liking the dexcom because you can keep it on for a week versus the 3 days with the minimed cgm.
And OH! do u know if the dexcom can convert readingw from mg/dl to mmol/L? because here in canada we used mmol/L and i really dont wanna have to convert it everytime I wanna know what my meter is reading:S. but i guess i would eventually get used to it. right??
I am in Canada and I just spoke to Dexcom this morning.
They are not in Canada yet. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will happen soon.
For prices, this is what I am told:
$999 for the Dexcom 7
$275 for a box of 4 sensors (roughly a month supply)
You need a USA doctor to prescribe the CGM & you need a USA address. That means you have to pay for the doctor…that I’m not sure on how much it costs + travel expense to go to the states. They can only sell you 6 months worth of sensors at a time and that has to be shipped to a USA address. So, I’m thinking roughly $3- $4k a year for this…depending on how often you use it.
Thanks shannon i found your blog every useful!!
And desdemona thanks for that information as well, its such a shame that we have to wait so long to get the best products out there when it comes to healthcare!
Dexcom is already selling in the UK, and they use mmol/L over there, so units which display in that unit of measure do exist. But you’d need to buy yours in the UK if Dexcom is not yet present in Canada.
A box of 4 Dexcom sensors lasts much longer than 4 weeks. My experience is that sensors lasts 2 weeks typically, sometimes slightly longer, sometimes slightly shorter than that. Only once in a year I had my Dexcom I found that I needed to change the sensor after “only” 8 days.
I don’t use a pump so I cannot comment on that aspect.
Yup, I sure did ask and I called Animas too for an update. It is still waiting for approval. They are hoping by this year - same old story. I heard a rumour that it could happen as soon as May (next month).
BTW…I just learned that you cannot buy the Medtronic CGM if you do not have an insulin pump or a pump that is not a 22 series? This is really becoming frustrating. How is a diabetic suppose to have good control and good quality of life if we are not able to purchase the technology that will assist us? Very upsetting.
I ran a Minimed Guardian simultaneously with an Abbott Navigator. I had been using the Guardian for a couple of years and wanted to switch to Abbott. The Abbott was a disaster. i know that other people have had better experiences but I was getting terrible readings. I decided to put in my old Guardian and run it at the same time as the Navigator. I got much better, more reliable readings with the Medtronic (Minimed) unit.
I had failures of both the transmitter and the receiver for the Abbott model. After the receiver stopped working, they were unable to ship me a new receiver. eventually they gave me my money back.
Now I am going to get a Dexcom. I am using the money that Abbott is supposed to send me when I send them back the Abbott tranmsitter and receiver. I plan to run the Dexcom simultaneously with the old Medtronic Guardian since I still have the Medtronic transmitter and a bunch of sensors left over. The Medtronic transmitter is out of warranty but it still seems to work well as long as I charge it between uses.
but how would the medtronic cgm work if you dont have a minimed pump…i thought there reciever is in the pump itself.
and about the dexcom…i really hope the may rumor is true…if not they should really try to get in by this year. the rest of the world has had it for number of years now and canada still cant get it to its patients:S
for some reason the abbott navigator looked like some kind of torture device to me…i cringed at the sight of someone inserting it infront of me, but then again i get dizzy at the sight of needles. weird i know! ive been diabetic for 11 years and when i was on shots i did them all on my own, but i still get fainty when i watch someone inserting anything under their skin:S
they have a seperate device called the guardian. So you would have two devices on your belt - your own insulin pump (I wear an Animas pump) and the CGM Guardian. My Animas pump is not compatible with the Medtronic transmitter, so I could not use both together.
I’ve heard of people just wearing the CGM that take needles. So no pump is needed.
I hear ya about the Dexcom. I really hope this gets approved for us Canadians this year. I called Animas again today just to make sure it didn’t happen since I am buying the Medtronic CGM today.
I am currently running the Dexcom and the Medtronic (Minimed) CGM sensors at the same time. I have been doing this since Friday afternoon so it will be three days now. I have been calibrating them at the same time with the same meter strips. So far, it looks at as if the Dexcom it picking up the highs and lows more quickly. The Medtronic seems to smooth out the high and low numbers. Great if you want to look good at your endo visits. So far, the Dexcom seems to slightly exagerate highs and lows. However, it lets me know more quickly if I am reaching critical ranges. Overall this makes the Dexcom seem more helpful.
Again this is only based on three days of Dexcom use, so take this with a grain of salt.
I used the MM CGM for a year or two and found it terribly inaccurate compared to my finger sticks - which they tell you to expect slight fluctuations…but mine were like 300 off !!
So then I tried the Navigator…omg what a disaster that was…the first receiver broke after ONE day…so they replaced it…then about three weeks later I was changing the batteries in the receiver and it stopped functioning…then my nightmare arose. Abbott would do NOTHING. My insurance company had paid 100% in full to Abbott and they would not give me a new one…I have been battling with them for three months. I cannot get another CGM because the insurance have not been re-imbursed by Abbott…Abbott are TERRIBLE…you keep on getting the “run-a-round”. They are HORRIBLE. I am so sorry I ever got involved with them. Abbott tells me its the distributor’s responsibility and they are only the manufacturer…
Beware out there…
My niece has the Minimed pump and after a month or two using Minimed cgms, she had pain with insertion which did not go away. We always had to numb the site with EMLA first. After a bad experience with pain with insertion (Sis must have hit a nerve, using the arm sites), she flat out refused to weat it. We switched to Dexcom 7 Plus and still use the Minimed pump. Insertion does not hurt her; no EMLA needed. She has never experienced any pain with Dexcom. We were just starting to get really accurate readings with the Dexcom when she informed us she did not want to wear it. Not because of pain issues; annoyance issues. She does not want to wear two sites and does not like carrying the Receiver. She has agreed to wear it if we need the info to make changes to her basals and are having problems without it. So far, we have not needed to put it on. If Dexcom does communicate with Animas, maybe we could try the Animas pump and maybe she would wear it more. Hoping she will agree to wear it if Dexcom integrates as it is extremely useful. I can tell you she greatly prefers Dexcom to the Minimed cgms, because of the comfort, you have to restart and change it less, easier calibration. Both devices were inaccurate at times, probably due to user error (calibration errors on our part).
thanks for your story. I just sent my MM back as it was driving me insane. I will look to connect with dexcom for a new start. i do beleive the competition is a good thing and MM will do a better job on next one…which I hear will be in near future.
Hi:
I have used the MM CGM with my pump and I have also used the Navigator. I am now awaiting approval for the DexCom.
The MM is terribly inaccurate…it cannot keep up with “rapidly” changing blood sugars…I had a seizure and it didn;t alarm me. You have to change the sensors every 5 days, and towards the end of the five days it becomes even more inaccurate. There is always a difference between blood glucose and intersitial glucose…like 10-15 but sometimes it would say I was 300 when infact I was 150…
I had a reaction to the tape surrounding the MM CGM. The transmitter does not last more than 6 months…Also when the MM sensors are on your body it is easy to knock it off…
I loved the Navigator…the first receiver broke after ONE day, the replacement receiver broke after ONE MONTH. They would NOT give me another…kept telling me they would refund my money…that was 6 MONTHS ago…NOTHING. I am very frustrated with Abbott…they never give you a straight answer…not Abbott’s fault, the manufactures fault…not the manufacturer’s fault, the distributors fault…the distributor says its Abbott’s fault…once they get 100% re-imbursement from the Insurance Company they want NOTHING to do with you…the patient…and you are the one that is getting hurt. I have been without a CGM for 6 months, and whether inaccurate or NOT…it at least tells you WHERE you sugars are going…it is very important to know which way they are going…UP or DOWn…not what the actual number is…
Hope this helps…hope Dex get back to me…
