I have been lucky and been able to get between 12 and 14 days on each sensor, understanding that "my sensors" will begin to lose accuracy by about day 11. Last 2 sensors have not made it that long, failing on day 7 (got 1 replaced from DexCom).
I'm in Texas - exercise, work outside, yes in the 100+ heat. My supplies are now being ordered from Diabetes Speciality Center in Utah. (Like them!) I believe they have the sensors "in house" and ship directly. 3 day shipment, ground. I have talked to them regarding how UPS and FedEx drops off at my physical address (thrown over fence) as I worry about heat.
Dex Tec support just tells me the sensors are good to 77 degrees. (Really? I live in Texas guys. It's 77 at 3 am here now! By 5 pm its so hot that the dogs water bowl begins to boil.) But Dex Tec does not suggest to request different shipments.
Comments please? Do you feel the high summer temperatures may be affecting the sensor accuracy? Either because of wearing them and working/exercising in the heat or due to shipments. I know we are to use them for 7 days, but I have been successful with longer runs since I began using the Dex. Is it because I had to change where I order from? Should I work with Diabetes Speciality Center to see if I can next day air and cool pack them? (FYI - I can only get a box at a time now)
This is kinda weird what the Dex Tec said, in other words do not wear your Dex in the summer? Do not go out side stay home with AC set to below 77!? Is not the summer temperature mostly over 80 all over the country?
For shipping and ordering supplies, I order mine from Dex directly and they ship it with Fedex 3-day delivery, thrown at my door step as will! I live in Iowa and usually the day time temperature between 85- 108(Just Yesterday!)
But your notice is right, I do experience the same, changing the sensor in the second week. It stops reading and/or not accurate!
The Dex tech really did not have a reply to my repeated question about heat affecting the sensor. I am more concerned about shipping in the heat and have always wondered why they aren’t sent out with ice packs like insulin if the package says 77 degrees is the upper limit on heat.
I know my insulin in my pump is affected by heat in the summer and becomes less effective on day 3. Is the sensor affected the same?
I would suggest placing a cheap cooler with Ice on the outside of the gate, and place a shipping note with the shipper. Even with all this, the UPS trucks are not air conditioned nor are the distribution centers. My thought would be that your body temp is 98.6, so I doubt the temp of the shipping box really matters.
I had thought about doing that since I cannot guarantee someone will be home each time I expect a delivery. At least if I cannot bring the shipment into my house immediately maybe it would not have to run the risk of sitting in 100+ degree afternoon Texas heat.
My sensors have been so incredibly "off" in the past 2.5 weeks and I have been in both Dallas and NYC (brutally hot). i almost hope the temperature has something to do with it since I'm just getting more and more frustrated.
when you remove the sensor does it come off easily? Maybe the adhesive around the sensor is letting up and the sensor is coming out slightly because of the heat / sweat.
xirian, I am pretty successful at keeping the sensors stuck on, most of the time I have to use some form of adhesive remover to get them easily off even when I manage to have close to a 2 week run on a sensor.
spacegirlw, I am frustrated too, I just don't remember having trouble last summer so I am trying to figure out if it is the change secondary to needing to use a different supplier, a bad "batch" of sensors, or a mystery that will remain unsolved!
I've only had my Dex since January. The first 24 hours of any sensor is often a bit wonky and occasionally a reading is off but the past almost 3 weeks the numbers have been simply insane. Nothing is peeling any differently then before and I've used sensors from 2 different boxes (plus Dex just replaced one). Things have been more on track today and hopefully its a fresh start starting NOW.
I live in NYC too, and recently have often had really off-readings (between 100-200 points off - high and low). These misreadings have been going on with my last previous 2 sensors.
I only use the sensors for 7 days, each. During these 2 weeks, it has been 100+ degrees here, so was wondering, as well whether I've just had bad luck with my recent 2 sensors, or whether it is a heat issue.
I usually don't sweat much, but in the heat I have been. Though none of my sensors have fallen off from the sweat, I can't help but think it still must be affecting the readings.
I have a new sensor on now, and numbers seem to be more accurate, like in the past (rarely, if ever off by more than 50pts.). But the heat spell has broken, and I'm sweating less. So, I can't narrow the possible problems(s) for the resent 2 sensor misreadings. I would like to avoid a repeat, if the temp. starts going up again. Does anyone have any info.? Any Ideas of waterproof tape to use to keep the sweat away from the cannolla, etc.?? Or if the heat is just an inherent problem for the sensors I have to deal with, and finger-stick more to double check in the heat.
I still have not figured out why I had two sensors in a row go crazy. I had to reorder and when talking to Diabetes Specialty Center about their thoughts concerning the heat, shipping, etc they noted no increase in phone calls from people with complaints about sensor failure. So maybe it was just a bad sensor? This one I have in is behaving normally - as I expect them to behave for me. I don't put tape over these - when I used the medtronic sensor and had to tape, I would sweat under the tape in the summer - I would think it would defeat the purpose!
I have have been using the Dex for several years and have consistently gone at least 7 days, usually 12 with a restart. Within the past month or so, I've had 4 sensors go "Error 1" on me in less than a week. This started while I was home in Seattle (temps at most in the high 70's) and worsened when I traveled to NYC (temps near 90). Our condo is usually about 75 degrees. At first I thought that the Dex $$ people had tired of us restarting our Dex. Now I am convinced that they do not hold up as temps near 80 degrees. Will the continued global warming mean the end of a working Dexcom? I would love to get some information from a person in the know at Dexcom. It's scary to go thru several sensors in a week. I am concerned that at some point the techs will stop sending replacement sensors.
