i wear a Medtronic cgm and it has been working great for me. Couple of things i found to be very helpful for correct calibration. Insert it night. I know it's a pain because then you have to get up in the middle of the night to calibrate it (and the second time when you get up), but since my blood sugars are most stable at night the calibration is more precise. If you can let it "wet" for more than the 2 hours recommended by Medtronic before calibrating/connecting the sensor. Make sure when you calibrate it, you use a good glucometer. Not all glucometers are the same (off brand glucometers and OneTouch have higher margin on error than Bayer Contour for example). Don't calibrate it too often (3 times a day before meals is more than enough). Also, I wear my cgm longer than the recommended 3 days. The longer I wear the cgm, the more time it has to learn so it's most accurate for me on days 3 - 6. Usually I am able to extend the life of a sensor up to 7 days (I have spoken with a CDE and Gary Shreiner, the author of Think Like a Pancreas, and they both recommend wearing the sensor as long as it gives you accurate readings). Hope this helps.
Everybody finds a different thing that works best for him or her. But if you are ready to consider a different CGM, check out the discussion on the Dexcom user group--I asked people with minimed pumps and Dexcom CGMs to share their experiences when I was thinking of getting the Dexcom.
For me the thing I love about the Dexcom is that I never have to think about it. It's much easier and less painful to insert than the minimed, and once it's in, I can't feel it at all. I was pretty much constantly aware of the minimed, especially when I lay down at night. The sensors are FDA approved for 7 days, but I wear mine for at least 14 and sometimes up to 21 days, with some extra tape. Stays accurate that whole time.
Major downside of course is that it doesn't work with your pump, so it's another device to keep near you and look at. I really do love it, though, and I'm not someone who likes technology for its own sake (hardly ever use my cell phone, if that tells you anything!) :)
Hope that's helpful. If you can get the Minimed to work better for you, that would be great since it works with your pump, I just never could.
Thanks for the suggestions! I have never let it "wet" for more than 10-15 minutes before connecting the sensor and then of course just calibrate it as soon as the 2 hr bg alerts. Maybe I should give that a try and see if it helps. I have the new Bayer glucometer that works with the pump...but have continued to use my old One Touch that came with it a couple of years ago. Maybe it is time to finally make the change! I wish I could wear my cgm for more than 2-3 days, mainly due to cost issues, but my skin starts breaking out terribly after 2 days. I may just have to deal with it because I know it is so crucial to have tight bg control- especially in these early weeks. Thanks again for your help!
I will definitely look at the discussions- thank you for pointing that out. I would like to wear the cgm since it works with my pump, but it is really uncomfortable...especially as my skin has developed a contact allergy to the adhesive. :( I just paid it off a few months ago, so I'm not sure my insurance would cover a new one...but maybe if my endo intervened. I'm going to see her Thursday and see what she thinks about all of this. Thanks again!
Hi all - So my husband and I found out we are pregnant a few weeks ago! I'm about 6 weeks now - so VERY early days I realize. Things have been relatively fine in terms of sugars - staying in range a majority of the time, and out of range hasn't been anything too crazy (140-160) and I come down pretty quickly. BUT last night I checked my sugars at 1am - they were 121. I corrected and went back to sleep. A few hours later my Dexcom wakes me up saying I'm at 145. I correct and go back to sleep. A few hours after that, my Dexcom buzzes again and I check and I'm at 240!!! And I know for sure this is definitely not food related. I changed my set thinking it was that but it still took a few hours for it to come back to the 120 range.
Is this normal? Have you guys had weird unexplained spikes like that that were totally unrelated to food?
I'm trying not to stress it too much, but of course its hard.
Any thoughts?
Thanks for listening!
P.S. - Congratulations Katie!!
Congratulations Laura! I'm a little over 8 weeks now and I am still constantly tweaking things a bit. I just got a Dexcom last week and love it! I hate when I have high's that I know are totally unrelated to food...and I'm like you, I really hate seeing anything in the 200's. That is pretty odd it spiked like that. Do you think it is possible the cannula or tubing kinked? I have had that happen before and also had issues with air in the tubing. I know when I had a 260 about a week ago it took a new infusion set and a few hours to come down even with aggressive blousing. I tend to be overly aggressive in correcting a high especially being pregnant and wanting it back down to the normal range as quickly as possible. It seems to be the consensus that for most of us, we tend to be a little insulin resistant in the early weeks of pregnancy so maybe that is partly why it took longer for your bg to come down that it normally would. Sorry you are dealing with the craziness too, but I keep telling myself it will be so worth it!
Thanks for the response, Katie! Seems like we get to ride this Type 1 pregnancy merry go round together since it seems like you're just a few weeks ahead of me :)
I'm pretty sure its not infusion set related. When it happened earlier this week I changed the set and checked it for any weird issues and it was totally fine. I had another spike in the middle of the night again last night - I think its just crazy hormone surges getting the better of me. I'm also finding that I'm insulin resistant during the day - I have to increase my basal 30-40%! Is that crazy? But no crazy spikes from food thankfully.
Even though I am testing in the middle of the night to catch it b/c sometimes I'm too tired and don't hear the Dexcom buzz it's happened twice this week. Even though other nights its totally fine. Of course I'm freaked out at what 3+ hours above 200 is doing... I guess there's no way to know?
Good luck!
L
Hi Ladies - I am in a similar boat. About 6 weeks pregnant with #2, and experiencing kind of crazy numbers, some for no apparent reason (Laura - I had a similar experience, not having eaten for a while, going to bed at 100, and waking up a few hours later at 300 - ugh). This is how it went early on with my first pregnancy and now have a very healthy 2 year old son... So I am trying to remind myself of that and just do what I can to test test test, correct, and aggressively adjust when need be. I think we'll find many mommas on this board with stories about spikes and a healthy babies at the end of the ride... (that said, my heart skips a beat every time I see a high number).
Katie, you must have had your u/s by now?
Hi Tasha -
Glad to hear I'm not alone but sorry to hear that you're dealing with these wacko numbers as well. Congrats on #2!
Not sure what else we can do except for test like maniacs. I've started setting an alarm for 1am and 3am to make sure I'm catching it... But I'm also so sleepy in the first trimester it's hard to be loosing more sleep! My mom jokes that it's just practice for when we have a newborn :) I've also started to increase my basal rate even if my last test before bed is in range. Since I'm waking up in just a few hours anyway, I figure I'll catch any lows as well.
Good luck
Congratulations, Tasha! It is encouraging to hear from a mama who has a similar experience. I did have my first u/s about 2 weeks ago and got to see our little sweet pea and heart a strong heartbeat! That was the best sound I have ever heard. I was seeing an RE at a fertility clinic and this Friday will have my first appt. with my OB. I am so anxious...Friday cannot get here soon enough! Praying for another great report. As long as all goes well, we are planning to tell extended family this weekend and will try to wait until after 12 weeks to officially announce but it is so hard!
How are you girls doing? Still having spikes? Mine have only gotten worse... I've doubled the amount of insulin I take in the mornings mornings (both basal and bolus) and I am still high after I eat. And it takes hours and hours and a massive amount of insulin to come down. Ugh. I am thinking it may be time to go low/no carb in the morning ... though I am waking up nauseous and a nice big bowl of carbs is the only thing that seems to settle my stomach.
Last pregnancy I rode low all the time and juice made up about 1/3 of my diet. I am really trying to avoid that approach again, but it's tempting..
Sorry you are still having trouble, Tasha. If it is any consolation, you aren't alone! I am still having some crazy fluctuations. I have increased my basals again and thinking I need to change my insulin:carb ratio too. Some foods that never bothered me before will lead to a crazy spike. I have a dexcom so when I see it is starting to creep up I have to start bolusing pretty aggressively..,otherwise if it hits 160 it just keeps rising. I am having the same issue as you- it takes so much insulin and time to drop a bg back to normal- even a "high" like 170! What is that about? I know my endo is going to say I am being too aggressive with my bolusing (I do several micro boluses a day) but I figure its much better to have a low than stay high. The lows are crazy too...Sunday morning after a light walk it plummeted to 31...I haven't had a number that low in years.
I had my first OB appt last Friday and she said there will definitely be crazy bg fluctuations without rhyme or reason. She said the main thing is overall control, and that as long as I'm keeping my a1c <6% it shouldn't be any higher risk than a diabetes-free pregnancy. On a happy note, we got to see our little baby again and saw a nice, strong heartbeat.
I am trying to eat lower carb, but when you are nauseous, carbs are the only appealing foods. I hope your nausea subsides soon!!
Sorry to hear you all are still riding the roller coaster. I am to but I feel like I've been able to get a better handle on it (for now at least!). But I definitely have had to work with my CDE to change my basal, bolus, carb ratios, and insulin sensitivity factors. All of that had to change. Do you have CDEs that you can work with on this?
I also invented a very low carb breakfast option that I can keep down in the morning! Eggs and protein were just not cutting it. I know this will sound strange but I'm really liking it - 1/3 cup canned pumpkin, 1/4 cup almond meal, 2 tbsp ground flax seed, about a 1/2 cup almond milk or coconut milk and some cinnamon. Stir it up in a pot and heat for about 5 mins. It's very mild and very low in carb. I also add some stevia.
Good luck!
Thanks for your replies, ladies! So glad you saw a nice strong HB, Katie! And that breakfast option sounds delicious - thanks for sharing, Laura. I'm going lower carb in the morning, so I will try it this week!
I do have a CDEs that I work with - I upload and send them #s on a weekly basis. They're just a bit too conservative for me - they bump up basals or lower IC ratios little by little (and one at a time)... Which I know is the right way to go. But after 2 weeks of highs in the AM, I decided that I'd rather be a little more aggressive, risk getting low, and then lower the amount of insulin from there. I have also been bolusing at least 30 min before I eat - for now, that has been working very well. I know that may not be a recommended practice, but I'm game for whatever works, provided I have juice nearby, just in case. ;)
Hi Katie!
Congrats on the new addition! I am somewhat in the same boat, however, my caveat is I quit smoking too when I found out I was pregnant. I'm currently around 8 weeks and have experienced high BGs lately too. I chalked it up to lack of smoking, but glad to see it isn't just me... So it is probably also the pregnancy... Do you have a CGM? I don't currently have one, but considering getting one.
Hi Kaaylee
I am type 1 too, on a pump and CGM and currently 6 or 7 weeks pregnant (scan on Monday).
I too quit smoking when I found out but I never linked that to my sugar spikes, interesting.
I’m on a BS roller coaster at the mo, constantly testing.
Congrats, Katie!!! 
looks like it is time for the docs to rewrite the books on us. From all the posts it seems like this is definitely normal. I too had unexplainable highs before the positive and for the first few weeks. I usually take 15 units of Lantus at night. In the first 6 weeks or so I had to up my Lantus to about 20 units and change my Novolog ratio from 1:20 to 1:15. I tended to have insulin resistance in the mornings. My sugars came back to normal around week 7 but around 10 weeks I started getting the lows. it seems i can eat more carbs in the morning but am having to be more careful around dinner time now. I am 12 weeks now and am down to 11 units of Lantus with a 1:15 novolog ratio… Think it’s time to drop my Lantus again… My dexcom has been beeping at me all night despite my lovely spread of carby snacks :-p
Hang in there its such an exciting time but can be mentally draining as you constantly reevaluate your rates and worry about little one.
But like everyone says… Don’t dwell on the highs! The highs and the lows will come and go and little one will be just fine