I installed my first G6 yesterday afternoon (I still am using my G5)
At the 2-hour mark, the reading on the G6 was amazingly accurate, which made me smile.
About an hour later the readings starting diverging from reality and remained that way until I went to sleep, so I turned it off (to avoid false low alarms).
In the morning (today), I turned the receiver back on and readings were still flaky.
I decided to see how it responded to a calibration. Not great. I calibrated again hours later and still am not that impressed, especially since my G5 has been within a point or so of finger sticks, and the G6 has been off as much as 40 points.
Given this experience, I MIGHT try soaking the next G6 for many hours, or one full day (which is what I do for the G5) but I understand the algorithm for the G6 8H might cause problems if I do that.
Each of my 3 sensors in one box are of one lot number, but with 3 different calibration codes, so if accuracy is similar for 1 lot, I may be aggravated by the G6 for weeks to come. Given that it is so trivial to soak a G5, that’s why I’ve been so happy with the G5, as the day I put it into service, it will be accurate.
EDIT: 16 hours after G6 insertion (and 2 cals), G6 = 182, G5 = 189, fingerstick = 189. So, at this point the 3 are agreeing well. would love to see this continue as I rarely do finger sticks any more, but today I must have tested more than 8 times.
I recently started using a G6 and am on my 7th sensor now. It’s the first one that didn’t stabilize by about 12 hours after insertion. I think I may have added to the problem by calibrating it when my blood sugar was changing (it was 40 points off and indicating I was having a severe low). It is producing accurate readings now. It’s easy to get used to not doing finger sticks, but I find I do a lot more than I ever did before if I know the readings are off.
How true. I seldom check when using the G5, but this first G6 is getting on my nerves. If this is what I have to look forward to until a better system comes along (Verily maybe??) I’m going to order some batteries for my old xmitters (i’ve already removed the batteries from one of the xmitters) and use some more of my G5 sensors.
@Dave44 Try and restart your G6 and see if that helps. If it does, that would also tell you that presoaking it would help you as well.
I try not to calibrate the G6, and if I do, I try and wait at least 8 to 12 hours before I do.
I know that if I do not presoak, most of my first 12/24 hours will be off, usually with LOW readings.
I have great results with a 12 hour + presoak. I occasionally calibrate after the presoak, but not often.
Btw, I am currently running the G6 8H transmitter.
Restarting the 8h is nothing more than stopping the sensor, removing the transmitter for 15-30 minutes, put the transmitter back in, restart the sensor with the original code (I always have a picture in my phone of the previous code and lot number.)
Oh, I start my presoak on saturday evening. I never put in a dead transmitter, etc. I just leave the sensor open.
I start the new sensor on Sunday morning. My BG is almost always nice and level, even if I had a big/bad dinner the night before and my BG is higher than I want it, it is usually running level in the morning. I only have some black coffee until my 2 hour warmup is done. Coffee doesn’t affect my BG.
I do not bother doing a fingerstick until Sunday evening (unless I really feel the BG is way off from the G6 readings during the day.) If the fingerstick shows a far off number I will calibrate, if not, I leave it alone.
Today, the G6 is spot-on and the G5 was just a few points below the finger stick. Before I went to bed last night, the G6 had gotten more accurate than it had been so now I hope for another 8 days of accuracy. And I might do a restart, to increase my stash. A Dexcom employee told me I should ask my doc for an Rx for more than the normal allotment of 3/month. I see my endo next week and I’ll ask her if she knows how to word an Rx for 4/month so that it clears Medicare.
update: Day 5 and accuracy continues to be amazing. Pretty much matches within a few points of the random finger sticks I do periodically. What a change from the first-day wonkiness.
Yeah, the first day issues are my only real gripe compared to the G5.
The presoak has mostly removed this issue for me. The trick is figuring out how long of a presoak will be needed for YOU.
@Dave44 Besides just having a stash, there will be that odd one that doesn’t work as well and you will want to change it out. Restarting helps with making that decision because you have “extra”. Plus that start down time of it learning to behave usually doesn’t happen as long with a restart, it might be wonky right after but adjusts faster, although I do calibrate mine.
Marie, I agree that my stash level is in anticipation of some clunker sensors coming my way. Since I will be doing a restart on my first sensor, I won’t have the benefit of soaking a sensor for a day because I’m hoping for full success by doing one restart. That restart will be Feb 13. If that sensor manages to go all the way to day 19, I’ll insert a new sensor so that it can soak for one day prior to activation on day 20.
I’ve been on G6 since when it first came out. Rock solid stability. Have had a couple of premature sensor endings, but Dexcom quickly replaced these. I never calibrate them. Once you calibrate a sensor manually, you are supposed to calibrate every 12 hours for the life of the sensor from what I’ve heard.
You don’t have to keep calibrating it after the first calibration(s). I like mine to be within 5 points of accuracy and that usually requires at least one initial calibration for me.
I started with Dexcom G6 on 12/15/2018, used until 3/25/19, found it proved fantastic compared to Medtronic Enlight.
Unfortunately, Dexcom “DOWNGRADED” me to G5 because I retired and went on Medicare.
Been using G5 3/25/19 until 1/27/20, when Dexcom FINALLY allowed me to go back on G6. The G5 was still “a damn site better” than the Enlights, but accuracy not as good as G6.
Now I’ve been back on the G6’s over 2 weeks, and I am ECSTATIC. I did have one G6 failure on install: the inserter did not insert properly, got stuck, and I had to pry inserter off, which broke the connector strip. Called Dexcom Tech Support, they sent me another, and had me save the bad one, which was returned to them for analysis. Never had that happen before with G5 or G6.
But I am glad to be back on the G6 for improved accuracy, longer runtime, smaller Transmitter.
I NEVER “SOAK” Sensors.
I ALWAYS call Dexcom whenever I have a problem of ANY kind, and always get replacement Sensors from them, even if it’s just because they don’t process my monthly Medicare orders promptly, so that I don’t worry about running out.
I also would NEVER try to go past the 7 days for G5 or 10 days for G6, and have been very satisfied with performance.
Since beginning with Dexcom, been using an iPhone 7 Plus, and Applewatch Series 4 with the Dexcom App, with my Medtronic 670G Insulin Pump. This has allowed me to monitor and control my Blood Sugars better than ever, and reduced my A1C’s, last 4 were in “low 6’s”!
I’m on my second restart of my very first G6 - day 24. I calibrated once after each restart and things have run smoothly. I think I’ll be ready to change locations at the end of this 10-day run, but will continue to restart to keep building my surplus.
Since I will be doing a restart on my first sensor, I won’t have the benefit of soaking a sensor for a day because I’m hoping for full success by doing one restart. That restart will be Feb 13. If that sensor manages to go all the way to day 19, I’ll insert a new sensor so that it can soak for one day prior to activation on day 20.