G4 users Share Receiver vs. CGM in the Cloud vs. Animas Vibe (What to choose?)

Diabetes Technology Glucose Monitoring
#1

OK so I got my G4 just before the new year and also use the Animas Ping pump for 3 years now. I have looked at several things that have recently become very interesting.

I met with my CDE and we talked about the Dexcom G4 and I was curious so I emailed my local rep about steps going forward. Then within a week I was called from Dexcom I was approved and ready to go and because I had hit my deductible it was no cost to me I asked if there were any new things coming out or reasons to wait (ie. newer model new features). They said no and lets get you started.

I would love to make things less conspicuous and have results go to my phone or something else smart watch and share readings with my wife too. I looked a CGM in the cloud and it looks amazing. It is just about everything I want to do but, now the share receiver is coming out next week as well and I was wondering pros and cons of one over the other. My night scout rig would be about as much as upgrading to the new receiver and I am an iPhone user but, CGM in the cloud looks more flexible. While I have thought about the vibe upgrade and all seems nice I feel they missed the boat on the meter no longer talking to the pumps. While I will eventually upgrade to the Vibe I may save the money for the new receiver or night scout rig.

Am I alone in my thoughts???

Ron

#2

My immediate thoughts about Share vs. Nightscout are this: With Share, you'll be able to leverage your iPhone, which you already have and carry. But, you will be limited to the features that Dexcom offers, will be tied to their software release schedules, and can only view your data on certain Apple products. Presumably you might be able to also use the Apple Watch when it comes out ($349, I believe).

With Nightscout, you need to carry an extra phone and cable to attach to the reciever. But, you get many more features, viewing from any device with a browser window, frequent software updates based on user community feedback, excellent support on Facebook (and a great community of supportive people), and can use a Pebble if you so choose ($100).

So, it really depends on your needs and desire for certain features. I'm looking forward to hearing feedback on the new Share, as there certainly is some appeal to it. In the meantime, I'm happy with Nightscout!

#3

Hi! I'm an adult with a Nighscout rig. I'm not upgrading to the Share, because the Share must be plugged into an electrical outlet and the receiver has to be attached to the Share. So it really doesn't make much sense if you want to discreetly see your numbers on the go. The Share only really makes sense for adults if you want others to have access to your numbers at night.

I'm very, very pleased with my Nightscout setup. I also have a Pebble. It pretty much saved my life a few weeks ago. I blogged about it here at http://runzebrarun.blogspot.com/2015/02/nightscout.html

I'm a Ping user, too. I love my meter remote, so I doubt I will upgrade to the Vibe.

#4

I thought that if you got a new received after Jan that you will be upgraded for free....did I read that incorrectly?

#5

Perhaps you haven't heard about the new Dexcom receiver that will be available in March? It will have bluetooth capabilities, so Share will no longer require the cradle and will indeed be able to allow you and others to "see your numbers on the go", not just at night.

#6

Actually that is the big Decision I have now. It’s the nights out rig which as a tech guy I totally see the flexibility. While the share receiver is almost a no brainer because I have iPhone nobody knows anything about this yet… I missed the free upgrade to the new receiver by less than 2 weeks. I also just saw the new pebble watch… Really sharp looking device on its own…

#7

My understanding is the next share app will on be viewable on only an iPhone. I work in policy and can't be checking my phone during meetings with high-level folks. I also never want to go back to having an iPhone, so the issue is moot anyway.

#8

You do read that the right way. Mine showed up Dec 23rd and had my training on the 24th… Less than 2 weeks from the free upgrade cutoff…

#9

The next share will be iPhone based as a Bluetooth connection to the new receiver. And Bluetooth passthu to the apple watch which in my opinion is still to expensive… Also nobody knows yet the sharing capabilities of the new receiver… Which comes out March 2nd…

#10

That sounds right. I received my Dexcom last month, and they just upgraded it. . .so now I have TWO Dexcoms.

#11

We received our new Share receiver earlier this week. We love it!

Choosing between the Share receiver and Nightscout would be a no-brainer for me: all the advantages of Nightscout without all the extra crap needed to set it up, and no glitches. Yay, Share receiver!!!

#12

I just wanted to update I got the share and I love it. I have played around with the Night Scout for IOS from the share receiver. I really like the Share app although the Night Scout does provide more info. If I can find a way to do my own web server vs. the paid version on the Azure side I may do a share / night scout hybrid and get the microsoft band vs the apple watch....

#13

I guess I'm a little confused here. . .

I just started using the Dexcom in February and received a Dexcom then, and a few weeks later also received the new Dexcom Share. (I actually like having two of them so that one can stay at home, and the other I can carry with me all day. The one for sleeping has different settings to be sure that I wake up if my sugar goes too high, and that way I don;t have to 'reset' the settings at bedtime and when I wake up.)

My big thing is that I prefer simplicity, and I also prefer that the world doesn't SEE/KNOW my business, so the "Share" feature works well for me so that I can check my sugar level on my iPhone (at work, in public) rather than pulling out this device that makes people wonder "What is THAT?" if they see me using the Dexcom.

So. . .I have never used (or really heard of) the Night Scout.

It sounds like I don;t really need it though. . .

Thoughts?

#14

Okay, please forgive my ignorance here. I have had a Dexcom for close to five years, now the G4. What are Share, Nightscout and rig?

Suzan

#15

G5 is supposed to come out soon and the transmitter will have Bluetooth built in. This will enable your numbers to be sent directly to iPhone/Apple Watch without the need to carry separate receiver.

#16

Can’t be too soon.

#17

Nightscout (otherwise know as CGM in the Cloud) is an open source project not affiliated with Dexcom that lets you plug a cable in to the G4 reciever and upload those results from an up-loader android device to a personal cloud space to then share your dexcom results among many other devices (basically anything with a browser).... The project is amazing updated and maintained by volunteers. I would lend to say that it provides more info than the current G4 receiver. The project provides the view of the dexcom receiver results to parents spouses family members or anyone who would need to view CGM readings... For me it would be great to share my readings with my spouse but also, to make me reading my CGM less conspicious to others. If nothing else you should check it out....The nice thing with Nightscout is you are not bound to one format and can view readings on a myriad of devices not just apple.

#18

Interesting. Are there any details? Will the 'Transmitter to Apple device' allow for the same settings and alarms that are on the Dexcom receiver?

I wish (a single) Dexcom would allow you to do more things. I have 2 Dexcoms because I received the first one right before the Share came out. Now I use the Share as my 'daytime' reader (on vibrate only so I don;t have to announce to the world that I have a medical device), and I use the older Dexcom as my nighttime 'back-up' that is on "full volume alerts, at slightly higher blood sugar numbers." This way I don;t have to switch one receiver from Silent to Volumed, or change the alerts. I wish that could be done one ONE device. . .or from transmitter directly to phone.

#19

Ron - can you clarify - does the Nightwatch set-up get the actual BG numbers from the G4 receiver, as though it was uploading to Studio ?
Is there a delay from when BG shows up on G4 receiver, compared to displayed via cloud device (web browser).
Are there additional features from browser (eg seeing history of each 5 minute reading, predictive alarms, similar to how Minimed works ?
Those might be features that would make the nightscout more appealing to me.

#20

I don't know a ton but what they showed off at CES on the iPhone was the same interface as the current Dexcom Share app. Not having to carry a separate receiver with me to see my readings and being able to glance at an Apple Watch is a welcome addition to the Dexcom's arsenal.