I have been having a hard time getting these Medtronic sensors to go the full 7 days. I get about 5 at best. I only calibrate when my sugars are steady. I am not new to this. I would love to go back to dexcom but that would mean I would have to go into manual mode and readjust my basal rates. Insurance is paying for my sensors so it’s not costing me much. It is just a pain that I have to deal with the “updating sensor” and calibrations. The tslim didn’t work for me as I need a basal rate that can go less than 1 unit. I am very small and on very small amounts of insulin. How does everyone deal with these sensors? If anyone has any tips or tricks I would love to hear about it.
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I don’t know why the Tslim wouldn’t go lower basal than one unit/hr. My basal rate on Tandem is 0.59 units per hour and often drops quite a bit lower with Tandem IQ, and the Dexcom sensors last up to 20 days with a restart. And remain quite accurate for that time. The only problem is that they peel off usually before I get to full 20 days!
It won’t allow a rate less than 1.0u/hour.
It’s a typo. She means it won’t allow a rate less than 0.1 u/hr, which she needs.
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I occasionally have the same issue with the “updating sensor” I’ve learned that if you don’t bolus while it is updating, (says it can take up to 3 hours), the sensor will restart itself. Now before everyone jumps on me…you can always just change the sensor, BUT, call Medtronics before you do, because they may be able to advise you on to avoid having to change it out, and if you do have to change it out they are really good about replacing them.
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Yeah, they only allow 1 a month. As long as my insurance pays for the bulk of my sensors I am going to try and stick it out with Medtronic. Maybe things will get better. 
Dee: There are two reasons I do not get the full seven days. Especially high or volatile blood sugars. Both conditions tend to burn out the filament far quicker. Is your TIM good? do you fluctuate wildly during the 7 days?
The third thing that I have heard that causes shortened time is laying on it while sleeping.
rick
I am a Medtronic ambassador. My opinions are my own. They did not pay me to say nice things. OK, they sent me a shirt and a cup but even I am more expensive than that.
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Tandem can deliver 0.05 units. That’s the smallest it can deliver.
That’s quite small. I just Bollused that and it delivered.
As far as basal rates 0.1 is the smallest rate it will accept
So I don’t know why you can’t get under 1 unit.
What is TIM? Is that time in range. But, anyway my numbers do not fluctuate widely. I get between 75%-90% on target. I wish medtronic would let other cgm companies to connect to their pumps. It says on their Canadian site that they have submitted the guardian 4 sensor and 780 to Health Canada to review. Now we wait and how that this technology will be better than what there is now.
Yes I meant TIR.
I thought you were asking if I was good. Is your TIM good?
Yes, Yes I am.
Seriously though. If you wanted to, you can get medtronic pumps to accept Dex data.
I did this way back when I had a paradigm pump and dexcom 5 and Enlite sensor.
You take apart a used enlite. Use cold solder to make contact to the two contacts on the new dexcom sensor.
Then attach the medtronic transmitter to the medtronic sensor that you pulled apart to get to the wires
The session will start and you need to calibrate twice a day
No idea if the algorithm would work but I don’t see why it wouldn’t.
The system won’t know that you have a dexcom sensor, but the data will be more consistent with the dex sensor
It is really more the other way around. Medtronic would have to actually modify the software/firmware and possibly hardware in their pumps to connect to and interact with, for example, the Dexcom transmitter.
This would require both a non-trivial amount of Medtronic development investment (both money & time not doing something else) and some amount of support from Dexcom.
This would have been problematic enough in the world prior to 2021. Doing it in 2021 also faces the potential hurdle of the scarcity of people to actually do the development work.
In my personal opinion, what you are wishing for is only somewhat more likely to happen than for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Marjorie Taylor Greene to become best friends and book a shared week at a spa so they can “bond better”. 
There are plans under development that would do this…
Just don’t know when and what combos would be supported.
Yes I know about Tidepool but it seems like a dream. Before automode I was using a 630 with a dexcom sensor in manual mode. I was having more lows then than I am now. I think the medtronic sensor gets a little inaccurate on the low side or high side. There are times when it will tell me I am below 2.2mmol. My insurance is paying 3,000$ a month for my sensors so it isn’t costing me much for having less burden on managing my diabetes. When I had to adjust basal rates and sensitivity it made it a bit daunting. Automode also helps to lessen the high after a meal. I still need to exit automode and do a correction in manual mode if I want a high to come down in a timely manner. I heard about connecting the paradigm pumps to dexcom but I wouldn’t be able to do that anyways. I guess we wait for the next sensor to clear.
Where do you wear your sensors? I only use my arms. When I tried my abdomen the sensors never worked, or worked for a short time and then had false low readings. I use my upper arms and not just the backs. The backs are hard for me as I have nobody to help insert, and more importantly, tape there. I don’t always do a good job of getting the tape on by myself. I use the tops and insides more and get very good results. My sensors always last a full week.
I know a lot of people like the thighs but when I tried that - years ago with the original SofSensors - it didn’t work and I haven’t tried experimenting since then as my arms work great.
But, I am also in Manula Mode. I didn’t like how high Auto Mode kept me and I also use a dual wave bolus for every meal which can’t be done in AM. I don’t know if the Sensor Updating message is more common in Auto Mode, but I’ve only had it a couple of times in the past 3+ years I’ve been on the Guardian sensors.
I stand by my opinion expressed at the end of my previous post.
I only use my arms too. I don’t use medtronic’s tape. I use hypafix over my sensor. I get the updating sensor error and have tried to disconnect the sensor and reconnect it to only work for a few hours and then I get the updating message again. I am always in automode. I only go into manual mode when my sugar is high and when automode doesn’t bring it down in a timely manner. I don’t like to stay above 10mmol for too long. I have been a type 1 for 36 years and so far have done well with avoiding any major complications.
This is all very similar to me. Type 1 for 34 years, no complications, and I also use Hypafix rather than the Medtronic tape. I’m not sure why some people constantly have issues with the Medtronic sensors while for others, like myself, they generally work as they should. I do tend to have more lows than I’d like but I prefer it to having more highs. When I go high, even a minor high like 180 (10) it just takes forever to come down. I’ll take lower numbers over needing to spend 3 hours to get it from 180 to 100. Humalog generally seems to kick in fast when I bolus for food but not for corrections.
I find the sensors are more inaccurate the lower I go. For example I can get a 4.5mmol and I will fix it by drinking milk or some kind of carbs and it continues to go down. Sometimes it will say I am below 2.2mmol and I know I never go that low. On a scale of 1to 10 I would say they work like a 7 when they are working.
Have you tried your backside? I can’t do it alone on my arms so only do that when my adult daughter or son or someone can help (not often). I, too am slim and have trouble getting my sensors to last. Looking in a mirror helps when I use my backside. Also, you can call Medtronic’s helpline and get replacements as often as needed. They are really good and friendly, I’ve found.