I've gotten 22 days before. I'm on day 16 right now.
Till it falls off, itches like crazy, can't be calibrated or the numbers falls off a cliff and die. The longest I have gone is 4 restarts. The tighter the range I am able to keep on a day to day basis, the longer I can keep it fgoing with good results.
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I wear my sensor until it is no longer accurate or it starts to drop readings or goes to ??? . Usually I get at least 3 weeks from a sensor, my record so far is 29 days. I use Opsite Flexifix from the first day to help keep it secure. I agree with hobbit - the fewer high and low excursions I can manage the longer the sensor lasts.
I average about 17-18 days on each sensor. The vast majority make it to two weeks. Once I am past two weeks, if I have a problem, I just rip it out and start a new one. My longest was about 25 days.
At minimum 2 weeks, but rarely longer than 3 weeks. After two weeks I get to the point when ??? show a bit often or the accuracy is off. At this point I change.
Between 3 and 4 weeks. When I see it's no longer accurate (like 10 points difference between my glucometer reading and Dexcom - for me 10 points difference is a lot), I change it.
The longest I went was back a year and a half ago when I started on the Dexcom. It was a little over 5 restarts. However, I have noticed that now I can get a max of 3 and it will fail (??? or bad readings) before the fourth. I have made it to the 4th restart recently but then only a day or so. Also, I have never had any irritation, redness or infection. I have had irritation caused by extra tape I put on it to hold it. I have recently start using a new tape that is much, much better. Opsite Flexifix is the name if you are interested. I can only find it online.
I agree with many, until it falls off!! I'm on my 2nd week with my current one.
I guess you are only suppose to use it for 7 days but they are quite expensive so I try and get the maximum use out of it. Near the end the readings can be come and go. I usually get at least 2 weeks, sometimes 3 weeks. Depends how much swimming I do.
Do you mean "wear" instead of "where"? Sorry, couldn't resist! ;)
I think the vast majority of people can get much more than 7 days out of their Dexcom sensors. I'm a big believer in using Opsite Flexifix from the get-go. If you get one roll of this stuff from amazon.com, it will likely last you a year or more. After much trial and error, this is how I cut the Opsite so it fits perfectly. Cut a piece exactly 15 squares long. Then cut a window in the middle being sure to leave a margin that is 3.5 squares away from the short sides and 2.5 squares away from the long sides. I cut a crapton of these to size yesterday, so I don't have to mess with cutting any for quite a while to come.
I wish there was a way to verify how long you are able to wear one sensor and still get reasonably accurate readings. If there was a way to verify this, Dexcom should have a year-long contest in which the person who wears a Dexcom sensor the longest (while still getting decent readings) is awarded free sensors for the rest of their life.
My son who is 8 wears his for about 7 days.
I am on day 15....
Why only 7 days? Does it not stay on longer? Or do you start getting crapping readings?
I'm a new Dexcom user and on my third week. I'm so impressed. Only once did I get as much as 6 days with Medtronic.
The longest I have worn my was 7 days and it seems that the longer I wear one the better the data is. The readings are actually closer to a stick.
I'm just coming up for my 2nd restart. Numbers are good at the moment so I am going to try for a bit longer. I'm a newish user this is only my 4th sensor & 2 only lasted a week, more because I don't think the transmitter was seated properly. On others advice I got some Skin-Tac, the liquid sort, & painted some on the edges when they started to peel up, seems to be holding great now, next set I'll put some underneath before I insert the sensor. Numbers seem to be better now than for the 1st 2 days.
My norm is 21+ days. Start to get wacky numbers at about 25. I've gotten 30+ before, but that is rare.