Im new to the Dex and am loving it. Its really helping with my control this time around. I had the MM CGM, but didnt seem to work with me as well as the Dex has. So the question is how long has a single dexcom sensor lasted you? I know they are rated for 7 days, but a lot of folks use them longer. Any issues to keeping the sensor in longer than the 7 days (other than the normal tissue issues and what not)?
Longest sensor I’ve kept working well lasted 24 days, at which point it went to ??? and later failed. I had really been hoping that one would make it to day 28 so I could get a full four sessions from it. Almost all of mine make it at least 14 days and start to show degraded performance about halfway through the third session, at which point I usually pull them… every once in a while I have one that makes it all the way through, though I’ve only restarted a few for a forth session. They have to be performing really well through the third for me to do that though, and most aren’t (the graphs tend to get unusually “flat” and they tend to “drift” more than normal). Usually those that don’t last very long fail within the first 48 hours (which dex will replace, but only if you tell them you were wearing it on your belly)… my experience is that when you have a “good” one it keeps on going for a long time.
My current sensor is on day 12 and doing super… I, like many others, find that the accuracy is MUCH improved during the second session - the first session tends to be a little erratic, particularly the first 2-3 days.
Hi Sarah, thanks for your reply. Im on the 3rd session now and so far so good. Keeping it on tape wise is a pain, but the sensor seems to be reading well. Im kind of dreading the day it dies because Im really learning to depend on the trends.
My longest was 13 days. Not because the sensor failed but because it started to itch like crazy and when I took it off the site was like inflamed and red almost like a big pimple.
That used to happen with the MM sensor for me a lot. I havent had that much itching with this set so long as it doesnt get soaking wet. If it gets wet under the adhesive, oh Im itching like crazy!