Looks like I should have my Dexcom soon! Excited and nervous at the same time! I have heard-unofficially- that people have worn the sensors for more than the recommended week- sometimes for a month. Really? Has anyone had good or bad experiences or tips for a newbie? Thanks!
Hi! Congrats on getting a dexie. it will help you manage your sugars a lot. my cde told me to wear the sensor two weeks. He even throws out the first three days of data, feels like it gets more accurate the longer you wear it. He ought to know, he is diabetic, too. If you are really active, invest in some tape or sticky wipes...by the end of two weeks mine has been re-taped two or three times. It just happens when you bike and run and sweat all over it. But it is definitely possible. I have also worn the sensor on the back of my arm and back, and thigh. worked in all those places. Good luck.
Quite a few threads on the G4... Here's a couple you should read through:
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/new-to-cgm-dexcom-g4-help-pleasehttp://
http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/dexcomusers/forum/topics/finally-getting-my-dexcom-g4?http://
hth
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P.S. Yes, you can wear your sensors for longer than 7 days, though the FDA only approved 7 days. You can also wear it pretty much anywhere you want, though the FDA only approved the tummy.
My 5 year old is on day 11 of her sensor. My 18 year old is into week 2 of her sensor. We get lots of extra mileage out of our sensors. After we start getting a lot of ??? we decide it's time to change the sensor. We like to use Opsite Flexifix which we purchase on Amazon. It's great tape to hold down sensor sites. We rarely have to put on any extra tape since it holds for a good 2 weeks.
Absolutely yes you can!
At the end of your 7-day cycle, the dexcom will shut itself down. All you have to do is tell it you want to "start sensor" without changing out any of the hardware (sensor and/or transmitter). After the 2-hours start-up, it should resume working just as before. To date, my longest run on a single sensor was 20 days.
Good luck,
Mike
First, congrats on getting the Dexcom. I hope you will get as much out of yours as I do mine. I test everything "D" to the max. I wear my sensor each time for 4 weeks, regularly. When testing the longest I wore it without errors was 5.5 to 6 weeks. And I mainly wear mine on my upper legs.
I wear mine on the front of my leg, about one and a half hand lengths down from my waist. It's on the front of the thigh. In that location, I average 21-28 days on a single sensor, with excellent accuracy, and I hardly notice it. It rarely gets in my way, and it's MUCH more comfortable than on my abdomen.
The adhesive will wear out in that time, but a little "Hypafix Dressing Retention Tape: 2" x 10 yds", cut into 1" strips and plastered on all four sides of the sensor/transmitter (but not on top of it) holds it down. When it comes time to remove it, I use "Smith And Nephew Uni-Solve Adhesive Remover Wipes - 50/bx" to moisten the top of the tape, and the adhesive comes right off. Another wipe to dissolve remaining adhesive on my skin and then clean cloth to wipe it all off.
Be sure to not throw out your transmitter when you throw out the old sensor. Done that once. Major suckage there.
I love my Dexcom. Never leave home without it.
Cheers!
Thanks for the advice guys! Can't wait to get started. At first I was overwhelmed because the day I went to the educator to talk about a pump and get the medical necessity forms filled out etc, she mentioned getting a Dexcom. At first I was totally on board-until I was left alone in the room with the trainer pump and Dexcom. Then I was like-I cant wear both these things! What will my super understanding hubby think-he's been great so far, but really will this be the straw that breaks the camels back? How will I travel and deal with the TSA with this stuff? What if I drop one or both super expensive devices in the toilet? How much more money will this be per month? Way too many negative thoughts rushing in over about a 3 minute period! I have since gotten over it and feel better after talking to you guys and the people in the animas group-I should be getting my Ping soon also. Thanks again!
As Mike noted, at the end of 7 days, the sensor will stop, and you can do Start sensor to get additional days out of the same sensor. There will be another 2 hour 'wait' time (no readings) each time you restart.
I prefer to pick the time that's convenient for me to have the 2 hour wait, instead of waiting for the automatic stop. To do this, choose the menu option for Stop Sensor. Then immediately choose Start Sensor, without having to actually change the sensor.
On the Dexcom G4 Receiver, you can see the date/time that the sensor was last started by going to Settings - Device Info.
I've been using my sensors for 2 weeks. Restart process has been described above. I'm hesitant to go more than 2 weeks, because it seems to me that it gets less accurate after that, but I've never done things the way everyone else does before -- why should I start now?
My 7 yr old typically wears a sensor for 2 weeks. Occasionally, it will quit on us earlier. Very rarely, we get 3 weeks out of one.
I posted a message asking how you get over 1 week when the system shuts down on day 7. Then I found Mike's "instructions" for the override. Been a user 1 yr+ & never knew that. Thanks!
FDA recommends 1 week. Because I can't afford it, I am doing some hypermiling. Most of the wear and tear seems to be from 1. the Dexcom sensor catching on things, and 2. the dexcom sensor tape getting exposed.
Here's what works for me...
1. sensor placement on the thigh. If sitting down, it would be facing the ceiling and about 1/3rd of the way from the hip to the knee.
2. Buy 4"x10 yards hypafix tape for $10 online, and everytime you do a sensor placement, cut TWO pieces of tape to cover the sensor plus an extra 1/2". Have those pieces overlap in the center, so that they can be pealed off the sensor every week or so without pulling up on the sensor or it's tape. The hypafix tape protects the sensor tape, and most of the sensor take wear and tear is simply from being exposed.
3. Buy a bottle of skin tac ($15 online?) and when tape is coming up (or preemptively), you can put it on to keep things down. I don't use skin tac on the dexcom sensor tape itself unless it is coming up. Also, Skin Tac seems to permeate through both tapes and doesn't seem to need to be placed underneath.
4. Replace the two pieces of hypafix tape when you reset your sensor weekly.
5. Switch thighs with the next sensor.
I'm getting about a month problem free with this.
I tried Hypafix, and it didn't stick to the tape. Then I tried IV3000 and it works well. I can get about a week out of it, and then it peels up easily without disturbing the sensor tape, and I can put new tape on it. If you cut the regular rectangle in half, and use 2 pieces, you get full coverage of the sensor tape.
So I took some pictures of my covered Dexcom with tape that has been on for a week, and the Dexcom after the tape was pulled off. Notice how clean the Dexcom tape underneath is....that's after 2 weeks! Generally at the end of a month it is still as clean.
Awesome pictures! Thanks! Ordering some now! I already got the skin tac stuff, hopefully between the two I can make them last!
Hi!
Me too I will be receiving my Dexcom soon and I wanted to ask, what has your experience been like so far?
Since it is FINALLY available in Canada as of next week (YAY!) I just need to know only because I haven't seen the Dexcom transmitter in person , do you find that it shows easily through your clothing?... of course depending on what style/type of clothing you wear :)
Any info would be very much appreciated!!
Thank you!! :)
I get just over three weeks from each sensor, sometimes four. I place mine on my arm and use skintac first on the placement area. I never have had any problems with mine although arm placement can be a bit awkward to do.
I use a Dexcom 7. My sensors aren't accurate at all the first days, and gradually improve during the first week. By the second week they are very accurate for me, about 95% will match or be within a couple of points of my meter. They generally are very accurate right up until suddenly it starts reading ???.