I just started using a dexcom 7 today. Do I need to worry about the formation of scar tissue at the site of insertion, especially if I restart the sensor after seven days for potential use for 14 days or longer? Thanks for your responses.
So far I have had only one sensor that my body began to “heal” around the sensor wire and it was hard to pull out. I always put antibiotic cream on each site after removal, and I use Vitamin E cream - have no clue if it really helps, but figure it does not hurt! I usually get close to 2 weeks out of each sensor if not a couple of days longer. But I have only been using the Dex since this past October.
Laura,
I was wondering the same thing. I’ve been using the DexCom for 5 or 6 months. I hope that moving the sensor to other locations besides the stomach will help prevent scarring. The stomach, back(right above belt line) and my thigh are my sites I use. I have heard people talk about using the back of the arm. Usually, I can get two weeks out of a sensor, if not longer. Sometimes there is some redness after removing sensor, but no big deal. Good luck.
Mike
I think it is too soon for anyone to know. The Dexcom device was introduced in April 2006. My endo says he doesn’t think it will scar the tissue because it is not injecting anything into the tissue. He has worn one for three years. But I still think it will take 10 to 15, maybe 20 years of use by individuals before we know the answer.
If you have good results in extended use (“off-label”), then the advantages of shooting in and ripping out half as often might out-weigh the disadvantage keeping the wires in each place for a longer period of time. Or maybe not-- it’s definitely a YMMV! kind of thing. In any case, however, you’ll want to use a generous amount of area in your site rotation pattern, so that you can allow a lot of recovery time before returning to the same location again.
My own IR is much more related to the adhesive pad on the skin surface, and quite a bit less related to the SC “hole” in which I punched in the wire. But I have fairly strong reactions in both ways. Here are some hints:
(1) For the wire itself, the first thing which you want to do is keep it absolutely, positively motionless in your skin. Do not allow the edges of the adhesive pad to weaken and “flip up”, because that allows the Sensor assembly to move around (in a microscopic way). Such motion increases IR dramatically, and also ruins your readings.
Many Dex users add big chunks of flexible, breathable, adhesive films to cover and protect the Dexcom pad edges. (Or, more often, the ENTIRE exposed Dexcom pad surface. That’s what I do.) The best one is probably “FlexiFix”, although a lot of different products can do this job. Although I think it’s a lot less effective, IV-3000 is also very popular with other people.
Use the “search” box, in the upper right corner of any TuD page, to find discussions and replies about these products.
(2) Skin-Prep. (“I.V. Prep” is not the same thing!) When it dries, it consists of a thin film, providing a barrier on both sides. In one direction, it helps to prevent the adhesive from getting damaged and soaked by salty sweat from your skin. (It’s not a total barrier, but it greatly reduces the amount of perspiration and sloughed-off cells reaching the adhesive pad. So the adhesive pad works better, and lasts longer…
Meanwhile, in the other direction, it keeps nasty adhesive chemicals away from your skin, reducing IR (rashes, pain, and even exploding blisters among “unlucky” people like me).
Again, the “search box” is your friend on this product. BTW, I’ve just past my 5th anniversary of 24x7 usage. I don’t think that my IR problems or tissue characteristics have been significantly changed by using Dexcom; My skin sags and gets more mottled because I’m just getting older.