What is the longest someone has gotten a G5 sensor to work? I was able to get many of my G4 sensors to last for 4+ weeks (the longest was 7, I think), but the G5 I can’t even seem to get it to go for 2 weeks. Did they design it to fail so we have to re-order? I’m trying to make my sensors last through 2017. . . .
I think they changed the sensors not to last as long a bit before the G5 came out. They’ve been good for a solid 2 weeks for me, but maybe (from what you are saying) they did it again and they are even worse.
I got one to last 3 weeks but the insertion site got a bit sore so I removed it. Generally I get a good 2 weeks per sensor.
I was told that the sensors for the G4 and G5 are identical, and visually I can discern no difference. Then again, I’m getting older and I can’t see quite as well as I used to. I’ve noticed no difference in how long they last for my daughter, either: anywhere from 10 days to 28 days and usually around 20 days.
I’ve gotten 2 weeks + a few days on my sensors with the G5, the limiting factor being that I haven’t figured out a way to keep them stuck on despite various experiments with Tegarderm, SkinTac and various bits of medical tape. 3-4 days past my second session restart and everything just peels off. But as far as the accuracy goes, they’re still working perfectly well at that point. And as @rgcainmd points out, they’re the same sensors as the G4 anyway. I did the upgrade from G4 to G5 and still had the same batch of sensors going when I made the switch. Only difference was the transmitter.
I still use the G4 and the longest run was 30 days but now the average is 2 weeks seems like the sensor its self is being down graded
has anyone tried disconnecting the transmitter from the sensor while it was still attached cleaning the contacts and reinstalling it? I have been getting large inactive times but then it starts up on its own 1 or 2 hours later?
Dr BB I found the best sitcky way to go is alcohol wipe to clean, skin tack liquid, let it dry 2 or 3 min, stick sensor, cut out a transmitter sized hole in a 4x4" hypafix pad and stick it over the sensor pad, then top it off with a sheet of tegaderm that is 1/2" wider than the hypafix. I have had several go 30 days with no pealing and one two week session I was swimming every day in the ocean.
Thanks for the tip about hypafix!
I can barely remove the transmitter when I remove the sensor from my body. I could;t imagine that it could be removed and replaced while the sensor is still inserted. But it does make me wonder why a sensor stops working. . .
That’s pretty much an exact description of what I do except for hypafix. But you know, it’s getting to be where the whole process of changing a sensor takes about 5 times as long as changing an infusion site and the reason I’m trying to make 'em last longer is that I hate changing 'em so much. There’s also the problem that the Tegarderm + SkinTac combination makes the film actually tear my skin along the edge–like to the point of scabbing over. I think I may have reached the point of diminishing returns…
All:
This video (and product) has helped me immensely in keeping the Dexcom on. Please share it:
It doesn’t stop me from saying that I can’t seem to get the G5 to last longer than about a week and a half with a strong signal, and about another 1/2 week with a signal that comes and goes, and I don;t understand why this is because I could get the G4 to last for 3 weeks at a minimum. . .
Have you tried the Unisolve wipes for removal?
I have Unisolve wipes but it’s actually not the removal that’s the problem. The combination of Tegaderm + SkinTac seems to make the film so tight that it pulls at the skin while I’m wearing it and makes a little painful tear along the edge. I should say I’m wearing the CGM on the inside of my upper arm where the skin is more delicate. Doesn’t always happen but it’s painful when it does. Seems to help if I carefully flex the arm around a bunch when I first put it on to give the stuff a chance to maybe stretch a little and adjust.
One thing I’ve thought of to extend the duration but haven’t tried yet is waiting until the Dexcom patch itself starts to loosen before putting Tegaderm over it. For me that’s usually about day 6-7. That way I’d get longer life out of the Tegaderm before it starts to peel off.
I rely on thenDex adhesive along with SkinTac for the first week to 10 days. I don’t add the Opsite Flexifix until the Dex adhesive patch starts to peel up.
I used to take this approach with my daughter’s Dexcom sensors, but then I’d be too busy to check to see when the adhesive patch started to peel up, and she wouldn’t tell me until the sensor was hanging by a thread and the sensor wire was already pulled out half-way. So we do the Opsite Flexifix thing from the get-go, and it usually lasts the whole 2 to 3-1/2 weeks. Or it starts to peel up a little around the edges and she just ignores it, or I trim it down a little bit.
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Sounds like it’s worth a try then–I’ll give it a go next time (current one’s only 3 days old).
And it’s not just kids. That’s how I figured out it was time to change mine on Sunday. 
I did that a few years ago without breaking the sensor session. I just took the transmitter off of one sensor pod, cleaned the contacts, and reinstalled the transmitter back into the original sensor pod.
Ah, I see. Sounds painful 
My current sensor has two layers of tegaderm at the moment. After inserting I put a small tegaderm bandage over it. A week later, when it started to peel up around the edges, I had my husband (carefully!) cut off the lifted parts, then laid down a larger piece of tegaderm over everything. Fast forward to today (over a week after that) and it’s still holding on!
Yes, I’ve found that when it comes to Tegarderm and the upper-arm location, a cooperative and understanding spouse is absolutely essential!
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