I know this could have been covered already but I couldn’t find it when I searched this site!I am “eligible” for a sensor as I don’t feel my lows!My health team have suggested the medtronic enlite sensor but have told me that the decision is mine!I want a sensor that is as accurate as possible…is the dexcom 7 more accurate?Or which sensor do ye think is the most accurate at picking up lows??Maybe I am expecting too much from a sensor…I expect that I wouldnt have to worry if I was hypo as my sensor would let me know…is that too much to ask?I totally inderstand that I still have to test…but I am testing 15-20 times a day at the moment as Im afraid I am low and I don’t know!
I am not sure if the MM Enlite is > or < Dexcom. I have the old MM, generally acclaimed to be the least accurate, and it is still extremely useful. I’m certainly jealous you can just get the new ones though!
I tried a Dexcom and had lots of issues with accuracy. It was helpful for identifying trends and patterns, but I could not use it alone to treat a low or high because it would often tell me I was low when I wasn’t. But I think I’m in the minority because many people seem happy with their Dexcoms. This was just my experience.
I have a minimed revel pump now and am considering asking about getting the CGM sensor to go with it. I probably won’t use it all the time, but it would be nice to use every now and again to identify patterns.
That all said, I personally just test a lot. If that means I have to buy extra test strips, that’s what I do. I figure that the money I’m spending on test strips is about the same as what I would spend on test strips and sensors, and I’d rather have the better accuracy of my meter than always wondering if my CGM was accurate. Also, I am running out of real estate on my body, and would prefer to save space for my pump sites.
Can’t compare, but rumor has it that the enlite is more accurate than the dexcom.
That being said… I love my dexcom. I would never treat from it, but it does warn me if I’m low, high, and which way I’m trending. Invaluable to me. I sleep with the receiver under my pillow as I sometimes bottom out when I’m sleeping. If you don’t expect exact numbers from a CGM, you won’t be frustrated. I’d never treat from it, but it does save me some fingersticks.
I can’t compare with the Elite sensor, but I have a dexcom and I love it. I generally find it to be pretty accurate. I think people forget that there is a little bit of a lag with CGMs compared to a fingerstick, because CGMs measure from interstitial fluid and not blood like a fingerstick. So, just keep that in mind. If the CGM says you’re say “80” and trending downward, you might already be lower than that. Let us know what you find out about the Enlite, though. Also, I know some people have been able to convince sensor reps to give them a trial run, so maybe you can try one out before you buy it? Good luck! I love my sensor and I’m sure you’ll find one helpful too!
I have the medtronic pardigm CGM (and pump) and find it incredibly helpful. Most diabetics on TU say that the dexcom is more accurate than the medtronic CGM. As others have mentioned there is a 10-15 minute lag time from the intersitial fluid that the CGM is in and a finger stick. This will make any CGM lag behind your actual BG. The faster your BG is dropping the larger the difference between the CGM and BG reading will be (and the lower your BG will be when the CGM finally alerts you).
Although, knowing this can help you prepare to identify your lows (and likely help you out a lot). I have my low limit set to 81 mg/dl. I have found that when my CGM drops to 81, then I will usually test my BG and find it often between 66-72. I had my low limit set to 80 but my BG would test too low usually at 60-66. The other feature I like on my pardigm CGM is the predicted low or high feature. If my CGM is trending down towards my low limit I have an alert set that will let me know when the pump “predicts” I will hit my low limit, or 81. I have my predictive low set for 15 minutes before I hit my low limit and will often test in the 80s (possibly low 90s) when the alert goes off. I believe you can set the predictive low (or high) alert for anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes on the paradigm pump. It took me long enough to figure out that if the predictive low goes off that I can treat with 15 grams of carbs and often avoid the low and keep my BG in my target range (likely not go below 70-75). I do not know if the dex has this feature and I know that the older MM pump version does not.
Like others have said, I rarely treat based off my CGMs readings. The CGM is just not accurate enough because of the lag time. I would bet that either CGM will help you out quite a bit with your hypo unawareness. Good luck and let us know which one you choose.