Need tips and advice, just starting my new Dexcom

Diabetes Technology Glucose Monitoring
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I’m not as skilled as you in in the task of of cutting a rectangular “window” out of FlexiFix. A thicker, less flexible, or less sticky tape material would certainly be faster; but these properties are the reason why FlexiFix works best for me. 4 separate side strips at about 30 seconds each (including cutting, rounding off the outside corners, and application) takes me about 2 minutes to finish.

In contrast, my “extra work” is in the “Operating-Room” quality skin cleaning. Nearly all of the “off-label”, restart-and-use-longer-than-7-days people on this board find the accuracy and reliability of days 8-10 to be much higher than days 1-2. Many of us continue getting superior results until day 14, or even longer. BUT: I’ll SWAG that FDA probably advised Dexcom that they would never, ever approve the device if Dexcom asked for more than 7 days. The reason? amateur site preparation, creating a high risk of non-sterile conditions.

If you’re only using IPA – non-sterile conditions are pretty much assured, no matter how long and hard you scrub. It just doesn’t have the killing power to do the job; especially in the case of viruses. Scrubbing longer and harder is BETTER, but (imo) it’s not sufficient for a 14-day insertion.
They can only talk recommend IPA, because that’s the approved site preparation method. They also can’t talk about restarting a Sensor, because use beyond 7 days was not approved. (BTW, these two issues are probably related: I’ll SWAG that FDA advised Dexcom, informally, that a request for more than 7 days of continuous use would be rejected, because of the risk of infection damage created by amateur site preparation. If that risk were not present, the Gen-3 device probably already had sufficient accuracy and reliability to justify a 10-day approval: Many people on this board find R and A to be much better on days 8, 9, and 10 than days 1-2.)

FDA has become increasingly strict about vendors discussing “off-label” usage. They have apparently slapped Dexcom, hard, for “off-label” use by children and younger teens. The approved labeling specifies alcohol, and only alcohol, as the site preparation method. Dexcom is required to warn against using anything else.

The dry barrier layer left on your skin by a Skin-Prep application is definitely harmless for the current version of the Sensor wire, and all of it’s it’s predecessors. (I’ve used them all.) You must make it completely dry (“hair dryer”); and obviously, if you have an allergy to the Skin-Prep chemicals, it won’t work for you.

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My comparison “you’re working too hard” was with regard to:



(A) Your later patch-up, with a carefully-shaped piece of tape (rounded corners, with a “window” in the middle for the Transmitter-holding assembly); versus



(B) I Wipe Skin-Prep, run the hair dryer, start the Sensor, and then add 4 simple rectangles pieces of FlexiFix. This lasts longer than the life of the Sensor, and never curls up.



Longer reply above. My PVI/CHG “sterilize the site” was really a separate process, although I do recommend it. (I know it’s a lot more hassle.)

Great discussion, thanks!

23

I find it so much simpler to just use alcohol, then apply the sensor then cut the rectangular windor in a transparent dressing, Use a skin or IV prep under the dressing and change the transparent dressing it every week - Never had an infection But whatever works for each individual!!!

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No need to round the corners, they come rounded with the dressing and I have almost 100 of them so I will use them up then switch to the 4 inch flexifixtape I think one piece is easier than 4 of the narrower - but to each his own

25

i love my dexcom but i would tell you this its works 75% percent of the time but dont throw away your one touch just quite yet

26

Good advice from Korrie.
The first time I did this, almost two years ago, I accidently clicked, "Shutdown", instead of ,"Stop Sensor". Careful not to make this mistake.

27

What is the benefit from "plugging in early?" If you still need to wait two hours for an Initial calibration, what's the point?

When I change sensors, I remove the old one, plug in the new one, wait two hours, calibrate and away I go.

Am I missing something?

Thanks,

Alan

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Amen to that. One really needs to hang onto the caveman fingerprick machine as a check against weird readings on the Dexcom as it is attempting to track interstitial tissue blood under rapid changes/or sleeping/weight on the tissues near the sensor.

More than once I had to grab the caveman machine and find the Dexcom unhelpful. Like the other person said readings were good 75% of the time.

30

Hi All,

I just got my dexcom today too and fully charged. Am eager to try it but a few quick questions though - it requires 2 BG for initial calibration, the 1st is 2 hours after initial setup but when do you input the 2nd one?

will it prompt you for the 2nd calibration?

Is it okay to wear it on my thighs? i'm 20 weeks pregnant and prefer not to wear the transmitter on my abdomen. any suggestion on alternative sites?

Thanks in advance..

31

Upper arms work for me, other use thigh's.

Abdomen useless for me with wrong misleading results.

Studying anatomy of abdomen make one wonder on choice of abdomen for accuracy!

32

I'm in the same position. I'll be getting mine in several weeks. I've never been "tethered" to anything but my pens so far.

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Does Dexcom communicate with any brand pump? Do they make their own?

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There seems to be alot of filing with fda for that connection. I read about the tslim and animas vibe, but not approved in us. The vibe is in othere countries i think

36

This is great. I am getting my new Dexcom platinum this friday. Thanks for advice.

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LOL

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I try to eat 2 hours before inserting, not less than 2 hrs. Then, calibrate immediately. I used to plug a lot of manual BGs into it, willy nilly. It seemed like an easy way to store the data. But, now I'm really cautious about that because I think its calibrating every time I do that, which makes the sensor read more inaccurate. Now, I don't calibrate unless I've had less than, maybe, 30 points variability in the numbers during the preceding hour. I don't really follow the arrows. I've had really reliable data come out of the thing, but it will read off when your bg raises or lowers rapidly, so you should still check manually, while you learn its quirks.