Tapestry, Thank You for the info!! I’ve never ‘strayed’ too far from the ‘owners-manual’ regarding ‘covering’ of the transmitter, but your method sounds like the ‘answer’ I’ve been looking for! Thank You!! 
@Ti-1 You’re most welcome! Covering it did work and it worked well. But as I mention, I changed the placement, going vertical and placing it on top of the Tegaderm. This has worked very well and I don’t have that pillowy effect. Try to place it vertically, on top of Tegaderm (edited to add), first. If that doesn’t work, then try it with the Tegaderm over all.(/end edit) I get it to last this way for 21+ days. My last one lasted 32 days.
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I’m wanting to try applying Benadryl prior to site insertions to see if it helps my sites last more than 24 hours without irritation. I currently only have the Benadryl cream. When you refer to gel, are you referring to the stuff that comes in a spray on bottle?
Hi @Jen … I thought I would mention, in case you’re interested in a spray, I’ve used Gold Bond Pain and Itch relief antiseptic spray, for minor flares (hives, psoriasis, mosquito bites,… and such) and it has worked quite well. Major flares I rely on hydroxyzine to stop the itch. Eucerin had a spray, but I haven’t been able to find it in years. I never tried a spray as a first tier pre-treatment for Dexcom or OmniPod as I’m not having a negative reaction to their adhesives or the Tegaderm that I use, but it seems like a reasonable possibility for success. I’ve never tried Benedryl creams or sprays (I didn’t know they were available), but it’s good to know they have topical products for when I can’t find this anymore. I hope you find something which works for you!
Thanks for the suggestion. These things are so trial-and-error because they are so individualized. I have steroid creams that I use for eczema flares, but I don’t like using them on my skin unless absolutely necessary. Many sets I remove are itchy/painful/irritated even after just 24 hours. I react to the actual metal in the sets, not just the tape, so it’s not just a skin issue (although it is partly a skin issue, because I my skin is super sensitive and prone to atopic eczema). I’ve been putting Benadrly and sometimes Polysporin cream on them, but I wondered if putting Benadryl on before insertion might help. I find antihistamines make a major difference to how well my body tolerates sets, and well, just copes in general. Yesterday I forgot to take my morning dose of cetirizine (I take 20 mg per day) and even just that made my pump and Dexcom sites and my eyes get super itchy during the afternoon, and today both have stopped working (trying to revive my Dexcom, but so far two sensor restarts have not worked). I don’t know if it’s related or just a coincidence, but it seems to fit past patterns of antihistamines being important.
You’re most welcome. I agree they are trial-and-error, having tried and failed a few such products in my time. I was truly upset when I could no longer find the Eucerin spray and ecstatic when I found Gold Bond … and, it worked! I’m surprised too that I didn’t know about the Benadryl cream as I have used their pills before. It might be that it’s a new(er) product from when I came across the Gold Bond. Or, oddly, I just didn’t notice it. I surely would have trusted the brand.
I don’t like using prescription creams/ointments either as they typically thin my skin and make it worse. I’ve relied on biologics for the past 20 some years.
I think you’re right, that it is related. If you log, mark it down and if you miss another dose in the future, you’ll be able to look back and see if you had a similar reaction.
For what it’s worth, I would try applying the cream or spray and see if that helps. The cream would probably be more difficult as you’ll have to wait a considerable amount of time for your skin to absorb it prior to applying your Dex or pump, where with the spray I find it dries in about five to ten minutes, depending upon how heavy-handed I am when I apply it, lol.
What are biologics for eczema? I have never heard of these. I have Protopic cream that I have used in the past, but I was cautioned not to use it directly on infusion sites because of the risk of infection (since it’s an immunosuppressant). My eczema has been extremely calm since I discontinued allergy immunotherapy shots in the spring (prior to that I had a three-year continuous flare), but if it flares up badly again I will ask about these.
No, not eczema … I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. I’ve pretty much run the gambit with biologics … which are immunosuppressants. A few you might have heard on the television are Enbrel, Humira, Cosentyx, …
I apologize for the confusion.
Oh, sorry! I think you mentioend that earlier, and I just forgot. 
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No problem! Been there, done that myself!
No not a spray, I originally tried the spray, but it has an extra ingredient in it for pain relief of the irritation, or something like that, and it leaves a greasy residue…kinda like spray on sunscreen.
What I use comes in a tube, and the thing I like about it is that it is a thicker gel and you can kinda rub it in and then it will dry pretty well so things stick. I use Cavilon wipes (also not the cream as the cream left a greasy residue for me) after that which probably also help with things sticking, while also kinda sealing in the Benedryl.
Here is what I am talking about:
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