I put a new sensor in my arm two days ago and it hurt quite a bit after at first. Then it subsided a bit, but then it was hurting every time I moved my arm and I had tingling and pain in my neck/arm etc. Clearly it was pressing on a nerve which acts up in that arm a lot. I have had three separate accident injuries with a lot of damage over the years, nerve and tissue damage.
Today is a bit better. I just hope I don’t end up having to take it out early.
Has anyone had this happen? I was worried about it but decided to try it in the arm which I haven’t done since the very first one I used years ago when the sensor inserter was stuck on my arm etc. and my father had to help me remove it.
It is too soon to tell if it is any more accurate in my arm yet.
The libre sensor otoh is in the left arm and I have no pain from inserting it or it being there etc. No irritation, maybe some mild itching on and off. I am guessing maybe the sensor is smaller? The insertion needle is smaller and it doesn’t go as deep maybe.
I have had one or two Dexcom sensors that I have had to remove because of pain. I was wearing those sensors on my stomach.
Now I am using my arms. The sensors finally work really well for me, and they never did before. I pre soak for at least 10 hrs, and the past 5 sensors have been correct from the very beginning. Sometimes they will still be off now and then, but they work so much better for me now. With them on the front of my arms, I don’t get compression lows either. I did have one that bled badly, but usually they don’t bleed at all.
If you do take it off because of pain, just call and get a free one. Tell them it was placed in your abdomen.
I will do that. I think I can wait it out but I am restarting them now so if it continues I will maybe finish it earlier. Where on the front do you put them? I put this one a bit to the back in a fatty area but somehow it is pressing on a nerve and muscle. I still have larger arm muscles for someone my size so it is harder to find a spot. I sleep on my left side so I think it may get compression on that arm.
I have had pain in my stomach also so I never put them there anymore and sometimes I have had bad pain on the legs, but legs have been the best except for compression on the left leg. 2-3 times I had a lot of bleeding in my legs after being on a blood thinner again. And then there are the bad irritations also, ugh.
With the libre I have no pain etc. or compression, or bleeding. This dexcom is really pressing on a bad area with pressure and tingling in my elbow funny bone area etc.
I think I might’ve done that once and they were telling me it has to be on your abdomen but I told them it was too painful there so I had to put it on my legs. I don’t remember why I was calling them that was a few years ago. That is good that they didn’t care when you called them. I don’t know why they make that requirement they must know that the majority of people seem to wear it on their arm and it’s more accurate for them that way.
I don’t put the Dexcom on a fatty part of my arm. There isn’t much fat at all on the front of my arm. I put it about half way between my shoulder and elbow. The
last two were placed a bit closer to my inner arm. I did notice that I got a bruise this last time which is fairly unusual for me.
I sleep on my side too, but it doesn’t doesn’t compress the sensor. I do have to watch how my curl up my opposite arm and make sure it doesn’t lay on the sensor. I change position from one side to the other when I sleep and haven’t had a compression low in quite a long time.
Since inserting sensors on the backs of my “virgin” arms, I no longer have the problems I did when using my stomach area. I used to lose connection all the time when it was on my stomach and they did not last the full 10 days. All these problems have been eliminated since using the back of my arms. I had a little bit of bleeding this past time, but readings have been fine.
I was told by one online tech that if my endo prescribed my arm I could use it there. But that was one person so I would go with the lying which we have to do every time we re-order supplies anyway. I use my dex on front of my upper arm and have for about 21 years. I have a good rotation system. No probs. I do get a rare bleed. I left it in the last time. No pain with it.
@Luis3 On my arm(s) if you draw a line from my inner elbow where they take blood, straight up, that is where I put my dex in about a 2x3 inch vertical rectangle on more the inner bicep area. I do not sleep on it when laying on my side, It is just above the mattress. It may touch it slightly but is not compressed at all and often not touched. I move the insertion site around a lot in that rectangle and my dex lasts 20 days like clockwork w reinsert at end of 10 days. I hear that the g7 will not but oh well. Now, I have subq tissue there! So it depends on your build. I don’t know how folks insert on back of arm. I would not attempt it. Insert yes but not replace at 10 days.
That is where I wear mine too. For me, the Dexcom works really well there. I had a lot of trouble with the accuracy of the device when I wore it on my stomach.
For me it’s the back of my arm: between triceps and deltoid insertion (closer to triceps). Very rare for me to experience compression lows with that location.
