I have noticed that I do not seem to be getting as long out of my sensors for the Minilink CGM as I used to, and as others seem to. Today is day 5 and readings have been off…were very accurate for days 1, 2, 3, and 4. Seems I am getting “bad sensor” readings around day 4-5.
I was wondering, for those using the same sensor (with minilink’s lasting for 3 days before requiring a restart) for 6 days or more, do you charge the transmitter before hitting start new sensor. I was wondering if that might help.
I try to get as long as possible out of them as I hate the sensor insertion process…I have heard it described as a harpoon and that about sums it up for me!
Hmm … I’m wondering if there’s a bad batch out there 'cause mine seem to be crapping out early as well. I’ve never had more than six days per sensor, but 3 of my last 4 died around day 4 (increasingly, they’d get “stuck” at a particular reading, usually low, and just stay there, regardless of what my blood sugar was doing … making calibration impossible). With my most recent one, I called Medtronic, and, after some troubleshooting, they are sending me 3 replacement sensors.
I’ve never charged the transmitter between day 3 and day 4, as that requires another 2-hour start-up.
I need to do same : call MM …present one pooped out after 5 days , 6 hours …this afternoon . I don’t get " bad sensor " reading , but sensor readings show around 2 -ish( x 18 ) , while finger poke is around 6-ish ( x 18 ) The next 3 days , I
" start new sensor " ; the following 3 days I disconnect from transmitter and re-charge ,
The second last one did not last either , which had been replaced promptly by MM after discussion and trouble shooting .
Yes! Exactly what has been happening to me. Getting stuck somewhere under 100, and just not budging. I have not had this problem until fairly recently. The cynical side of me wonders if Medtronic trying to make sure we only use them for the 3 days for which they are approved, and thus, buy more sensors!
There should be no need to recharge. The transmitter has battery capacity for 14 days; though of course you can only go 6 before it ‘locks out’ needing a recharge (or unplug/plug in for the newer ones) to reset its internal counter. If your battery was failing you would be getting a ‘weak signal’ alarm along with a fault condition related to the battery.
That said, I got a bad lot of sensors from MM when I first started; lot C110 was a total POS with 8 out of 20 sensors failing out of the box and 9 more giving very out of whack readings. MM replaced them all at no cost but never admitted they had a bad lot!
I am currently on day 9 of this sensor and transmitter still works just fine and my readings are right on the money. just for the record I don’t say everyone should try this I just know it works fine for me and I don’t get infections from leaving it in longer . my transmitter is over 10 months old so it is not brand new.
I think you really may be on to something with the bad batch theory…I just started a new box (new batch too). Am now on day 6 with totally accurate readings. My last box was peetering out days before this!
Here is what I do. After three days, remove transmitter and recharge. Remove transmitter from charger and wait awhile and recharge again. Seems to do better. Now plug the transmitters to the sensor and “START NEW SENSOR”. I am able to get 6 days using this method. Also use some kind of tape to hold the sensor in place. Do something to keep the transmitter from flopping around. Works for me. Good Luck
I’m fairly new to this group, so I’m unsure if this is common knowledge or not, but a Medtronic troubleshooter recommended that I change the battery in the charging module every time I change my pump battery. She said that by the time the red light comes on (indicating that you need to change the AAA battery), that the battery is already weak and is not charging the transmittor as fully as it should be. After a few months of following this advice and changing the charger battery approximately monthly, I’ve noticed fewer problems with weak signals and sensors that refuse to adjust to a calibration.
I always recommend recharging on Day 3. Then start as a “New Sensor”. I have gotten reliable results through at least Day 9. After that, maybe I can get to 12, but extending the sensor 3x the FDA “approved” time is pretty good. Also, YDMV, some sites do seem to need changing more often than others.
That’s a clever idea. Mine do ok, I just use them for 6 days at a time and seem to have plenty but I should change the batteries like that as the red light seems to pop up more regularly when I’m like ‘ah, huge hurry, change gizmo…’ and it drives me nuts!
