I have bene using Dex for about 1 1/2 months now and I love it. I have one sensor only go for 12 days, one for 3 before it failed (which they replaced), and the last 2 sensors upon the day 7 restart got Sensor error 1. What am I doing wrong? I hear many people are getting at least 2 weeks from a sensor. Thanks.
Welcome to my world! I hear the same stories about sensors last two or three weeks. I've been using Dexcom going back to the their original Dexcom 7 (before the newer Dexcom 7 Plus). Basically I've been a Dexcom user for about five years. I have never had a sensor last more than ten days.
I not saying people claiming to get two or three weeks are untruthful. I truly believe they do. Maybe it has it something to due with body chemistry?
Since I have insurance that covers my sensors, I've basically given up on trying to use them more than seven days. I find trying to use them longer more aggravation than it's worth.
My daughter has been on the Dexcom for about two months. I would say we average about 10 days per sensor with the longest period being 12 - 13 days. So far the sensor has outlasted the adhesive.
I did get the error 1 again. Waited an hour before entering another BG and it worked again.
excellent feedback. I notice more sensor failures now compared to a few months ago.
On a good sensor, I usually get 12 days at least that is my target but lately finding they are dieing between 7 to 10 days.
My sense is that the dynamic range of sensor degrades as it ages. If one's body is behaing real nice and bg smoothly, I suspect one gets more days since edge of envelope of body's performance not being pushed.
I am a year plus 2 months user. My guess if you BG system is twitchy, one sees sensor failed out quickly at 7 days.
Thanks for sharing.
I usually get through the second week with my Dex; however, the numbers will progressively track way slower, both up and down, and as the second week progresses, the "highs" are no longer accurate. But I know that is my trend, so I just milk it along. Every now and then I go ahead and restart week 3, but ususally I fail within a day or two then. I usually do not have trouble doing getting the second week started. I do not stop the Dex early in most cases unless the restart will hit at a bad time (if I will not be able to get to the glucometer when I get buzzed!). I let Dex stop and tell me to change sensor now, then go and start new sensor. If you sugars are wildly swinging with the start, it may give you ??? or the error 1. I do really try to be as "stable" as possible when I hit start - i.e. no big bolus, no exercise (that often messes mine up), no big pig out on carbs.
I've had mine for 2 years. Until the last 4-6 months or so I'd regularily been able to get more than 2 weeks, and a few times I made it to a 3rd restart. Record is 23 days. Sometimes i'd lose the sensor because the adhesive failed before the sensor did.
Latetly, however, i rarely seem to get as far as 10 days. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that perhaps dexcom has recently tweaked the sensors to fail earlier.
I also feel as though certain places on my belly are much more accurate than others, and tend to last longer.
I also feel that in the last few months, my sensors have consistently been failing around 10 days, when previously i'd always get 2 weeks plus, and often the adhesive would be the failure point.
I think this is a really interesting discussion. I used to get at least 3 weeks out of a sensor (which I needed since my insurance at the time didn't cover the sensors). Then I got my most recent shipment of sensors and a new Dexcom (there was a problem with my old one). For the past couple of months, I cannot get more than a week out of a sensor. I don't know if it's just this particular batch of sensors or if it's the new Dexcom. Fortunately, my new insurance does cover sensors, so it doesn't matter as much. I can say, though, that it has nothing to do with body chemistry. I tend to agree with dxclancy that Dex has tweaked them.
I've been on Dexcom for almost a year now. I just joined this site, and restarted my last sensor for the first time (I can't believe I never thought of this).
For the last 24 sensors, I only had 2 fail before the seven days. I did have the adhesive fail before the seven days on a few, but with experience I think we have all figured out how to mitigate that situation.
So, my first restarted sensor....I got an extra 3 days. However, the last 12 hours were far more inaccurate than normal. I'll try again this round, but from what I have been reading, the good old days of three weeks seem no more. I am covered under insurance until the end of July, at which point I turn 26 and am no longer under my mother's policy. I have a good job, but work as an engineering consultant so am not eligable for group coverage. Any advice on good individual insurance plans? I think high deductible PPO of some sort would be ideal for me (since insulin sensors run me $20k plus a year if I'm not covered). I will start a new discussion for this, or you can reply here. Thanks for any help.
Even when insurance pays for them, I really like to get 2+ weeks out of them. The reason is accuracy.
Occasionally i get a sensor that is accurate from the get-go, but often it takes about 3 days for one to round into enough accuracy for me to trust it. If it is free but only lasts 7 days, I'm spending half the time not trusting the sensor.
For me the sweet spot is from day 4 to day 14-17. I'm always sad when one fails because i know i have to restart the cycle of distrust. heh.
My most recent one gave me ??? at exactly 10 days for the whole day, then recovered and remained accurate until the adhesive wore off at 14 days. i had just gotten my second restart sensor message when it went ??? and i looked down and the top adhesive had pulled off completely.
So that's 2 in the last 4 months that have made 2 weeks.
That's great. First I have read of being able to get it restarted after an ERRO 1 here (I think...). I've gotten a few ERRO 1 and can never get the damned things started again. However, I think to some degree these may be my fault...
Last week I decided to try my arm. I ran into it on a door jamb; I nearly tore it off by taking off my shirt (3x); and, with a towel in the gym (2x). Feel like such a dork! Eventually it gave up the ghost after being ripped and torn and errored out on me. I put the replacement over on my left arm now, and as I now prep to disrobe or shower, I try to say out loud, "Hey! You have a bug on your arm!!" Whatever...
Hopefully I can get this one to last more than seven days...
/\/\
quick question?
how do you arrive at $20 k.
4 sensors is $ 310 approx delivered from Dexcom Cash. Assuming only 7 day usage. roughly that would be 52/4 * 310 is 4030. If you get 12 days per sensor if lucky that is 365\12 then \4 * 310 is 7.60 * 310 is $ 2357 average.
Please advise what you are all factoring in; so I can understand better.
I am also factoring in test strips, pen needles, and insulin pens. Also, I think I'm paying more like $360 for a 4 pack (need to look in why that is).
Thanks for your interest. Let's just hope this affordable healthcare act doesn't get shot down this week (fingers crossed).
thank you for that other part. Test strips will add a lot too.
AS for drugs; that kicks it up bad. so maybe your numbers if one buys with no insurance could reach $ 20k.
last year all my medical costs including medicare supplements was $ 24,180.
i bought my own cgms and cost was 3700 for 2011. I also was buying test strips at $ 30 a barrel at ADW and that was $6,000 to me over and above any paid for by medicare.
Today I am trying to get medicare pay for them and that has been battle Royal of beauocracy and crap.
So, yes it is real dam expensive. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you too Jim. I'm optimistic about the future, but I don't see people wanting to stop make money off of our disease any time soon.
I got a report on the key lobby/research groups and their money efforts.
The report suggested that only 4% of all millions raised by one well known group went toward research.
oh well.