Hello All,
I’ve had several 1/2-hour or periods of ??? As well as readings over 50-100 points off yesterday and today. I’m guessing this sensor is useless now… I restarted it 3-4 days ago I think. What do you think?
I bet that it's malfunctioning, too. I don't quite understand -- Is this the second or more 7 day period or has it only been in less than 7 days? If it's the later, I'd suggest calling Dexcom to request a replacement. If it's been in longer than 7 days, no need to call, I imagine, since it's only approved for 7 days. By its being inaccurate in the points, sounds as though it's not following the 20/20 rule (p. 137 in the manual.)When I had a sensor that was doing this, I called and the Dexcom rep told me to do 3 finger sticks 10-15 minutes a part and enter the BG each time to try to correct the problem. You might want to try that. It didn't work for my sensor but it might for yours. You don't have anything to lose except for finger sticks. Give it try. Hope it corrects itself for you as that is very frustrating and nerve wrecking especially if you need the sensor at night to wake you for low BS. Good luck!
Thanks CC,
This is the second 7 day period. I have done the 3 calibrations at least twice now but it's still happening after it had a good period again. Yesterday I thought maybe it was the pants I was wearing which were pressing on it a bit I think, so I changed them and it was fine all night but then again today I had ??? and a reading way off etc. But actually this has happened at least once with all of my sensors so I think sometimes my bg moves too fast or something like that, when I take insulin or eat is its worst performance usually. But still as you say it has woken me up a few times for lows. I think a dog is the only really reliable safety net because alarms often don't wake me if I'm sleeping deeply. It seems to have righted itself again after the calibrations and then one more, so I will keep an eye on it and prolly leave it in for tonight.
Sounds like you have a plan. I'm glad that you're watching the readings closely and checking your BS with finger sticks as well. I bet you're right about rapidly changing BS and clothes rubbing on the sensor affecting the sensors' accuracy. I've noticed that, too. The Dexcom is much better than the Medtonic sensors that I used for 2 years. (They were hardly ever accurate.) I thought about a dog as well. Also, I read that a person who lives alone put her Dexcom in a metal pan at night by her bed so that it would amplify the alarm sound. Thought that was a good idea and I may have to do that as well. Again, good luck.
It's back on course for now! The G4 is much better than the previous Dex too. I will try the metal pan, I forgot about that. Thanks :-)
CC. you have given meee so much great advice where I have read, you have really created a bond. This disease is hard enough I love my Dexcom it is my new life line, like this morning woke at 4am feeling funny went to bed high over 200 thinking will never go low until at least 6am I was 42 and nearly falling down the stairs. Had a huge bowl of Chex mix and shot 2 units- did not want to spike, my endo hates those. Seventy rolled around and and I'm 56, scrabble to get another meal put together. My husband come in and questions me since I;m shaking like crazy-told him how frustrating this disease is, he watches my numbers and wakes in the night with glucose tabs but worries deeply when away on business which is often. Like you mentioned do you get a dog? I sleep like rock and I have a 100 lb Chheese that shares it now. I have not heard of the pan my give that one a try. Best wishes meee.
I see this from time to time too. Usually corrects itself after a few hours, once in a while it takes a day to correct itself.
CC could you please explain the 3 finger stick. I have not heard of this. when would you do this? Thanks a bunch. last couple of days it seems to be off, telling me I am low when I am not. would this be a good time to do the 3 finger stick? I have tried to calibrate it but have only just used whatever my BG is at that time and entered it. I also do not understand the 20/20 rule. pg 127 is about the distance between transmitter and reciever on the online version
I have found my sensor get erratic when I soak in the tub, I think the area around the sensor(the part that goes in one) gets wet. How do peeps waterproof that area?
My sensor did not recover ;-(
Thank you for your kind words. I am relatively new to this site even though I have had diabetes for 32 years. I too have had high readings at bedtime and then in the 30-40's by 3-4 am. It is so frustrating and scary. My endo wants me to use only glucose tabs to correct as there is an exact carb number to use for correction compared to cereal/milk (which I used to eat) & work faster, too; so that's what I use. Since my BS is sometimes too high after dinner, I think that might be what has been causing my low BS in early am. I have altered the overnight basal rate on my pump and still have lows. So I'm working on correcting the after dinner highs. Sounds like you might not have an insulin pump. I was very leery of getting one and I waited too long. My shots weren't accurate enough and caused lots of lows. You might want to consider getting a pump (if you don't have one already.) Even if my BS is high (below 300) with my pump, I don't like to take an extra injection as I don't know if the pump might be malfunctioning. (See I'm still skeptical of relying on a mechanical device for life-saving.) I change my infusion set and wait for 2-3 hours to see if my BS is coming down. Oh, my. I've gotten off the subject. I'm sorry.Any way you might want to think about your dinner carb to insulin ratio. Just an idea to see if that might decrease the early morning lows. Those early am lows make you feel awful the rest of the day and nervous about going to sleep the next night. Good luck.
Hi, there. Sorry to hear about your sensor's being off. That is nerve wrecking. My first sensor went crazy on the 5th day of usage. So I called Dexcom and the service rep told me that sometimes by "resetting" the sensor, it will get back to normal. He said to do 3 finger sticks 10-15 minutes apart and calibrate after each one. (I think that your BS should be stable at the time which you could tell by your testing.) Supposedly that might get the sensor back to reading properly since it has averaged more data into the algorithms (at least something like that.) (Also, I think that this is to be done after doing the 20/20 rule -- see below.)
If that doesn't work for you (and it didn't for my first sensor unfortunately) and your sensor has been in less than 7 days, give Dexcom a call as the sensors are supposed to last for 7 days. They sent me a replacement sensor which I received the next day.
As for the 20/20 rule on p.137,the way I understand it is: if your sensor reading and meter reading are different by 20% or more for readings over 80 OR are greater than 20 pts. for readings under 80, wash your hands and do another blood test. If the 2nd test's result is still off using the same 20%/20 pts rule, recalibrate your sensor using the 2nd BS reading. That's supposed to correct the sensor within 15 minutes.
Hope that I explained it clearly. Usually I'm too wordy.
Best of luck to you. I hate it when sensors are off. My heart goes out to you as I always fret too much when this happens to me.
CC, you are correct I'm not on a pump. I'm very then about 100lbs 5'5 site placement would be difficult. I can only place my Dexcom on my stomach but have heard of some women using their breast. My endo. would really like me on pump. He does not like the cereal route it does push my BS up to fast. The rollercoaster effect. He likes to see more stable levels even if it means my A1C would be higher, now 6.7. He scolds me for the lows and we are working on my insulin sensitivity. Like you I keep my glucose tabs next to my bed and find myself normally around your time if I wake up taking some. A few times my dog has reacted but we do not know if that my have been seizure related since I have epilepsy. My lows are extremely dangerous although I would never think mine greater we all face a battle and this site is so supportive. It's nice to have found you to communicate with in group you offer so much insight.
Thanks CC Bambi I use my breasts for sensor and for pump, it is my best site for readings and is kept from being banged or snagged since my bra keeps it safe. LOL.
Dishers, you are a dog lover! Beautiful photo! Never thought about the pump there, I'm small only an A. Lost a lot of weight when I got diabetes 5 years ago. Shortly after my epilepsy seizures became very serious. Nice to meet you, like the it's keeps safe! LOL
Bambi, I was 110 lbs and 5'6' when I started on the pump 14 years ago. You can always "test drive" one. My endo has helped me to contact the pump companies' reps who usually are more than happy to lend you one (in hopes of selling a pump) and even include the infusion sets (needle and tubing) and the insulin reservoir at no charge. You might even offer to pay for the set and reservoir in hopes that they'll say "no need to." I think that if you were to try a pump, you'd find that after the learning curve, you'd be quite happy. I insert mine not only in my upper and lower tummy but also on my thighs and hips. There are more places to insert a pump than with the Dexcom.
Yup dog lover for sure. Pic is of Kalden he is a Tibetan mastiff my 160lbs baby
This has been very helpful CC, my endo. would love to see me on the pump. He is a dear and caring doctor very concerned about his patients. I have an appt. this month and will speak with then.
disher, Kalden is so handsome you must live in a cool region with his coat.
I get those ??? mostly after day 9 - 10, too. Yesterday i've got ??? for several hours.
I have fixed it by stopping the sensor, eject the transmitter then pull and push the sensor wire 10-20 times after unhooking it's contact plate. After this procedure the sensor was starting fine again and those ??? were gone.
Thanks Joern,
That does seem like a lot to do, too much for me, lol. I'm not sure what you mean by unhooking the contact plate and pull and push the sensor? Wouldn't it come out of you?
I called dexcom and they said not to enter any calibration when you get ??? and not to do more than one calibration if the numbers are more than 20 points off if it rights itself after one. Also do not calibrate with double arrows up or down. Anyway after more ??? with that last sensor I removed it and started a new one.
I was taking a pain med with tylenol on and off for back spasm, this had no effect on my numbers and I already had this ??? etc. before that with other sensors but then yesterday I had to take it again and I think it may have affected numbers that day although I had no ???.
Hi Longsands, I put iv 3000 under and over the sensor pad, but not over the transmitter. I have ordered opsite flexfix now also. I also dry it off after showering.