What do you do for skin irritation from the adhesive? I have read that a lot of people put additional tape on their Dex to keep it on longer, but for me after about 2 days I am itching like mad from just the adhesive on the Dex itself! After a week, I HAVE to take off my sensor & move it because I can't stand the itching any longer! I usually end up with a huge red welt and a lump when the wire was inserted. This doesn't go away for about 2 days! I have tried not prepping the area with anything more than soaa & water (applying after a shower) & I have tried using alcohol pads. Both cases, I still end up with the itching. Any tips or advice would be appreciated!
For Caleb we use a barrier wipe like Bard's on his skin and I also soak the DexCom adhesive with Skin Tac. He used to have a terrible reaction to the DexCom adhesive. He's more recently been doing very well. Good luck! We tried a number of things and combination thereof before we found that worked.
Not sure if this would help, but I was getting skin irritation and using SkinTac to prep helped. It's hypoallergenic, and creates a barrier between your skin and the Dexcom adhesive. It definitely helped me!
I am allergic to all adhesives... Bard or IV Prep have helped cut the irritation down a lot.
It would be nice if the Dexcom folks gave us some answers.
Jeff
They aren't allowed to because nothing like this was approved along with the sensors themselves.
I found that a lot of the irritation occurs after showering. I think soap must get trapped in and around the adhesive, which causes more irritation. I try and face away from the shower head to keep the sensor as "dry" as possible. I feel your pain though! Hang in there!
Nah - They could mention that the information is not approved but that they can share some customer feedback or offer their best guess. If we only did things that were "allowed", we wouldn't do very much. A cop out!
Jeff
I had problems with itching, a rash and a lump too. I was told to try tagaderm- I put this under my sensor adhesive but it didn't help at all. Dexcom also told me that there is latex in the adhesive I think and I'm allergic to that so I thought it was due to that and to a reaction to having the sensor in my body. I had too much pain from the sensors so I had to stop using dex, but I found this video which might help?
I notice this mom says she manually inserts the sensor on her daughter, but she didn't show how to do that.
I too had a reaction to the Dexcom adhesive, I was told by my Dex rep that some of her customers have had great success with a barrier like IV3000 or Opsite Flexfix.
I have tried both and prefer the Flexfix, I can go 10 or more days with Flexfix barrier and soaking the dexcom receiver with skin-tac when the edges start coming up. I do not have any adverse effects from the Flexfix like I did with the Dexcom adhesive.
I bought the Flexfix and Skin-tac at American Diabetes Wholesale.
Michael
Smith and Nephew OPSITE Flexifix Dressing 4in x 11yd 66000041
I had the same problems because of the need to add additional tape to the dexcom site. I found out about skin tac and not only does my skin not get irritated I don't need extra tape after a week. I can get a dex site to hold on for 14-16 days depending on my activity level. Its a barrier liquid that you apply to the skin where the tape goes only. Just remember not to apply it to the skin where the sensor is going to poke through your skin. If you order it get the small bottle as this stuff lasts a really long time. I just threw out my first bottle out after using it for 4 years.
I used to get bad reactions to my pump sets and started using IV Prep, with good results. I didn't try the sensor without it, but instructions say NOT to use this type of wipe under the sensor wire itself... so I wipe with alcohol, then make a circle around where the tape will go with the IV Prep... so far, no adverse reactions here! Just try not to set the tape over the center where you used just alcohol... it provides no barrier so you will get itchy there.
Bard's and Skin-Prep are the good ones for going directly on your skin, underneath the Dexcom pad. I use Skin Prep. But note:
"I.V. Prep" is not the same thing as "Skin Prep"!
I won't argue medical device regulatory compliance, but think, Dex making such a statement could only have a negative impact on sales. Have you stopped using Dex because of its shortcomings? Think of all the potential patients considering Dex that would be turned off from lashback on "suggestions" that didn't work for everyone. The best knowledge I've gained is from fellow users here on TD.
For the record I agree with t3mom...the compliance environment has gotten brutal over the last few years.
+1. FLEXIIX GETS ME AN EXTRA WEEK +++!
type3mom is correct: They absolutely, positively CAN NOT !!! say anything about unapproved usage methods.
I started day 14, this morning, with Flexfix under and over Dexie and two applications of Skin-Tac.