On today's conference call Dexcom stated that they will only sell G4s starting today. Shipments of the G4 will start in 10 business days. There does not seem to be any choice.
Thanks so much for the info! It should take at least 10 days to get the insurance approved anyway.
I used dexcom 7+ one year and get friday the G5.
I just called my rep at Dexcom. I was told that because I called, I will get an email in November telling me when it will ship, and will get the new G4 in mid December, at no charge! I just got my one year replacement unit last month, haven't even taken it out of the box, but I was told to keep it and use it for a backup. And she verified that where they used to send a starter kit, now they send three separate units-transmitter, receiver, and sensors. I was given the option of the black, blue or pink receiver (I ordered the pink).
Love the upgrade but $1200 a year just for transmitters...?!!!
For anyone interested, the new Dexcom Studio software works with older receivers. As a software developer I found the old software very clunky. The update looks much improved.
I just got my dexcom 7plus 2 weeks ago and called them about the G4 today and they told me they would send out the G4 at the end of Nov. as a free upgrade. They also told me that I would keep the 7 plus because they will no longer sell them. I asked them what I was suppose to do with it and they told me a paper weight or whatever I wanted. They did tell me the sensors would be a little higher.
I looked at the dex website. I see NOTHING about the accuracy of the G4. Plenty about color and thickness (but not length). But isn't increased accuracy what we really want rather than those stupid colors (OK, my opinion so don't be offended if you like pink or blue).
So how big is the receiver? And how accurate is it? Is it on the website and i am just missing it?
Are you ordering based on the fact that it is new, only?
Oh wow! This angers me for sure! I JUST got a new dexcom Monday! The new site wasn't up and I had no idea the G4 was out or on its way. I just sent a curt email to my rep to find out how I go about getting this new one.
To Jigga and Nell,
There is info on increased accuracy in their press release. Not sure how to find it, but maybe you can google it? And if you just ordered yours during Sept. or Oct. you will get a free upgrade. I'm not so lucky -- I got mine ordered in Aug. so I will have to pay a $399 upgrade fee just like everyone else. :-(
From http://www.onlinetmd.com/medical-manufacturing-glucose-monitor-1010...
Clinical trials report up to approximately 19% improvement in overall accuracy for the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM compared to the Seven Plus, and approximately a 30% improvement in accuracy in the hypoglycemia range (i.e., when blood glucose is less than 70mg/dl). The overall accuracy and ease of use for the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM sets a new standard for commercially available CGMs, making the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM the most-advanced CGM system available.
From what I can see here are the main reasons to upgrade:
- Improved range (20 feet instead of 6 feet)
- Smaller and lighter receiver
- Customizable Alarms
- Color display
- Can charge from standard micro USB cable
Re Mike's response on accuracy:
Clinical trials report up to approximately 19% improvement in overall accuracy for the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM compared to the Seven Plus, and approximately a 30% improvement in accuracy in the hypoglycemia range (i.e., when blood glucose is less than 70mg/dl).
It would be nice to know what that means in real terms. A "19% improvement overall" still leaves room for considerable inaccuracy-- 81% worth. It sounds like it is still a gadget for "trends" only. I am still wanting a cgm that is 98-100% accurate (ballpark accuracy inadequate) and it should be possible to have that today. The current dex is an annoyance to me with its insistent beeps and inaccurate readings. I will try the new one when my warranty ends in December but I had hoped Dexcom would have better improvement in accuracy for the new one. Sign me Still Waiting for a cgm that I can use for real db management, without using the also 20% inaccurate BG meter!!
Rant over.
A "19% improvement overall" still leaves room for considerable inaccuracy-- 81% worth
That's not what a 19% improvement means. It means it's 19% better than the Seven Plus. For me the even bigger improvement at the low end is even more important since that's where you're more likely to get in trouble.
Sorry but if they could only eke out a 19% improvement, not even 20% or 1/5 better, or 25%, then that tells me that the 19% is probably optimistic and only works in very careful clinical trial circumstances. Not in 'real life' conditions. In a clinical trial there is much more control on the surrounding context and that is a known issue with clinical trials. Yes, it is an improvement. But not a heck of a big one. And while the low end BG may be the most critical, I also don't want to get a 399 reading if the real one is 250. Which I have gotten. And with a FDA allowed 20% error rate on the BG meter, that still left it somewhere between 200 and 300. [my math says that 250x.2=50] That certainly affects treatment accuracy and can be important in the long run.
Don't mind me though. Just debating when I have at least a hundred other things to attend to.
That built-in inaccuracy in both the meter and the CGM is why I'm conservative in correcting. If I'm at 250 and no food in my stomach, I don't correct down to 80. I correct down to 140, and see what happens. I can always correct more later. If there is food in my stomach, I'm more aggressive about correcting, because I know the food is still there, raising my BG. I also take IOB into account (or rather, my pump does!) and I AM mindful of that. BG management is an art, not a science, because we don't really have the tools to make it a science!
I am interested if people will see longer sensor life with the G4. The new design is smaller and enhanced to withstand the trauma of insertion and maybe somehow it can last longer? SEVEN sensors are not effective for me past 10 days.
The new receiver may be smaller but I think the new transmitter is larger to allow for the added range. Even then they're now claiming only 6 months on the transmitter which concerns me. I have no idea how much the sensors have changed other than the claim of better accuracy. Where did you read about withstanding insertion trauma?
I forget where but I read something long ago about some way that Dexcom came up with to protect the sensor during insertion and thus allow a quicker warm-up period and get accurate readings sooner.
Agreed, the transmitter is larger but the sensor itself is apparently 60% smaller and because it is a new design, I am hoping (without any particular good reason) that is will somehow prove longer-lasting.
Maybe the $599 cost for transmitter is more reasonable than I thought given that it contains the brains of the system (vs the receiver) along with 4x the wireless range. The non-rechargeable, non-replaceable battery is more of a drawback now because once it expires you have to throw out the brains as well. The Navigator design is superior with its 30 day replaceable battery.
I ordered the upgrade this morning. The rep I spoke with expected the delivery date for those paying for the upgrade to be mid-November. She said the free upgrades would most likely be shortly after, and the 'new' Dex buyers will be the ones shipping end of this month.
She said the 1 year warranty still stands for the receiver, but as already mentioned, the transmitter is only 6 months.
I'm excited!!
There seems to be a lot of negativity and concerns over this new system. I think we have to keep in mind that change takes time and it is my hope that over time, each new generation will get better and better in terms of accuracy. While it is true that the Dex is not PERFECT, it has come a long way and I am of the belief that this new G4 will be a lot more accurate than the Seven plus is. I used to use the Medtronic CGM, and although it was much more convenient to have it all in one piece of equipment, it was 80-90% inaccurate! My experience with the Seven + is that it is pretty accurate most of the time.
The rep told me that even if you can get more than seven days - you really shouldn't. She said the system is really designed for a seven-day run.
I look forward to hearing what everyone's experience is after we have worn the G4 for a while. Cheers.