Weak Signals with MiniMed CGM

Diabetes Technology Glucose Monitoring
1

Hello All

I have been experiencing Weak signal for over a month now
After contacting MM, I was told that I needed a new Transmitter, and that mine was out of warranty anyway,so we’'l put in for it and get you a new one.

I asked if it was possible that the box of sensors I had just opened could be bad, because each one
had given me at least 2 Weak signals each some times 3

No I was told, more likely the transmitter

The transmitter arrived and I set it up with a new Sensor from my current lot

That very night, late evening, I got a Weak signal.

On the phone to MM again

I explained the issue again, was told that they would be sending me two new sensors to try.
Would I be willing to try them?

I told the Rep yes,and was told to call back when I was on my last day of the second sensor
I was also asked if I used Carelink for Uploading my readings from my pump, I said yes.

Ok I’m game if they are

First sensor from MM, I got a Weak signal in the morning about 2 am, at the same time my Revel alarmed for a low battery. Coincidence? Will probably never know

Got one more on the second sensor, can’t figure that one out

Time to call MiniMed again

I did and was on the phone for almost 40 minutes going over my reports from Carelink with a Rep
You never get the same one twice…

During that time I was asked about Laptops, Cellphones and etc that might interfere with
the CGM.
The distance between the pump and Transmitter, are they both on the same side??

Had I entered the new Transmitted ID correctly into my pump? , uh it does not work unless you do…sarcasm used to help, but not in this case.

She went back three weeks which was when I first called in about Weak Signal problems

As she went thru my reports she said that there was a pattern of Weak Signals, late at night any where
from 10 pm on

Some of her statements just do not make sense to me.

She felt that my Weak Signals could be caused by rolling over on the Sensor/Transmitter at night
to not being active enough.

How active are you when sleeping??? Yes I know sarcasm no longer works…

When I pointed out that the first or second call into support resulted in Minimed putting in for a new

Transmitter because of the Weak Signals problem, she dodged it artfully

Never mind the fact that they pushed a new Transmitter on me and my Insurance, never mind the fact I am still getting Weak signals with the same lot of Sensors either.

Ok now is anyone here in CGM land having any Weak Signals and if so, what has MM told you?

Gary

2

Well John

What you are saying is I did not need a new Transmitter then

3

We had a lot of problems with weak signals with our Minimed as well. I found it really frustrating. It just shouldn’t be that hard to get a cgms to work consistently. Then it went from weak signals to lost sensor to random start ups (with the 2 hour wait) in the middle of the night with no warning until the meter bg alarm went off.

I finally had enough and switched to the Dex. So far it is a night and day difference. Love it – accurate and easy to use.

The inital mm cgms transmitter we received in 2008 was by far the best in terms of reliability and shelf life. MM did make a small change to their design sometime after that. Our 2008 transmitter made it a year and a half. In the next 18 months I had 3 others, all of which suffered too often from the lost signal problem.

4

I am on month eight with this Minimed transmitter, and I just called into Minimed about this issue last week. All of my weak signals happen while I sleep. I told them I wear the pump clipped to my waistband in front and my transmitter is on my butt. They said this should not be a problem unless there is signal interference in the room. There is no more interference in my bedroom than there is at my office or in my car, where I once counted eight wireless communication devices (blood sugar meter, pump, cgms transmitter, garage door opener, highway pass transponder, ID swipe card for work, iphone, car’s bluetooth audio). So back to the distance issue; I said the weak signals used to show up on day three, but now they are showing up on day two or day one. It deteriorates over time. So it must be the battery internal to the transmitter dying. Has to be. I’m sorry to hear that your replacement transmitter didn’t help matters any, but these are just very weak transmitters. I bet we can blame either the FCC or the FDA for that. My solutions stinks: I wear the pump on my hip while sleeping on one side, but its awkward. Honestly, after last week’s call into Minimed I just took the thing out and have not worn it since. I just get tired of dealing sometimes.

5

I can’t have the transmitter on my butt and have the pump in the front…the signals can’t go around or through my body. I have found that the pump needs to be in direct line with the transmitter.

I also had a weak signal problem. called several times for a couple of months. Finally a rep had me do a test plug test. we figured out the transmitter was shorting out and that is why I was losing signals and had weak signals and re initialization spontaneously. They put through a new transmitter through my insurance and it has not happened since it was replaced.

I also found out I could not sleep on it or I would get lost or low readings that weren’t accurate. I do believe people using the Dex also have this issue however too.

6

Actually, sleeping on the Dex sensor doesn’t seem to affect it, at least for us. Sleeping on the MM gave us a false flat line. We would lose the signal during the day as well, but it we noticed it more quickly. I’ve seen other posts stating the weak signal alarm has to do with the low power output of the MM transmitter - I’m not technical enough to evaluate that.

7

I keep my pump in front on the side the transmitter is plugged into. Almost any time the pump slithers over to the other side, I get the weak signal thing.

8

Hi, I had a phone call with MM 2 weeks ago about weak signals (among other topics), which happen almost exclusively at night for me too. (My hubby and I BOTH love being woken up repeatedly by that. sarcasm ) Anyway, the tech I was talking to said it was likely because there was too much of my body in the way between the pump and the transmitter, “and the human body is mostly water, that’s a lot of water.” ??? Okay, i guess maybe RF waves don’t travel through water the same way, but c’mon – it’s the human body. Did we not factor that in to the design? I guess not. And even if I do have part of a leg/butt/boob in between the transmitter and the pump, it’s still only 12-18 inches of distance. Don’t market the sensor as having a range of 6 feet if it can’t find the pump 12 inches away with some human flesh in the way.

Maybe I should work on becoming more dehydrated, that might help! :slight_smile: Or change to bedsheets that aren’t lead-lined.

My CDE is suggesting I ace-bandage the pump to my body before bed every night so that it won’t flop around when I start rolling in my sleep. Also since I’m a roller, it’s 100% guaranteed that at some point in the night I’m going to be sleeping on it, so I can’t really take the advice of “don’t sleep on it” unless I am strapped down. I have been trying to clip it to my pajamas but it hasn’t helped, apparently, if my pjs are too loose. SO I’m looking forward to the ace-bandage idea. The compression-bandage look sounds a lot sexier and more comfy for nighttime wear anyway. :stuck_out_tongue:

(Sorry about the sarcasm – it might not work with MM staff but I know Gary will appreciate it.) Seriously though, I’m so tired of (and from) not sleeping all the way through the night because the thing keeps alarming “Weak signal,” sometimes 2-3 times a night, PLUS the low or high alarms. And it’s bugging my husband too, he’s a light sleeper and i’m concerned he’s going to serve me divorce papers for breakfast one of these days, he signed up for this even less than I did.

My transmitter is working fine (they troubleshot it over the phone) and my sensors were not expired or “too old.” I’m not putting the sensors anywhere unusual – abdomen, hip, thigh. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do.

I’m sorry that you are aggravated by this too, but I’m glad I’m not the only one.

9

It’s really a shame MM doesn’t own this problem and fix it. We shouldn’t have to jump through hoops just to get our cgms to keep a signal and do what it is designed to do. Makes me kinda mad.

10

I got the signals when my first transmitter was about 18 months old. It started happening in the grocery store. I would lose the signal the entire time I was shopping…then it was the bookstore and then it was the gym… I call MM and it was the transmitter according to them. They processed a new one through the insurance for me and viola! that was the problem. I keep my pump in a chest pocket on my jammies and wear my sensors on the abdomen. I very rarely get a weak signal but I don’t sleep on my abdomen either.

I have no problems with computers or cell phones messing with the transmitter either.

Hope it gets resolved for you soon!

Ressy

11

Thank you abcpav,



Its great to know I am not alone in this issue.

And you are right, why advertise 6 ft when it won’t work within 6 inches!



Gary

12

After reading tons of posts on the MM sensor, and having used one for 3 years, I honestly think the ones manufactured from say 2008 and prior did not suffer from the lost signal problem nearly as bad. Our original transmitter was manufactured in late 2007 and it did not have near the lost signals that our other transmitters did (2009 and 2010), although it had accuracy problems. The 2007 transmitter also had a longer life. The newer sensors don’t seem to last as long and have this lost signal issue - at least for us. There was a design change in 2009, and I have to think it is related. All just my opinion of course.

Hi, I've found that a 'waist pouch' works great at night, and don't have problems with weak signal. I use the kind designed for passports, very lightweight, that can be under clothing while traveling. My MM transmitter is over 3 years old. With the waist pouch, I can keep it 'in the middle', and within range of the sensor, usually on my thigh.
13

I get weak signals from time to time, but they always resolve on their own. The transmitter will store 45 min of data, so there should be no gaps in the data. Unless it has been a long time and then you should get lost sensor. I suggest that you push in the transmitter hard, even more after the click.

I noticed that At the gym, the heart monitors in the treadmills will interfere with the pump receiving the data. When ever I'm near one it stops communication. It comes back when I am a few feet away. Maybe you have something near your bed, like a wireless phone transmitter or cell phone too close to your bed.

The battery only lasts about a year in the transmitter, so if you are out of warrantee, You prob do need a new one.

I used to have a Dexcom 7 and that one did not have a rechargeable battery. IT just went when it went. I got missing data all the time and even the clockradio would interfere.

I did find a way to use my Dexcom sensors with my MM pump, I had 7 sensors left and and a exengineer for DEXCOM told me how to do it. I wont share that here as he asked me to not EVER tell anyone. I think the dexcom sensors are better, but the MM system is superior in transmission and collection of data. Besides they don't sell you Dexcom transmitters unless you own a Dexcom system. It only would help those who have sensors left over.

I'm thinking that Minimed should just allow us to use Dex sensors. I think people would be more likely to buy a MM pump if it was more versatile. Everyone wants to have propritary stuff these days, but i think they would sell more if they opened up the system.

Anyway the communication technology is exactly the same in the two systems. I don't know why one would work differently, unless the the transmitters on the dex are better, but the power on the dex is lower, so I would think it would be less effective.

14

I just got my CGM Thursday and have already had 2 weak signals today. I figured it was me, I have a tendency to cause electronics to short out but it seems like that's not the case. At any rate, if it happens mostly at night, you can turn the alarms off at least if you don't want to be woken up. It's really a matter of do you want to know if it's lost the signal at 2 AM and fix it or would you rather just sleep through it and find out in the morning. I figure in the morning but I don't have many night time lows either. But if it wakes me up 2-3 times at night, I'm going to call and in the mean time I'll shut the alarms off.