I’m wondering what you guys use to secure the dexcom sensor such that you can remove transmitter at the end of 10 days restart it and continue to use the sensor. Previously when i was on CGMS with medtronic, I put a piece of tegaderm or IV3000 on top but it’s very hard to remove without dislodging the sensor.
Do you need to put something on it to secure the dexcom even if you just use it for 10 days?
PS. I’m in Australia btw, some of the stuff you guys are using probably I won’t be able to get it here
The overpatches from dexcom are great, hope you can get those free.
Other option is IV3000 or similar that you can find on Amazon. Comes in pre-cut sizes or roll.
There is also a liquid called skin-tac, also available in individual packs. Put that on first or from bottle. I also apply to get existing patch to stick again.
I had been using clear over-patches for years but when I ran out this time I purchased cool funky colored ones from a company called RockaDex on Amazon. I feel like a Warrior now! My CGM doesn’t feel like a medical device now but instead an enhancement tool for living. At 53, I’ll take whatever victories I can get.
I just use Skin Tac liquid adhesive when I apply my Dexcom and do touch ups under the edges as needed.
I restart mine and they get a good thrashing lol as I’m in the ocean 2-3 hours twice a week and restart them and they usually last at least 25 days. My shampoo and conditioner also seem to make me touch up under the edges too.
The liquid Skin Tac you can apply liberally all over the bottom adhesive of the sensor adhesive, although I avoid the very middle. I get a good coat on it, then I let it get tacky before I apply it to my skin. Then I let it sit and make sure it’s dry on my arm before I snap a sensor in it.
But we all seem to have differences sometimes, I still see some people that say the sensor is already hard to get off without applying anything extra. It was ready to fall off of me without anything used with it by day 2.
I think the key to long sensor placement is in thorough site cleaning. I can easily get 10 days of secure sensor duration and recently had a sensor remain intact for 20 days using the cleaning method below.
I prepare each CGM site using a wash cloth with soap and hot water. I thoroughly rinse and rub dry with a clean towel so that the skin turns slightly red.
Once I apply the sensor, I firmly press down on top of the adhesive fabric before painting Skin-Tac on top of the fabric with the built-in applicator. It’s important to dry the Skin-Tac thoroughly before flexing the skin under the fabric. I use a fan and have used a hair dryer on low to do this.
This method rarely fails me but if it does, I use the Dexcom over-patch.
I put the iv3000 on my skin and put in the sensor on top of it. It creates a very secure anchor. It also prevents adhesive from getting into your site. Putting things on top of the sensor always cause irritation for me.
This is not advertised, you just have to know. Its one of those secret diabetes club rules, I guess. You can call and get more whenever you need them. If they wont send them to you, let us know. Any one of us could order them and ship to you. They arrive in an envelope. I have some sitting right here.
Nope. As long as the transmitter is locked in place atop the sensor, it will be waterproof - just like when you shower. You should not remove the transmitter when everything is wet because you can get water damage that way. It is NOT waterproof when the transmitter is not snapped in place.
Thank you for your offer. That’s very kind. I’m sure I can purchase some here so that shouldn’t be necessary but thanks.
I’m sorry to use this post to ask a technical question. I can’t seem to get onto the forum here any more - i’m seeing and replying to these responses via email. It keeps giving me a page that says:
429 Too Many RequestsYour IP address has made too many requests to this service over a short amount of time. Please wait a few minutes and try again.
I’ve tried multiple devices and they all display the same thing - but all the device is on the same network so the IP may be the same. It has been like this for almost 24 hours already. I’m replying to this post via email hoping it gets posted and someone can come to the rescue. Is there a technical support contact for this forum? I’m unable to hit the page to search myself. Thanks.
Whether that works, I have no idea. If you can’t get any response, I could try to contact them online and ask them to look at your post.
That is an odd message, since it’s common to have tens of thousands of users behind a single IP address, and in theory it could be millions. I suspect the real problem is somewhat different from what it appears.
Thanks so much. It’s very weird. I tried power cycling my router and it worked again for like 30 seconds and the message came back. Now I’ve turned off my wifi and accessing it using mobile data which is annoying. But at least I can see the posts properly.
I can’t work out what the issue is, hopefully after a few days of inactivity to the forum (ie not using my wifi to connect) it will reset the counter and let me in again.
