I have used Medrtonic Cgm for over four years. For the last year I have been experimenting with keeping the sensor in as long as possible. I use the top of my thighs to insert the sensor. Twice I have made it to 21 days. Currently, I have a sensor inserted that has lasted 25 days and is still going with good accuracy and no infection. What’s the longest anyone has been able to keep a sensor going?
Hey Bob. 25 days is great!! I’ve been using cgm for almost 2 years.I have mine on my upper arms, and the longest I’ve gone is 21 days. Never had an infection. My last batch of sensors have all quit at 12 days. I hope MM hasn’t figured out a kill switch!
Most of my sensors quit in the 9 to 12 day period. However, occasionally I get to go longer. Of course sometimes they lose their effectiveness in 6 or seven days.
I have been on the medtronic CGM for over a yr and the most I have gotten out of one sensor is 19 days I use the top of my thighs as well.
20 days is my best. I was trying my current one, but today(day)11) it just went south on me.
Good luck… and I think the fda is so full of it…on so many levels it’s not funny.
You guys are remarkable! The longest I ever went (on the MM) was 7 days, and I really should have changed on the 6th day. For me, the clue is that it just flatlines, I mean really flat, no humps or valleys, when I KNOW my BG is not that steady. Are there other things that you use to figure out when the sensor has died?
Just carefully remove the transmitter after 7 days and recharge it for 7 hours. Not all will continue working accurately but many of them will. I’m not sure what the reason is but some of the sensors last longer than others.
Hi Folks, The best that I have done is 7 days. I use a pretty sticky tape to keep the thing on my thigh and there is no way to take it off without buggering up the sensor. It has created a system that works for me, I change it Sunday morning because that is when I start getting the “sensor error” messages. Once a week is fine with me. Plug it in Sunday morning,mid afternoon it is ready for the first "test,bedtime test is good for a good nights sleep and I don’t worry about it till the following Sunday.
I also change my pump junk every 4 days. Please don’t tell the FDA on me. YMMV. Good Luck
The sensor will recharge in less than an hour. As soon as the light stops flashing, it is done.
After some problems, I made a phone call to Medtronic and they advised me to charge the transmitter for 7 hrs instead of 20 minutes. Ever since the transmitter has run strong for 7 days.
I’m on day 27 and the sensor is still doing great!
I changed my sensor this morning after 30 days. It was actually still working, however, it was losing its accuracy and I didn’t want the site to get infected.
I have made it 29days the sensor was on my arm and worked great the whole time. I believe onesaint went 33 days on his Dex
29 days is great. I’m just curious as to what the outer limits of the sensors are, and then to use that info to minimize the cost.
I think if I would have used skintac and protected it it the shower/bath I may have gotten more days out of it.
I’ve found I can get 2 weeks on Dexcom, but rarely go quite that long. The sticky part tends to start peeling around 5-6 days if left uncovered. I’ve tried various tapes and op sites and lately have been using a paper medical tape which has worked best for me. In the warmer months, I generally don’t get more than a week because with cycling and windsurfing, there’s too much movement and water that unsticks things quicker.
How do you get your sensors to last that long. It’s day three and I’m getting the message, “Sensor End”. I’m new to the CGM and would like to know how to extend the sensor use.
The MM sensor will automatically say Sensor End after 3 days. Then all you have to do is go to New Sensor and push Act and it will start right up again. You don’t even have to wait the 2 hours.
I have never gone more than 6 days, because I start seeing inaccurate flat lines, and the ISIG goes very low. I don’t know how anyone else gets more than that!
On Dexcom the longest I’ve worn a sensor for is 24 days.
I wore Minimed sensors years ago but the longest I see that I recorded having worn a minimed sensor was 20 days.
Why do some people last for so long, while other’s don’t? Do fluctuations in BG cause it to die out faster? Does it have to do with insertion angle or body type? Perhaps UPS doesn’t keep them as temperature-controlled as they should before delivery? I’ve rarely go above five days with a sensor; my last one only lasted two.