CGM Sensor Stretchers

[Spiker]

I think I have had that too.

Also when the Dexcom G4s do stop working, often you can Stop/Start them and they resume working again.

 

[DunePlodder]

Yes, I've intentionally stopped/restarted sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

Current sensor still going by the way, though I've noticed two or three brief drop outs.

 

[Engineer88]

So Yesterday I made my first 'non sticking claim' against animas. I had the sensor on 6 days and it was hanging off. Nothing to do with walking up Snowdon I'm sure Anyhow Just an FYI I've been told to keep the sensor because they want it back.

 

[Spiker]

I had the ? ? ? thing today and it self corrected after an hour or so with no action on my part. I tend to move the receiver close to the sensor/transmitter for a while when that happens but I don't know if that matters.

Well into week 5 on this one and the calibration is still tracking very nicely.

 

[Spiker]

The session just terminated for week 5 and I am very much in two minds whether to go for week 6. I am getting a little pain near the sensor and in the past this has indicated a wound or infection. I cleaned it all up this morning and there was no smell, discharge or skin irritation, but still pain is not a good sign. The readings are also now consistently out (vs fingerprick) by 1 or 2 mmol/L, and not even in a consistent direction. So it may be time to retire this puppy.

 

[Spiker]

I binned the still-working sensor after 5 weeks. There was a fingernail sized blob of irritated and slightly damaged but unbroken skin around the cannula. I think it was wise to stop there. Health of the cannula site is going to be the limiting factor now for sensor stretching.

Feeling naked without any CGM today!

 

[jack412]

I thought I'd look up the sensor, here's a cute little kid showing it. T1 for 12 mths and very brave

double taping

 

[DunePlodder]

When there is any pain it's definitely time to stop - you want to keep the skin healthy for future sensors.

I think I'm a few days behind you - I restarted at less than a week to change to a more convenient day & time and I've lost track of exactly when I started. I saw some "???"s again for a while today. It's happened more with this sensor than any other, not sure why. It doesn't seem quite as good in matching up to my meter either. However it's still very useable & for us self funders more than 4 weeks has to be good news.

A very cute kid, I'm glad I didn't have to deal with this at her age. The good news is that technology finally seems to be advancing & her future looks more promising.

 

[DunePlodder]

I put a new sensor in over the weekend - about 32 days I think.
It was still functioning but erratically & dropping out occasionally.
Even my wallet had to agree it was time for a new one!

 

[Spiker]

I'm having a few days off as I only have one sensor left in the pack and I need to wait until I get paid before I can consider buying another pack.

Plus if I'm honest in a weird way it's nice to take a break. Less information to deal with and one less thing stuck on me. For a while.

 

[DunePlodder]

I wouldn't want to be without mine - the 2 hour restart seems a long time!
I'm still appreciating the peace of mind I get overnight - I'd had some nasty hypos.

The cost is a problem though. I don't have a pump & have to buy from Advanced Therapeutics & it doesn't help that they don't accept credit cards.

I've been watching the posts re the new Libre Flash Glucose Monitor. It sounds good (though yet to be really tested "in the wild") & would be fine except for the lack of alarms.

 

[Spiker]

For those that already have a Dexcom CGM, it is cheaper to keep with Dexcom than switch to Libre. But only because we can stretch the Dexcom sensor life.

 

[DunePlodder]

Dexcom users who extend their sensors will find this item on TuDiabetes interesting:

http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/dex...g_source=activity&groupId=583967:Group:168831

It's by someone working on the NightScout project who has seen what is happening in the software when a sensor is first inserted or restarted.

 

[Spiker]

" So I believe the answer is that when you restart the sensor, you should increase the number of calibration entries for the first day or two to maybe 4 per day. "

Yes that fits my own experience.

Thanks for the link @DunePlodder

 

[CarbsRok]

Best I have managed is 5 weeks with my sensor,

 

[tim2000s]

Has anyone managed to hack the Libre yet. I'm pretty certain that it should be possible to extend the sensor life, and that maybe by injecting some sort of NFC command from a phone you could reset it, but I've not really been able to work out what that is...

 

[PaulinaB]

Hi all,

I dig out this old thread as I noticed a new way for me to keep the dexcom sensors on. I usually got 2 weeks out of them, now I can (quite easily) get 4 weeks.

My "awesome" news is: keep your sensor dry! After showering, I touch the sensor "tape" (what's the word for the white part that sticks to your skin?) with paper towel - don't rub! I get a piece of paper towel and touch each side (top, bottom, left, right) one by one with a piece of the towel and wait a moment. It "sucks" out the water out of the tape and prevents the glue from getting weaker. This way, it lasts up to 14 days without any additional "treatment" (tapes, etc) until it gets unstuck (previously, it got unstuck after 5 days).

This also works when additional tape is on top of the sensor - I use Opsite and it allows the water to get sucked out through it quite easily. Getting the sensor tape dry seems to work wonders for me and only takes a couple of minutes!

Hope this helps anyone

 

[pablodr]

I wouldn't want to be without mine - the 2 hour restart seems a long time!
I'm still appreciating the peace of mind I get overnight - I'd had some nasty hypos.

The cost is a problem though. I don't have a pump & have to buy from Advanced Therapeutics & it doesn't help that they don't accept credit cards.

I've been watching the posts re the new Libre Flash Glucose Monitor. It sounds good (though yet to be really tested "in the wild") & would be fine except for the lack of alarms.

Hi, about 2 hours restarting, it´s annoying. But I solved¡¡¡
I´m using old seven plus system (repaired transmitter), and with two receivers, you can avoid it. You start second reciver-sensor.... and when ask blood, start it and then you can stop old receiver. In this way you always have information.

About "libre", it´s really expensive and not comparable to Dexcom. Libre it´s only a replacement for strips. I need alarms and forgot diabetes, with libre it´s a extra job. I don´t understand a device how libre (abbott have navigator 2 with alarms). It´s a back step.

Regards

 

[tim2000s]

@pablodr I can assure that the Libre is certainly no more expensive than the average dexcom user sees. It is certainly a different type of technology though.

 

[pablodr]

Hi Tim2000s... if you consider "libre" works in past way (past information), it only works 16 hours per day (when you sleep, it doesn´t work...), it lasts 14 days, but I think 90% dexcom users get 2 to 4 weeks (personally I always get 2 weeks, some 3, but I always replace it in 2 weeks)... really it´s "expensive" with you get.

dexcom could be release a LOW COST system: get a old seven plus system, and disable alarms. You get extacly a "libre", but in fact, better (read is automated).
I don´t understand, in 2015 you have to "read manually". It´s more comfortable than strips, of course, but no big advance, at least, to me. I´m absolutely dependant to my dexcom, a "libre" device to me it´s starting to use a FAX, instead a e-mail.

I hope next "libre" will be released with alarms and automated read (it´s very easy... a wireless NFC device programmed to read every minute and transmit to receiver).

I like abbott navigator 2, seems a real alternative... but "libre", I don´t understand, really. But sometimes it isn´t necesary a good product, only a good marketing. In Spain, abbott libre is announced in national magazines and newspaper... dexcom never was announced. Doctors now know "libre" and think it´s good because a lot don´t know dexcom (from 8-9 years it´s selling). A lot $$$ to doctors recommending "libre", even being a worse product.

Regards (and sorry for my bad english¡¡¡)

PS: of course, this is a very personal opinion