Dexcom G5 queries

[Maddileigh]

Hi all.

I've had an email today from Dexcom with an offer for 1 sensor and 1 transmitter for £150. I currently use the Freestyle Libre.

MY questions are:

Am I right in thinking the transmitter has to be changed every 3 months? If so, how much is a replacement.

How much is an individual sensor and how long do they last?

Does anyone have any views on Dexcom G5 vs Libre?

Is it worth taking a punt and trying it out for the offer? What are the long term costs in comparison to the Libre's £100pm for continual use?

Sorry for all the questions! Hope someone can help

 

[Insulin_junky]

Hi Maddileigh,

Price list for last year - October when I purchased (includes VAT @ 20%):

Sensor (x4): £246
G5 Transmitter: £240
Receiver: £330

- Sensor to be replaced every week however some people manage to stretch this out.
- Transmitter is every 12 weeks.
- Receiver can seem not necessary, as a phone + app does more or less the same thing. However dexcom wouldn't sell me more sensors/transmitters unless I had been registered with them as having purchased a receiver. From Dexcom:

"We recently shipped you a Dexcom G5 Mobile Transmitter and sensors. Unfortunately, we did not confirm that you currently have a G5 Mobile Receiver. Regulatory authorities require the purchase of a receiver to be used with your G5 system. Please respond to this email confirming that you have G5 Mobile Receiver by providing the Serial Number (located on the back of the Receiver). If you are unable to confirm the Receiver, we will need to make arrangements to provide a G5 Receiver as soon as possible."

Opinion:
I also used the Libre and loved it, only problem was I was getting bad skin reactions and had to stop. I asked Dexcom to send a sensor (which they did, but only at cost) I was satisfied after a trial I was not getting a skin reaction. Turns out the G5 is excellent also.

For me, the pro's:
- Can use phone to check readings, so less clobber to carry around.
- Don't have to swipe, updates automatically.
- Audio alarms warn of low's/high's/rapid rate changes and is configurable.
- You calibrate with a single blood test daily, which seems to keep the readings in good check, sometimes the libre was definitely wonky for me.

The con's:
- Bluetooth with phone sometime drops out too easily, but in general still good/worthwhile (Never drops out with receiver).
- You can only upload to Diasend from the receiver, not the app. Meaning if you want to do this you do need the receiver with you at all time to record you levels.
- More expensive.

Good luck.

 

[leking]

There is a comparison of costs in the sticky i think.

I had the same question recently. The benefits of the libre are:

- much cheaper, and cost spread better.
- no finger pricking required to calibrate (twice a day I think on dexcom
- no android app.

The benefit is the pushing of values, no need to scan (altogether there is a way around this using a Sony Smartwatch 3 )

 

[Chas C]

The new G5+ transmitter saves the glucose readings like the Libre does so you do not need to be connected all the time and it downloads the missed readings.

 

[CapnGrumpy]

Looks like the receiver is now optional - got this email from Dexcom this morning:

12 January 2017

Dear Customer,

Dexcom is thrilled to announce that its G5 Mobile CGM System is now the world’s first CGM system available on both Apple and Android smart devices, making it easier than ever before to make treatment decisions right from your mobile device.*

In addition to adding Android to the Dexcom G5 Mobile CGM System platform, the Dexcom G5 Mobile Receiver is now an optional display device – which means you’ll have a choice of whether you want to acquire a Receiver or not. In many cases, this could mean significant savings for you.

 

[tim2000s]

The new G5+ transmitter saves the glucose readings like the Libre does so you do not need to be connected all the time and it downloads the missed readings.

That's not yet available though, so you're currently getting the bog standard lose connection, miss a reading version.

 

[Chas C]

That's not yet available though, so you're currently getting the bog standard lose connection, miss a reading version.

Really, Dexcom say that the last old G5 was boxed on 30 November 2016 and that all new G5+ are boxed post this date so one with 1st Dec 2016 onwards should be good.

 

[tim2000s]

Hmmm. That's somewhat frustrating. I bought my replacement transmitter mid-December and have an old one. Having just spoken to the Dexcom Technical support guys, the G5+ isn't yet launched in the UK, and they don't know when it will be.

 

[Chas C]

Hmmm. That's somewhat frustrating. I bought my replacement transmitter mid-December and have an old one. Having just spoken to the Dexcom Technical support guys, the G5+ isn't yet launched in the UK, and they don't know when it will be.

Maybe they shipped all the old ones to Europe then, but they stopped manufacturing these old ones last year but guess they might have stock to ship.

 

[tim2000s]

Well, given the one I got in december left the factory on 7th September, that wouldn't be a surprise.

 

[jodysd6]

I got the email from dexcom today about android availability as I enquired with them a while ago, but didn't get one with the £150 offer as if I had I'd be buying next week as would really like to at least trial it! I filled in contact me form again on their site over Christmas and this has just reminded me I never got a reply. I'' currently using libre and very happy with it but would like to compare!

 

[MattJ85]

Hi all,

I am also a libre user and find the insight into glucose trends very useful in my control. I work for the ambulance service and have found this extremely useful for blue light response driving - despite not being able to use it under dvla regulations.

I would like to trial the dexcom but would like to ask the following before I do
- I understand dexcom state that the sensors should be replaced every week. However this would make annual costs about £3570 for everything, where the libre is £1365 so can the sensors be worn for longer? I have seen on facebook sites that people are getting 4 to 6 weeks, if this is the case then at 4 weeks it is cost comparison to the libre
- do you need a receiver as the above post means if you don't then this is a large saving
- if you only connect with your phone via bluetooth and you get into your car (to use hands free) then sure,y the dexcom cannot send its data as you only can have one Bluetooth connection at a time?

Any other comments would be very useful

 

[leking]

You can have more than one bluetooth connection at a time. Lots more!

 

[CapnGrumpy]

@MattJ85, typically I get around 2 weeks per sensor before I consider the readings to be unreliable. There are lots of people who have pushed them far further. I did sit down and figure out the break even point if you ran both G5 or Libre for a year a while back and I think it came out as if you could average 28 days per sensor, then the money saved could pay for 4 x £200 transmitters. (Cost of Libre for a year, minus £800 for 4 G5 transmitters. Spend what's left on 13 Dexcom sensors. 365/13=28 days per sensor.)

I don't get 28 days, but I like the alerts Dexcoms give, so it's worth the money. Having had a G5 'recycled' with new batteries has saved money, but you then need to use the xDrip+ app and I have heard reports of that not handling multiple Bluetooth connections very well.

Multiple Bluetooth connections are possible - no idea what the iOS limit is, but Android 4.4 theoretically supported up to 7 and 5.0 up to 15 devices, but I have an old car with a tape player, so no personal experience. If people phone when I'm driving, I ignore them (possibly not an option for you, given your occupation).

The DVLA don't, as you say, accept interstitial fluid readings as an alternative to finger tests at the moment, but this may change in the future.

 

[tim2000s]

@MattJ85 as @CapnGrumpy has said, I'd say that 4 weeks on G4 or G5 is the exception rather than the rule. I've found the G4 would become unreliable at around 3 weeks and the G5 at 2.5 weeks.

If you use the xDrip or xDrip+ apps, you can also extend the life of the transmitter. My G5 one has just exceeded the Dexcom nominated lifespan, but the batteries are fine, and I expect to get another couple of months out of it using xDrip.

In terms of use with an iPhone, loss of connection to bluetooth hasn't been a side effect of the number of bluetooth connections to the phone, it's been more linked to the phone making its mind up to interfere with the bluetooth process, and normally occurs around 1.35am, when you don't really want it to. xDrip so far hasn't shown this tendency.

 

[Engineer88]

There are also lots of options coming about replacing your transmitter battery so don't throw it away!

Hi Maddileigh,
- You can only upload to Diasend from the receiver, not the app. Meaning if you want to do this you do need the receiver with you at all time to record you levels. .

if you have both the dexcom and diasend app installed you can upload all results

 

[Chas C]

I would agree with @tim2000s, re life of a G4 sensor. I get mostly between 3 and 4 wks, a few times less than 3 but not often.

 

[Chas C]

@MattJ85 as @CapnGrumpy has said, I'd say that 4 weeks on G4 or G5 is the exception rather than the rule. I've found the G4 would become unreliable at around 3 weeks and the G5 at 2.5 weeks.

@tim2000s interesting that you find the G5 is maybe half a week worse than the G4, the sensor is the same and the only difference should be the communication to the receiver but maybe they have also change the sensor "sensing" SW in the G5 transmitter.

 

[tim2000s]

@tim2000s interesting that you find the G5 is maybe half a week worse than the G4, the sensor is the same and the only difference should be the communication to the receiver but maybe they have also change the sensor "sensing" SW in the G5 transmitter.

I think the key difference is how the data interpretation algorithm works as part of the transmitter. I see the G5 data gets much dirtier after that period than the G4 ever did.

 

[TimWJ]

Hmmm. That's somewhat frustrating. I bought my replacement transmitter mid-December and have an old one. Having just spoken to the Dexcom Technical support guys, the G5+ isn't yet launched in the UK, and they don't know when it will be.

I received my first transmitter this morning. The manufacturing date is 2016-12-13 so presumably based on Chas's post it will be the G5+, but is there any way of telling? I intend to fire it up on Saturday.

Tim