Hi does anybody in the uk use the G6 self funded all the time , thinking of getting starter kit to trial and then maybe changing from Libre to g6 purely for the alarms I know there’s the expense as it’s more than Libre so just wandering if it’s worth switching . I know you can adapt the Libre but that does make it larger anybody have any views on this x
Dexcom G6
- Thread starter Jackie100
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Hi, @Jackie100 , I don't use G6, but when you're sizing up the prices, G6 "officially" lasts for 10 days, but there are ways of resetting it to get longer, like 2 or 3 times as long. There's been a few threads about it on this forum and plenty of stuff through google, for example: http://www.ardensday.com/blog/dex6restart
It seems to be more difficult restarting a G6 than a G5 but that'll maybe change as time goes by.
Also, if you use, not the official dexcom app, but an android app called xDrip+, it'll let the transmitter run for a lot longer, sometimes twice as long, than the official app, so you're not forking out for a new transmitter quite so often. At least, it did for G5, not sure about G6.
xDrip+ isn't official in any way. It's a use at own risk gig. When dexcom first came out, people liked it but thought the app could be better. So, a charity called Nighscout Foundation built their own, dexdrip, and over time it's turned into xDrip+. The alerting systems are more advanced, and it has things like predictive simulations which dexcom would take years to get past the FDA.
https://jamorham.github.io
I've been using one of the libre add-ons, a blucon from Ambrosia Systems, for over a year now. It was a one off cost of about £100. There's another newer one, miaomiao, about £160.
They can look quite large when you see them in photos, but in reality, they're really not that big. The blucon is a couple of millimetres wider than a libre sensor and about the same height as two and a half sensors on top of each other. It's about the same height as a G5.
I notice it about as much as I do the libre - not at all. I tend to wear long sleeve shirts, so it might be an issue if you're wearing shorter sleeved stuff.
The blucon links up with xDrip+ so I'm getting dex style alerts.
Maybe worthwhile googling your area's ccg. Some of them publish a lot of policy info about stuff like libre prescription. I'm lucky enough to live in an area which prescribes libre to any T1 who wants it, so, for me, free libre, 100 quid for the blucon and free xDrip+ was a no-brainer to get cgm without the cost of dexcom. If it looks like your area might be going down the prescribing route, it might be worthwhile considering the add-ons, but it is really still a postcode lottery.
It seems to be more difficult restarting a G6 than a G5 but that'll maybe change as time goes by.
Also, if you use, not the official dexcom app, but an android app called xDrip+, it'll let the transmitter run for a lot longer, sometimes twice as long, than the official app, so you're not forking out for a new transmitter quite so often. At least, it did for G5, not sure about G6.
xDrip+ isn't official in any way. It's a use at own risk gig. When dexcom first came out, people liked it but thought the app could be better. So, a charity called Nighscout Foundation built their own, dexdrip, and over time it's turned into xDrip+. The alerting systems are more advanced, and it has things like predictive simulations which dexcom would take years to get past the FDA.
https://jamorham.github.io
I've been using one of the libre add-ons, a blucon from Ambrosia Systems, for over a year now. It was a one off cost of about £100. There's another newer one, miaomiao, about £160.
They can look quite large when you see them in photos, but in reality, they're really not that big. The blucon is a couple of millimetres wider than a libre sensor and about the same height as two and a half sensors on top of each other. It's about the same height as a G5.
I notice it about as much as I do the libre - not at all. I tend to wear long sleeve shirts, so it might be an issue if you're wearing shorter sleeved stuff.
The blucon links up with xDrip+ so I'm getting dex style alerts.
Maybe worthwhile googling your area's ccg. Some of them publish a lot of policy info about stuff like libre prescription. I'm lucky enough to live in an area which prescribes libre to any T1 who wants it, so, for me, free libre, 100 quid for the blucon and free xDrip+ was a no-brainer to get cgm without the cost of dexcom. If it looks like your area might be going down the prescribing route, it might be worthwhile considering the add-ons, but it is really still a postcode lottery.
I've tried blucon and miaomiao (due to losing the blucon - found a couple of weeks later 
). The Miaomiao is way less noticable than the blucon to wear - and appears to be better at talking to my phone.
I've got alarms. I've read the warning about not relying on them, but they're way better than nothing IMO. I rather like it.
). The Miaomiao is way less noticable than the blucon to wear - and appears to be better at talking to my phone.I've got alarms. I've read the warning about not relying on them, but they're way better than nothing IMO. I rather like it.
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Hi @Jackie100 - I'm using the G6 full time. The real benefit of it for me is that it is far more accurate than the Libre, without needing calibration. I put it in on day 1, calibrate it on day 1, and then leave it for 10 days, sometimes 20 (if you use the open source tools @Scott-C describes, they automatically restart it), and using the native G6 algorithm I've been very impressed. It's generally within 0.5 mmol/l of a blood test, and more impressively, it's been excellent around lows, way better than I've experienced with the Libre.
You can get better than normal accuracy for the Libre and convert it to a CGM using the tools that Scott has suggested, but you will need to calibrate it if you want G6 accuracy.
You can get better than normal accuracy for the Libre and convert it to a CGM using the tools that Scott has suggested, but you will need to calibrate it if you want G6 accuracy.
I was on the freestyle until I try the g6 and it completely changed my life! Get the trail and see how you feel with it but honestly it’s amazing!
