Dexcom G6 - Amazingly Accurate

cz_dave

Well-Known Member
Messages
448
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone, I've recently upgraded from Dexcom G5 to G6. In fact it's been just over a week now, so it's still early days. I am amazed at the accuracy of my first G6 sensor. It was a little bit off on the first day which I corrected by the optional calibration. Since then it's been absolutely spot-on.

What's everyone's experience with G6?
 

Zinadane

Well-Known Member
Messages
276
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Sounds brilliant.
I would love to try the g6, a game changer I would think!
However, only on subscription here in the UK I believe. Crazy really! I use 7 bottles of contour next strips per month at a cost to the NHS of 7x£20=£140. Someone please correct me if this is not quite right.
Surely i should get a subsidy for the g6 sub if I'm not using the NHS supplied strips?
 
Last edited:

MeiChanski

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,992
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello, Dexcom is indeed accurate for me as well. It has also saved me a number of times as well. But I find towards the end of it’s life, it does give funky readings. I am very fortunate to be looping soon with my pump. Unfortunately my nurse said NHS weren’t able to get a good price for CGMs, so it is expensive for them to fund it. Test strips are much cheaper in comparison.
 

searley

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
1,880
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
Diabetes, not having Jaffa Cake
Sounds brilliant.
I would love to try the g6, a game changer I would think!
However, only on subscription here in the UK I believe. Crazy really! I use 7 bottles of contour next strips per month at a cost to the NHS of 7x£20=£140. Someone please correct me if this is not quite right.
Surely i should get a subsidy for the g6 sub if I'm not using the NHS supplied strips?
NHS pay less for most strips

The nhs cost can found here:


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIAxAC&usg=AOvVaw1WRDyaLPpRTSBh7PxYkX8k
 

DunePlodder

Well-Known Member
Messages
861
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
After the first 12 to 24 hours I find the G6 is very good. I use it with Basal IQ on my Tandem pump which has been brilliant.
 

fmacd

Member
Messages
12
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone, I've recently upgraded from Dexcom G5 to G6. In fact it's been just over a week now, so it's still early days. I am amazed at the accuracy of my first G6 sensor. It was a little bit off on the first day which I corrected by the optional calibration. Since then it's been absolutely spot-on.

What's everyone's experience with G6?

Hi, and please excuse the long post.
I've been using the Dexcom G6 since August last year on an NHS Scotland trial. You're right, it is a game changer but be warned: Dexcom are very slow at getting the apps up to date and this means that most iPhones carrying the latest iOS are incompatible. Having argued at length with Dexcom about this, they suggest buying either an old phone to use instead or using their transmitter at a cost of around £265 (which purely gives you a reading). Neither of these is a great option as the supposed beauty of this system is that can be used seamlessly with your phone.
I've continued to use my 'incompatible' phone and it's true, there are issues. The first being that when I was away from home the app failed and I was told to reinstall it. Of course I then had to put in my transmitter code which I could only get from the transmitter itself (not the sensor). Yes, it was attached to my body and had to be removed. The app also appears to lose contact with the sensor more often than before, resulting in it thinking you're hypo overnight and screaming at you, despite you being 5.6. You get my drift. Just thought I'd point this out. Still love Dexcom G6; just wish the developers were as quick to update as they are to take the money...
 

cz_dave

Well-Known Member
Messages
448
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, and please excuse the long post.
I've been using the Dexcom G6 since August last year on an NHS Scotland trial. You're right, it is a game changer but be warned: Dexcom are very slow at getting the apps up to date and this means that most iPhones carrying the latest iOS are incompatible. Having argued at length with Dexcom about this, they suggest buying either an old phone to use instead or using their transmitter at a cost of around £265 (which purely gives you a reading). Neither of these is a great option as the supposed beauty of this system is that can be used seamlessly with your phone.
I've continued to use my 'incompatible' phone and it's true, there are issues. The first being that when I was away from home the app failed and I was told to reinstall it. Of course I then had to put in my transmitter code which I could only get from the transmitter itself (not the sensor). Yes, it was attached to my body and had to be removed. The app also appears to lose contact with the sensor more often than before, resulting in it thinking you're hypo overnight and screaming at you, despite you being 5.6. You get my drift. Just thought I'd point this out. Still love Dexcom G6; just wish the developers were as quick to update as they are to take the money...

Yes, that's a good point about the limited mobile phone selection that's supported by Dexcom. One way of looking at it is that Dexcom is saving you money because you're never on the latest phone. :)
 

localshop

Well-Known Member
Messages
77
Thanks for sharing that link, it's really interesting. Now I see why my last GP was reluctant to let me keep my Contour NEXT.

I don't suppose you have a link to the prices of insulins do you? I'm just nosey :)
 

searley

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
1,880
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
Diabetes, not having Jaffa Cake
Thanks for sharing that link, it's really interesting. Now I see why my last GP was reluctant to let me keep my Contour NEXT.

I don't suppose you have a link to the prices of insulins do you? I'm just nosey :)
No I dont for insulin but did read a paper somewhere a couple of months ago that states insulin is £40 to £50 for 5 cartridges depending on brand
 

Draco16

Well-Known Member
Messages
182
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi, and please excuse the long post.
I've been using the Dexcom G6 since August last year on an NHS Scotland trial. You're right, it is a game changer but be warned: Dexcom are very slow at getting the apps up to date and this means that most iPhones carrying the latest iOS are incompatible. Having argued at length with Dexcom about this, they suggest buying either an old phone to use instead or using their transmitter at a cost of around £265 (which purely gives you a reading). Neither of these is a great option as the supposed beauty of this system is that can be used seamlessly with your phone.
I've continued to use my 'incompatible' phone and it's true, there are issues. The first being that when I was away from home the app failed and I was told to reinstall it. Of course I then had to put in my transmitter code which I could only get from the transmitter itself (not the sensor). Yes, it was attached to my body and had to be removed. The app also appears to lose contact with the sensor more often than before, resulting in it thinking you're hypo overnight and screaming at you, despite you being 5.6. You get my drift. Just thought I'd point this out. Still love Dexcom G6; just wish the developers were as quick to update as they are to take the money...

Hi - while I get a warning flash up on my iPhone that it’s not been tested with the latest version of iOS (that I’m running) I’ve never noticed any issues as a result.

However, due to work I’ve also been using a Google Pixel 4 running the latest Android 10. Amazing, months after the launch of both the phone and OS, the Dexcom app is just not available. On Google’s flagship phone and latest OS.
 

cz_dave

Well-Known Member
Messages
448
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi - while I get a warning flash up on my iPhone that it’s not been tested with the latest version of iOS (that I’m running) I’ve never noticed any issues as a result.

However, due to work I’ve also been using a Google Pixel 4 running the latest Android 10. Amazing, months after the launch of both the phone and OS, the Dexcom app is just not available. On Google’s flagship phone and latest OS.
Yes, I think this is the difference with Android. The app is just not available on those unsupported phones.
 

Mike_T

Member
Messages
23
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello, Dexcom is indeed accurate for me as well. It has also saved me a number of times as well. But I find towards the end of it’s life, it does give funky readings. I am very fortunate to be looping soon with my pump. Unfortunately my nurse said NHS weren’t able to get a good price for CGMs, so it is expensive for them to fund it. Test strips are much cheaper in comparison.

Can’t speak about the Dexcom. However it’s ok for the nurse or whoever to say test strips are much cheaper in comparison but there is a straight forward calculation to say how many strips do you use per day to give you an equivalent control of your your blood glucose. I don’t know as I said about the cost of Dexcom but if you’re testing 8 times a day using test strips then it become cheaper to prescribe Freestyle Libre. It may be more for the equivalent cost of Dexcom but the cost to the nhs of diabetics with good control of their blood glucose will be in the long run a lot cheaper than those with poor control.
 

MeiChanski

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,992
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Can’t speak about the Dexcom. However it’s ok for the nurse or whoever to say test strips are much cheaper in comparison but there is a straight forward calculation to say how many strips do you use per day to give you an equivalent control of your your blood glucose. I don’t know as I said about the cost of Dexcom but if you’re testing 8 times a day using test strips then it become cheaper to prescribe Freestyle Libre. It may be more for the equivalent cost of Dexcom but the cost to the nhs of diabetics with good control of their blood glucose will be in the long run a lot cheaper than those with poor control.

Freestyle libre is by far cheaper than Dexcom, but a libre is not a CGM. Unfortunately nhs criteria for CGM is more strict than getting a libre and it’s not routinely funded.
 

Djtheboss

Member
Messages
6
My Specialist was saying I should go onto the G6 but I'm nervous about it on my arm etc due to people bumping into me etc in work , gym etc...currently I'm using a meter.
 

luke8841

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Been using the G6 since end Nov 2019. I really like it and no longer carry around any other blood checker in my day to day which is great. It works with my Note 9 perfectly. Obviously before I got it I was checking 10 or so times a day. I find the accuracy spot on and I am constantly surprised at how slow my body is to react to both insulin and glucose. i am on a very high fat, low carb diet so delays not really surprising but the upside is no spikes up or down just gradual slow changes. I don't think I could go back to finger pricks.
The apps are horrible however, clunky useless ugly rubbish. I stream my data live to Sugarmate which is better than the Dexcom ones but not by much. Annoying there is little easy support for watches particularly if you are not an Apple user. I am intrigued to see how accurate the HBa1c predictors are when i have my 1st blood test since getting the Dexcom up and running.
 

Lorra1ne

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I’m using Libra wth maiomaio2 been looking into dexcom G6 as not finding it very accurate, it’s the cost of dexcom as would have to self fund although have night time hypos etc don’t meet criteria, but with test strips and Libra works oust dearer than dexcom, if as reliable as people say