Jimmy_Smith
Member
This is getting ridiculous now. I did a sensor change this morning. Warm-up was supposed to end at ten to 10 this morning. It's been stuck on updating sensor ever since then, now ten past 2 in the afternoon. I'm so fed up with it.
-
Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2026 Survey »
Guardian 4 sensor
- Thread starter Jimmy_Smith
- Start Date
Rokaab
Well-Known Member
As of late I know I've noticed the guardian 4 sensors are very flakey at times (far far far worse then the G3's ever were)
Very annoying as you have to wait 2 hours for warm up and then at 3 hours before you can really decide its dead and replace
I know about a month ago it took me til well into the next day to get one working - since you cant fit too many 5 hour blocks in a day (3 failed - they sent me a whole new box and the rest of that dodgy box never got used)
Very annoying as you have to wait 2 hours for warm up and then at 3 hours before you can really decide its dead and replace
I know about a month ago it took me til well into the next day to get one working - since you cant fit too many 5 hour blocks in a day (3 failed - they sent me a whole new box and the rest of that dodgy box never got used)
Jimmy_Smith
Member
I'm giving it a bit longer but if it's still not working by 6ish I'll put a new sensor in
Rokaab
Well-Known Member
Medtronic do say if its updating for more than 3 hours you can just consider it dead and its unlikely to recover.
Least starting a new one now means if it fails again it'll be well before bedtime so it wont be beeping at you in the middle of the night with its annoying every 30 min 'oh I'm not working yet' alarm .....
Least starting a new one now means if it fails again it'll be well before bedtime so it wont be beeping at you in the middle of the night with its annoying every 30 min 'oh I'm not working yet' alarm .....
Phaid
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 46
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
How do you do that? Do you have 2 transmitters?
Rokaab
Well-Known Member
I presume it'll just be the sensor to let it bed in, without the transmitter.
This issue now becoming more and more annoying . There is an issue with the guardian 4 sensor, it's impossible that everyone is having the Updating not working issue by coincidence! My daughter is fed up with this! Yesterday I changed 2 sensors because of Updating & guess what, third one decided to work forn5 minutes and went to Updating . Enough stress !!!
Hello,
I remembered some medical staff saying that never heard complaints about the Guardian 4 from other users .
After Guardian 3 i switched to Guardian 4 and the number of sensors which stopped working to early has been growing exponentially. But they keep saying the users are doing something wrong.
Probably the manufacturer tried to reduce production costs one way or another to satisfy the shareholders. Maybe in the past the little '' wire '' which is inserted into your arm was made in something like a clean room and now production is outsourced to Mexico. If that wire is made from a material which is less pure it could be the start of the problem.
Beating about the bush but a medical company should be able to manufacture with an extreme low failure rate.
Greetings, eduard
I remembered some medical staff saying that never heard complaints about the Guardian 4 from other users .
After Guardian 3 i switched to Guardian 4 and the number of sensors which stopped working to early has been growing exponentially. But they keep saying the users are doing something wrong.
Probably the manufacturer tried to reduce production costs one way or another to satisfy the shareholders. Maybe in the past the little '' wire '' which is inserted into your arm was made in something like a clean room and now production is outsourced to Mexico. If that wire is made from a material which is less pure it could be the start of the problem.
Beating about the bush but a medical company should be able to manufacture with an extreme low failure rate.
Greetings, eduard
c
There was some reason for all the malfunctioning in G4 imo. I had intermittent good service with it….HOWEVER, I have now switched to Instinct Sensors on my 780. I am beyond thrilled! I just started my third one and the first 2 gave me full 15 days service! A few glitches a couple of times, but it resolved pretty quickly. So far, I am very pleased!
Hello,
Of course there must be reason if different users worldwide are starting having similar problems.
I sometimes have the idea that medical staff will choose the side of the manufacturers and tell us WE must be doing something wrong.
In the past if you were willing to invest a little more, you would buy a brand name washing machine which will serve you 3 decades. Nowadays they attract you with gimmicks and you will get one that is hard or impossible to repair after a few years of use.
My idea is that most of these medical suppliers are not any different. The Minimed/ Medtronic pumps i had so far all worked very well. But their sensors are not state of the art.
That is the reason i decided not to try the Simplera but put my trust in the Instinct.
Waiting until there available in my country AND if they are not available for my next long stay abroad i will have to go to another pump as well.
Greetings, Eduard
Of course there must be reason if different users worldwide are starting having similar problems.
I sometimes have the idea that medical staff will choose the side of the manufacturers and tell us WE must be doing something wrong.
In the past if you were willing to invest a little more, you would buy a brand name washing machine which will serve you 3 decades. Nowadays they attract you with gimmicks and you will get one that is hard or impossible to repair after a few years of use.
My idea is that most of these medical suppliers are not any different. The Minimed/ Medtronic pumps i had so far all worked very well. But their sensors are not state of the art.
That is the reason i decided not to try the Simplera but put my trust in the Instinct.
Waiting until there available in my country AND if they are not available for my next long stay abroad i will have to go to another pump as well.
Greetings, Eduard
The ease of inserting and starting a new sensor with Instinct is amazing! Literally takes seconds. Warm up is 1 hour. It’s so much more gentle on your skin than all the tapes and heavy transmitter with G4. I’m so grateful and I hope it works out soon for all those who want to get it.
Hello,
Sure inserting the Guardian 4 is a piece of cake for me BUT sticking a non flat object with rather ridged tape to your skin is far from being ideal! Probably designed by people who are hoping they will never have to use it themselves in the future.
I get 3 ml '' containers '' from my pharmacy which i divide into two reservoirs which are placed into the pump.
On average i can use a reservoir around 3 days and sometimes it will be 4 days when it is empty.
Trying to be ecological friendly and also trying to keep medical costs within boundaries for me it is the right thing to do.
BUT of course all my diabetes related data being available for the medical staff some of them will say your insurance will allow you to change it every 3 days. They react as if i decided to start smoking.
I am absolutely sure that the stress caused by the lack of quality of the sensors ( not reaching 7 days) has more influence on my health than using 30 % of the infusion sets one day longer.
Anyone here using these extended use ( 7 days) sets? Unless i am misunderstanding something it looks like they are extremely expensive compared to the ones i am using now. IF these companies would have some degree of ethics they would say we will make the cost of 3 and 7 days comparable in price with a little increase for the last one because it is makes things easier for the user.AND it looks like every time it a lot of plastic because you are using the inserter a single time. Right now most of luggage when travelling abroad for 3 months is pump related material.
I think we, the users, should be suspicious about any advice given by non users. Usually if you use any search engine the results that pop up first are those from people who are in for the money.
Greetings, Eduard
Sure inserting the Guardian 4 is a piece of cake for me BUT sticking a non flat object with rather ridged tape to your skin is far from being ideal! Probably designed by people who are hoping they will never have to use it themselves in the future.
I get 3 ml '' containers '' from my pharmacy which i divide into two reservoirs which are placed into the pump.
On average i can use a reservoir around 3 days and sometimes it will be 4 days when it is empty.
Trying to be ecological friendly and also trying to keep medical costs within boundaries for me it is the right thing to do.
BUT of course all my diabetes related data being available for the medical staff some of them will say your insurance will allow you to change it every 3 days. They react as if i decided to start smoking.
I am absolutely sure that the stress caused by the lack of quality of the sensors ( not reaching 7 days) has more influence on my health than using 30 % of the infusion sets one day longer.
Anyone here using these extended use ( 7 days) sets? Unless i am misunderstanding something it looks like they are extremely expensive compared to the ones i am using now. IF these companies would have some degree of ethics they would say we will make the cost of 3 and 7 days comparable in price with a little increase for the last one because it is makes things easier for the user.AND it looks like every time it a lot of plastic because you are using the inserter a single time. Right now most of luggage when travelling abroad for 3 months is pump related material.
I think we, the users, should be suspicious about any advice given by non users. Usually if you use any search engine the results that pop up first are those from people who are in for the money.
Greetings, Eduard
I use the extended infusion sets and reservoirs. They are easier on the skin too. When I remove them there is no redness or irritation. It’s amazing. I feel I’ve entered the Golden Age of MiniMed. I understand they are expensive p, but I pay nothing out of pocket due to my Medicare (I pay for that since I am not retired, PLUS I have a Supplement plan that covers all that Medicare doesn’t, but that is costly AND I have a drug plan. How will I afford all that coverage after I retire? Lol.
Hello,
Probably in my country if using one year the extended version will mean it is double or even more expensive for my health insurance to pay they will need to be convinced by medical staf that these extra costs will be very beneficial for me.
If it will improve my health it will be easier for them to agree.
These medical companies will probably try to set the price as high as possible. THEY will not say the user will only need half of the number of sets he/she got last year but we need to take the total cost of the two options will be not to far apart.
I seriously have the idea that some of the medical staff and the medical companies share the same ideas and both have interest that users will go for the most expensive options.
It is no different than what is going on in the smartphone or clothing business.
Greetings, Eduard
Probably in my country if using one year the extended version will mean it is double or even more expensive for my health insurance to pay they will need to be convinced by medical staf that these extra costs will be very beneficial for me.
If it will improve my health it will be easier for them to agree.
These medical companies will probably try to set the price as high as possible. THEY will not say the user will only need half of the number of sets he/she got last year but we need to take the total cost of the two options will be not to far apart.
I seriously have the idea that some of the medical staff and the medical companies share the same ideas and both have interest that users will go for the most expensive options.
It is no different than what is going on in the smartphone or clothing business.
Greetings, Eduard
