Dexcom advice.

I have the G4 for occasional use. I chose it because my Animas pump works as the receiver.
If you have no pump or phone, you will need a separate receiver. I have no experience of this.

Dexcom works very different to Libre. The readings are not stored on the sensor. They are sent directly to the reader so this needs to be with you at all times. And close enough that you hear the alert when your Bg is out of range or changing fast.

I purchase the Dexcom sensors from Animas although I have read it is possible to buy direct from Dexcom for a slightly lower cost.
You may need “approval” from your healthcare team. I did, don’t know why but it was just a formality.
Might have something to do with not paying VAT.

therower said:

1 . I don't have a smartphone, would the G4 be a better, cheaper more practical option?

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If you aren't going to use your phone as a receiver, which can only be done with a smart phone, then G4 will certainly be cheaper.

You'll need:
- G4 transmitter £260 lasts 12 months, but will go for a bit longer. The G5 transmitters die after 3 months, for a similar price
- G4 receiver £350. so long as you don't drop it down the toilet this just keeps going. To avoid that there are nice cases that carabiner clip on. If you were using G5 with phone as receiver then you wouldn't need to buy a receiver at all.
- sensors are £51.25 each and dexcom say they last 7 days, but I usually get 21 days or more out of one sensor. That's the same cost for G4 or G5, although I did find sensors had a shorter life span with G5 - there is no logic to that because they are the same sensor.

I'm not sure about any package/starter kit price for a G4. I have read about people seeing good G5 starter kit prices, but it would make sense that the deal are for G5, rather than G4.

therower said:

2. How do you set about purchasing the initial starter kit? Who do you purchase from?

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Ring dexcom direct and buy them. You don't need any approval to purchase, you just need cash. Their phone for orders is 020 7139 1980. You just have to sign a form for the VAT exemption.

therower said:

Hi everyone. Looking for some information/ advice.
Santa has made a suggestion he might like to contribute to the purchase of a dexcom cgm.
A few questions if I may .
1 . I don't have a smartphone, would the G4 be a better, cheaper more practical option?
2. How do you set about purchasing the initial starter kit? Who do you purchase from?
Just a few basic questions at the moment but I would be very grateful for any tips or advice.

Thanks.

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I'm really glad you're making that move, Tony. As you know from previous posts, we're both kinda old school, but I've got to say playing about with cgm over the last year has made life much easier for me, and I hope it works out that way for you too - a phone telling you, keep an eye on this dropping sugar, laddie - it ain't always right, but don't knock it.

I'll stitch together a few thoughts on the matter tomorrow when I'm not drunk in a pub but, for now, your first question about smartphones: don't worry about that, you won't need one. Dexcom has an official app, but it seems (remember I'm not a dexcommer, so I might be wrong), that a lot of them think it's rubbish, so they prefer to use an app called xDrip+, it costs nothing and you can run it on a cheap android phone.

Mine is running on a £99 pay as you go LG K8. So no expensive smartphones involved, 99 quid one off cost and you're in there on the "seeing the stuff".

Ongoing cost of dexcom sensors is another story which will have to await me not being in a pub!

The stuff you'll see looks like this - use it correctly, with a bit of old school intuition thrown in, you can see and change the future:

therower said:

Thanks for finding time to give me a reply, sorry to disturb you're evening

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Not at all, the barmaid was getting a bit fed up with me explaining the intricacies of cgm! I'll have to figure out better chat up lines!

Hi to All
I have been really pleased with your replies and giving an advice on it.. I have short question to You, what will be the best of app on phone to work with Dexcom G4? Have You ever heard or tested the Guardian Connect from Medtronic? I am chewing it over what will be better?

Best app on Android is xDrip+.

therower said:

Got to wait till Thursday

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You'll be like a kid waiting for Santa tomorrow morning...where's the postman, where's the postman?

Good luck with it!

did you get 4 sensors and a transmitter for £275? that is what I was quoted and very tempted to get if they stretch out at 3 weeks