Dexcom g5 sensor life

paulliljeros

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The sensors used for the G4 and G5 are identical/the same units, and so will last as long which ever system you go for. Different people get different lifespans, but I have had most success placed on the back of my arm, secured carefully with skin tac glue and flexi fix tape. My experience has been that as soon as they start to move, the readings become intermittent and a change is forced.
 

tim2000s

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@Layah2013 - @iHs has been using the G5 extensively and has reported that the snesor accuracy on the G5 drops rather more quickly than on the G4. Given the algorithm and the need for good data in the G5 transmitter, as it uses the same sensor hardware, we believe it is caused by that. @iHs has said that the most she is getting out of it accurately is 14 days.

It is important to be aware of this as with the G4 it is possible to eke the lifespan of a sensor out for much longer. The longest I achieved was 29 days.
 

CarbsRok

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Longest I have managed is 47 days :)
 

TorqPenderloin

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I used to be under the impression that the accuracy of the G4 and G5 systems were different. However, I glimpsed over Dexcom's FDA approval documentation a few days ago and now question if that's true.

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Adviso...dClinicalToxicologyDevicesPanel/UCM511810.pdf

On page 4 of that .pdf they mention that the algorithm changed in October 2014, but was otherwise the same (my interpretation) between the two systems.

To answer the original question my sensors usually last about 8-10 days, but that's because I don't add extra tape/adhesive anymore. I'm in the US where I pay significantly less per sensor so it didn't make sense to subject myself to potential discomfort just to save a small bit of money.

As others mentioned, the sensors themselves are the same between the systems and they ship packaging that reflects that information.

It's my understanding that Dexcom is currently working to get a new sensor on the market that is much more simple to install and has an extended life beyond the current 7 days. I looked for the link when I posted this but couldn't find where I read that.
 

iHs

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HI think where a small child is involved using Dexcom sensors, the accuracy can diminish after 7 days but that might be where on the body the sensor is inserted and how well the adhesive stays firmly stuck for. Look on u tube for details on sensor placement for children. Adults in UK tend to use Opsite Tegaderm film over the top but that also sticks to the surrounding areas and is a bit ouchy when pulling off hence the need for adhesive remover to be sprayed or dabbed first.
Best to budget for sensors to be replaced every 7 to 10 days if a child plus the cost of purchasing the transmitters. The G5 is slightly better than the G4 with less lag time but it's all bout money and what can be afforded.
 

edan

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my first sensor lasted 4 days then fell off. My second has just done two weeks so far and still going fine.
 

Diamattic

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I have managed to get 21 -28 days out of every single G4 sensor that I have used.

Typically I apply it normally without any extra tapes or glues, after day 5ish i usually notice the edges starting to lift at which i cover it with a piece of clear medical adhesive with a hole cut in the middle for the transmitter and then just change that whenever it begins to peel making sure that when i remove it i don't peel off the original adhesive pad. This system has yet to fail on me.

Every one of my sensors have been placed somewhere on my love handles/ rear abdomen, so far no issues!

EDIT - It is worth mentioning that day 1-3 are always fairly inaccurate every time you start / re-start a sensor, and around day 10 i notice that the highs and lows get 'blunted' and it reacts slower to fluctuations, at around day 15 i start to see the '???' at least once a day for a couple hours lol

Typically my levels are fairly flat so these issues never bothered me. If i was someone who has frequent highs and lows, or needs constant CGM then I would change my sensor somewhere between day 7-10. They become more and more unreliable as they pass day 7.
 

tim2000s

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It's worth noting that that Pierre Vandevenne did some fairly extensive research into the quality of data that the G4 produced over time and concluded that after about 14 days, the data variation became too wide for his comfort with his son. My experience with the G4 sensors is that after about the same period of time, there is no way that I would run an artificial pancreas on them. They simply aren't good enough after that. It's not that the general data is particularly bad, it's that the variation increases too much, which means that you get dips and spikes that will cause an APS to react badly.