Dexcom G7/G6 and flying - xray machines

[EllieM]

Has anyone done much flying with a dexcom G7?

I want to visit my father in the UK but am not confident that I can get spare sensors through security without an xray. This appeared to fry my spare G6 transmitter so am wondering what the situation is with the G7, which has effectively has a transmitter in every sensor?

I'm still using the G6 but could change over to the G7.

Will be flying via Singapore this time so maybe they will be more sympathetic to T1 technology than Qatar airlines and Dohar? I also have some inter European flights...

The dexcom website just says I can wear it when walking through the body scanner, my issue is the hand baggage xray.

Has anyone got any tips for documentation to prevent the mandatory xray of spare sensors (A dexcom info letter worked fine for me in Australia and New Zealand).

 

[Joah]

I believe, according to the Dexcom website, if you ask for a visual search only for the G6/7 sensors and once the packaging is still in tact security, SHOULD comply. The sensors get damaged in the xray so they shouldn't go through. Im heading to Brussels next week, and i really hope they follow this procedure. I also carry a note from my consultant stating I have to carry this through.

 

[nerdyt1d]

I carried a note from my GP with my diabetes diagnosis and explained that the sensors could not go through the X-ray machines. They hand searched me instead.
Once (in London I think) they also insisted and swabbed all my sensors, which I don't think they should be able to do with unopened packaging, but there you go...

The Dexcom info letter sounds like a great idea!

 

[EllieM]

The Dexcom info letter sounds like a great idea!

It worked in most places but security in Doha were adamant that if I wanted to bring it through I would have had to get permission from Qatar airlines first. One reason why I won't be flying that route again.

I think I'll ask my GP for a letter.

 

[Glucobabu]

Am I right to presume that Libre2 uses the same technology? I have been through numerous airport baggage scanners with no ill effect on my sensors!

 

[nerdyt1d]

@Glucobabu from their official website ("Safety information"):

"The Sensor should be removed prior to exposing it to an X-ray machine. The effect of X-rays on the performance of the System has not been evaluated. The exposure may damage the Sensor and may impact proper function of the device to detect trends and track patterns in glucose values during the wear period."

 

[AndBreathe]

Has anyone done much flying with a dexcom G7?

I want to visit my father in the UK but am not confident that I can get spare sensors through security without an xray. This appeared to fry my spare G6 transmitter so am wondering what the situation is with the G7, which has effectively has a transmitter in every sensor?

I'm still using the G6 but could change over to the G7.

Will be flying via Singapore this time so maybe they will be more sympathetic to T1 technology than Qatar airlines and Dohar? I also have some inter European flights...

The dexcom website just says I can wear it when walking through the body scanner, my issue is the hand baggage xray.

Has anyone got any tips for documentation to prevent the mandatory xray of spare sensors (A dexcom info letter worked fine for me in Australia and New Zealand).

Were you in transit in Doha, Ellie? We came through Doha in January and will be going back through next weekend, but I don't recall being subject to any x-ray technology. Our bags may have been, but they were checked from UK to destination, so we didn't see them in Doha, just had a text from Qatar Airways to say our bags had been transferred for our onward flight.

 

[EllieM]

Were you in transit in Doha, Ellie? We came through Doha in January and will be going back through next weekend, but I don't recall being subject to any x-ray technology. Our bags may have been, but they were checked from UK to destination, so we didn't see them in Doha, just had a text from Qatar Airways to say our bags had been transferred for our onward flight.

The sensors were in my hand luggage and they insisted on them going through the standard security xray machine that your hand luggage goes through....
We changed planes there.

 

[AndBreathe]

The sensors were in my hand luggage and they insisted on them going through the standard security xray machine that your hand luggage goes through....
We changed planes there.

Yes, we did too, although both flights were Qatar Airways.

That said, it was stupid o'clock when we transited and I had been very uncharacteristically quite unwell on the first flight. We just seemed to go about 50m down the transit lounge to the gate to wait for the connecting flight.

We were only there c90 minutes.

I'll try to be more alert next week!

 

[Glucobabu]

@Glucobabu from their official website ("Safety information"):

"The Sensor should be removed prior to exposing it to an X-ray machine. The effect of X-rays on the performance of the System has not been evaluated. The exposure may damage the Sensor and may impact proper function of the device to detect trends and track patterns in glucose values during the wear period."

I thought all the baggages are routinely screened by x-ray machines in the airports. In that case all my spare Libre sensors would have been shot. But I never found any untoward effect on them. I always do finger prick test when the reading looks suspicious! Wonder what the general experience is.

 

[AndBreathe]

@EllieM - just for info.

Had a chat with my OH about the recent transit in Doha, and his memory and mine were aligned.

We were air-side the whole time, exiting one gate, to walk the 100m or so to the next. With a 90 minute transfer, we only visited the loo and topped up out water disposable bottles, brought from the previous flight.

Again, I'll try to be more alert next week, but it will be about 4am body time/1am local in Doha, so might not bee the sharpest knife......

Sounds like the differentiator could have been length of transit time, and remaining air-side?

(The airline did email us an enforced re-arranged itinerary for our home bound trip, which would have resulting in a 13 hour transit, but we rejected their "suggestions" and chose new flights, at no additional cost. The journey is enough of a beast without a too short a transit to really check into an hotel for a decent sleep, yet too long to hang around an airport.)

 

[EllieM]

@EllieM - just for info.

Had a chat with my OH about the recent transit in Doha, and his memory and mine were aligned.

We were air-side the whole time, exiting one gate, to walk the 100m or so to the next. With a 90 minute transfer, we only visited the loo and topped up out water disposable bottles, brought from the previous flight.

Again, I'll try to be more alert next week, but it will be about 4am body time/1am local in Doha, so might not bee the sharpest knife......

Sounds like the differentiator could have been length of transit time, and remaining air-side?

(The airline did email us an enforced re-arranged itinerary for our home bound trip, which would have resulting in a 13 hour transit, but we rejected their "suggestions" and chose new flights, at no additional cost. The journey is enough of a beast without a too short a transit to really check into an hotel for a decent sleep, yet too long to hang around an airport.)

That is interesting, though we went to the transit lounge for a couple of hours so that may have been a factor. Maybe the rules have changed though, because when our flight stopped at Adelaide South Australia for 45 minutes and all we did is take all our hand luggage out and then get back into the same plane with it (Qatar airlines) we did go through security, though they were willing to not xray my sensors.

 

[AndBreathe]

That is interesting, though we went to the transit lounge for a couple of hours so that may have been a factor. Maybe the rules have changed though, because when our flight stopped at Adelaide South Australia for 45 minutes and all we did is take all our hand luggage out and then get back into the same plane with it (Qatar airlines) we did go through security, though they were willing to not xray my sensors.

Our outbound flight was 10 January.

The number of ad-hoc rule changes, even these days has been staggering. The day we left, Thailand's COVID vaccine requirements were changing, then they weren't, then they were changing a bit, then they didn't change them at all! Whichever route they took, it didn't much matter to us, but it was the confusions and chaos at check-in that seemed about to occur.

As it was, we stayed overnight at Heathrow and just checked in as early as we could, just in case.

When is your next trip this way (roughly)?

 

[EllieM]

UK summer

 

[AndBreathe]

@EllieM - Sensible timing. A bit like we do in reverse.

Let's hope for another summer like UK's last.

 

[cait 57]

I travel with my insulin pump spares, Dexcom G7 spares with letter from hospital doctors and pass them directly to security before walking through. They are swabbed in front of me and never had an issue at any airport when requesting this. I have an advice sheet giving the required info to the security section if needed. Never had a problem transiting through Heathrow, or any UK or other airport including USA, Spain, Turkey, Portugal etc

 

[AndBreathe]

@EllieM - Just for completeness, we transited back through Doha on Friday night/Saturday. Coming this way, the process was totally different.

Yes, we did the full security checks/x-ray/scanners again, despite remaining airside the whole time.

Not sure that means anything, except it's bonkers to have different processes for each direction.

 

[MrsA2]

Not sure that means anything, except it's bonkers to have different processes for each direction.

And scanners vary across the world too, both in accuracy and operation.
I'd always prepare for the worst (carry letters and spares) and hope to never need them.
A 3rd option , if allowed, is to post or courier spares ahead of your journey

 

[Joah]

Security when leaving Brussels insisted on opening my spare Dexcom G7 sensor, breaking the seal on the plastic packaging housing the actual sensor, and looked inside. Does that mean that sensor is contaminated now and should just go in the bin? I was furious about this as it had not been opened, was factory sealed etc. It was obvious it had not been opened and I had deliberately brought one with the pharmacy sticker and my name on it.

 

[EllieM]

Security when leaving Brussels insisted on opening my spare Dexcom G7 sensor, breaking the seal on the plastic packaging housing the actual sensor, and looked inside. Does that mean that sensor is contaminated now and should just go in the bin? I was furious about this as it had not been opened, was factory sealed etc. It was obvious it had not been opened and I had deliberately brought one with the pharmacy sticker and my name on it.

Did they swab it with anything?
The needle is tucked away inside the sensor until you apply it isn't it? I'd probably still use it as long as I could be reasonably sure that it had been kept in a clean environment (disclaimer I don't change my pen needle every time I inject). But probably best to phone dexcom and ask. And then write a letter to the airport to express your unhappiness and ask what you have to do to get your essential medical supplies through the airport undamaged?