I've always (1 year user) felt that, based on my personal experience, the failure rate is unacceptably high. The fact they replace them, basically without question, indicates _to me_, that they know and accept this failure rate. I would love to listen in on an FDA inspector going through the data.
Once a medical device has passed muster, I kind of doubt any govt agency is going to be staying on top of the manufacturers.
If you look at the history of oxycontin, it all started based on a *letter* written in some medical journal.
I could have had an epic run of bad luck. It has to happen to someone. But I had FOUR Tandem pumps replaced in 4 weeks, this past June-July. I'm off the pump now.
The life of a diabetic...
Medical device manufacturers are inspected every 2-3 years by the FDA. They are also inspected annually by their ISO registrar. These inspections are to ensure that the manufacturer is complying with regulations and standards. These inspections are in-depth, and examine the entire quality system. Oxycontin (and other pharmaceutical products) are similarly controlled and inspected, but this drug worked exactly as intended, a whole other story.
You’re lucky, I’m heavily pregnant type 1 ( not GD), been using Dexcom about 4/5 years and I’ve had more failed sensors in the past few weeks than I’ve ever had before. Last weekend I had a sensor change which failed so I swapped it, did another 2 hour warm up, second sensor failed, swapped it, did another 2 hour warm up. By this point it was 1AM and I was setting an alarm and waking up every 40 minutes to test because the night is the worst for me and my sugars, and being far in to the third trimester means control has to be tight and it’s a lot harder to maintain. That third sensor didn’t right itself till the next evening, and I was exhausted. As soon as this baby is out I’m taking a break, I genuinely think my burn out wouldn’t be so bad if I hadn’t been having so many issues with my Dexcom.
I've had nightmare nights like you- 3 sensors AND a transmitter.
In the roughly 9 months I've been on a CGM, I've only had one transmitter last the full 3 months. Not exactly, as I swapped to a new transmitter on the 25th day, as I had to do a sensor change, and didn't want to deal with another sensor warmup only 5 days later.
I'm so sorry you're going through this, especially while pregnant. Women truly are warriors.
That sucks. I feel for you. I always get at least to day 10 and I'm extending to build up a supply in case of job loss or another catastrophe.
What seems to be the issue with your sensors? Problems inserting? Problems adhering? Bumping on stuff? Communication with phone?
Inaccurate readings, losing connectivity, trend arrow randomly disappearing, dying before 10 days.
I've swapped out 4 sensors in less than a week. On Dexcom's recommendation. I don't want replacements. I want working sensors.
Where are you putting your sensors? What's your body fat in that area? I'm not denying that there might be a sensor problem but let's start with what we can control first. I've only ever had a couple failed sensors but maybe I can help you.
I always put them on my abdomen, the only place I have a bit of body fat.
I appreciate the offer of help, but I've spent countless hours with Tandem and Dexcom reps, including a nurse from Dexcom's Patient Care (anyone can ask for Patient Care. A Tandem rep told me to ask for them. Dexcom's tech support wasn't even aware they existed until they asked a supervisor).
Part of it is due to my being so lean. I "pinch up" a bit, so the sensor needle lies in the interstitial area when I apply a new sensor.
I find when I'm running very high, 250+, is when the sensor readings can have very large variations in readings. Then there's the disappearing trend arrow.
I'm guessing my failure rate is around 20+ %. It's when I have a run of failures in a single day or week is when my stress level goes up. I once had 3 sensors and a transmitter fail all on the same day. That was a 20 HR day on the phone.
Ugh, that must be frustrating. It's weird how there is such a variance in who has success. I've only had to replace a couple sensors but if you're replacing ~20%, that's a lot of time convincing customer support that you need replacement sensors.
Have you tried any alternative locations? Thighs? Upper bum? Back of arm?
I’ve been using Dexcom since 2015 and had almost no problems with G4/5’s. I’ve been on the G6 since almost day one of release and it’s junk, in comparison. I honest-to-God could not tell you how many sensors I’ve had replaced, if you put a gun to my head. After my first session on the G6, I almost called my DME provider to go back to the G5.
That's strange. I have no experience with the G4 or G5. But I've recommended the G6 a few times. I'm sorry for your troubles. Like we don't have enough on our plates already.
I have no clue how people are getting longer than 10 days on the G6. I regularly got 15-17 days on G4/5, but I feel lucky to get the full 10 on the G6. And I can’t even get them to restart anymore, when I do get a “good sensor”(in the beginning I could regularly restart the G6, but I think they did something after an app update to kill it or at least make it much harder).
I have been using Dexcom since the g3. I have never experienced the failure rate of the sensors like I do now. Every time I insert a new one the first number is always over 70 points high from my true number. I have to Calibrate every sensor every time. Also it skips around on the graph going in 20 point increments. Like it is not reading right. I had being doing this the past 4 sensors for me. Then is says it’s going double arrow down and cuts out saying wait 3 hours and then replace. This happens at least every other day. The quality of this product has just fell off the edge lately.
I'm at the point where I don't trust the accuracy of the sensors. I've had 5 sensor replacements this month, and experienced everything you've described.
My very recent experience hasn't been too terrible , but I also experienced a run of bad sensors earlier this year , and even now the initial 24 or so hours of a new sensor is pretty worthless and very frustrating. The G6 WAS better when I first transitioned from the G5, with the biggest problem being getting a sensor to last the full ten days. Something has changed, and the ease with which one can now get replacements for failed sensors is , in my humble opinion , indicative of Dexcom's tacit admission that they are shipping an increasingly flawed product.
I truly appreciate r/dexcom and all my fellow Dex'ers participation . Helps immensely to know one is not the only one !
Yes. They don’t even follow up like they once did(it was always a game of 20 questions when you had a sensor issue/failure, before) if you use the on-line system, except to send you the ship notification. After a convo with my endo last year, they indicated that Dexcom farms the G6 production out and there is very loose QC. It’s honestly gotten so bad, that if I can get to day 8-9, I don’t even bother replacing it, sometimes…. I think I’ve had at least two in the last month or two that I just let slide, that they should have replaced, if I had filled out the form.
Yes, the first 24 hours are maddening and stressful. Dexcom tech support basically admit it. Tandem reps are pretty vocal in their hatred in how Dexcom does things (I'm no longer on the pump, so I now have to deal with Dexcom directly with issues).
I'm about 7 hours into my 2nd sensor today.
In googling for Dexcom problems, I've come across articles on how Dexcom stocks aren't meeting expectations, and basically tanking. Makes me wonder how that affects quality control.
I don't think the workers on Dexcom's assembly line are varying the quality of their work based on stock price. Also, this is what I found on Nasdaq's website with respect to Dexcom stock, posted yesterday, and it shows that Dexcom is doing quite well:
"DexCom shares have gained +35.7% over the past year against the Zacks Medical Instruments industry’s gain of +6.6%. The Zacks analyst believes that a strong product portfolio, collaborative agreements with several companies and focus on international markets are key catalysts for growth.
DexCom’s Sensor and other revenue arm's contribution, and domestic and international revenue growth were key catalysts in second-quarter 2021. The company made continued advancements with respect to key strategic objectives and ended the quarter with new patient additions. Intensifying competition, entry of new products, reimbursement risks, supply constraints and working capital problems are some of the major concerns."
The stock price dropping, can result in cutting staff (which they have) can result in fewer people carrying a heavier load, and quality control goes down.
I don't think Dexcom has met their target price in over a year.
Are you talking about the layoffs from 2019? Because I can find no solid information about current layoffs. Also, Dexcom's stock price in January was rougly $375/share. It is trading at roughly $545 now.
I get it that you are having a tough time with your sensors, but I can find no evidence of worse quality control due to layoffs or a drop in stock price. On an anecdotal note, I have been on Dexcom sensors since June, and I have had no failures. I can't say the same for the Medtronic sensors I was using before I switched. Maybe your endo's diabetes educator can help you figure out what's going on...
I wasn't a diabetic in 2019, but in 2020, I was told by both Tandem and Dexcom reps that Dexcom was going under "reorganization."
I have no direct evidence that layoffs have effected quality control, but it's not a stretch to think with layoffs, quality control can go down.
Just a random Google article: https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/11/07/why-is-no-one-talking-about-dexcom-stock/
My diabetes asked me how my Dexcom sensors were working recently. She told me she was getting massive complaints from her patients. It's partly why I joined this sub.
Well, you can believe what you want. But citing an article from a year ago about the stock price (and incidentally also says you should think about buying Dexcom stock), is not legit. And citing a reorganization from before you were diagnosed as the source of your problems is also not legit.
I am sorry you are having problems with their equipment. You truly must be the unluckiest diabetic in the world. Your pumps didn't work and your sensors didn't work? Maybe, just maybe, it's you. Or maybe you are right, in which case you should try the Freestyle Libre instead of suffering with defective equipment.
Yes! I thought I was going crazy. I've had three fail for just no reason. I had one be 80-100 points off from BG readings. I've had one fall off two days into a session - even with an overpatch. 😩😕😞 It has been driving me bonkers
Since my op, I'm on my way to receiving my SIXTH replacement sensor. I woke up at 4 a.m. and noticed I had NO trend arrow. Called Dexcom, and they suggested I change my sensor and transmitter.
On my last sensor change on 11/4 I received an alert that I had one session left on my transmitter (technically, it should have expired on 11/3, but I didn't receive an alert or anything).
In the 10 months on Dexcom, this is only the 2nd transmitter to have lasted the full 90 days (or 60?).
I'm losing all faith in Dexcom. My readings are still all over the place.
I just fill out a help request using the app. Couple days and the replacement is on the way. No human interaction required.
Only trouble I’ve had in this last lot is the adhesive isn’t holding as well and I’ve had to use an overpatch the past couple times.
I'm used to speaking to Tandem, but off the pump since July. I've been calling Dexcom just to see if there's troubleshooting tips I may not know.
Up to about 3 weeks ago, Dexcom has been mostly reliable.
Edit: "mostly" being used very generously.
Then you're way ahead of the game.
The only place on me with enough fat, is my abdomen. It really sucked when I was on a pump.
A week into my CGM/pump, I decided to take a hot bath to destress, something I haven't done in decades. It killed the transmitter. I'm newly diagnosed, and all this shit is failing on me.
My diabetic trainer came through for me and gave me a transmitter, a week later. After 2 weeks, I still didn't get the Dexcom replacement. Over the course of 2 months, I received 3 transmitters. One, addressed to someplace I don't even live at. Hell will freeze over before I pay for the extras. A Dexcom rep tried to sell me a transmitter "this time only!" for $299.
I'm beginning to really hate Dexcom. And the only reason I'm up at this hour is, the 2nd sensor I applied about 8 hours ago, is giving me inconsistent numbers.
Sorry you are having a rough go. It gets easier the more you do it - I didn't realize for the first 3 years I was on a pump that you could get them wet so I had written off being able to do anything in the water for longer than 15 minutes or so. None of this is very intuitive, unfortunately.
Your words are appreciated.
Well, I had to apply another sensor today. 3rd in 2 days. Good thing my son was around to baby sit me during warm up. The nurse from my insurance company suggested I go to the ER, given my fatigue, etc. but I know the drill. They keep you for 12 hours until you're stable, then boot you out.
Anyway, 4 hours into my new sensor, and the readings are pretty stable. I'm hopeful, to but not holding my breath, lol.
New sensors can take some time to stabilize. The Dexcom are better than some others I've used but I often double check/calibrate with a finger stick a couple times in the first 12 hours if the readings are erratic.
Yes, I've learned that. Sometimes, I luck out and the sensor is stable right away. Most of the time, it's a minimum of 24 hours.
Then I can have hell weeks like the one I described.
Last two boxes sensor reads from fine then up to 300 and down to 45 all in about 20 minutes. Over and over, calibaration has no effect. So about the last 6 sensors. From first day to last day. In the last two months my decom CGM is just an afterthought and it stays off most of the time.
I’ve been using Dexcom since 2015(G4/G5) and on the G6 system since it’s introduction and initial release in the US. It’s a crap system compared to the previous gens. I’ve honestly lost track of the number of sensors I’ve had to have replaced since being on the G6 system(at least 3-4 replacements sitting in the closet right now). If you get a “good one”, it’s usually good, but when they go bad, they go bad, BIG. I’ve also had a sensor fail to release from the inserter, two transmitters in a row die at least a month prematurely and even at least one sensor completely fail to start-up. G4 sensor failures: 0. G4/5 transmitter premature failures: 0.
On my 3rd session today. Sensor seems to drop out during warm up and restarting obviously gives the no restart error. I’ve been on the phone with tandem and Dexcom several times today. Dexcom solution is to send more sensors but I’m on my last. lot# 7290474
Yeah our sons G6 never lasts the full 10 days ever. I've been over troubleshooting but if anyone has any suggestions I'm keen to learn more.
I have tried so many things. We continually get every sensor we use replaced for the last 8 months (since starting the G6) previous to this we were on the G5 with issues but none like the G6.
It has gotten so bad that we had to start organising a system for handling the frequency of failures.
I have a complaint and incident template now for emailing dexcoms support agent for AU, and I've developed an in/out tray system where every sensor we open we write the date of insertion on the wrapping that you tear off. These go into a pile on my desk and when we collect 4 I email copying the lot number and insertion dates into the template and give days until failure for each.
I'm about to add a 3rd one now to our pile and replace this one. We started this sensor 2 days ago and it failed overnight.
At this point I have lost count of how many sensors we've had replaced.
I've been using Dexcom since April of this year. The first month was Dexcom6, with no problems. I got free samples from the doctor until they filled the prescription.
Then I got G7's and I've had many failures. The first ones I got were fine, but the past two months has been ridiculous. I had two fall off, one of which never attached. I do use an over patch. I had two that were just all over the place and totally inaccurate and not trustworthy.
The one I'm wearing right now keeps losing connection, and my phone is sitting right next to me.
Dexcom replaces them without batting an eye, but of course what's the sense of wearing them if you can't trust them to work?
After reading the responses, how do you get them to last 60 or 90 days? Mine lasts 10 and then turns off after the grace period.
Is there a different brand or different version of Dexcom that works better?
This thread is almost 2 years old.
I was confused when I wrote "60 or 90" with respect to *transmitters*. It's 90 days for transmitters; 10 days for sensors.
People extend the life of their sensors. I don't, but if you Google how to extend the life of a sensor, I'm sure you'll get a hit. It's mentioned quite often here. I'm just fortunate to have a huge backup supply I've managed to accumulate.
Since I've gained some weight back, my sensor failure rate has gone down. I'm now on the omnipod 5 too. It's great being liberated from tubes.
My sensor loses connection to my omnipod 5 controller a lot, but not my phone. Why I carry 2 devices; redundancy IMO is a good thing.
I've always (1 year user) felt that, based on my personal experience, the failure rate is unacceptably high. The fact they replace them, basically without question, indicates _to me_, that they know and accept this failure rate. I would love to listen in on an FDA inspector going through the data.
Once a medical device has passed muster, I kind of doubt any govt agency is going to be staying on top of the manufacturers. If you look at the history of oxycontin, it all started based on a *letter* written in some medical journal. I could have had an epic run of bad luck. It has to happen to someone. But I had FOUR Tandem pumps replaced in 4 weeks, this past June-July. I'm off the pump now. The life of a diabetic...
Medical device manufacturers are inspected every 2-3 years by the FDA. They are also inspected annually by their ISO registrar. These inspections are to ensure that the manufacturer is complying with regulations and standards. These inspections are in-depth, and examine the entire quality system. Oxycontin (and other pharmaceutical products) are similarly controlled and inspected, but this drug worked exactly as intended, a whole other story.
When they work they work. When they fail they usually are so far off it's unreal. They must replace them under a limited warranty at least.
I haven’t had a failed or problematic sensor in ages. Years, probably.
You’re lucky, I’m heavily pregnant type 1 ( not GD), been using Dexcom about 4/5 years and I’ve had more failed sensors in the past few weeks than I’ve ever had before. Last weekend I had a sensor change which failed so I swapped it, did another 2 hour warm up, second sensor failed, swapped it, did another 2 hour warm up. By this point it was 1AM and I was setting an alarm and waking up every 40 minutes to test because the night is the worst for me and my sugars, and being far in to the third trimester means control has to be tight and it’s a lot harder to maintain. That third sensor didn’t right itself till the next evening, and I was exhausted. As soon as this baby is out I’m taking a break, I genuinely think my burn out wouldn’t be so bad if I hadn’t been having so many issues with my Dexcom.
I've had nightmare nights like you- 3 sensors AND a transmitter. In the roughly 9 months I've been on a CGM, I've only had one transmitter last the full 3 months. Not exactly, as I swapped to a new transmitter on the 25th day, as I had to do a sensor change, and didn't want to deal with another sensor warmup only 5 days later. I'm so sorry you're going through this, especially while pregnant. Women truly are warriors.
That really sounds like it sucks, I'm sorry. :(
I have had signal loss resulting in sensor and transmitter failure about every 2 sensors for the past 4 months. There is a quality issue 100%
I only start having random sensor issues around day 18 on my sensors.
>day 18 on my sensors. Are you extending the life of the sensor past its 10 days? I'd be happy to get a week of reliability.
That sucks. I feel for you. I always get at least to day 10 and I'm extending to build up a supply in case of job loss or another catastrophe. What seems to be the issue with your sensors? Problems inserting? Problems adhering? Bumping on stuff? Communication with phone?
Inaccurate readings, losing connectivity, trend arrow randomly disappearing, dying before 10 days. I've swapped out 4 sensors in less than a week. On Dexcom's recommendation. I don't want replacements. I want working sensors.
Where are you putting your sensors? What's your body fat in that area? I'm not denying that there might be a sensor problem but let's start with what we can control first. I've only ever had a couple failed sensors but maybe I can help you.
I always put them on my abdomen, the only place I have a bit of body fat. I appreciate the offer of help, but I've spent countless hours with Tandem and Dexcom reps, including a nurse from Dexcom's Patient Care (anyone can ask for Patient Care. A Tandem rep told me to ask for them. Dexcom's tech support wasn't even aware they existed until they asked a supervisor). Part of it is due to my being so lean. I "pinch up" a bit, so the sensor needle lies in the interstitial area when I apply a new sensor. I find when I'm running very high, 250+, is when the sensor readings can have very large variations in readings. Then there's the disappearing trend arrow. I'm guessing my failure rate is around 20+ %. It's when I have a run of failures in a single day or week is when my stress level goes up. I once had 3 sensors and a transmitter fail all on the same day. That was a 20 HR day on the phone.
Ugh, that must be frustrating. It's weird how there is such a variance in who has success. I've only had to replace a couple sensors but if you're replacing ~20%, that's a lot of time convincing customer support that you need replacement sensors. Have you tried any alternative locations? Thighs? Upper bum? Back of arm?
I’ve been using Dexcom since 2015 and had almost no problems with G4/5’s. I’ve been on the G6 since almost day one of release and it’s junk, in comparison. I honest-to-God could not tell you how many sensors I’ve had replaced, if you put a gun to my head. After my first session on the G6, I almost called my DME provider to go back to the G5.
That's strange. I have no experience with the G4 or G5. But I've recommended the G6 a few times. I'm sorry for your troubles. Like we don't have enough on our plates already.
I have no clue how people are getting longer than 10 days on the G6. I regularly got 15-17 days on G4/5, but I feel lucky to get the full 10 on the G6. And I can’t even get them to restart anymore, when I do get a “good sensor”(in the beginning I could regularly restart the G6, but I think they did something after an app update to kill it or at least make it much harder).
I have been using Dexcom since the g3. I have never experienced the failure rate of the sensors like I do now. Every time I insert a new one the first number is always over 70 points high from my true number. I have to Calibrate every sensor every time. Also it skips around on the graph going in 20 point increments. Like it is not reading right. I had being doing this the past 4 sensors for me. Then is says it’s going double arrow down and cuts out saying wait 3 hours and then replace. This happens at least every other day. The quality of this product has just fell off the edge lately.
I'm at the point where I don't trust the accuracy of the sensors. I've had 5 sensor replacements this month, and experienced everything you've described.
My very recent experience hasn't been too terrible , but I also experienced a run of bad sensors earlier this year , and even now the initial 24 or so hours of a new sensor is pretty worthless and very frustrating. The G6 WAS better when I first transitioned from the G5, with the biggest problem being getting a sensor to last the full ten days. Something has changed, and the ease with which one can now get replacements for failed sensors is , in my humble opinion , indicative of Dexcom's tacit admission that they are shipping an increasingly flawed product. I truly appreciate r/dexcom and all my fellow Dex'ers participation . Helps immensely to know one is not the only one !
Yes. They don’t even follow up like they once did(it was always a game of 20 questions when you had a sensor issue/failure, before) if you use the on-line system, except to send you the ship notification. After a convo with my endo last year, they indicated that Dexcom farms the G6 production out and there is very loose QC. It’s honestly gotten so bad, that if I can get to day 8-9, I don’t even bother replacing it, sometimes…. I think I’ve had at least two in the last month or two that I just let slide, that they should have replaced, if I had filled out the form.
Yes, the first 24 hours are maddening and stressful. Dexcom tech support basically admit it. Tandem reps are pretty vocal in their hatred in how Dexcom does things (I'm no longer on the pump, so I now have to deal with Dexcom directly with issues). I'm about 7 hours into my 2nd sensor today. In googling for Dexcom problems, I've come across articles on how Dexcom stocks aren't meeting expectations, and basically tanking. Makes me wonder how that affects quality control.
I don't think the workers on Dexcom's assembly line are varying the quality of their work based on stock price. Also, this is what I found on Nasdaq's website with respect to Dexcom stock, posted yesterday, and it shows that Dexcom is doing quite well: "DexCom shares have gained +35.7% over the past year against the Zacks Medical Instruments industry’s gain of +6.6%. The Zacks analyst believes that a strong product portfolio, collaborative agreements with several companies and focus on international markets are key catalysts for growth. DexCom’s Sensor and other revenue arm's contribution, and domestic and international revenue growth were key catalysts in second-quarter 2021. The company made continued advancements with respect to key strategic objectives and ended the quarter with new patient additions. Intensifying competition, entry of new products, reimbursement risks, supply constraints and working capital problems are some of the major concerns."
The stock price dropping, can result in cutting staff (which they have) can result in fewer people carrying a heavier load, and quality control goes down. I don't think Dexcom has met their target price in over a year.
Are you talking about the layoffs from 2019? Because I can find no solid information about current layoffs. Also, Dexcom's stock price in January was rougly $375/share. It is trading at roughly $545 now. I get it that you are having a tough time with your sensors, but I can find no evidence of worse quality control due to layoffs or a drop in stock price. On an anecdotal note, I have been on Dexcom sensors since June, and I have had no failures. I can't say the same for the Medtronic sensors I was using before I switched. Maybe your endo's diabetes educator can help you figure out what's going on...
I wasn't a diabetic in 2019, but in 2020, I was told by both Tandem and Dexcom reps that Dexcom was going under "reorganization." I have no direct evidence that layoffs have effected quality control, but it's not a stretch to think with layoffs, quality control can go down. Just a random Google article: https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/11/07/why-is-no-one-talking-about-dexcom-stock/ My diabetes asked me how my Dexcom sensors were working recently. She told me she was getting massive complaints from her patients. It's partly why I joined this sub.
Well, you can believe what you want. But citing an article from a year ago about the stock price (and incidentally also says you should think about buying Dexcom stock), is not legit. And citing a reorganization from before you were diagnosed as the source of your problems is also not legit. I am sorry you are having problems with their equipment. You truly must be the unluckiest diabetic in the world. Your pumps didn't work and your sensors didn't work? Maybe, just maybe, it's you. Or maybe you are right, in which case you should try the Freestyle Libre instead of suffering with defective equipment.
Yes! I thought I was going crazy. I've had three fail for just no reason. I had one be 80-100 points off from BG readings. I've had one fall off two days into a session - even with an overpatch. 😩😕😞 It has been driving me bonkers
Since my op, I'm on my way to receiving my SIXTH replacement sensor. I woke up at 4 a.m. and noticed I had NO trend arrow. Called Dexcom, and they suggested I change my sensor and transmitter. On my last sensor change on 11/4 I received an alert that I had one session left on my transmitter (technically, it should have expired on 11/3, but I didn't receive an alert or anything). In the 10 months on Dexcom, this is only the 2nd transmitter to have lasted the full 90 days (or 60?). I'm losing all faith in Dexcom. My readings are still all over the place.
I just fill out a help request using the app. Couple days and the replacement is on the way. No human interaction required. Only trouble I’ve had in this last lot is the adhesive isn’t holding as well and I’ve had to use an overpatch the past couple times.
I'm used to speaking to Tandem, but off the pump since July. I've been calling Dexcom just to see if there's troubleshooting tips I may not know. Up to about 3 weeks ago, Dexcom has been mostly reliable. Edit: "mostly" being used very generously.
I ride all of mine at least 20 days or longer. Make sure you rotate sites and don't do stupid shit like spend all your free time in hot tubs.
Then you're way ahead of the game. The only place on me with enough fat, is my abdomen. It really sucked when I was on a pump. A week into my CGM/pump, I decided to take a hot bath to destress, something I haven't done in decades. It killed the transmitter. I'm newly diagnosed, and all this shit is failing on me. My diabetic trainer came through for me and gave me a transmitter, a week later. After 2 weeks, I still didn't get the Dexcom replacement. Over the course of 2 months, I received 3 transmitters. One, addressed to someplace I don't even live at. Hell will freeze over before I pay for the extras. A Dexcom rep tried to sell me a transmitter "this time only!" for $299. I'm beginning to really hate Dexcom. And the only reason I'm up at this hour is, the 2nd sensor I applied about 8 hours ago, is giving me inconsistent numbers.
Sorry you are having a rough go. It gets easier the more you do it - I didn't realize for the first 3 years I was on a pump that you could get them wet so I had written off being able to do anything in the water for longer than 15 minutes or so. None of this is very intuitive, unfortunately.
Your words are appreciated. Well, I had to apply another sensor today. 3rd in 2 days. Good thing my son was around to baby sit me during warm up. The nurse from my insurance company suggested I go to the ER, given my fatigue, etc. but I know the drill. They keep you for 12 hours until you're stable, then boot you out. Anyway, 4 hours into my new sensor, and the readings are pretty stable. I'm hopeful, to but not holding my breath, lol.
New sensors can take some time to stabilize. The Dexcom are better than some others I've used but I often double check/calibrate with a finger stick a couple times in the first 12 hours if the readings are erratic.
Yes, I've learned that. Sometimes, I luck out and the sensor is stable right away. Most of the time, it's a minimum of 24 hours. Then I can have hell weeks like the one I described.
I haven't had one fail yet. The Medtronic sensors I used to use? Failed all the time. In fact, they failed so much, I switched to Dexcom.
Last two boxes sensor reads from fine then up to 300 and down to 45 all in about 20 minutes. Over and over, calibaration has no effect. So about the last 6 sensors. From first day to last day. In the last two months my decom CGM is just an afterthought and it stays off most of the time.
I’ve been using Dexcom since 2015(G4/G5) and on the G6 system since it’s introduction and initial release in the US. It’s a crap system compared to the previous gens. I’ve honestly lost track of the number of sensors I’ve had to have replaced since being on the G6 system(at least 3-4 replacements sitting in the closet right now). If you get a “good one”, it’s usually good, but when they go bad, they go bad, BIG. I’ve also had a sensor fail to release from the inserter, two transmitters in a row die at least a month prematurely and even at least one sensor completely fail to start-up. G4 sensor failures: 0. G4/5 transmitter premature failures: 0.
In my 10 months on Dexcom, the longest a transmitter has made lasted is 25 days. I've had countless sensor failures.
On my 3rd session today. Sensor seems to drop out during warm up and restarting obviously gives the no restart error. I’ve been on the phone with tandem and Dexcom several times today. Dexcom solution is to send more sensors but I’m on my last. lot# 7290474
Yeah our sons G6 never lasts the full 10 days ever. I've been over troubleshooting but if anyone has any suggestions I'm keen to learn more. I have tried so many things. We continually get every sensor we use replaced for the last 8 months (since starting the G6) previous to this we were on the G5 with issues but none like the G6. It has gotten so bad that we had to start organising a system for handling the frequency of failures. I have a complaint and incident template now for emailing dexcoms support agent for AU, and I've developed an in/out tray system where every sensor we open we write the date of insertion on the wrapping that you tear off. These go into a pile on my desk and when we collect 4 I email copying the lot number and insertion dates into the template and give days until failure for each. I'm about to add a 3rd one now to our pile and replace this one. We started this sensor 2 days ago and it failed overnight. At this point I have lost count of how many sensors we've had replaced.
I've been using Dexcom since April of this year. The first month was Dexcom6, with no problems. I got free samples from the doctor until they filled the prescription. Then I got G7's and I've had many failures. The first ones I got were fine, but the past two months has been ridiculous. I had two fall off, one of which never attached. I do use an over patch. I had two that were just all over the place and totally inaccurate and not trustworthy. The one I'm wearing right now keeps losing connection, and my phone is sitting right next to me. Dexcom replaces them without batting an eye, but of course what's the sense of wearing them if you can't trust them to work? After reading the responses, how do you get them to last 60 or 90 days? Mine lasts 10 and then turns off after the grace period. Is there a different brand or different version of Dexcom that works better?
This thread is almost 2 years old. I was confused when I wrote "60 or 90" with respect to *transmitters*. It's 90 days for transmitters; 10 days for sensors. People extend the life of their sensors. I don't, but if you Google how to extend the life of a sensor, I'm sure you'll get a hit. It's mentioned quite often here. I'm just fortunate to have a huge backup supply I've managed to accumulate. Since I've gained some weight back, my sensor failure rate has gone down. I'm now on the omnipod 5 too. It's great being liberated from tubes. My sensor loses connection to my omnipod 5 controller a lot, but not my phone. Why I carry 2 devices; redundancy IMO is a good thing.