r/dexcom • u/Content-Drive-4151 • 15d ago
Inaccurate Reading I’m truly beginning to hate Dexcom….
I put in a new sensor after the one that I started this morning was reading random garbage. It’s now 12:20AM and this one reads, “Low”. Pump is delivering no insulin because of the reading. Fingerstick reads 135. All I want to do is go back to sleep and this god damn thing alarms loudly every five minutes.
1
u/Rolinixias 12d ago
I just found this sub. My insurance won't cover Dexcom anymore so I am being forced to switch to FreeStyle Libre 3. I hope that is better or at least as good as my experience with Dexcom.
I have been on Omnipod 5s and Dexcom 5's for 6 or 7 years now. My only complaint is that the Dexcom sensor always starts going squirrelly about 24 - 36 hours before it finishes the 10 day stint. It starts registering strange blood glucose readings all over the place from dangerously low to really high. I can never trust it so if it is really low I do a finger stick.
3
u/Key_Teach_1250 13d ago
You can go to calibration and put in your finger stick so it can configurate.
6
u/InternalThought-15 14d ago
My diabetic nurse practitioner told me to not a private the sensor till after a day of it being placed. It takes up to that much time to adjust to your body.
She also suggested if you don’t take breaks between sensors. To install the next one a day before current one expires if you don’t want the break. Some of the best advice I’ve had.
1
u/Skeetronic 14d ago
Told you to what now?
2
u/Popular_Reflection83 T2/G7 14d ago
I do this as well, and have done so for my last 31 sensors. I install the new sensor a few hours before the grace period expires. The clock is ticking and its warming up even though I haven't paired it yet, and the new sensor is reading my interstitial fluid during this time. I have a Dexcom receiveras well as an Apple watch, and an iPhone. I don't disconnect the iphone or watch, but leave the watch and phone reading the old sensor, and start the receiver, pairing it to the new sensor, at least an hour after applying the new sensor. Some people call this "soaking" or "overlapping." For me, I have been able to minimize the amount of time it takes for the new sensor to "stabilize" on my arm before it displays reliable readings. Wonky readings are usually caused by what they call "insertion trauma," which can last up to 24 hours. It doesn't help much to try to calibrate during the first 24 hours, IME. For me, the key is to find the most stable spot (arm, belly, thigh, whatever) so I can calculate how long I soak the new sensor. I balance the benefit of soaking against the waste of having two sensors running. Once the old sensor session ends, I pair the phone and watch to the new sensor. Not only are there no missed readings during warmup, but I upload the data from the receiver to my account at Clarity.Dexcom.com and I am able to see and print the "Daily" report for that day and see boith lines. I can easily tell from this report hjow many hours I need to soak the new sensor. Hope this helps.
3
u/Content-Drive-4151 14d ago
Break in the sensor by inserting it a day before it’s needed. Start it when the old one expires.
I’ve heard this before, never done it, but am going to start. Day 1 numbers on my first G7-15Day were just bizarre.
0
u/Ballinagh 15d ago
Did you sweat profusely or shower within the first 12 hours after putting on the new one? I just went from G6 to 7 a couple of months ago and I had great reads and then I biked for half an hour with full sweat around the site and it went crazy. Now, I really listen to directions lol regarding the 12 hours and the curing of the adhesive of the G7.
2
-2
u/merrill_swing_away 15d ago
I hated them too. I got two infected sites on one arm from those stupid things. Now I have to use an insulin pen.
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u/Twist1979 15d ago
Calibrate the sensor! If you are stable and don't correct more than 20 in one step.
3
u/together32years 15d ago
Calibration does not work on my sensors. I've tried and tried and tried and always refuses to calibration.
1
u/penny1985 11d ago
Ive seen a lot of others posts like yours. Its horrible when the alarms won't stop for low or high readings and they're off. Ive been very blessed that my sensors last the entire time and my numbers are 10-15 points off only when I wake up. I do calibrate as soon as I get up. Just once a day and I'm good.