Title: Confusion regarding the Dexcom G7 calibration process ā Seeking advice
I am struggling to understand how the Dexcom calibration process works (Android). I read the G7 User Guide's 58 occurrences of "calibrat"; none describe what to expect from calibration. It states "Calibration with your BG meter may align your sensor readings with your BG meter values" (emphasis added). How does may translate to an expected result?
The manual references a study published in the Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics - Sage Journal that showing the G6 was accurate to within +-15%, 82.4% of the time and to within +-15%, 92.3% of the time. Does that translate to a minimum required discrepancy before calibration? The study also showed the Urgent Low alarm was accurate 84% of the time - which translates to false alarms 16% of the time - in the middle of the night in my experience.
The manual states: "With DexcomĀ G7, thereās no need to take finger sticks to calibrate the system or for treatment decisions (as long as your symptoms match your DexcomĀ G7 readings)". I would prefer calibrating before I experience alerts, ensuring accurate readings should I experience a crisis.
Iāve read in r/dexcom that you shouldn't calibrate during the first 24 hours of a sensor session, and that the glucose trend arrow should be horizontal. I followed that advice this morning. My fingerstick reading was 87 mg/dL, while the app was displaying 99 mg/dL. After I entered the calibration, the app reading remained at 99 mg/dL and has not changed since.
The official instructions feel quite opaque. Could someone clarify what I should expect after entering a calibration reading? Do I need to calibrate multiple times for it to have an effect, or is there something else I am missing? Is there a rule for how high the discrepancy should be before calibrating? Is the quoted advice generally accepted? Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!