For the 4th time in 6 weeks my Dexcom G6 is 80% off a finger stick reading. I’ve recalibrated twice. They rarely work over 5 days now. Yes, they send another but that’s another 2 hour delay as well as the problems with the Tandem pump shutting off insulin. What is the problem?? I assume they’ve farmed the manufacture of the sensor to some 3rd world where the materials or the safety standards are inadequate. What are suggestions for another sensor?
I’ve been back on finger sticks for a while after being on G6. Same problems. I hear others with similar issues, but always read that Dexcom was the best CGM on the market. But other people like other companies–I haven’t tried any, so unfortunately I can’t be that helpful. But maybe the industry has changed recently and you might have better luck with other CGMs. Good luck!
I like the Freestyle Libre as a backup to Dexcom.
I can only speak from my own experience but it has worked very well for me I recommend it if you take injections or don’t want the bells and whistles of a closed loop system. Your mileage may vary.
Hi Patty,
For me, the Dexcom G6 has worked great. Only recently, I had one fail after 9 days. They normally last the full 10 days for me though. I’m wondering about your application. Do you use any sort of skin prep before inserting your sensor? Or, do you make sure that the sensor is fully attached to your body? Either of these can cause issues. If using a prep, like Skin Tac, cleaning a small area with alcohol where the sensor will insert (but not the rest such as the adhesive patch) ensures that the sensor won’t be affected by the prep. If the sensor is not well attached, water can get underneath the adhesive, which will affect the sensor readings. I’m sure there are other things that can affect them as well. So, I would suggest calling Dexcom’s Technical Support before you remove the sensor. They can then troubleshoot with you to try to figure out what is going wrong. I know I had the issue I mentioned with the Skin Tac. The water getting underneath is something a friend told me happened to her. That’s all I can think of to suggest here.
Also, you said something about your Tandem pump stopping insulin delivery when your sensor fails. I have never had this happen. Your pump should still deliver your basal/bolus doses. The only thing you won’t get are the sensor readings.
Hope this helps!
Pam K.
T1D 59 years and counting!