Hi All,
Sorry if i opened this topic in the wrong thread
i’m 25years old, i have type 1
I’m new in cgm , live cgm like dexcom , blucon …i found out about them last year(2018)
this technology doesn’t available yet in my country
My questions:
-Is the cgm sensor need to be replaced every time? there’s no way to use one for 6 month at least?(cost purpose)
-which is the better live cgm or the one that need to scan every 5 minutes ?
-what is the best cgm ?
-which is the cgm that have the smallest sensor?
-where i can buy this online? with the availablity of the sensors online to order (international shipping, not amazon or ebay)
-is sensor can be removed? for exemple if i want to sleep without it and re-install it in my body in the morning
-is the sensor, lets say the one that need to be replaced every 15days, can be used more than that time? for exemple, i use every syringe 5 times or it’s something related to the cgm device that will not accept it after that time?
any other suggestions for low cost and something that replace the regular cgm with small sensor(the one that need to take blood everytime)
Cgm’s in America requires a prescription to purchase. You can find on e-bay and such. Canada does not require prescriptions from what I hear but don’t know how that works with ordering from out of country.
Depending on what you want to do with it (integrate with a pump or just want for bg management) freestyle libre flash glucose monitoring system is the least expensive to my knowledge or lack there of. If your looking to go to pump the dexcom g-6 is what a lot of people like, but pricey.
To be the devils advocate, there are so good test strip packages out there with supporting apps. That are very good and really cost effective. (I use my sugar, get app. Meter and unlimited test strips for less than 50$ a month, also use cgm integrated with my pump) hopefully you can network with some people where you live and see what they use.
Thank you so much for the reply
this is my first time i heard about pump, i google it and it looks like a life saver for me with the live cgm
i’m having many issues recently…
but still, together,cgm and pump, it will cost for me like my dad one year salary, lol
actually, here, most of the patient use the test strips, even it also cost for me,
my last time i test my blood sugar on my own (not in hospital) was 2 months ago
Really appreciate your reply, that’s the answers i need
i was thinking also about Freestyle Libre, but i found out that the battery of some sensors can be replaced, the g4 g5 g6 sensors, do you know anything about that?
is the sensor need to be replaced because the battery is drained ?because if the trick of restart works, so the sensor battery still work,so why the sensor need to be replaced after some days?marketing? that’s confusing
The Dexcom has two parts that are needed to make it work, the sensor and a transmitter. The sensor has no battery inside it, it’s just a wire with some enzymes on it. The sensor can be restarted, but once the enzymes on the sensor are used up, the sensor will no longer work and will need to be replaced. Those who stretch their sensors the longest get about a month per sensor. I’ve heard of some people regularly getting six weeks or even two months, but that doesn’t seem to be common.
The transmitter on the Dexcom system can also be stretched. Depending on the model, the transmitter is designed to last three or six months, but can be stretched longer. The transmitter does have a battery, which is not user-replaceable, but some people have managed to replace them (I hear this is not easy and requires some knowledge, experience, and equipment).
There is another new stand-alone system from Medtronic. The Medtronic transmitter has a rechargeable batter. But I don’t know much about it or how long it lasts. The Medtronic sensors, like Dexcom sensors, do not have batteries. From what I have heard, people generally don’t have much success extending Medtronic sensors past a few extra days.
The FreeStyle Libre is different in that it doesn’t have a transmitter, which is part of the reason it’s cheaper than the other systems (the transmitters cost hundreds of dollars). I assume that the Libre has a battery in its sensor. I have not heard many success sorties about extending Libre sensors. From what I have heard, those who do extend them through open-source software get a day or two extra out of them.
Unfortunately, like pumps, all CGM systems are prohibitively expensive for many people. I pay out of pocket for mine and extend sensors/transmitters as long as possible. Using the G4 (the cheapest of the Dexcom systems) I managed to get by spending about $2,000 a year on supplies, rather than nearly $7,000 I’d have had to spend if I’d used everything as approved.
i can’t afford that unfortunately, i will keep searching for a way to use a live cgm without paying money at least for 3months
Thank you for your reply
I’m not sure this is true…insulin and other medication costs vary a lot between US and other countries; but from everything I’ve read, CGM costs seem to be the same regardless of where you are. I’d be interested to know if I’m wrong and there’s a place where they are significantly cheaper…
When the Freestyle Libre came out, it was available in India very early on, and sensor price was much lower there than in some early intro Euro countries, if I remember correctly about 1/3 the price.
I was also told at the time that sensors had to match to reader’s country of origin, but I am not 100% sure if that is true. So you may not be able to import cheap sensors and use them with a local reader.