Hello. I have had type 1 diabetes for almost 40 years. I decided to give the Dexcom 6 a try. I am at a loss. When it works it is wonderful but when it fails, which it seems to continually do I get overwhelmed. I have followed all directions for the past 5 months and it seems that every 3 rd sensor has issues with accuracy. Ranging from dropping to the 50s when I am over 100 to sensor failures and more. Dexcom has replaced all of the sensors and suggested that I switch to another area, which I recently switched to my arm. It worked wonderful the first time but now I have had a sensor error and there are no arrows. My blood sugar tends to be very stable most of the time and the sensors seem to work for hours before these issue occur. I am really at a loss. I thought it was my stomach since I had some scar tissue from pregnancies but now my arms are having issues. Has anyone had issues for months with accuracy and then found a way to make these more accurate? It seems to be a monthly event that I am on the phone with Tech Support. They are nice enough but they always say it is my body and not the product and I am not so sure what to believe. Any advice? Thank you.
I haven’t had your particular issue with accuracy, but I have had sensor errors requiring me to change the sensor many days under the 10 day expiration. Dexcom tech support really wasn’t a lot of help. They did send me some Over Patches to keep the sensor stable, even though I didn’t think that was the cause. I searched everywhere for answers but @JessicaD here on FUD gave me the best suggestion, Revised view on Dexcom G6. I now wear the sensor on my upper arm, and am on my 3rd sensor with no errors. So placement does indeed make a huge difference. Why, I don’t know!
@Miaary1 I am so sorry you’re having this G6 experience! @Trying and I have had similar experiences for quite awhile now, too. It seems that moving from our abdomens to our arms has largely solved the problem and it stinks that it hasn’t solved it for you. I wonder if possibly trying another area could work? I have heard that thighs, lower back (where back meets butt), and even unlikely places like calves and forearms have worked for some.
Dexcom technical/customer service has also been lovely and great about replacing sensors for me (I have not had to order through insurance in ages), but it’s been a frustrating road. Maybe keep moving the sensor around, try new places and see if you can find an area that works? Oh- one other suggestion that I have used - when you insert the sensor, pinch the skin/area UP a little bit so that the sensor is truly going into interstitial space. Good luck to you – keep us posted! Jessica
Thank you both for your suggestions. The sensor stabilized after about 24 hours of writing the post, with 3 sensor errors, periods of no arrows and inaccurate lows. My arms are working better than my stomach but I still find myself very stressed out for the first 24 hours of starting a sensor because if they fail or become unstable it is within that period of time but if I make it through they last me the 10 days which seems the opposite of what both of you have experienced. My sister uses Dexcom and says she has no issues but she does not keep tight control so I do not think she would notice inaccuracies. I am curious what level of accuracy others expect. I have been told that 30 points difference is acceptable but to me there is a big difference between what insulin I take if I am 100 or 130 and if it says I am 70 and treat a low but I am really 100 than my sugar goes too high. I do still finger prick but 70 is not so low that I feel sick and test but I would still treat with something small. I do not call the company for that span I only call when it is 40 or more points off from a finger prick and multiple calibrations does not work. I also calibrate anywhere between 5 and 15 times over the first 3 days. That is total over that time not in a row. What do other people expect in accuracy and how often do you calibrate?
Great suggestion! Those sensor errors are so frustrating 
I hope you can resolve this!
i used both the Dexcom G4 & G5. neither of them worked for me. the accuracy was terrible. the up and downward arrows were rarely correct. i would lose signal for hours. i ended up talking to tech support more than i talk with my husband 
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i tried every site that was recommended to me. nothing worked. i ended up testing with finger sticks more frequently bc the dex alarms would go off so often. there was really no benefit for me. i figured that bc my insurance paid for it 100% it didnt hurt to continue trying it, but eventually i just gave up. i have been much happier without it.
i just got approved for the Freestyle Libre cgm, and should be getting it in about 2 weeks.i test drove it from my endo’s office. i loved it and had no accuracy problems at all. hopefully it will work for me, cause i certainly am tired of all the finger sticks i do, especially bc i swim and need to know my BG levels during a swim.
best of luck!!!
PS: the best i got to consistant accuracy with the dexcom was on my inner mid-thigh.
I am sorry you had issues too. For me I am happy to say that tomorrow I end my 3rd sensor without having to call the company. This is a first. It seems the back of my arm is pretty good. I have had maybe 2 sensor errors with each but after an hour it bounces back and then by mid day 2 and many calibration throughout that time I hit a good accuracy level. I am learning to not let it get to me as much. I am not sure about most of you but I come from the pre blood machine time so I got my first machine in 1982(from a supplier not a pharmacy) so finger pricks are a way of life for me. I don’t actually mind them but I love having to just glance especially throughout the night and not get up to check. I wish you luck with the Freestyle. That one did not work for me. I never got errors with it. My issue was that it could not be calibrated so what i got when I put into on was how it stayed. There are many people it works for so hopefully that can be an answer for you.
Hi @Miaary1,
I find the dexcom G6 works very well on my daughter. I hardly ever calibrate, maybe once in last 6 months. I find the lag time or the delay with the G6 can be 15mins until it catches up. Do you trust the meter, I use a verioIQ and it’s usually very close to the G6 reading. If your meter is old or well used it might be worth trying your sisters. Or fingerstick twice to check accuracy? Sensor error usually comes on Day 7 for us, rarely before that. After day 7 things definitely get less accurate. Ed
I also demand high accuracy from my sensor, and just wanted to note that there are ways to use calibrations with the Libre. I’ve been using XDrip+ och my Android phone to scan the sensor, and the accuracy is amazing. I typically do about one calibration per day.
Interesting to hear this. I guess I know nothing about these apps that people are using. The company does not say that in their instructions that I could find. I guess they have certain things they can and can’t tell you. Like with the Dexcom, they say only stomach and when I spoke to them they said that was how the FDA approved it so they could not comment on any other area of the body. I would have saved a good amount of stress had I moved to my arms quicker.