Dexcom g7 newness frustration

On my 2nd g7 session. I think it will eventually be better than the g6, but hopefully some aspects will be improved upon. It has some weird glitches, but the most annoying is that you cannot see numbers in history, even in the past 10 minutes. There’s just a graph. Not like the g6 app, where you touched the screen and got a number. Just wavy lines to guesstimate from. Really not helpful. The second weirdest glitch is when I calibrate, and look later to see the “calibration not used” message in the history. Like,oh really, you just decided it wasn’t good enough for you?
Its super sensitive to compression lows. Trying to figure out how to sleep has been a challenge. Oh, and if you report one, be prepared to give all the info, including SN.
But, it has been much closer to actual BGs, and takes a lot less time to catch up to them after eating, exercising, etc. And all the alert options are very useful. I’m no longer yelling at it, “But I just had sugar/insulin!” Except that they don’t carry over to the follow app, that will keep alerts on like usual. Hopefully that will be updated. And presoaking may go the way of the dodo…
Anywho, just my .02…

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That’s why I’m always the last one in the pool for any upgrades.
:man_shrugging:t2:

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@Mariethm Thanks for the report on G7! Once again, people have reported “It’s great!” or it has problems with being “spotty” (I think referring to the non-smoothed numbers) or that it looses connection to easily. My Endo recommended holding off changing from the G6 to G7 until more reports come in; he isn’t against it, just wants to see what problem’s exist, may get resolved, etc., before making a change (kind of like @Eric!). While I’m anxious to try it, though I view it in reality as more of commitment, so decided to hold off until Endo appt in Aug for next review…

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Hi @Mariethm, thanks for the report! I thought I couldn’t get the past numbers either, but it turned out I could, it just required a different kind of touch/slide on the graph to make them show up. I’ve fallen back to G6s for now (insurance doesn’t cover G7 yet) so I can’t recreate it, I’m afraid. Maybe fool around some more, see if they show up for you. It just took me some practice.

I didn’t see the calibration glitch, but I didn’t calibrate more than once or twice. That should probably be reported!

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@Eric @TomH Yeah, I agree with waiting for the bugs to be worked out. In July, our PBM is changing back to Caremark (ugh) and all maintenance meds will have to be delivery again (double ugh). So I am trying the g7 out for a couple months before I’m locked into either. Both are covered, but if I’m remembering correctly, Caremark was a pain in the A with refills being late. And a pain getting news meds authorized at times. Hopefully they’ve improved in the last several years. So its partially playing the insurance game…(Triple ugh)

@needlesandmath Thank you for the input. I found how to see the numbers! Just have to press on the screen for awhile, and not just a tap. Now that I can see the numbers, I’ve found with the calibrations, it will say “not used”, but will correct itself most of the time. Like its saying, “I was doing that anyway, and didn’t need your help.”

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My endo said quite a few of her patients have reported problems with the G7 and to hold off getting it yet if I was interested in it. Wait until they work out the initial bugs. I always like to wait anyways!

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When it comes to mechanical devises, my rule was never buy the “A” model. That’s the first one offered. This doesn’t seem possible with software as they are always “A” models and we the users are the testers.

That said, I will let others do that for the G7. Actually the G7 is not available for me because of C-IQ. Probably Tandem and Insulet are letting the bugs get worked out before doing the work to make G7 acceptable with their pumps.

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Agree about the compression lows. Was putting where I used to put my G6. I know bad girl but it never worked on my abdomen. I changed today and put lower down but not under arm. Hope this works. Do not like getting woken up with BS of 40. Other than that happy with my G7 especially the warm up period.

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That’s really disappointing news about the compression lows. I was hoping they could solve that with this generation. Compression lows are my only real complaint with the G6. I have heard about other devices being developed that don’t have this problem so I was really hoping the G7 would be better.

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I don’t think that is possible with any sensor that resides in interstitial space. What happens when compressed is the fluid circulation is slowed or stopped causing reduced glucose at the sensor lead

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Change the location.

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My current G6 transmitter is almost done, so will be doing at least another 90 day G6 transmitter + G6 sensors. Will be glad to wait and hear from others that start G7!!

Also need Tandem update and no idea when that will be available for download.

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There’s this for whatever that’s worth:
Tandem has previously communicated that our goal is to launch our integrated offerings within one to two quarters (3-6 months) of Dexcom G7 receiving FDA clearance. We will provide updates on t:slim X2 pump and sensor integration.
https://www.tandemdiabetes.com/support/company-update/dexcom-g7

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Yes, I’m aware of that. But it really isn’t reliable or helpful. I will likely get RX from endo at next appt, and fill once G7 available on insurance.

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Like many above I want to delay as long as possible switching from the G6 to the G7. At this time after the many years of using the G6 I have no problems using the G6. With the proper sensor application, I almost always get the advertised 10 days. My biggest concern is the data monitoring of the G7 with xDrip and my standalone watch. I always check the G6 accuracy after an installation but usually it doesn’t need a correction. With all of the xDrip warnings I never have a low and can still keep my A1C between 5.3 and 5.7. After 49 years being a T1D I feel I am now in the best control mainly contributed to my CGM.

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My first post, so I hope this question is not too elementary. I’ve had G6 for almost a year and had trouble with sensors not lasting 10 days. I am wondering if placing the sensor on the upper abdomen is the best place. I’ve heard the G7 sensor is to be placed on upper outer arm. Any advise is welcomed. Bette

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@Hermit I use the G6 on the upper arm and have since the beginning. I save my stomach for my Omnipod. Since I had worn a Libre on my arm before the G6 I was never worried about it. I get the full 10 days and in fact I restart mine. The G6 is approved in other countries for arm placement. From what I understand they didn’t want to go through the red tape in the US.

A lot of people find placement of the G6 on the arm works better for them.

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Hi, Bette and welcome to the forum. As to your issue with G6 not lasting 10 days, some of us do experience the same issue, me included. I have been able to get 10 days out of my last 3 sensors with only one issue during the last day of sudden BG drop and loss of signal.

Some people get extraordinary long life from their sensors, restarting them 1 or 2 times. Others are like you and me who often have trouble getting them to last more than 7 days.

Using the approved abdomen sites were a disaster for me. Almost guaranteed to fail with the added issue of pinching pain on occasion. I get really good results on the back and inside of the upper arm. Even though I am a side sleeper I don’t have any issues with compression lows.

If you aren’t familiar with those, compression lows are false caused by a displacement or decreases circulation of the interstitial fluid from compression. I do have an interesting phenomenon. Regardless of which arm when I am sleeping on my left side I can usually count on a low alarm. I call it my CGM snooze alarm. I tend to sleep on my right side more and if I turned off the alarm clock and roll over, a CGM alarm will wake me in about 10 minutes.

My current sensor is in day 8. I just did a calibration because around this time I often get readings that are lower than they should be. CGM reading 93mg/dl, meter 113mg/dl. I get a Foot on the Floor (FOTF) rise every morning and when G6 doesn’t show it I do a finger stick and calibrate.

Both home meters and CGMs are remarkable devices that are great tools, but they have their limitations. In the case of finger stick reading, it is a very small sample size of whole blood. The sample used by a lab is very much larger.

CGMs have the wonderful ability of giving a reading every 5 minutes which can display on a device and be used by a pump like Tandem to adjust basal insulin rates. The downside is that CGMs Do not measure blood glucose but interstitial fluid glucose. There can be a noticeable lag as much as 15 minutes between the BG levels and IG levels, especially when rapidly changing. For this reason we are cautioned not to calibrate when the trend arrow is not straight.

A further issue with CGMs is that they are using a complex electrical/biochemical process while in a complex electrical/biochemical environment. It is amazing that they work as well as they do.

I am mostly happy with the G6. I wish that it was perfect, but then my wife probably wishes I were :star_struck:. If the Raman spectroscopy glucose monitors ever is implemented as a wearable device, I might consider it. My concerns would be the constant scanning through the skin by a radio frequency signal causing unintended irritation or worse harm.

Sorry, Bette, for the long winded post, but I’ve been told that I tend to use 100 words when 10 would do fine :smiley:

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We actually sell compression low cover that help with eliminating them while sleeping. We use on our daughter and it was a game changer. Then we decided to start selling them because other were charging so much more for the covers. We do g6, g7, and libre 1-3 too.

Moderator edit: Please PM the OP if you are interested.

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Sorry, I can’t post links yet as I am new to forum.

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