Does anybody know what adhesive Dexcom is using on the G7 sensors? I am allergic to the current G6 adhesive and have to put a barrier bandage on before applying one. Thanks.
Where is it out? In Europe, or Canada?
The San Diego-based company now offers Dexcom G7 in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Hong Kong.
The loop people are doing stuff with the G7 in Germany trying to break the Algo security. Given all the adhesive iterations the G6 went through in the initial rollout I would guess they stay with the current adhesive. Especially since the G7 is a smaller form factor which would make the adhesive more secure over the same time period vs the G6. I would be very surprised to see a new adhesive formulation for the G7 rollout, but I could be wrong (and have been before).
Does anyone else have this problem? I’m a swimmer so i really rely on the dex overpatch. I notice that towards the end days of wearing my sensor, the patch starts to peal off, but only very slightly. However, today i was swimming and i felt a drag on my left arm, as if i were swimming crooked. When i got to the end of the lane, i checked out my dex and realized immediately what was wrong. It was pealing off. bc it has been soooo accurate, i didnt want to take it off and deal with the new start up 24 hour period of wonky readings, so i left it in and it ended up staying on and working properly. I think i am due to replace it sometime this evening or tomorrow morning. Its not a really big deal. I just did not have this experience with the G6 ever. The G7 has such a tiny little overpatch i am always checking it to make certain that it is staying in place. (also, i dont know how ANYONE negotiates putting that G7 overpatch on themselves. its unruly and i need my husband to put it on for me .)
I would love to hear feedback from any of you in FUD Land!!!
@daisymae I use Tegaderm to secure Dexcom sensors and my Tandem infusion sets. For my G6 sensors I bought a large roll of 4" Tegaderm tape, and I cut off a 4" section and plaster it over the sensor. Rub it very well all over to adhere well. No worries about aim. Stays on even though I sweat buckets and in showers, but I’m not a swimmer.
I apply my g7 using my wife’s make-up mirror. The mirror magnifies the image which makes it easier for me to apply the overpatch.
That’s actually a stellar idea @Jwarfi !
Just tried my first G7, without a barrier bandage, and had NO ALLERGIC REACTION. So pleased! Ran it parallel with a G6 and found it no more accurate at all. Sometimes they matched exactly, other times off by 30 or more points. Finger stick always came out in between. I always use a mirror, so no problem with placing the overpatch, and I always put a 4x4 Tegaderm layer over that. Dex tells you to press down the edges of the patch before adding the overpatch. Found I could do that with a 1" diameter cap from Harris-Teeter’s balsamic vinegar bottle that just clears the G7. The patch is too small to press down with fingers.
Congrats on the G7 adhesive @Randy ! It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s actually a massive win
I’m also allergic to the Dexcom adhesive. I use Not Just a Patch and it works really well for me in providing a layer between the sensor and my skin. I’ve had a much better experience since switching.
I use my iPad in selfie mode.
I have a reaction to adhesives as well, but I’ve found that Skin glu helps stop them. What barrier bandage are you using? That might be helpful for others in the same situation.
@ellace, this comes from a previous post on the G6:
The 3M hydrocolloid bandage is still working for
me. I put it on a wood block and punch a 13/64
inch hole with a leather punch from Tandy Leather
(Crafttool #07 13/64), peel off the wrapper,
open the Dexcom G6 sensor and flip it upside
down, remove the paper including the one with the
code on it, put the yellow side of the bandage
down with the holes lined up, press the bandage
down with attention to the area around the hole,
then peel off the backing and put it firmly on my
arm. Press the bandage down all around many
times, then inject the sensor. Cover the whole
thing with a 4x4 patch of Tegaderm cut from a 4"
roll. I am not having any reactions from the Dexcom adhesive.
The G7 needle is shorter than the G6, so the 3M Hydrocolloidal bandage may be too thick. And the procedure for putting it on the inserter will not work either. If a skin coating is working for you, it may be a better choice. I don’t have a problem with the G7 adhesive, so am not using anything but the standard insertion method.
That’s a really clever method! Thanks for sharing the details!
I’ve had great luck with the G7 using a hydrocolloid bandage!
If you have help for insertion, you can still roughly cut a hole in the bandage to match the filament placement, then put the bandage on your skin, then line up the G7 with the hole as best you can and insert. But I have just been using the hydrocolloid without a hole and the G7 punches through it just fine… no failures yet!