Interesting. I’ve had multiple g7s fail recently, after a long stint of really good ones. I’ve been having a flare-up of rosea pityriasis the last month. I wonder if it’s connected?
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Better to follow @RachelMaraii advice to see an allergist. You are seeing skin reactions that are not related to any of the cgms you dislike, which seems to be all of them. Until you figure out why your skin is so sensitive to all adhesive patches, perhaps you should stop trying to use a cgm and return to testing BG with a meter. If you test every hour (which is what I ended up doing before I started on a cgm) then you will have a good sense of where your BG is headed, similar to a CGM except for overnight coverage.
Also, as a T2, I assume you are insulin dependent, but do you see the same danger of low BG that T1s do and that makes CGM so valuable?
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That was my point: Dexcom doesn’t bat an eyelash at the failures. The failure rate is so high that I literally have a sensor, or multiple sensors coming to me by FedEx 24/7…there’s always a replacement on the way because they fail so frequently, and not once has Dexcom asked or even provided a space to tell why the sensor gave up the ghost. They don’t seem to care.
I do have an email about returning one, but didn’t receive anything in the mail or any details in the email for returning the sensor, and so many have failed that I may be hard pressed to guess to which one their request refers.
When the failure rate is so high that they’re continuously sending sensors, yet they never ask the circumstances or any details of the failure, it says loud and clear that they expect most of the sensors to fail. This is clear because they’re spring-loaded to send replacements. Of course one is getting a sensor replacement, because of course the sensor will fail. In most cases, the replacements fail, and replacements are sent for those…which also fail. The signal starts dropping and the unit fails shortly. Or it starts giving frequent false low glucose alarms, and then fails. or the wire never penetrates the skin, but instead protrudes through the hole, out the back of the sensor (“gooseneck,” some call it), etc. Failures.
People keep saying that they don’t experience a failure rate this high, but I can only believe what I see; a near total ongoing series of failures of the product, now nearly as bad as the Libre 3. The one difference between this and the Libre series is that I dont’ get constant low glucose alarms with the G7…but I do get a lot of them with some of the G7’s. That, in turn, is problematic, because they disturb rest, cause fatigue, disturb others, etc. The larger problem is the boy who cried wolf; constant low-glucose alarms dull the response to an actual alarm. When they happen so often and are false alarms, one may not heed the real thing.
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As I noted in another thread, I may be the poster boy for lack of allergies; foods, pollens, chemicals. One’s never been found, and I work with some fairly nasty chemicals, from nerve agents to very toxic solvents, latex products, etc. I travel heavily internationally, exposed to a lot of foods, a lot of hazmat, a lot of chemicals, a lot of natural agents from cat dander to just about any animal one can imagine to pollens and plants nearly everywhere on earth (except antarctica). Literally. Nothing. Except this sensor…which maybe an allergy, maybe a chemical reaction…who knows? That may not be relevant, however, despite the apparent burns, welts, etc…as the sensors fail so frequently.
@Carbless Given all the attempted remedies you’ve made, perhaps you should try another companies CGM and see if it works better for you instead of continuing to try to make Dexcom the solution. Whether its your body chemistry or a long line of failed products, there’s no harm in calling it and trying another CGM rather than put yourself through more misery. You’ve made a valiant effort, been provided and apparently tried most, if not all, the solutions people have offered; but it seems none of them has worked and it’s time to move on to something else. Perhaps with time, the product will improve, your body chemistry may change, or whatever the problem is will resolve and, if needed or desired, you can try again or stick with what you’ve found that works. That said, we’d appreciate you letting us know what you found that does work so if anyone else presents with the same issues, we can let them know.
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Given all the attempted remedies you’ve made, perhaps you should try another companies CGM and see if it works better for you instead of continuing to try to make Dexcom the solution.
Which one might you suggest?
@Carbless I don’t have the experience you need with other products and recommend talking with your doctor. He/She should know your medical history, should have more broad knowledge of the market, and what might work for you. I know you’ve related terrible experiences that would drive most people, me included, to try other products available, or even return to regular BGM use and MDI (and it takes a lot to say that last part). I wish I had better knowledge to help you with and hope you find a good resolution.
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It may be because by now they’ve examined enough returned pods to know what causes the failure, but they can’t recall all the “faulty” sensors that are out there.
I noticed the same thing with Omnipod. Early on, if I called in about an issue, they’d often arrange a return. After about a year they didn’t bother anymore. They knew what the problem was, and they didn’t need to examine any more pods. I honestly can’t recall the last time I had to return a pod, it was so long ago.
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The only thing I’ve.had Dexcom asked to be returned was a Tx.
This Tx was in use for a week when it went into Signal Loss It stayed that way. Called Tech support they checked the lot #. And noted they have had others of that lot fail.. as far as senior almost all go ito intermittent Signal Loss after 8 days. I only have one Sensor Failure.
Because of this I keep the Lot # and serial#’s of every thing .
Welcome and thanks for posting!! I hadn’t seen the official date. I will likely go to the G7- 15 day version once it is compatible with Tandem.
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Jim26,
I just had a great meeting with my Regional Tandem Rep on Monday and she indicated that the OK to use thee 15-Day G7 with the Tandem pumps won’t happen until January-2026 at earliest.
I don’t know if firmware updates will be necessary or just exactly what.
I’m not interested in a 15-day G7 as I’m perfectly happy with the 10-day G7. Maybe over time such a change might make sense to me, but for now not interested in making a change.
My X2 warranty times out in late January-2026 and I’ll be requesting Tandem place orders to get the new Mobi in the pipeline for me.
Lots of steps to properly follow as I’m on traditional Medicare so have to keep all the bureaucratic paperwork required by CMS in order.
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Did you mean January 2026 or is this a typo? That is only a couple weeks away.
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I believe it’s July 2026, @nolanktx pump warrantee expires late January 2026.
Us Texans should stick together
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My Tandem X2 pump warranty expires on: 01/25/2026.
That is confirmed and I’ve had it on my calendar for 5 years. Tandem confirms as they have been sending me messages with reminders of that same date. My local Regional Rep also confirmed same.
This was the statement I quoted and was questioning. Carlos says it is July, not January, 2026.
Jag1,
Got it. I had noted the January-2026 target date for the 15-day sensor as that is what my Regional Tandem Rep told me during our visit last Monday.
And bottom line (at least for me) if it is January or July for theG7-15 Day sensor doesn’t really matter in the overall scheme of things as best I can determine.
My doctor knows nothing about the sensors; he asked me which one I’d like, and I’ve called him to change the script from the Libre 3 to the Libre 3 Plus to the Dexcom G6 to the Dexcom G7, where I am now. He indicated he might try a sensor himself, but knew nothing about them. He knows my medical history, as he was the doctor of diagnosis, for diabetes, but I don’t think he knows anything at all about the market (or cares much). Like many doctors, he probably gets feedback from patients, but given that it can take months to schedule an appointment, and the appointment is ten or fifteen minutes and gone, it’s a whirwind check-in and back to my own devices.
For reasons that aren’t relevant here, I can’t really change doctors; it’s a massive undertaking on multiple levels, and as a doctor, he’s fine. Just not very accessible. Ultimately, it’s up to me to experiment to see what works, or does not. The only guidance I will have is my own experience, which thus far, is not positive.
I replied above to suggest seeing an allergist but you replied only to say you don’t have any allergies. And yet you give gory descriptions such as “I’ve got rashes on both arms from the adhesive, one arm painfully so, and they itch and burn when in place. 20 days after one was removed in one spot, still discoloration and marks, and itches like crazy. I’m running out of places on my arm to put them.…arm felt like it was burning, woke me up….skin is still weeping, from the rash.“
If you don’t consider that an allergy, OK, but why do you keep torturing yourself when you have an easy alternative option?
- Do you have T1 or insulin-dependent T2 diabetes?
- Do you take insulin every day as basal/bolus or by pump?
- Do you take sufficient insulin to experience dangerous hypoglycemia, where you need to urgently treat with glucose to recover or need the help of others?
- If the answer to all the above is yes, then since you have reported a 90% to 100% failure rate for every CGM you have tried, here is a different solution. Stop using a CGM and test your BG as frequently as needed using a good glucometer such as Contour Next. That is how all T1 diabetics tested their BG prior to the invention of CGMs, and it still works quite well if for some reason you are unable to use a CGM.
There is no requirement that every diabetic needs to use a CGM. It is clearly useful for those of us who can afford it and for whom it works well, but the vast majority of T1 diabetics in the world today do not use one, and full time usage by T2 is even rarer.
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@Carbless I wish I had a solution, but I don’t. About all I can do is commiserate. I think we all share the same desire for a doctor or team that takes the time to meet patient needs for explanations, recommendations, and discussion…its a rare commodity these days with the practice of corporate medicine where doctors are expected to see x patients/hour. The folks here, including myself, can only offer our experiences and offer resources to try. But don’t keep trying to put that square peg in the round hole; you’ll just frustrate and torment yourself.
I appreciate you may not be able to switch docs, but if/when it becomes possible, you may want to check out the list of user endorsed doctors on LoopAndLearn. Yes they’re recommended for there acceptance of DIY AIDs, but that usually a good indicated they’ll be knowledgeable otherwise. It’s at HCP recommendations | Loop and Learn. I’d note the situation you describe screams for a doctor change; if not possible now, tuck that thought away for when it becomes possilbe. That leaves educating yourself and being your own best advocate; I and others here would say it’s needed anyway. It isn’t easy and it takes time. You may want to consider talking with the IDS folks (https://integrateddiabetes.com); they don’t take insurance so you’d have to pay directly/claim with insurance; but IDS costs aren’t exorbitant and they know what they’re talking about. All their clinicians (mostly CDCES’s) have T1 and have first hand knowledge of the impacts, the issues, and what’s possible. It’s Gary Scheiner’s (“Think Like A Pancreas” fame). And to cover the obvious, I’m not associated with, not employed by, and don’t get paid by IDS; I just trust them. You may want to look at IDS on-line resources like their review of pumps and CGMs ( Diabetes Device Comparisons Resources & Guides – Integrated Diabetes Services ), though it may need some updating. There’s a section on pumps, one on CGMs, and lists pros and cons.
If you’re in the US, seems the only CGMs you didn’t mention are the Eversense and Medtronic Guardian. There are also several due out in the near future (the next year). They may or may not be options for you due to cost, insurance coverage, or whether they work with other components. BTW, my previous comment (similar to @jag1 above) about going sans CGM/pump wasn’t made lightly. Some folks happily live without a CGM and pump, some are happy using a BGM and MDI. It’s better than walking around with big welts and pain which you describe.
Hope you find a way forward that fits!
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