My observation and personal experience is that the G8 will probably work well and better for most people, but there will always be some for whom it will not work well. Some of those had better results with GN.
The G6 had a problem with going unstable and dropping out on day 7-8 for some people, while others were able to get 10 good days every time, and other restarted them for 20-30 days total. Others had adhesive reactions or sensors coming loose.
Along comes the G7 with perfect results for some and not so good for others. I had the 7-8 day issue with the G6 while the G7s have been nearly perfect. They last me 10.5 days. I had the “goosenecking” where the sensor lead did not insert. All of these failures for me were from Malaysia. I had one fall off in the shower which is really odd as these things tend to stick like they are stitched on in me. I had one fail before reaching 10 days. I have seldom needed to calibrate the G7, the G6 not so much.
Yet some report instability, loss of signal, sensors coming unglued and more.
I suspect that the G7 15 day and the G8 will work well for most people, but will not be good for others.
Out bodies are similar but not the same, As people with diabetes we are aware that our BG reacts differently to insulin, foods and drinks and physical activity they it does for others with diabetes. The same is true about adhesive effectiveness or irritation when applied to our skin or foreign objects inserted and remain for a time.
Yeah we’re definitely all different. I’ve been using them since the Dexcom 7+ in around 2013 or so… each generation has generally been an improvement in some way or another, with some tradeoffs. Now that I kind of figured out the g7 I somewhat wish I hadn’t switched back to the g6— my only complaint about the g7 is that it has to be absurdly close to the pod and in direct line of sight to stay connected… I hope that the g8s even smaller size doesn’t equate to further reduced transmitting power
I’ve worn various Dexcom versions for years without problems until the G7 “goosenecking” issue so I’m hoping Dexcom has identified the manufacturing issue and fixed it so that it is not a problem with G8. I still go through a couple of G7 sensor insertions until one finally doesn’t gooseneck.
My nephew and I used to laugh, because we used to call the G6 applicator a nail gun the way it inserted the G6 sensor to site. I kind of miss that nail gun now as I didn’t have any issues with the G6.
I keep a stockpile of supplies so I think this is why the “goosenecking” issue hit me later on. I was aware of the Malaysian manufacturing issue, but what concerned me is that it has happened with different lot batches. In fact, some of the replacements Dexcom sent me “goosenecked” too.
I do think Dexcom could have handled this better. Of course, I’m thankful they replaced the sensors, but the call center did not really acknowledge or want to hear about this issue. I just kept getting a series of repeated questions from them not dealing with what they knew was happening. I think Dexcom should have issued a statement with what lots had this problem, even though it was a hit or miss if it would happen or not during insertion, or possibly done a recall of affected lots.
I’ve never had a G7 gooseneck. The most likely explanation is luck.
I have a slightly modified way of using the inserter which I thought I’d share in case that has anything to do with the lack of goosenecks (which it probably doesn’t). Rather than push the inserter against my body hard enough to depress the inner barrel that has to be in for the trigger button to work, I use the edge of my finger and fingernail to help push that clear plastic collar in and lessen the amount of pressure against the skin. Does anyone else do something like this?
I much preferred the G6 inserter with its hair trigger.
I think the G4 had a harpoon system which I hated.
Anyway, I feel like the G7 tries to get you to push the inserter device against your flesh fairly hard and I seek to lessen that and make it more like the G6 which didn’t require any pressure against the body at all.
@TTnyc I appreciate your characterization of the “harpoon system” of the G4! I had to smile a bit at the mental picture! (Some how Queequeg or Melville was involved! This may help for those not familiar! https://jojofanon.fandom.com/wiki/Queequeg?file=QueequegReference.jpg) I didn’t experience the G4, heck I don’t know if there was a G5! I guess I need to take comfort in the fact the G6 and G7 adhesive hasn’t traumatized me, nor that I’ve noticed a particular need to press down the G7 applicator that much (the clear plastic collar seems to compress pretty easily). I’m not a big guy, haven’t ever had what I consider big muscles and seem to relatively easily press the button for release of the sensor. That said, I hope I never do! But I must admit, I don’t try to place the sensor on the back of my arm (the side works well for me!) nor the back of my neck, the back of my back, my bum, ankle, calf, etc. I don’t discount those places work and there are good reasons for there use, but I’m of that certain age where those reasons don’t apply and I’m not up for doing physical contortions. I do enjoy some “lite reading” of the descriptions given and locations used! I look forward to the G8, though it seems a long lead time, I need to learn patience! “Call me Ishmael!”
I just read Moby Dick in a class last year. And my prof in that class is an active member of the Melville Society. Sorry for the quick digression. (Great Book, but hard to read on your own).
More digression, Maybe that’s been my trouble all along, should have been in a book club to actually finish “Moby Dick.” It is one of 3 books that I never could quite finish. They are - Don Quixote, Moby Dick and Dune. I’d get about 1/2 to 2/3 through and wonder why am I torturing myself.
I love Moby Dick. I think the key might be to not think of the digressions as digressions but as the main event. Never read it in a class or group and I just found it great without necessarily trying to understand everything.
Whether the digressions in Moby Dick are digressions is possibly up for debate but this discussion is definitely a digression from diabetes.
I’ve read Don Quixote a couple times and I can’t say it’s really stuck with me. Definitely one of those books where I felt like I was missing something. Maybe it’s better in Spanish
I read Moby Dick for high school english class…my book report title was “Kwazy Queeg.” If you can’t make it through the novel, maybe try the movie? Gregory Peck does a great Queeg.
OK, folks, my inherent “like” for esoteric knowledge got the better of me and I looked up pictures and processes of the Dexcom G4 and G5! Wow! What an education from DiabeticDana on the G4 and from Dexcom’s old video on how two use the G5. They look very close if not the same. I’m grateful I was dx’d when I was! I’m sure I’d have used them, but it’s been quite some change in application and prep for use! I’m glad on this end of history and give credit to all those that used the G4 and G5! Thanks for your perseverance!
Maybe I’m being contrary, but I liked the G5 better than the g6 in terms of portability and simplicity of design. I hope the G6 is more accurate, and there are lots of nice features in the G6, but my old memory recalls liking the application and the design of the G5. This is primarily for space reasons; i think the unused devices took up a lot less space than do these big applicators that come with the G6.
I started using Dexcom sensors with the Seven Plus back in 2009. I considered the G4 (and still do!) one of the best sensors. I know many were adversely influenced by the insertion method but that didn’t bother me. I liked the accuracy, consistency, and extendability (consistently got two full 10-day sessions!) of the G4. (Not to be confused with the Medtronic Guardian 4!)
I liked it so much that I stayed with the G4 long after the G5 came out. Being able to extend past its 10 day duration made it easy to build up a generous supply of sensors. When I had the rare G4 that failed before its 10-day expected life, I just wrote it off and didn’t bother to request a replacement.
I can get 10 days out of most G6s but never a second 10-days. It could be a change in sensor quality or something to do with my aging flesh! I never considered the G4 a burden!
My next sensor will be the Eversense 365 in the hopes of a more stable foundation for my Loop AID.
The longest dimension is exactly the same; almost exactly 1" in both the G7 and the G8. Of course not all of that can be used because it’s potted but NXP gives an example of a metal plate antenna (the highest powered) which is a 16.3mmx5mm rectangle , so 17mm at the largest. That was from a 2018 publication and was for BLE.
It does sound like they might be BLE antenna limited at this point; maintaining the maximum dimension so exactly seems weird to me and that’s the only explanation that springs to my mind.
The G4 was a miracle to me. (I owned Dexcom 7 Pluses — not to be confused with G7s — but found them unworkable). I used to fingerstick test a lot (like 10-20 times per day) but getting readings every five minutes was incredible.
I think expectations play a big role. My G4 readings were occasionally off by a LOT but getting readings at all and the fact that they were mostly correct or at least a good indicator of whether I was going up or down was such an advance. I imagine people like me who had years and years of just fingersticks are probably much more tolerant of occasional hiccups with CGM and have generally different expectations compared to people who never lived without it.
It’s interesting to me, too, that each advance from Dexcom (and I view each iteration as an advance) seemed to come with at least a minor drawback. I can’t remember whether it was the G5 or the G6 that introduced compression lows. Never had a compression low with the G4.
I dreaded inserting G4s and G5s. Give me a big ole G6 inserter any day.
The G4 was my first CGM too (back in 2013) - such a game changer. Those harpoons for the G4 and G5 were awful! I accidentally saw the needle one time and wished I hadn’t
Prior to ever using a CGM, I tested as much as 20 times per day. Doctors and most other diabetics viewed this vigilance as “obsessive.” By that time I was over sensitivity to this social contrast. I had lived through several hypo-crises that could have been stopped by one well-timed finger-poke. In fact I remember pushing back on a skeptical medical professional by asking a series of questions,
When would you have me avoid discovering my actual glucose status? When I get up in the morning? Before I eat my first meal? After I eat my first meal? Before I drive myself to work? If I feel “off” before a work meeting? Before my lunch at work? After my lunch? After I’ve made an insulin correction? After I’ve made a food correction? Before I pick up my daughter after work? You get the idea. There are at least 20x/day that an in-range glucose level is not just healthy but safe! That medical professional was quiet in response to my questions.
When I finally adopted a CGM, I was grateful and amazed to get a BG reading every five minutes. Even if some of these readings were wrong! (Another good reason to finger-poke.) Some people are good at guessing their glucose level before testing. Even at my best I was wrong about 20% of the time. Since the discovery of exogenous insulin, CGMs are the best technical improvement. They enormously impact quality of life.
I don’t think I ever got to 20 fingerstcks, 10 was usual 14 max.At the time I was only using Lantus.T2 progresses and my BG was climbing. I kept a log of readings Lantus dosage and grams of fat, carbs and protein.
At the time I didn’t have an endo. I laid out my facts and made my case for adding rapid to my PCP. She also was able to prescribe a Dexcom G6.
