#toomucheffort
lol
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Yes, this is my experience, too, for most sensors. I’m going to try presoaking on my next sensor and hope that helps.
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My REAL issue is that Dexcom claims “Zero” finger sticks. This is not true! The documentation, training, and Dexcom receiver all mention to test my blood: when I replace my sensor, and whenever I feel bad, or sensor fails, or when I receive various sensor readings.
Therefore, because of this claim, medicare states they won’t cover testing supplies. This is totally wrong for customers. We still have to prick our fingers as described in Dexcom documentation and on rhe Dexcom receiver. Unfortunately, we customers can’t purchase the testing supplies due to Dexcom contract with medicare. So, what are we to do? P
So, now I receive a letter from dexcom stating that a need to pick a new distributor for my sensors since dexcom will no longer provide that service. The distributor will submit my requests to medicare for me now. Ah…Which of the 10 to pick? So many chioces.
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@cardamom G6 is plain old inaccurate for the first 12 hours for me. Calibrating within the first 12 hours will put it into a time-out and then error (forcing a call to Dexcom that will result in a free new sensor?!). My solution is to pre-soak a sensor (with no transmitter inserted into it) for 12 hours prior to starting the new sensor. Numbers then with the pre-soak (such a gross terminology - I hate it) are WILDLY ACCURATE. If I forget to slap a new sensor on 12 hours prior to the old one expiring, I then have to turn off my phone and go Dexcom-free for those 12 hours b/c the first 12 hour readings are inevitably false lows that have my Dexcom screaming low alarms at me… Good luck with the transition - aside from this first 12 hour inconvenience, I really do like the G6. And despite hating the plastic waste of the inserter, it really is so much better than watching/feeling the big needle with the G5 insertion process. Let us know how it goes! Jessica
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@Easycool still raises some very good concerns, though, about how the false advertising from Dexcom is resulting in supplies that are needed (test strips, meters, etc.,) not being covered. It’s a shame and is such a blatent false advertising claim (which is why they add the asterisk) - but the very real result is people end up either needing to switch distributors as Easycool is talking about, or just paying out of pocket for supplies they need.
It’s terrible how these greedy companies treat diabetic individuals that choose to use their products. Currently, I have to obtain a new meter and purchase 100 test strips and lancets outright. Medicare and Express-scripts/tricare won’t cover them. My current bcm is a Contour Next One. It fails intermittently when a test strip is inserted. That’s what you get when insurance companies force you to use the cheapest testers.
I have always used a One Touch BGM. My insurance company has forced me to go to the very cheap and intermittent Contour Next One and discontinued use of the OT BGM. I am getting a free OT BGM and will also purchase test strips and lancets outright. Looks to me that these insurance companies are all a big scam to take our hard earned money to line their own pockets.
What I hate most a small group of individuals in these insurance companies make the decisions for what you need and not your own doctor!
Foe example, my eye doctor runs tests and states I need Restasis for my severe dry eyes. My insurance determine I don’t need it an if I want it, I must appeal their decision. How dare they think they know what is best for me and not my doctor?
For what it is worth, I think the Contour Next One (we have 3, and buy strips because insurance doesn’t cover this brand) is the best meter out there. Might want to pick up a new one and give it a try, or call the company and get them to replace the intermittent one. The One Touch product we used was absolutely atrocious in repeatable accuracy although I have never used the BGM. We now just pay out of pocket for the Contour products and don’t look back.
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@Easycool do you get error code E2?
I second @Chris 's experience with the Contour Next and can also say from experience that I have never used a repeatedly accurate LifeScan BG meter, ever. Cost isn’t necessarily a determining factor, as I have used Walmart meters ($20 for the meter, 9¢/strip) that performed better than LifeScan products.
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Interesting. So, several times after inserting a test strip, before I can complete a blood sample, it just shuts off. And yes Chris, sometimes I receive an “E2” error. So I end up wasting a test strip. As for the One Touch meter, Calibration always seems to be within the calibration fluid range. I will admit that the meter does seem to drift out of calibration occasionally, which could lead to a serious instance of misdiagnosis.
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@Easycool. The E2 error is usually caused by water on the piano end of the strip which causes a short in the meter. Remove the strip from the meter, wipe the piano end of the strip dry, then reinsert. This best practice works like a charm.
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The calibration fluid is one test, here is the one that helped us understand the meters better. Take a big drop of blood and run three strips one after the other using the same blood droplet. The One Touch product would routinely give us a wide range of values (+/- 40 bg) while the Contour product would be closer (+/- 10 bg).
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I understand your method, and I think it is a good one. However, If you prick different hands or areas, you should get different readings. So, as an engineer, I always used NIST calibration standards to calibrate production equipment.
Anything from torque wrenches to X-ray and beyond. Not sure how accurate the fluids are. I am by no means standing up for One Touch products. I have noticed that if I calibrate my One Touch unit, it seem to be within +/- 15 units. The CGM G6 is much more accurate to within +/- 5 units or there abouts.
The problem with my Contour Next is that I have to be meticulous when inserting test strips. Otherwise the test fails. I received it from medicare as a kit. Perhaps they will replace it. Contacting contour is also on my list.
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Hmmmm, I’ll try that. However, I always keep the test strips in their original container. Not much moisture in Arizona… j/k. Of course, I need to get some lancets and test strips 1st. Haven’t lookd into the Walmart ones. Thanks for the tip(s).
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@Easycool I keep my strips in the original container too, but every now and then the excess moisture from washing my hands generates an E2 code.
Oh right, your point is well taken. My problem is I have to wiggle the test strip to get it to register on the Contour Next. I just think the unit is defective.
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@Easycool I would call the meter company who should replace it for free.
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Done & done. An accuracy of 8.4% ain’t too shabby. (Can’t say ain’t cause ain’t ain’t in the dictionary…L0L)
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So I made it through my first sensor and replaced it. I’m not restarting them anymore because I think my skin is reacting to them enough that it’s not a good idea even if they would work just fine, so I’m not bothering to figure that out. It was mostly accurate, if not perfectly, after the first day or so—I did not think it was notably better than how the G5 used to be for me, but maybe better than the my most recent few batches of G5 sensors because those tended to be much noisier. The second one, despite not pre-soaking, was accurate right off the bat, so maybe it varies by sensor and/or bodily factors happening at a given moment.
For what it’s worth, calibrating multiple times (spread out by hours) in the first 24 hours on the other one did not cause any problems or errors for me, it just worked similarly to how calibrating would have on a G5 after it got started. No idea if it would have sorted itself out as well or maybe even faster without the calibrations though.
I still would overall prefer the old applicator to the new one—while I agree the new one is easier/more comfortable, the old one wasn’t a problem for me, and the amount of plastic waste horrifies me every time. I’m sure I’d feel differently if I was putting them on a small child, but there has to be a way to reduce the waste or make some part of the contraption reusable.
I do prefer the app to the G5 one overall (using the official Dexcom app on an iPhone). The UI is nice.
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