Since the G6 came l’ve only 4 fail, most my error, and average use is about 12 days since release. Calibration is needed at times, that’s physiology. I would suggest that if you’re having failures take a look at use not the product, because the newer batches are lasting longer after restarts for me…but that’s just my experience.
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For me the issue remains a lack of predictability. Submitting the form for replacements etc is a minor thing. The major thing for me is I have certain days of the week when I need to be wearing a reasonably reliable CGM. If I could reliably get 10 + days from a G6 sensor I can work with presoaks, restarts etc to fit the sensor bad days (first and last day) into the weekly schedule on days when I don’t care about CGM reliability so much. But with this random failure on Day 8 or 9 it throws the whole schedule off and has on occasion left me high and dry.
I never had this problem with G5, could always get at least one restart with those. My first year or so with G6 same good performance including restarts for extra days. This 8-9 day issue only started consistently for me in the past 3-6 months or so.
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Besides the issue with sudden drops of BG with loss of data for 30 minutes another thing happens that is worse in a way.
It’s only happened a few times, most recently yesterday. I will get extraordinarily good and flat readings in the range of 88 to 98mg/dl for hours. Since my pump is using C-IQ this causes a reduction of basal rate with real BG going high.
This also has happened beginning around day 7. Yesterday was day 7.
Interesting law suit from the death of a man due to Dexcom failure to alert a dangerous hypo event. According to this, there were 500,000 complaints to the FDA at the time, but there is some sort of immunity granted once FDA approval.
Here’s a paper on how some substances can affect CGM sensors.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19322968211065065
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In a call a few days ago about my last sensor telling me it was a restart, when it wasn’t, I also complained about all my sensors that had stopped working early in recent months. A very calm and seemingly well informed rep told me that Dexcom was working on the problem, that it had been reported a lot to both Dexcom and the FDA. But, I am worried that there isn’t much incentive to solve that when they are expecting to replace all with G7, I am assuming.
Managing T1D takes involvement from the D and taking responsibility for learning about products that can help along with clear understanding of how to manage T1D w/o technology. No T1D can safely manage T1D w/o understanding T1D and the products used to help manage BG. A lawyer and complaints to the manufacturer and the FDA won’t fix that…after 51 T1D years I know that for a fact. Please learn to manage, don’t depend on something you don’t understand to take care of it for you. In 6 yrs using Dexcom I’ve had less than a handfull of real failures, most of which I played a role in.
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I agree with you so much, but I suspect that all these new tools will reduce the number of T1Ds who have the necessary understanding. It reminds me of the transition from slide rule to calculator, which happened for me in high school. How many people can use a slide rule now?
Early on in this thread, someone noted about the advent of the G7, and I would speculate that this is a Dexcom G6 “end of life” issue; or put another way, the fix for these issues is a new product platform, and some of us will be struggling with these G6 issues until we move to the G7.
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The standards are higher. I’m still trying to figure out how Dexcom got FDA approval with a 95% reliability.
Think about it. Suppose, on MDI, your syringes work 95% of the time.
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sorry for the months long delay, but i was wondering if you were inserting on your tricep, as this seemed to be the most accurate part of the arm for me, ive also managed to restart many times on the triceps, but the side(where ever sense was) never worked for me…on commercials, i see the side of the arm all the time, but when i try it, there’s too much blood, and gives inaccurate readings…also restarts need the guitar pick transmitter in the microwave/rfid faraway bag trick and has to be disconnected for 25 minutes…im using the g7 now with aaps and omnipod, but noticed the test strip restart stopped working successfully a while ago…
Roger, the triceps are the gold locations for me. However, for some of us, it does not make us immune from the 7 day crap out. For those of us who have trouble beginning around day 7 with a good reading suddenly dropping in 15 - 20 minutes to a low or urgent low and a loss of data for 30 minutes, the location doesn’t matter.
Contrary to what some think these are not compression lows or too far from the phone/receiver. They are a breakdown somewhere in the sensor circuit or connection to the transmitter. I have seen reports of this occurring with the G7 as well.
As to restarts, I tried that on a couple of these sensors. They started up right where the left off - ever increasing failures. Below is an image of classic 7+day failures. They have never occurred before day 7.
These are a night, but they can occur at anytime, while standing, walking or whatever.
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Wow, that’s a bad one for sure!
I just changed my sensor this morning. I soaked it for 12+ hours plus waited 20 .inutes after removing the old sensor before starting the new sensor. After warmup, both finger stck and Dexcom agreed, bit throughout the day I still got irrational wild swings in BGs from Dexcom. Finally, after 12 hours, the sensor seems pretty stable.
I do usually get 10 days on a sensor, but i never extend them. Occasionally they fail with an error, like you experienced. This can be due, for me, to poor insertion, lots of blood and painful, and i am just too frugal to change. Sometimes there seems to be no reason for the failure. Failures are terribly frustrating, to say the least 
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I am afraid that I will jinx myself, but I need to share. The last 3 lasted 10 days and working on day 9 currently. These are G6 sensors.
I don’t know if it is better lot numbers as that has never mattered in the past. I am doing something different, Code only, no calibrations. Plus a new sensor is started about 2 hours before dinner. I don’t trust the reading and do a fingerstick, to bolus. After dinner I customarily do 45-60 minutes light aerobic exercise. This often will drop my BG near the end.
Dexcom 3 hours after insert with exercise is reading low, verified by a fingerstick. By morning the G6 is running well.
Of the 3 previous sensors, one did have a sudden drop and loss of data on day 9, but recovered, and was OK through day 10.
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