# Let's get this topic started

**URL:** <https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217>\
**Category:** Flatliners\
**Tags:** cgm, calibration\
**Created:** [March 27, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217 "2017-03-27T14:38:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Eric](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/eric/32/9209_2.png) [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/1 "2017-03-27T14:38:20Z")

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I know this isn’t flat looking, but it stayed between 62 and 115 all night - even with a few bedtime beers. So I’ll take it!

Funny how squirrelly my Dexcom traces look, even when I am not doing anything but sleeping. Mine never look exactly flat. I focus more on trying to stay in range than the shape of the curves. Maybe “Flatliners” isn’t the right place to post this. But in-range is ok with me. 🙂

 ![](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fudiabetes/original/1X/cd1fc5f26e41b892818eefc18a0ab235030becbe.jpeg)

Oh, wanted to ask. What is with that little jump it did toward the end, around 7:18am? It wasn’t a missed reading, because the jump was 5 minutes apart, from 7:18 to 7:23. I see that sort of stuff a lot. Kinda weird, like the Dexcom corrected itself. I was asleep at the time so I have know idea what that was. It wasn’t a calibration or anything.

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**Author:** ![lh378](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/lh378/32/601_2.png) [@lh378](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/lh378)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/2 "2017-03-27T14:56:35Z")

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I had those when I rolled over it, compressed it.

It wasn’t that great for me, so I discontinued using the Dexcom.

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**Author:** ![ClaudnDaye](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/claudndaye/32/5_2.png) [@ClaudnDaye](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/ClaudnDaye)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/3 "2017-03-27T15:40:47Z")

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We see dot disconnections like that when we’re coming upon the change out time for our sons CGM. Usually skips small periods of time…since yours doesn’t appear to have skipped any time, maybe it’s not the same thing.

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**Author:** ![Eric](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/eric/32/9209_2.png) [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/4 "2017-03-27T15:48:22Z")

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I see “skips” when the receiver gets no signal. Maybe like if I’m sleeping on the sensor and the mattress blocks the signal. Or if I get dehydrated and it can’t get a reading.

The “skips” seem understandable. But the “jumps” I can’t figure out. It’s almost like an oops from Dexcom, a self-correction.

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**Author:** ![docslotnick](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/docslotnick/32/75_2.png) [@docslotnick](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/docslotnick)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/5 "2017-03-27T17:35:44Z")

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The way the calibration algorithm works is that it averages readings one minute apart, then sends the raw data to the receiver with the BLE burst every five minutes for further processing with the receiver software.

My guess is that it throws out anything outside of the calibration slope, but if it falls within calibration slope parameters it keeps it. So a couple of minutes of readings at the edge of acceptable by the algorithm can throw things off a bit.

I don’t pay too much attention to those little blips. I look more at the one hour trend slope to see what’s happening. No matter how much we would like it to be, the Dexcom is not a perfect instrument for moment to moment Bg reading.

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**Author:** ![Eric](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/eric/32/9209_2.png) [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/6 "2017-03-27T17:48:09Z")

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This is what is strange to me. The same 6 hour time-frame, but during the day it always seems to be less squirrelly looking. The line is just smoother. That seems odd considering the difference between moving around constantly during the day versus sleeping.

**Nighttime:**

 ![](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fudiabetes/original/1X/bab1d9171d754cb9012614ccc1d241dd6d53c164.jpeg)

**Daytime:**  
 ![](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fudiabetes/original/1X/b9dd1ac9761c1f7a9be2f813392eb3789cd2ff62.jpeg)

So the only thing I can figure is that when I go to sleep, I am actually sleepwalking and doing all kinds of stuff I am not even aware of…  
😜

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**Author:** ![Bradford](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/bradford/32/30_2.png) [@Bradford](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Bradford)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/7 "2017-03-27T19:00:00Z")

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This is very common and I think that I have figured it out. 2 main causes.

1. Pressure Lows. Pushing on the sensor pushed the fluid from the area, creating a false low.
2. Gravity. The mere fact that you are laying down means that the fluid is not dispersed the same say as when you are awake and upright. Try to log the placement when you get readings like this and a pattern may emerge.

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**Author:** ![docslotnick](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/docslotnick/32/75_2.png) [@docslotnick](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/docslotnick)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/8 "2017-03-27T19:08:26Z")

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I’ve been using a Dexcom every day since a month before they became FDA approved eleven years ago. The Dexcom has always behaved like this. It is endemic to the device.

Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out. If Dexcom hasn’t fixed this problem in eleven plus years it’s because they can’t.

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**Author:** ![Eric](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/eric/32/9209_2.png) [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 7:58pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/9 "2017-03-27T19:58:26Z")

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Thanks for the feedback and info.

> [@Bradford](#):
>
> This is very common and I think that I have figured it out.

> [@docslotnick](#):
>
> If Dexcom hasn’t fixed this problem in eleven plus years it’s because they can’t.

I like your explanation better than the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde theory!

![](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fudiabetes/original/1X/8ca475a36d5641abd12c5b31e933e1381bcd43a8.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![docslotnick](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/docslotnick/32/75_2.png) [@docslotnick](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/docslotnick)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/10 "2017-03-27T21:44:58Z")

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Eric, if it would make you feel better not to have those idiopathic “jumps”, there is a feature in xDrip+ to smooth them out. I sense that you and @Bradford are not the only ones that are driven crazy by this anomaly.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Eric](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/eric/32/9209_2.png) [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/lets-get-this-topic-started/217/11 "2017-03-27T22:21:57Z")

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Actually, it didn’t “bother” me so much, but I was just curious about it! It seemed odd, but hearing others with issues like that and hearing the explanations was very nice! I appreciate the feedback.
