Crazy Dexcom today. Started a new sensor, after pre-soaking for 12 hours. My last one just died after 5 days, which is nothing new. I’ve had 1 last the full 10 days in the last 6 months. Anywho, insert the transmitter, app says warmup, then immediately starts bleating the Urgent Low alarm. Clearly, this sensor is possessed.
I haven’t been able to use the online issue reporting for awhile, so have to call them AGAIN today. I explain what happened, and the CSR says, “Somerhing’s wrong with your interstitial fluid.” I almost said, “No, something’s wrong with YOUR interstitial fluid.” I really feel like I should have gone down that road, stuck up for my poor interstitial fluid, but I was in the middle of making dinner…
Oh, and in 5 or 6 days, when I have to report the next way-too-eager-to-be-off-my-body sensor, I’ll fib and say that I use it on my abdomen. I think that may be why the automatic reporting won’t let me submit anything. The last 2 calls, they’ve sternly told me that it is not FDA approved for anywhere else, unless a dr has approved of the placement. (My dr has approved it, as my tummy is not viable.)
That is the only correct answer when dealing with Dexcom.
Sometimes being dehydrated can cause sensor errors.
I know, and I make sure to be well hydrated. But I don’t think that even being dehydrated would cause this kind of malfunction.
Do you get sensors delivered? If they sit on hot porch or delivery truck, could explain why several are failing. Or just a bad batch from mfg.
Yeah, I’m trying to get through all the replacement sensors from Dexcom before I decide whether to re-up. I’m sure they’ve been on some wild rides with Fedex!
I got around this problem by using the chat feature on the Dexcom support page.
Ah, that would certainly explain my last warm up, which was exactly like yours.
It started off telling me I was at 40mg/dL, a quick test indicated that the gnome inside the transmitter had omitted a “1”; my trusty Contour USB reported 145mg/dL. (An irony I chose to exploit.) The rest of the next 18 hours was spent with my iPhone 100% turned off; apparently these days even the magic switch on the side doesn’t actually turn the G6 off.
There is always something wrong with my interstitial fluid. It’s called diabetes, but on the bright side I don’t work for Dexcom.
Ah, the cute but annoying Dexcom gnome!
… curious, what do you mean by that? My son’s been using the G6 for 2 years, but I’ve never heard of that.
@Andre pre-soaking is putting the new sensor on for a while before switching the transmitter to the new one. For me, it has eliminated the crazy numbers of the Dexcom getting settled for the first 10 -12 hrs. So, if the sensor is expiring soon, or its just gotten all kinds of wonky, I wear 2 sensors for 12 hours, but one is just kinda hanging out. I got sick of the false alarm craziness that I inevitably had to deal with on startup, and someone on here had mentioned it. I don’t know if a kid would be willing to have even more on their body…
Interesting. Thanks for the detail. You’re probably right, my son (12) would not appreciate a double Dexcom for any period of time 
But we also haven’t had any issues with the G6, besides a wonky sensor a few times a year, but I can appreciate the challenge of building something like this sensor and I’m okay with some issues here and there.
I hope your experience and that of others here gets better. Happy to answer any questions about how we do things, if it helps anyone. Not that I think we’ve found some great secret, but you never know.
2 posts were split to a new topic: Is Dexcom really planning to buy Insulet?