I know there are a bunch of different things people have used/tried/suggested. I am not sure what they all are.
I have recently tried Cavilon spray. Somewhat underwhelming. It helps a little bit, but not much.
Many pods are fine. But there are certain locations that are itchy. Anything on my arms or on the front of my body are fine. But anything on the back of my body starts to itch after a day or two.
What do you suggest?
Great question! I’ve been going through this more frequently. Maybe I’m displacing the pod while it is attached as removal shows more skin damage than even summertime.
Hmm, how about Calmine lotion? I haven’t tried it, but your question inspires me to do so!
@ClaudnDaye, you guys have a routine for this, right?
Unfortunately, I’m no help here! Liam has gotten used to his PODs and doesn’t ever complain of anything POD related…rashes, itching, etc., We use nothing at the moment (or in the recent past that I can recall).
This explains the Flonase skin trick that I used to use for pods. It helped a lot at the time.
12 hour Claritin D every other day has been holding the itching and welts at bay for me. If I go too many days without it, my quarter sized pod welts come back with a vengeance. I don’t know how much of my issue is caused by my locale: Ohio River Valley, where we all end up allergic to air…and everything else.
And I apply hydrocortisone to every pod area immediately upon removal. Otherwise my skin scales up and I can’t use it for quite a while until it heals.
Do you ever use Flexafix tape? I reinforce my Dexcom sensors with that tape, and the tape adhesive doesn’t bother me. That could make a good base layer under the pod.
I ended up seeing an allergist a while back. He got me started on Allegra in the morning and Zyrtec at night…the generic versions from Costco. Seems to help.
Thanks @T1Allison, I’ll give the Flonase spray a try.
I want to avoid taking any pills if I can. I try to take very little medicine, other than things like insulin and thyroid pills, which are just normal hormones.
I will try this too. I have some tegaderm. Is that kind of the same thing?
Flonase, then a barrier film is the best non-pill form of therapy for the itchiness if my memory is holding up. Have a great Christmas everyone.
Mine only itch when they’re on my pecs. I apply some Solarcaine, over the adhesive and about an inch of surrounding skin. Usually one application is all that’s needed.
Hey everyone. Thanks for the recommendations! I have a few things to try. I bought some Flonase.
And I will also try the tegaderm barrier underneath. First I will try them one-at-a-time, and then try them together.
Also I was thinking I could try Benadryl spray, because that’s an anti-itch spray. 
So I have a few new things to test out! 
I use Flonase too. Makes a world of difference with an overpatch underneath and one over top to hold it in place.
I have to admit that I am apalled that doctors would prescribe drugs or sprays to alleviate allergic symptoms. We all have too many chemicals in our lives as it is.
This thread discusses using a barrier bandage to prevent the adhesive from contacting your skin:
That mechanical solution works for me. There may be some chemicals in the 3m adhesive, but they don’t trigger my allergies.
I take Loratadine Claritin generic without the decongestant daily because I have all season allergies. I had skin reactions to the adhesive in medical plastic tape but not paper tape.
This was a concern with both sensors and infusion sets. Maybe the adhesives are different are maybe it’s the Loratadine.
I try not to take any more medicine than necessary, either, but at the same time…all of diabetes care is trial and error and no one REALLY knows why something works or why it doesn’t…we just have best guesses based on empirical observation…so if I find something that works, I do it. I certainly understand wanting mechanical solutions first. But I don’t fault doctors for recommending solutions out of the box. It’s kind of refreshing, in some ways.
Claritin D also helps to prevent my MASSIVE nosebleeds all through the winter months when the furnace is going a lot. That plus a humidifier seems to fix my nosebleeds…and it helps my pod welts. So I go with it. And I recommend it as an option for others. 
Nothing to be appalled at for my allergy medication. Look up angioedema, that’s what I had. Nothing to do with Dexcom or pods but it would always hit while sleeping and almost got me to the ER a few times. I went to an allergist who basically said antihistamines won’t hurt me and are a reasonable preventative. So I take generic Allegra every morning and Zyrtec every night and have not had a single flare up since.
What I meant to say was that taking meds to deal with the Dexcom adhesive problem seems unnecessary when a barrier bandage stops the problem without exposing the wearer to the substance in Dexcom’s latest adhesive that triggers the allergic reaction. You had a different problem where you could not easily avoid the trigger, so I agree that meds are required.
A shout-out and thanks to @T1Allison for the Flonase suggestion! I tried it and the pod felt great all the way through the 3 days.
The itching is random, so I will need to try several more pods before I know that it works. But so far it’s been much better.
This solution - and the entire way the information was shared - really encapsulates the FUD experience.
Allison was a total stranger to me a few years ago. Now we are great friends. (Great enough that I would let her lock me in the trunk of her car without any complaints.) I had a problem and sought an answer. And she told me to try nasal medication on the pod site, because that is what she had tried. And since we are fast friends, of course I did it. And it worked!
Where else but on this great forum would something like that happen!
If mine itch its usually after day or two. I do an IV prep wipe before putting the pod on and if the skin is itchy afterward treat with some hydrocortisone cream. IDK if its great to use a lot of hydrocortisone so I avoid that unless its really bad.
Here is an update on this, and what I have found to be the best of all the things I tried.
(I tried all the recommendations on this thread, and even a few different ones.)
So far, I have found that I get the best results from this product:
It’s not 100% perfect, but it has been much better when using this. Some pods don’t itch at all. And the ones that do itch, it is not nearly as bad as it used to be.
@Eric (And everyone else) – Thank you for these suggestions…
One thing I personally found is I tend to use DOVE soap, when I shower, however generally treat the areas around current and next sensors/infusion sites with a second soap (usually Ivory or Jergens) , and avoid harsh scrubbing of next/previous site areas.
Another thing I discovered, is that not all Alcohol wipes/tampons are the same (and I use them consistently
Currently, I still have issues with one area of my body (Lower Left of body, near the back.
I’m still looking for a way to attach pods to the area w/o complications