# Why are my G5 sensors not lasting as long? **URL:** \ **Category:** C/GM\ **Tags:** cgm, dexcom\ **Created:** [November 6, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/why-are-my-g5-sensors-not-lasting-as-long/5420 "2018-11-06T21:28:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Beacher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a6a055/32.png) [@Beacher](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Beacher)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/why-are-my-g5-sensors-not-lasting-as-long/5420/41 "2019-02-21T14:02:02Z")
> [@Aaron](#): > > I was starting to see a bit of sensor noise although it was following my BG meter very well still. I’ve learned not to end a sensor just because of a noisy line. Once early in my CGM life I just rode it out for a day or so, the line eventually went smooth again, and I got another few weeks out of the sensor. Nor do I end it when it goes crazy up-and-down and then goes blank. I just wait an hour or three and it comes back all nice and friendly. Like a cat. ---
**Author:** ![Jen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/jen/32/4777_2.png) [@Jen](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Jen)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/why-are-my-g5-sensors-not-lasting-as-long/5420/42 "2019-02-21T16:08:52Z")
> [@Beacher](#): > > Once early in my CGM life I just rode it out for a day or so, the line eventually went smooth again, and I got another few weeks out of the sensor. > > Nor do I end it when it goes crazy up-and-down and then goes blank. I just wait an hour or three and it comes back all nice and friendly. Like a cat. This is my strategy, too. I once had a sensor that gave no useful data for a couple days despite a few restarts, but then came back and lasted another 10 days. Doing things like this is a big part of why I’m able to get a month out of each sensor. During the little to no data periods I go back to resting g 12x a day (or more). ---
**Author:** ![Michel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/michel/32/387_2.png) [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/why-are-my-g5-sensors-not-lasting-as-long/5420/43 "2019-02-21T16:11:47Z")
> [@Jen](#): > > This is my strategy, too. I am not sure how well it works for everyone though. We always wait for a while after the first time it stops. For us, very quickly (a day typically) it goes to missing 8 hours or more, at which stage we quit. The problem for us is that, without a CGM, it is really easy to miss large spikes that wreak havoc on an A1c. My son has a hard time knowing he is high unless he is _really_ high. And—the problem for us is that these days we often get this first miss on day 4 or 5. ---
**Author:** ![Jen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/jen/32/4777_2.png) [@Jen](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Jen)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/why-are-my-g5-sensors-not-lasting-as-long/5420/44 "2019-02-21T16:37:09Z")
> [@Michel](#): > > For us, very quickly (a day typically) it goes to missing 8 hours or more, at which stage we quit. The problem for us is that, without a CGM, it is really easy to miss large spikes that wreak havoc on an A1c. My son has a hard time knowing he is high unless he is _really_ high. I typically will restart the sensor if it doesn’t come back within 24 hours. And then restart two or three more times before giving up on it. 🙂 But I pay out of pocket. So I can’t say I’d necessarily go through this much effort if my sensors were covered. Without a CGM, I end up testing every hour at least, and sometimes more often than that. I also don’t feel highs or lows unless they get extreme. It’s not ideal, but I managed for more than 20 years (including adolescence) without a CGM. So I see it more as an extra bonus than an absolute necessity to survival. I would not want to give up my CGM permanently, but a few days of no data is not going to harm me as long as I’m testing a lot to stay on top of things. I can see how this view may be different for those who have had access to CGM from diagnosis. ---
**Author:** ![Chris](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/chris/32/382_2.png) [@Chris](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Chris)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/why-are-my-g5-sensors-not-lasting-as-long/5420/45 "2019-02-21T16:40:21Z")
> [@Jen](#): > > I would not want to give up my CGM permanently, but a few days of no data is not going to harm me as long as I’m testing a lot to stay on top of things. I can see how this view may be different for those who have had access to CGM from diagnosis. Interestingly, our CGM is covered, and my son will quite often take 2-5 days off the CGM when one dies. We feel like being able to function without a CGM is a good thing to practice. But we really wouldn’t want to be without this data for a long period of time. ---
**Author:** ![Kaelan](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/kaelan/32/989_2.png) [@Kaelan](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Kaelan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 11:29am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/why-are-my-g5-sensors-not-lasting-as-long/5420/46 "2019-02-24T11:29:13Z")
> [@Chris](#): > > my son will quite often take 2-5 days off the CGM when one dies. Does he correct less aggressively for his peaks then? ---
**Author:** ![Chris](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/chris/32/382_2.png) [@Chris](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Chris)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 6:36pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/why-are-my-g5-sensors-not-lasting-as-long/5420/47 "2019-02-24T18:36:42Z")
Yes, I wouldn’t say he is timid, because he is not, but he certainly doesn’t add a temp basal onto a peak. He will frequently stack on the big hormone peaks, but I would say he is quite a bit less aggressive without CGM. He also has to eat a lot more carbs, because his Basal IQ lands 80+% of his peaks with no carbs. [Previous page](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/why-are-my-g5-sensors-not-lasting-as-long/5420.md?page=2)