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A question about CGM

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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MissMolly

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I was sponsored permanently with a CGM's in mid May. Previously I have only had them temporary and I've thought it worked so/so... In the past 2 weeks it hasn't worked at all for me. My BG meter shows one thing and the CGM shows something completely different which have left me very confused. I know for a fact that the CGM is 15 min behind in time but still the huge differens between BG meter and sensor is just unreal. BG has shown level of 4-5 mmol/l and CGM shown above 22.2 mmol/l I have felt good so I've known that above 22.2 is wrong. When I've asked my hospital they just keep saying that the CGM shows 15 min real time... and advise me to test sugar level again.

Have any of you had any similar experience???

Thanx for any advise or share of experience.
 
Hi Missmolly, I don't have any personal experience, but I do know that people report the occasional problems with the sensors, so it is a possibility that you have a batch that are not working well. The response from your hospital seems very vague and unhelpful. How often do you change the sensors, and what makev of system is it? Knowing the type may help others to suggest what may be wrong. We have recently had a thread from another member who has reported excellent results, so it is possible to get good results and not just mediocre ones.

See also:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=19120
http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=19211

Hopefully someone will be able to offer more information! 🙂
 
Hi Missmolly

Welcome to the forum. I have had a Dexcom 7 CGM for the past three weeks and have found that on the whole the results have been really good. The only real problems I've had have been within 12 hours of inserting the new sensor and when I've needed to replace the sensor. What make is your CGM? Have you changed the sensor since you had these problems? Was it just one result that was incorrect. Sorry for all the questions - look forward to hearing from you.
 
Hi MissMolly,

Great that you've got permanent funding for a CGM, I'm jealous!

I've borrowed a CGM only once before for a couple of weeks, but had a thread running at that time asking for advice. Depending on which CGM you have, you might find some tips in the thread useful:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=15189

The best advice I had was to try to callibrate when BG is within range and fairly steady. If BG is on its way up or down this is likely to confuse the sensor. I tended to callibrate 3 or 4 hours after a meal when I knew BG had settled. Also, stay well hydrated - not sure why this helps, but it does! So make sure you drink plenty water.

Hope it improves soon.
 
Hi Molly I've just remembered that with the Dexcom 7 you should not have paracetamol. If you have paracetamol it will make the CGM numers go completely strange as ihave found this afternoon. I was warned about this by the company before I bought the CGM.
 
Hiya,

Thanx for u'r reply.

I can't remember the make... its the one who belongs to Minimed Paradigm pump... I've been told to change it every 6 days because of the medical prices... but I have to change it every 72h/ 3days. I already have ended up with a skin infection so yea life quality vs price??? 🙄

I have recalibrated whenever I have notice they haven't match sometimes it has worked better other times not. I don't eat any other medc's so shouldn't matter in this case, I know I am not drinking enough so might matter here? I will try...

(I have been struggleing with awful hypo's in the past 6.5 years and I'm going unconscious a few times every week (at times every day) which has left me with bad memory of all sorts.)
 
Hi MissMolly,

Yes, it was the CGM linked to Minimed Paradigm that I used too. On the skin issue, I found it fairly uncomfortable at times too though didn't have it long enough to find anything that helped! Make sure you rotate the site regularly all over your stomach so there's no one area being suffocated too much.

Re the hypos, this sounds awful :( How much support do you get from your care team? Do you have someone at home with you most of the time who knows what to do when you lose consciousness? It must be very scary. Do you have your pump/CGM set to alert you when BG is dropping/low?

I'd be careful not too callibrate too much, and as I said try to only callibrate when BG is steady. Definitely give that a go along with drinking more water. If you're still having no luck I'd get in touch with your DSN or Medtronic themselves as you could have a faulty CGM. If not, they should be able to help get to the root of the problem.
 
I'd definitely get in touch with Medtronic.

Re the skin problems, have you tried putting things like Tegaderm, padding etc underneath the transmitter to stop the skin issues, thus prolonging the life of the sensor?
 
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