Dexcom one

[Donna binczik]

Hi all, I've recently started the Dexcom One on trial. After advise as since its been fitted my levels have been all over the place, lots of hypos and then going very high. I know it's been very hot which can affect things but has anyone else had this issue. Thanks

 

[helli]

Are you checking any of these highs and lows with finger pricks and taking into consideration the known limitations of CGMs?
For example, so the hypos occur at night when you maybe lying on the sensor and causing a compression low which you are treating unnecessarily causing a high?

 

[Inka]

Hi all, I've recently started the Dexcom One on trial. After advise as since its been fitted my levels have been all over the place, lots of hypos and then going very high. I know it's been very hot which can affect things but has anyone else had this issue. Thanks

It could well be the hot weather. The insulin is used faster, meaning blood sugar goes low, you treat the low but by this stage the insulin is running out so you go high.

As @helli said, ‘odd’ results should be finger-prick checked. The insertion of a Dexcom sensor (or any other sensor) wouldn’t affect your blood sugar directly. My money’s on the heat. When did you insert the sensor?

 

[Donna binczik]

I've had it for nearly 2 weeks now. I've never experienced this before. Do I need more long acting insulin then if weather really hot

 

[Inka]

Ok, so you’ve recently started a new sensor?

If the weather affects your diabetes, you need to work out if you need less, more or the same basal insulin and less, more or the same bolus insulin. Looking at when you’re going high and low can help you. If you’re going low after your meals (see above) you could experiment with moving your injection time.

How long have you had Type 1?

 

[helli]

I've had it for nearly 2 weeks now. I've never experienced this before. Do I need more long acting insulin then if weather really hot

Do you check the Dexcom readings with a finger prick?
It is best to discount CGM issues before ending up in a rabbit warren of unnecessary insulin tweaks.

 

[rebrascora]

If you were not using a CGM before and the Dexcom One is your first sensor system, then it can be a shock to see what your levels are actually doing between finger pricks. They were likely doing this before but you just were not able to see it, so it can make you feel like things are going haywire when they are not.
If you are getting high spikes after meals, which is what the CGMs often highlight, then adjusting your prebolus timing should help to flatten the spikes rather than more insulin.... assuming you are coming back down into range by the next meal. Any lows/hypos need to be double checked with a finger prick before treating unless you feel obviously hypo because CGM can exaggerate the highs and lows or report false lows if you lie on the sensor during the night. You should also finger prick 15 mins after a hypo treatment to check for recovery rather than rely on the sensor, because often the sensor will show your levels as continuing to drop, when you are actually recovering. 30 mins late it will generall have corrected itself and be back on track but if you rely on it for this 15 min post hypo treatment check, you will over treat your hypos and end up too high.

CGM systems are amazing, game changing bits of kit, but they do have limitations and you need to understand those to make them work well for you. There is lots of information about it's limitations on the forum and I think there is a sticky post in the Pups and technology section entitled Limitations of CGM or something like that. It will be one of the first posts in that section.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hi all, I've recently started the Dexcom One on trial. After advise as since its been fitted my levels have been all over the place, lots of hypos and then going very high. I know it's been very hot which can affect things but has anyone else had this issue. Thanks

Firstly as already asked are you checking the sensor reading against a finger poke?
First 24 hours are a complete pain in the article regarding accurate readings with the Dexcom.
If your finger pokes are widely different to sensor then obviously you have a problem with the sensor. The problem is normally an insertion issue (user error) So replace it.

 

[rebrascora]

Can you post a photo of a typical days Dexcom graph so that we can see what your levels are doing?