Just a little theary about seasor placement.(that I find interesting)

[rayray119]

So I'm currently using dexcom one.

A few weeks after diagnosed I was giving the libre but they turned out to be a nightmare and just stop working all the time for me.and I had to give them up in the end.

I'm now four days into 3rd dexcom one seasor and none of them have given up one me this one on me to seem to have gone a little out when compared to a figer pricks but as I said this morning I've been on antibiotics over the weekend and have read posts from others online that when they were put on antibiotics it seemed to affect there dexcom readings and if that's the case that's nothing do with the tech

anyway that's enough waffle my point to the post was it got me wonder weather where you place is suited more different people as because when I was on the libre I would put it on my arms as that was the only approved site. And I wear dexcom one seasors on my stomach(mainly because I can use two hands there because that transmitter is fiddly) so thought it would be interesting to to see others thoughts.

 

[SB2015]

Hi @rayray119
From reading posts people do position their sensors in different places to suit them. This maybe because of how the sensor behaves, or due to the types of activity they are involved in. When I used Libre like you Inused my arms, and I found I needed to insert the next sensor 24 hours before I activated it. I think the issues around that may have changed with the more up to date Libres, and I do not do that for my current sensors (Medtronic Guardian 4)

I usually use my arm because I have a spare pair of hands available to help tape it and attach the transmitter. However if I have to do it myself I use my abdomen for the reason you point out- it is good to have two hands available. I am not sure that I notice any big difference in the outcome as I am looping and the pump seems to sort things out.

 

[Thebearcametoo]

My kid usually uses his arms for his dexcom but he has used his belly and on occasion his leg. It’s worked basically fine everywhere.

 

[rayray119]

My kid usually uses his arms for his dexcom but he has used his belly and on occasion his leg. It’s worked basically fine everywhere.

It was just a therroy because of the issues I used get with the libre. Perherps it was just them then.

 

[rayray119]

Hi @rayray119
From reading posts people do position their sensors in different places to suit them. This maybe because of how the sensor behaves, or due to the types of activity they are involved in. When I used Libre like you Inused my arms, and I found I needed to insert the next sensor 24 hours before I activated it. I think the issues around that may have changed with the more up to date Libres, and I do not do that for my current sensors (Medtronic Guardian 4)

You can't insert dexcom 24 hours before because of needing reuse the transmitter and could imagine it would get quite uncomfortable without it).

 

[Inka]

I find one of my arms fussier about sensor placement than the other. If I put it too high on that arm, it can go a bit funny. I assume it’s a slimmer arm than the other one. I do find I have ‘best’ places on the arm for my G7 but I’ve only ever used my arm. I have no fat on my tummy and I use my thighs for pump cannulas.

So yes, I think sometimes placement does matter.

 

[rayray119]

I find one of my arms fussier about sensor placement than the other. If I put it too high on that arm, it can go a bit funny. I assume it’s a slimmer arm than the other one. I do find I have ‘best’ places on the arm for my G7 but I’ve only ever used my arm. I have no fat on my tummy and I use my thighs for pump cannulas.

So yes, I think sometimes placement does matter.

Well I do inject into my stomach because anywhere else it's very easier to catche. I did question weather that would effect things when I was given it. They didn't think it would and it mostly hassrny seem to.

 

[SB2015]

You can't insert dexcom 24 hours before because of needing reuse the transmitter and could imagine it would get quite uncomfortable without it).

It would be possible for me to insert a sensor a day early and not put the transmitter in until the following day, once it is taken out from previous sensor and recharged. I have not tied this yet and just accept a bit of a wobble at the start of a new sensor. Not sure what system you use. They are all different in subtle ways.

 

[rayray119]

Not sure what system you use. They are all different in subtle ways.

I'm on dexcom one

 

[rebrascora]

Can you not apply the new Dexcom One sensor the day before the old one is due to expire and then swap the transmitter over when the old one comes to the end of it's life and start the new one?

 

[rayray119]

Can you not apply the new Dexcom One sensor the day before the old one is due to expire and then swap the transmitter over when the old one comes to the end of it's life and start the new one?

Well the why the sensor is I can imagine it getting rather uncomfortable if you happened to accidentally lay on it. Plus the code you use to start the seasors is on the paper you pull away on top on the seasor before applying it. It may case it would also take up more of stomach but as I said it hasn't really seemed to need it.

 

[Tdm]

I use dexcom 6. When on libre i found it very useful to insert a day or two in advance, but find the dexcom pretty much spot on from the start.
I somtimes use my belly but prefer the back of the arms. You can't see it there and its easier to forget about it then

 

[rayray119]

I use dexcom 6. When on libre i found it very useful to insert a day or two in advance, but find the dexcom pretty much spot on from the start.
I somtimes use my belly but prefer the back of the arms. You can't see it there and its easier to forget about it then

Ah yeah as said the reason I put it. Where I do is the use of two hands I don't think I would manage the transmitter one handed it's fiddlely enough with two haha 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I think you may be right that different sensors (or placement) suits different people.

I used to use Medtronic sensors on my abdomen (as you say it's so much easier there with 2 hands free), and they were a bit patchy for me. Once I moved to arms I haven’t looked back! All my sensors go there now. 🙂

 

[rayray119]

I'm now four days into 3rd dexcom one seasor and none of them have given up one me this one on me to seem to have gone a little out when compared to a figer pricks.

Having said this i can now see the frustration thats something been expressed with regards to dexcom sometimes being laggy. I had thought that antibiotics at the moment were making it read a bit higher then what I actually was and I thought myself "well if that's the case I can work with that". So I set the alarm at 5.9 thinking "well that should avoid me actually getting low). But that was just not the case alarm went off a 5.6 but by that time a finger prick said I was 3.6 a second one said 2.9(I think I was heading down quite fast and I did start feeling it after the first finger prick) ho hum 🙂

 

[Leadinglights]

Having said this i can now see the frustration thats something been expressed with regards to dexcom sometimes being laggy. I had thought that antibiotics at the moment were making it read a bit higher then what I actually was and I thought myself "well if that's the case I can work with that". So I set the alarm at 5.9 thinking "well that should avoid me actually getting low). But that was just not the case alarm went off a 5.6 but by that time a finger prick said I was 3.6 a second one said 2.9(I think I was heading down quite fast and I did start feeling it after the first finger prick) ho hum 🙂

I assume you have now got your new finger prick monitor and you weren't relying on one that was dodgy.

 

[rayray119]

I assume you have now got your new finger prick monitor and you weren't relying on one that was dodgy.

Yes it's a new one received in the post this morning . Although I do think I do one you mean was reading accurately when it did decide to work for again for a little bit Dexcom did slowly catch up in the end instance and got down to reading 3.8 the above post was just a causal statement: )

 

[rayray119]

I used to use Medtronic sensors on my abdomen (as you say it's so much easier there with 2 hands free), and they were a patchy for me. Once I moved to arms I haven’t looked back! All my sensors go there now. 🙂

I probably would try a dexcom one on my arm just to see if the performed in the same way there if I thought I could manage it but I really don't think I would manage to get the transmitter in place 🙂

 

[mikeyB]

I use Dexccom G7, and I alternate between my left arm and on my abdomen on the left side. Why do I that? Because i can't sleep on my left side because of osteoarthritis in my left hip.

It makes no difference on their accuracy - they are usually accurate on either site. And if they do vary too much from BG test, you can calibrate with the BG test, and from that point they maintain their accuracy. Libre don't provide you with that, so you just think it's a duff sensor. G6 allows that. I don't think it's a feature of the Dexcom One

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Libre don't provide you with that, so you just think it's a duff sensor.

I find Libre is either good enough as it is or it's just way out. And when it's way out there's no kind of calibration that could be useful (it's reading between 2.9 and 3.2 or something). While I know xDrip+ does allow calibration I'm inclined to agree with the author of Juggluco who says the range of Libre sensors is small enough that calibration probably doesn't add that much value.