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Medtronic now limiting replacement Guardian sensors!

P

Pigeon

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I'm having a "good" batch of sensors lately, but had one detach in the pool earlier. On requesting a replacement, I got a notification that only 6 replacements are allowed per 90 days and I've exceeded that! I went through a few batches where none lasted 7 days and I always asked for replacements, but clearly they've now started limiting that! Bit rubbish when it's not a very robust product and the replacement Simplera we were promised now seems to not be happening!

This is on top of the new repeat ordering system that they set up without notifying users, so like many of you I only found out when I tried to use the E Shop. Not impressed!
 
I think I read somewhere that Dexcom were also limiting replacements. I am not sure if that is only for ones that drop or get knocked off. It certainly shouldn't be for faulty ones.
 
Medtrum did something similar.
They limited the number of replacement sensors based on guaranteeing and average of 10 days per sensor over 4 sensors.
I only hit this limit once in about 3 years
 
Oh gawd - as if 'us lot' don't already have enough to cope with. Having said that - I really haven't had all that many probs with Libre 3, which my Ypsomed pump relies on for closed loop. 99% of Libre's I've ever had have adhered to me like limpets. I've never as an adult wanted or need to spend very much time in swimming pools - can't swim very much (though I know I can float providing I'm able to breathe again) and very much dislike immersing my face and getting water up my nose! Only really tempted to do it if too hot and the pool is cooler, cos a soak for while seems to eventually get to your core and cool that down a bit, for a while.
 
rebrascora said:
I think I read somewhere that Dexcom were also limiting replacements. I am not sure if that is only for ones that drop or get knocked off. It certainly shouldn't be for faulty ones.
Click to expand...
It's for none failed sensors...eg ones that need to be removed for scan or are knocked off. They allow 3 a year, which should be fine for most people
 
From recent experience, not all failed sensors are replaced. On the 24th May, I had a Guardian 4 sensor that failed to calibrate and gave repeated requests for calibration, unsuccessful each time, from 6pm up to midnight. As I needed to sleep because I had an urgent commitment in the morning, I called Medtronic and asked what to do. I was told to switch off the sensor and change it, and a replacement had already been requested. On the 28th May, with the new sensor, I had "Sensor Updating" for about six hours, then "Sensor not working, replace sensor". As one can no longer order replacements online, I used the WeCare app. The order was acknowledged by e-mail within a few hours, and the replacement sensor arrived from Heerlen within a couple of days (i.e. very quickly). The replacement received is not the first order as, by that timescale, the second would be on the way by now. From the fact that the original poster, Pigeon, was only notified of the arbitrary limit on replacements when it had been exceeded, I gather we need to be ready to do without sensors for a period. (Rather inconvenient ...) At my next appointment, I will be asking the hospital pump clinic consultant if something other than finger-prick testing can be prescribed for use in such a situation.
 
Surely we have an absolute legal consumer right for articles that don't work to be replaced, be it blenders, tvs or sensors?
Its not for the manufacturers to arbitarily say that its ok for their product to fail and they won't replace.
Also, not really up to the nhs to step in and pay out when private companies fail to fulfil their obligations
 
Simplera sensors can be reordered online using the WeCare app (I have 2 coming my way for a couple that failed at 3 days.

I wonder if the limits on G4s are because production of those is winding down?

Hope your area gets access to Simpleras soon @Pigeon

I’ve been on them a year now and when they work (which the vast majority have) they are so simple to use.
 
I am very envious, @everydayupsanddowns. When I spoke to a member of Medtronic staff (in person) on the 7th of May, explaining my problem with skin damage from the G4 adhesive, she said that they simply did not have the manufacturing capability to allow everyone to use Simplera. They needed to build a couple of factories, and priority would then go to younger people (I am past 70). I have stopped looking forward to Simplera as a solution.
 
I knew the rollout was expected to be gradual, but that’s really sad to hear @JohnWhi :(
 
Wow! Well I’ve not heard any official announcements. I wonder what that means?!

Just my speculation, but it seems like they are pausing the rollout - either while they get manufacturing scaled-up, or perhaps Simpleras aren’t performing as they’d hoped “in the wild”?
 
Still shown on https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/products/simplera-cgm-system though the page code indicates the last update was 12th December 2024: <meta property="og:updated_time" content="2024-12-12T01:18:26+00:00"/>
If one looks on https://www.medtronic.com/uk-en/pat.../about-diabetes/continuous-glucose-monitoring one has the message (Shout Capitals removed): 'The requested URL [as given above] was not found on our server' etc. I think we may need to be patient. As we were told in an e-mail last month, Medtronic Diabetes has now split from Medtronic and is a separate company. Some of the problems we have encountered may possibly result from this.
 
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