Placement of Dexcom

[Chelseagirl]

Hi
I’ve used Dexcom G7 for 10 months. Always used upper arms, no problems except at start of 10 day session. Place on front of upper arms as I am a back sleeper and kept losing signal. Now changed to One+ as I am a self funder. No problems with that either. What I would like to hear are views on is placement. I have no issues with it being seen by others, my neighbours daughter calls it my Microsoft chip! Luckily it wasn’t affected by Crowdstrike! The only thing I am finding is that now the sun has arrived and I love my garden, I am beginning to look like a Dalek. I tried a G7 on stomach, but it failed. Now I don’t know if this was coincidence or my belly is not happy, but I am loathe to go through the aggro getting it replaced. Any views?

 

[beating_my_betes]

I placed my first sensor on the back of my left upper arm. Worked fine, but was problematic at night due to the way I sleep. I now have the second sensor on the opposite arm, on the inside of the arm, along the side of my bicep. Will see how I get on.

 

[Inka]

I’ve used G7 for around 18 months @Chelseagirl and I always put it on my upper arm pretty much where I used to put my Libre - so, on the back ie on the side opposite to my bicep. I haven’t had any problems when sleeping (I sleep on my sides and back). I’m careful about Dexcom placement and take a minute or two to verify the best place rather than just stamping it on the back of my arm like I’ve seen some people do.

My stomach is too slim for a CGM and I imagine it would be uncomfortable.

Edited to add, I’m aware of which side my G7is when I sleep and try to sleep on the opposite side, but when I want/need to sleep on the Dexcom arm, I just put my hand under that arm away from the sensor, so the sensor is held up slightly. Very hard to describe, but simple and comfortable to do.

 

[nonethewiser]

Use full length of my upper arms, I'm not bothered if it's on show so that helps.

You can get over patches for Dexcom sensors, have them for my G6 but don't use them that often if honest.

 

[rebrascora]

I am mostly a back sleeper and my Libre goes on the back of my upper arm with no problems. The weight of just your arm on the mattress is unlikely to cause a compression low, it is only when you have it on the outside of your arm and you lie with more of your body weight on it that compression lows generally happen. Like @Inka I have developed a technique of putting my other hand under the arm just above the elbow of my sensor arm if I decide to sleep on that side to just raise the sensor part of the arm off the mattress a bit, which seems to work well and it is surprising how you can form an unconscious habit of doing this, a bit like learning not to roll out of bed during your sleep or roll into your partner. Most people do have spatial awareness even whilst asleep.