Enlite Sensor review (Week 5)

Read my blog entry! :smiley:

http://t1dbalance.blogspot.com/2014/02/enlite-sensors-week-5.html

Thank you for such an honest and informative review of the Medtronic Enlite @MaggieJo!!

I know from experience they probably provided extra tape because the earlier version was pretty flimsy. I would like to try it out myself to see because honestly, I never really had an issue with MM CGM other than it really hurt at injection and it didnā€™t stick to my body AT ALL! IV Prep, IV5000 all that was useless for me!

Just FYI, you can also use the blog feature right here on TypeOneNation to blog if you want on your profile page.

Thank you for posting the link to your blog post. I am currently debating switching from the old mm sensor to the new one. My transmitter is no good so I either pay for a new one or upgrade my whole pump (even more $). I appreciate your overview. Itā€™s helping me make my decision :slight_smile:

@Gina: I mentioned how I was worried about the sensor sticking when I went to training with the Medtronic rep/nurse and she was so excited to point out that they include the extra tape. Then she referenced this pdf file on the Medtronic website:

Only when I went to change it I realized I couldnā€™t remove the old piece! Iā€™m really worried about when I start swimming this summer. I have some old sensors Iā€™m considering using if I really need (though I donā€™t really want to go back to that painful insertion!).

@fraida: I thought the transmitter was only $35 or something, but Iā€™m not seeing it on the Medtronic store now. Did you check to see if itā€™s covered under warranty? It is the same transmitter you use with both sensors. The FDA has not approved use of the Enlite sensor without the 530G (the newest) pump but I think it is still possible to use them with the old pump, as well as use the old sensors with the new pump.
Iā€™m glad I was helpful to you!

I did not realize that it is the same transmitter for both pumps! That is really useful information for me. They told me it was at least a few hundred dollars for a new transmitter. Donā€™t recall exact amount. It is all so expensive because I havenā€™t met my yearly deductible yet with my insurance. Once I do, everything is covered better. Iā€™ll call Medtronic tomorrow :slight_smile: Iā€™m really missing having a sensor!

Okay, for those of you using the Enlite I am on my 4th week and 2 of those weeks I have had bad readings from my Enlite sensors. One only lasted 4 days and when i called in I was told it was ā€œpingingā€ meaning the insertion site was probably not taped down enough and the cannula was coming out and not reading correctly. The other time I injected in and held against my skin for 10 seconds, but when I released it the entire set got caught in the delivery device and I could not use it. I touch the tape and it was NOT sticky.

You have to calibrate 3-4 times a day ā€“ more then the other sensor. Only within normal range.

So far, I give it a 3 out of 5. Maybe I need a little more fine tuning.

They did send me 3 replacement Enlites.

Hey All,
I am fairly new to the whole CGM thing, and I am horribly excited since I have extreme Hypoglycemic episodes and I am also hypoglycemic unaware. I am having some issue though with the Electrode/cannula being too long (I donā€™t have a lot of fatty tissue (I have been using, Ahem, my buttocks since there is a bit more padding there), however, Medtronic says that they donā€™t recommend non-abdominal areas for usage with their CGM, and when I am able to sit down, I am often concerned that I might damage the sensor/transmitter. With this latest sensor, I have used my belly, but OUCH! For days now every time I bend or stretch it feels like I am getting stabbed with a needle; and when I set it, I too had profuse bleeding, and it has since turned to a bad bruise. Would anyone happen to know does Medtronic make a sensor with a shorter electrode/cannula? That would make life a lot easier.

@kilroy

I do not believe they make a shorter cannula on the invite as they feel that that is the right depth that it needs to be for most people.

You could always call them and talk to one of their customer service agents and spend two hours on the phone and get nowhere if you feel like wasting your time.

Iā€™ve had some profuse bleeding as well if I happen to hit a larger vain instead of it going into the small capillaries of my stomach.

I tend to use the outer portions of my stomach area to insert the Enlite CGM.

After recent bout of having four Enlite sensors not working for me I both complained on their Facebook webpage and I also received a call to help verify that I was doing things the right way. They looked over my data sheet which is partier care link. They could not see that I was doing anything wrong and they said they would send me a new box of sensors for my trouble which I had to explain it to our conversation.

I asked him if I could use other locations and they said that while itā€™s not FDA approved so long as my doctor was okay with it I could insert it wherever it made sense. They simply said that they were not able to have me inserted in any other location other than my stomach since they are still under FDA approval.

While I am generally happy with the Enlite and over all it does have a lot of glitches and I find from time to time I am very unhappy with the sensor itself.

If you were very thin and donā€™t have a lot of body fat or nobody fat then I would contact your endocrinologist and ask him or her what they would suggest.

I wish you the best of luck, I really would not call Medtronic because you will be wasting your time that is my opinion.

Scott

Scott,
Thank you; after already having spent a great deal of time dealing with Medtronicā€™s Customer Support Team (Iā€™ve only been on their pump for 3 months now, and Iā€™ve already had to have them replace the pump once due to an A64 error.), I can agree with you, dealing with them is an exercise in futility. So thank you for answering my question! :slight_smile:

@kilroy

Since I got mine last November Iā€™ve had my pump replaced 2 times due to motor error and something else. I am sorry that you are having so much of a challenge!

I have used it in my leg with success.

Scott

My son is 4 and we place the enlite at the top of his bottom cheek, he doesnā€™t feel it often on insertion, never complains it hurts when itā€™s in. Use the enlite tape, just 1, and an IV3000 over it. Skin safe spray under to help stick and lift plus to help remove sticky! Love the low glucose suspend feature.