I have been using an animal pump for a very long time and recently switched to medtronic 670g with guardian 3 cgm. I am HIGHLY allergic to the tape for the sensor. I need to help!! Any suggestions for sensitive skin barriers/protectant etc? I started with clean skin, no barrier and that formed a rash within 2 days I had to remove the sensor. The next I used skin tac barrier and after 1 day I had a rash. That was 5 days ago and the rash is still so itchy and the shape of the tape.
I called medtronic and they were surprisingly unhelpful and told me to ask my pharmacist.
The only thing I can think of is trying tegaderm instead of the tape.
@Weloverumi Hi Laurie. I too am very sensitive to the medtonic tape. A couple of things to try. First have Medtronic send you a tape sample kit. Most of it is intended to stick things better but there is a good variety of different tapes to try. I’ve used iv3000 tape by Smith and nephew. Their infusion set tapes work well. I also use grifgrips. They handle showers and humidity well for me. Some people like simpatches. If you search on Medtronic and tape there are a few conversations that can give you other ideas. Check dexcom conversations too.
@Weloverumi your tegaderm suggestion is what works best for me. I put a tegaderm down, insert through the tegaderm so the sensor tape sticks to the tegaderm. Irritation at the site now happens only very rarely for me.
Dexcom officially doesn’t recommend inserting through something like Tegaderm, but when I asked why, they said it simply hasn’t been officially tested, and they can’t recommend something they haven’t tested. They can’t test everything. It works very well for me, though. I’ve used it with both Dexcom and Minimed CGM.
My Medtronic trainer suggested that I put Flonase on the area before the tape. I have not had a problem since. I used a generic brand. Swab with alcohol as usual and let dry. Put the Flonase on your fingers and spread it onto the area. Let it dry before inserting the CGM.
I am also allergic to the Medtronic tape for the CGM and the tape for the sensor. Have tried different tapes and also reacted to the SkinTac, but I’ve had better luck with the IV3000, Tegaderm, a Smith & Nephew barrier called SkinPrep, and the Simpatch (Griffgrips didn’t work as well for me; started peeling after a few days). I hadn’t thought about inserting the senors through the Tegarderm or trying Flonase, but will the next time I need to change the CGM. I’m glad I joined this forum; thanks for all the tips!
I have been on the 670G pump along with the Guardian Sensor3 for over 90 days now and I have bought all the different tapes my Pump support person told me to get. I am still having the same issues. My skin looks pretty bad it is painful and the itching is the worst part of it all. is it possible the sensor can be the issue here? Has anyone heard of their body actually rejecting the sensor?
@sharif Shari - what tapes have you tried? Also, I have reaction to many adhesives (the Medtronic sensor tapes are particularly nasty for me) on my abs and don’t use this location at all. Have you tried different locations
I can use thighs and arms. For me, Flonase as a protection barrier followed by S&N IV3000 and grifgrips works best. ?
As for some suggestions - grifgrips, simpatches, smith and nephew have several different choices, tegaderm, fixic patches, sugar patches, skintac, bard protective wipes, Flonase (used topically), there is a Benadryl itch relief spray that some use… There are more out there. Try a search on Amazon for “guardian 3 sensor tape” to get started.
Thank you Kathy…
I have bought and used for sensitive skin a tape called Nexcare. I have purchased all from Medtronic.
the Skin Tac and Tegaderm, KT tape.
You actually insert the sensor on your thigh? Maybe that is what I need to do. I thought it would be too far for the sensor and pump to read each other.
HI Shari. @sharif Yep - use my thighs and arms. I just can’t get the sensors to work on my abs. I get about 3 days out of the sensor and the SG values are all over the place when using my abs. A couple of other things to consider.
When you get a new type of tape, take a piece of it and just put it on (no sensor or anything) and see if it will work for you without irritation. I need 12 - 24 hours to see if it is going to be okay from an irritation standpoint and you also want to see how it stands up to showers, etc.
if you try your thigh, make sure the transmitter is on top (with the sensor connector pointing up). This is gravity issue (or so my trainer, who suggested the thigh, told me). You don’t want the transmitter pulling down on the sensor.
One group that I belong to that has helped a lot with ideas for dealing with 670g issues is a Facebook group called “Medtronic 670G Support Group”. You might want to check it out.
Hi @Anne98 Anne. I use both the top and outer thigh as part of the rotation I’ve come up with. Same with my upper arms. Inner thigh doesn’t work that well for me - I get a lot of bleeders. But some people really like the inner thigh. I think it all depends on how your body is built and reacts to the sensors.
Hello! here LADA since January 2014. In the beginning I used Dexcom and two years later I switched to pump with Medtronic GCM. From the beginning I could not use any of the tapes provided by dexcom or medtronic, it simply rips my skin and produces a local allergic reaction. I started using kinesiotape (which is relatively economical if you think it is a roll of several meters) to protect the sensor, it is water resistant, flexible and very gentle to the skin, but it is a 5 cm wide tape so it does not perfectly covers the sensor. I live in Chile and but I discovered a company in the US that sells patches “for GCM users” that are the same material as the kinesiotape but with dimensions “made to fit over the sensors”. Do not interfere with the readings, I do not get allergy or destroy my skin and depending on which part of the body you use your GCM (arm, thigh) you may need to change the patch on the fourth day as it begins to detach at the edges by rubbing. I do not use any other type of patch or adhesive. I leave the link for you to try and I hope it works for you!
Hi. I saw that you mentioned the possibility of being allergic to the actual sensor itself. I am wondering thevsane thing. The burns that I get look as though it’s from the very edge of the actual device. The part covered by tape isn’t the problem. It’s like a partial outline of the plastic unit that is taped in place. Not the area that has tape on it.
Hi Laurin @Weloverumi
First of all let me just say, I completely relate to you! I get such bad rashes after taking my Guardian Sensor off!
Unfortunately, I don’t really know what to do before putting the tape on. But after talking to my doctor about it, he said I could try rubbing Witch Hazel on it. It helps a lot but smells awful so instead I use eczema creams (Cetaphil, Sudocream. I don’t know if they sell them where you live though).
To get a better opinion though, I strongly suggest talking to your doctor or visiting some sort of place that specialises in skin care.
Milana