Hello there! I’m mom to an 8 year old boy who was just diagnosed in January 2015. I am really wanting to talk to his Endocrinologist about getting him a CGM & if they are covered by our state insurance (if not I’ll figure a way to get funding). So…our next visit is coming up in a couple weeks & I would like to go in with a little more knowledge of peoples opinions of the different types. So, please…I want to hear your reviews, good & bad of ones you have tried or suggestions you may have! While T1D is not new to our family…all this technology for it is! My nieces & nephews were all diagnosed in the 90’s & things weren’t quite so tech savvy then! Lay your wisdom on me!!
Check out the Dexcom CGM and Minimed Insulin pump. I don’t use Minimed CGM because its not as accurate and is painful in my opinion.
Hi there!
I’ve been using the EnLite ssensors with the Minimed system for a little over a year and they are huge improvement over medtronics original sensors which had a harpoon-like needle and a clackey and alarming insertion device. With the new sensors I often don’t even feel the needle with insertion. I really love the threshold suspend feature. Though, In the interest of full disclosure I have been having a lot of trouble with calibration lately. As a result I have often had to turn my sensor off in the middle of the night because it is reading low and automatically suspending and then alarming when my BG is actually 110. (It’s not good for the sleep schedule!) Medtronic is very good about replacing sensors if you have issues. I am hoping that the issues I’m having are just a bad box of sensors but I haven’t determined that yet.
Also, with regard to your insurance coverage, when I replaced my pump and transmitter recently I was not able to get the insurance to cover it through my usual medical supply place, but when I went directly through Medtronic it worked perfectly. I hope that helps.
I tried both the Minimed and Dexcom systems years ago, and neither worked well at all. My pump recently went off warranty, so I asked for a “test drive” of the new MM Enlite version, and it worked so much better. Bottom line is I love the MM pump and their service, and I’m not going to wear two devices on me, so it was going to be Enlite or nothing. Keep in mind that CGM works by measuring electrical impulses caused by BG changes in our interstitial fluid and converting it to a BG reading - it doesn’t actually measure our BG, so the data will be imperfect at times, especially during periods of rapid BG fluctuation.
I only have experience with the Dexcom, but it has been really easy to use. I have trouble with the tape staying on, so I am looking into getting skintac before summer swimming begins. I have heard that this adhesive works really well. The biggest benefit for me has been catching nighttime lows.
I’m mom to an 8 year old boy who was just diagnosed in January 2015.
Whether or not CGM is a good idea can depend on the person using it. I was shocked a few months ago when someone posted that they felt that the feedback about their BG (Blood Glucose) from the CGM was very stressful.
My reaction has been pretty much the direct opposite. I like having a better idea where I am at and where I am going.
You did not mention what sort of treatment your son is currently getting. Is he on MDI or is he using a pump? With Medtronic CGM the pump and the CGM are pretty much a package deal. Dexcom is stand alone and would be a better fit for someone using MDI.
While your endocrinologist may know something about the insurance coverage, usually an even better source of information is the company. Try calling the Dexcom help line as see what they can tell you.
Hello. I have a 10 yr old son who was just diagnosed in Feb 2015. We just started using the Dexcom G4 with Share technology about 3 weeks ago. I cannot tell you how much we love this! Being able to see where he is at at anytime- even when he is not with us is puts us at ease. And we can actually sleep at night again! Our endo suggested we get it. We called Dexcom and they took care of everything for us. They called our dr and our insurance and we had the system within a week. Getting the adhesive part to stay can be an issue, but we use medical tape to secure it and that works even while swimming. My son doesn’t really like having the receiver stuck to him while swimming but he just wears a swim shirt now and is fine. I at first thought we could only do a CGM if we had a pump too but you don’t have to have the pump. My son is not sure about the pump yet. The accuracy of the CGM is great, but there are times it is off. It seems to be getting better the longer we use it. This thing is such a stress reliever for us. Especially at night!
I just switched from the MM enlite to the Dexcom G4. For one week I wore both because the enlite was on its 2nd week and I was anxious to start the Dexcom. I must report they were only about 5 points apart all week. I really like the MM sending the results to the pump. Everyone says the Dexcom is more accurate so I will try it a while. I almost lost the receiver twice, once it slipped off my waistband where it was clipped and once it fell in a taxi when I had it in my pocket. I got it back both times and will try it. I also have the My Sentry and really miss looking at that at night. I wish all companies would share information.
I use the Dexcom. I’ve used nothing to compare it to.
I love having my wife being able to sleep without checking me for sweat all night. I love not only know what my reading is, but THE DIRECTION it is heading. Very valuable.
As far as accuracy, I find that if I calibrate it during a rapid change state, the accuracy can be quite a bit off. If I avoid that, it’s usually within a couple points of my meter. I’m not sure that’s technically accurate, but it’s what I’ve noticed.
I’m also very active, crawl behind equipment, under floors, in attics and play several games of competitive soccer a week. The supplied tape would last about an hour on me. I use tegaderm (brand name, I’m sure there’s others). It’s not officially approved but makes a HUGE difference.
Hope this helps someone else.
The Dexcom has a much better reputation than the Medtronic CGM. There are Dexcom user groups on Facebook where you can ask all the questions you want. There is much helpful information given by the members of those groups. Many people are saying that even the newest Dexcom, with the G4 sensor, will occasionally give some false readings. When the CGM gives an alarm for a high or a low, you should always check with your meter before eating to correct a low, or using insulin to correct a high. I wish I could use the Dexcom G4, but I am 75 and Medicare does not cover CGM’s.
My 7yr old (nearly 8!) was diagnosed with T1D just over a year ago. We went through a few stages of injection devices: standard needles, pen-type system, and lastly the system he’s happiest with…the pump.
We are using the OmniPod system, with a disposable (replaced every 3 days) miniature pump that wirelessly talks to the PDM. The PDM is the controller for the setting stored in each Pod and it’s also the BG “checker”. I say “checker” because we check his BG, we don’t test him.
We used the pump system for a few months before getting our 1st CGM, a Dexcom unit. At that time the unit didn’t have share. Going from needles to a pump system was a huge leap forward for us and our son. Then getting CGM data on top of that made management so much better.
Our newest Dexcom unit now has “Share” which means it connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone. I used an old phone I had, and connect his CGM receiver to it. Then I get that phone internet access. Now my wife or I can see his number by checking our own phones. Plus no more “What’s your number?” questions to him…we just look at his phone in his supply pack to see it.
I’ve got nothing else to compare it to, but so far we’re very happy with the Dexcom unit.