Hey!
I was just wondering where you guys put your Sensor. I have a Dexcom. I wear it on my stomach a lot, but was just wondering where everyone else puts it! Also, any tips on how to keep the sensor sticking to you? I’ve been having trouble lately with my sensor staying on!
April
Hi!
I was diagnosed March of this year and the first thing I did was order a Dexcom. I also wear it on my abdomen, but I’ve heard of others wearing it on their muffin top areas. I too have trouble with the adhesive because I exercise a lot, so I just tape mine on. If you get info on how to improve that let me know!
I also wanted to ask you, do you have problems with your sensor bleeding after insertion, question marks, and inaccurate readings? Mine either works perfectly or not at all and it drives me crazy!
Nice to meet you!
Jules
Nice to meet you! I will definitely let you know what I find out! I usually do end up taping, but the only thing is that my skin is VERY sensitive to tape and it ends up getting very irritated. Sometimes to the point where it will peel my skin off!
Yes. Sometimes I will bleed after I insert it. Sometimes I hit it by accident on something and it will bleed after that too. I use the Animas Vibe, which has the dexcom built into the pump, so it’s all in one. I get the question mark readings a lot! And you’re right…it drives me crazy. I also get an “Antenna” reading a lot, which is like saying it’s too far away, but it will literally be right next to me! As with inaccurate readings, I don’t usually have a problem with that. My dexcom and my meter usually match up pretty well. There have been a couple times when the readings were way different from each other. Maybe call dexcom and ask about it though because it should be working all the time!
Have you tried Skin Tac Wipes? I can keep my sensor on with no problem in hot humid weather & swimming by using Skin Tac. I create a donut & then insert the sensor in the donut hole & then use Skin Tac again on the sensor tape. Try it & see if it works for you.
I wear the Dexcom on my upper thighs, slightly toward the inside so the don’t rub on something in my lap. I also put the vertically. I tape the edges fo their tape with opsite flexifix. They stay on two weeks without any problem.
@alr010 - I put my daughters on her muffin top area toward her back - kind of above her butt cheek area - no problems and with skin-tac has stayed on with swimming and bathing for almost 3 weeks at a time. I do the same as @kath run a donut shape before applying and then run around the outside cloth of the Dex sensor after applying to skin - either before or after inserting the sensor.
@lilburg - as far as the bleeding goes - do you pinch yourself while pushing the plunger in? I know they tell you to do that - but because of how the insertion needle is designed, I think it might not be the best advice. Without going into too much detail, I think that pinching up on the skin can cause interference between your skin and the insertion needle and cause bleeding - I feel when this happens the blood around the area can either throw the sensor off or make it prematurely fail completely. Next time you insert a new sensor, try no pinching and let me know if you think the bleeding goes away - I believe it should or be very minimized.
I used to use my stomach when I first went on the Dexcom, but that is one of my least favorite places now. It kills when you put it in and it just lasted a week or maybe a week and a half. I now use my arms most of the time. I am also quite thin and the back of my arms where there isn’t much muscle is a great place. I have taught myself to put them in by myself, which was quite daunting in the beginning. I use Tegaderm when they start to peel around the edges when they’re on my arm and when they’re on my thigh, I use Hypafix. A sensor usually last 2 to 3 weeks and if they last longer, I will change them anyway after 3 weeks.
I rotate around my waist and on the back of my arms. In order to keep it on and to avoid the rash I get from the tape I first use a skin barrier spray or wipe and then I paint skin tac on and then put on my Dexcom. This method works well for me and I can get 2 weeks of service before the tape is too loose.
@janlb - Have you ever tried Johnson & Johnson Tough Pads? We actually cut a hole in the pad for the sensor to go through and attach the sensor to the tough pad using skin-tac before we even apply the sensor to the body. then once the sensor is attached and inserted we use skin-tac around the outside of the tough pad and skin area - on occasion we’ve gotten close to 3 weeks with this method - but a guaranteed 2 weeks min.
Thank you all for getting back to me! It is very much appreciated! I’m going to give some of these a try! Thank you so much!
I use liquid Skin Tac and “paint” the edges of the sensor adhesive. Rarely have trouble with it coming loose. I put the sensor on the back of my arms about half way between shoulder and armpit. Works well for me there and saves my abdomen for my infusion sets.
Do you have to wear clothing with really loose sleeves? And how do you insert it one-handed? I have never used my arms for anything, because I wear tight-fitting clothes on the weekends and cannot figure out how I could insert any sensor one-handed.
cannot figure out how I could insert any sensor one-handed.There are a number of videos on YouTube and probably other video sites. You can take a look at them to see if anything suggested in one of them resonates with you.
As an example, here’s one from “DiabeticDanica” Arm Dexcom G4 Sensor Insertion Tutorial!. Take note of the exclamation mark in the title and be warned. She really is that over the top cheerful through pretty much the entire video. Oh, well.
I also use SkinTac and TacAway for my sensors. I wear a Dexcom G4 Platinum. I either use my stomach or I use my backside, just below my pants line. This site took a little bit of getting used to and a little bit of playing around with to find the “sweet spot” that gave me the best readings and worked the best for me.
Good luck and hope this helps!
Caroline
Hi!
I switch mine between the sides of my stomach. I know you can wear it on your backside as well. I have a prescription for a skin tape that helps a lot! I was experiencing the same problem as you were. The downside to it is you have to get a prescription from your doctor or diabetic educator to use it. One benefit to it is it’s less painful to take off as compared to regular tape. I hope this helps!
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Ashley
I tried my stomach once and felt like I jabbed a harpoon through myself. I am really really thing (6’2"/150) so finding a little subQ fat has been a challenge. I have finally perfected one small spot one back of each arm. I insert mine the opposite direction as diabeticdanica because her way I feel the sensor wire jab me all day-esp when inbend my arms.
Once the new sensor is stuck on, I use my one hand to lift the skin off my arm (I don’t have enough ® fat to pinch) then I use the counter top to press the inserting needle two clicks, let go with my hand and quickly pull the collar up. It gets pretty easy after you do it once or twice
I wear mine on the abdomen, and I buy rolls of really thin J&J medical adhesive tape, which has just enough adhesive to stay on for a few days. I put it over the edge of the transmitter so some of it is on the transmitter and some on my skin. This minimizes the risk of the transmitter catching on something that brushes by it. I use the Medtronic CGM, not familiar with the other brands, but they all have to have some sort of battery to power the transmitter, and the battery is what takes up most of the space and weight.
@alr010 I know I’m a little late in the game, I hope you have found a working solution by now but if you haven’t… I just started using Dexcom G5, I was hesitant because I used the minimed cgm when it came out years ago and it was horrible, and I also have terribly sensitive skin, tegaderm and all make me a hive covered monster! But with Dex I started using liquid SkinTac, I put it on in a donut shape under the pad for Dex and then on the actual white tape itself, let it dry, and ta-da! No issues for me so far and its been a few weeks, no peeling, no itching, it’s great! The only possible problem would be it seems to make the white pad a little stiff or hard and that takes some getting used to, but I can deal with that better than hives and itching and having tape peel off after a day or two. If you found anything else that works for you I’d love to hear about it!!
Last year, I began using the CGM . I wore it on the back of both of my arms. I began to develop severe rashes at my CGM sites due to the tape on the CGM. I have tried many products and many differed kinds of tapes but nothing worked. I am off the CGM because I don’t want to risk getting worse rashes. The ones I’ve had took more than a month to go away. I’ve used Johnson and Johnson Tough Pads as well as Tegaderm. Aside from the rashes, I really like the CGM. Does anyone else experience this problem? Also, I’ve tried many kinds of tapes to keep the CGM from falling off throughout the course of the week, but so far, nothing has worked.
Good question and good luck. Everyone is a little different (skin types and tolerances). I run, bike, play hockey, and such and have worn a sensor for 7 years (and a pump for 20). The backside below the belt-line is great; except for sitting in comfort seats for extended times. I use Skin-Tac on my skin before inserting the sensor. Use an alcohol swab afterwards to reduce some of the excess stickiness (hate to have your underwear sticking to your skin). I can wear my Dexcom G5 for about 3 weeks doing this. When I remove it, I will use Detachol just to clean the area and get any residual adhesive off. It is kind of weird in the summer, but I have worn my sensor on the back of my bicep when I was doing a longer run. With long sleeve shirts, the sensor is barely noticeable. Good luck!