In living long enough to have experienced every device in the Diabetes bio-tech product offerings list I can honestly say that while the marketing of the way the new Dexcom G6 system works is pretty awesome it doesn’t live up to it’s claims.
Listed are the following items you might want to consider before pulling the trigger to replace your G5 unit.
All experiences with this device are my own and do not reflect those of some users, however; I encourage you to go to the boards and look at the many posts reviewing the new system for further decision making input.
The unit is not always accurate (30-100 point deviance off actual blood test readings).
This is a concern if you are considering the software link to allow the device to control your insulin pump dosing.
The ability to manually calibrate this has been taken away in the new system and at the very best you can wait for 3 hours to see an accurate number.
The adhesive pads for sensors do not stick and my experience with this has been that in 5/5 sensors the average time I can keep one on is 3 days before they start to peel. As I did not have issues with adhesive except some skin reaction in the first 4 years but did have issues with adhesive sticking for my G5 in the last year before moving to the G6 I can only surmise that Dexcom is either skimping on the glue or they have changed it and it doesn’t work. I have had to implement using IV Prep at added OPC to keep them on and this is both an unhealthy alternative and reflects manufacturers defect in product. They are wasting a crazy number of devices to keep resending them to me and defeating the 10 day wear claim.
If I sleep on the sensor (pressure) it either reads a sudden drop in blood sugar or turns off data completely. I’ve not slept much in the last week and am angry at the idea that the only sites I can guarantee won’t suffer this malfunction are my abdomen and thigh front.
Dexcom customer service is so aggressively geared towards blaming the patient and choosing not to actually do anything about the problems other than replace the sensor, that I will now be reporting every single sensor failure or issue with the device to the FDA. I know… the FDA is not our friend these days… but at least they have to document and if enough reaches them they have to act.
I’ve been around the block a few decades and this new ideology amongst bio-tech companies that we as people with Diabetes are simply a cog in the wheel of profiteering but it doesn’t matter whether the product actually works… only that we believe it does at point of sale… when in fact it’s being misrepresented... is just not okay or professional.
The above listed issues have not made life or Diabetes management easier but instead have added to the amount of time it takes to keep Dexcom’s problem running and on the road and the stress of wearing yet another gadget that while it may be harming me does not help me in a significant way. It has taken away from the time I use to do my job as a professional to spend so much on the phone with the Dexcom customer service representatives who are in desperate need of sensitivity training.
I initially loved the idea that I would be able to sleep for the first time in 54 years when I got my first Dex…. but alas the only activity it has proven useful for is to track trending when I ride my bike, IF the readings are correct based on fingerstick… and IF the device can keep up with fluctuations which it appears incapable of doing.
At the end of the day it’s an individual decision to engage a device to do the job for you, and I totally get it that bruised and battered fingers from sticking are just plain evil… but the device is not in my opinion proving it’s value in the benefit to risk department.
Dexcom G6 grade: D-
Ciao for now… hope this helps… contact me if you need further info