Comments on: MiniLinked! My Turn with the Guardian RT

By: meredith

meredith — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:04:32 +0000

I have the new DexCom 7 and, although it does take getting used to, I am happy to have it. I have already picked up trends that I didn’t realize before my most recent A1C was 5.5 and that was only after about 6 weeks.
My problem is that i am getting reactions to the filament of the sensor. Is anyone else experiencing this? It is super itchy and ends up leaving a lump under the skin when I take it out. The other thing that I don’t like is the (seriously) loud alarm that goes off during my classes. All of my classmates look over to see who didn’t turn their cell phone off.
The customer service with DexCom has been pretty good. I lost the receiver recently and they replaced it free of charge.

By: Andy

Andy — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:12:15 +0000

Hi !
Problem with MiniMed is that you need to buy sending device every 8 months (or so) and this is not cheap (around 1000 EUR in Europe). Problem is that sending device (white part on picture (Minilink transmitter)) has no exchangable battery, and after battery dies you need to buy new trasmitter. If your insurance doesn’t cover it, it’s quite a lot of money. Insurance company here where I live, covers Insulin pump (which supports this Guardian Sensor), but you need to buy transmiters and sensors by yourself (if you want to have it).
Andy

By: Brett

Brett — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 19:48:16 +0000

My 7 year old son has been using Dexcom since the Dexcom 3 first came out. We have had good success with it and very, very good customer service from Dexcom. We put the “bug” (as we call it) on the back of his arm (the triceps area). Usually get about 8 – 10 days of use out of it. It gets more accurate the longer it is on.

The Dexcom 3 was not waterproof which was a drag, but the Dexcom 7 is waterproof (the “bug” part — the receiver is not, so we keep it in a ziplock if swimming).

The syncing with the Ultra is an irritation (our usual meter is Freestyle Flash, so it’s annoying to have two meters) — it’s nice to see that they’re getting rid of that restriction.

To Camille, our warranty was much longer than 30 days, and Dexcom even replaced the receiver once when we lost it at a baseball game. Not sure if something changed since we bought ours or not, but our service experience with them was much better (or luckier?) than yours.

Oh, also to Camille or anyone syncing the Ultra to the Dexcom — it must be within range when you sync it or the sync will be wasted. I really wish the user interface was better in that area, and hopefully the next version will take care of it.

One last thing: a CGM has been extra helpful in the winter — the freestyle flash is extremely inaccurate in the cold — but the CGM has retained good accuracy even in the cold…

It has not been 100% accurate, though – as others have said, it will vary 10 – 25 points — but the trends are almost always right on.

Finally, for the future (a year or two down the road), Dexcom announced partnerships (?? or whatever it’s called) with Animas and Omnipod to integrate their CGM with their pumps. Since we use Animas already, we can’t have it happen soon enough!

By: Dan Fahey

Dan Fahey — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 04:06:47 +0000

To Connie:
Is this the brand new Dexcom 7?

To Amy:
Don’t you use the dexcom7? What’s your experience been?

By: camille johnson

camille johnson — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:21:59 +0000

I already posted a bit about my experience with DexCom7 CGM (paid for out of pocket! How do you folks get in on trials?) but it wasn’t posted because (???) it was probably too negative. Let’s just say that I had problems with every single part (and there are many) of the kit. Although DexCom replaced most of the parts at their expense, there ware days of waiting for the parts to be delivered since they used the cheapest form of USPO mail. I am really disappointed that DexCom would put this product on the market when it is SOOOOO buggy.

The final straw was when the blood sticks kept breaking because something in the monitor was jamming. DexCom refused to reimburse me for the sticks because “we don’t manufacture the test strips, and we are not responsible for reimbursing you if they don’t work.” I tried to explain that it wasn’t the strips, it was the monitor! They refused to reimburse me for the DexCom7 because it only has a 30 day warranty!!! 30 days??? Guess they know it doesn’t really work. I realized then that these people are desparate, to the point of being dishonest/ panic stricken / frantic …. Too bad. It’s a good idea but they’re going to get their butts sued. Any suggestions for getting my money back?

By: Dan Fahey

Dan Fahey — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:58:01 +0000

I’m considering the Omnipod, which of course doesn’t yet have a CGM, and am interested in a separate CGM like Dexcom or Guardian.
What Amy indicated seems to argue for the Dexcom at the moment and a new version would probably improve upon it.
Amy, like another commenter, I’d love to hear more about your experience with the Dexcom. Also, what’s it like managing two separate systems?

By: Angela

Angela — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:05:08 +0000

I’ve been wearing the MiniLink for about a year, and I love the quote Ali started out with. Perfect!

Amy, have you tried inserting the sensor horizontally? I could never make it stay in when inserted vertically. To control the flopping, I use BandAid Tough Strips. If you place one across the device from the tip of the sensor to the end of the transmitter, or slightly on the diagonal, it not only keeps the transmitter stable, but also helps keep the sensor canula in your body. Best of luck through the rest of your trial!

By: Jan

Jan — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:22:46 +0000

Amy, please post more about your experience using both the Dexcom and the Guardian. I am very interested in your experiences with both and which one is more accurate, in your opinion. Comparison information would be very helpful as most people cannot afford to buy both. My niece has the Minimed pump and we just started using the sensors. Main objection we have is the large introducer needle. We use EMLA to numb and she does not feel insertion, but her arm does get sore sometimes later on. We consistently get 9 days (but cannot seem to get more) out of each sensor if work on her arm. Sensor does not track high BG and low BG exactly. It tracks the trends. In our case, if sensor reads 180, she is 20 to 30 points higher than that. If it reads 90, she can be 60. However, she has never gone lower than 60 on the sensor and usually 70. We are very happy with the sensor but I feel the Dexcom would be so much more comfortable to wear and insert. That is my main gripe. Is it?

By: Ali

Ali — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:37:03 +0000

Jacque

http://www.insulinpumpforums.com has a good number of people using CGMS – you can always find lots of tips and advice there.

Hope that helps

Ali

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:00:56 +0000

In an article I just read in EE Times - http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206106997 the following is written: "Medtronic engineer presented an update on efforts to build an artificial pancreas. Medtronic already provides an implanted insulin pump that's activated manually, but the new device would automatically check blood-sugar levels and provide insulin as needed. We're working on a new algorithm, and we are confident this is the one we will put our chips on." All we can do is wish them the best.