Does anyone use something like the Dexcom 6? If so, what is you opinion, ease of use and cost?
Does anyone use something like the Dexcom 6? If so, what is you opinion, ease of use and cost?
Use a Libra currently, think it is a great thing to have over finger jabs. Mine is 14 days of use.
I use this one. Gives an alarm when sugar gets too high or low.
https://www.freestyleprovider.abbott...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
I have the G6 and really like it. The G7 just received fda approval and I will move to that once available. I pay a couple hundred dollars for a three month supply after insurance. Very easy to use and syncs up to your smartphone. The g6 doesn’t require you to calibrate the way the older models did but I find calibrating once or twice a day with finger sticks helps the accuracy. Usually my first day after changing to a new sensor the accuracy is a bit off so I always calibrate that day and will do finger sticks before bolusing insulin. This also syncs up with my tandem insulin pump which I really find helpful. I’d definitely recommend it
That’s what my girlfriend uses. She likes it.
I have used most of them. I have been using the libre freestyle for about 3 years with great success. The dexcom requires you to keep connected to your receiver/phone via bluetooth at all times and limits how far you can get from your phone. Which very annoying on a boat especially if you put your phone up when it rains and the phone disconnects. The dexcom will give you the ability to set alerts but only checks you glucosed on 5 minute intervals. The dexcom use a 10 day sensor and a transmitter that last 90 days I believe and the cost can add up quickly. The sensor transmitter combo is kind of big and bulky too.
The Libre Freestyle only uses a 14 day senor just a little bigger than a quarter. It doesn't stay connected to your phone, you just open the app put the phone near the sensor and scan. Then put your phone back up. For me this is a much better setup than the dexcom plus its about 1/3rd the cost. There is no alerting but there is a new version of the freestyle out that is similar to the dexcom.
In the end staying with in 20 ft of the phone at all times is what killed the Dexcom for me. I play basketball and swim so keeping a phone on me just didnt work. Feel free to PM if yo need more information.
Last edited by Gsmith223; 12-16-2022 at 08:57 AM.
True with what you said about distance. I use a pump alongside the Dexcom G6 (Tandem) so my BG is always on the pump screen making the distance a non-issue for me if I leave my phone somewhere out of reach.Originally Posted by Gsmith223
This^. My grandson who is type 1 has used the Dexcom G6 with a pump for about 4 years now, and at 12 y.o. he is able to monitor his own highs and lows. However, the pump also has Bluetooth which alerts his mom whenever she is within prescribed distance from him. They calibrate very seldom and seem to get reliable results. He is on children with disabilities insurance and pays a relatively nominal amount for his supplies, but sometimes reimbursement takes multiple calls…. My daughter the NP could explain the reasons why she prefers Dexcom, but grandpa cannot.
John Clark — Findlay, Ohio
My deceased wife was Type 1, full time monitor and pump, a true blessing.
The brands/models have changed in the past several years, I'm lost there.
However, definitely jump on it. Do the research needed to choose a device.
My friend was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and it is so sad. I don't know if he accepts something like that, but I will ask him. I only buy ozempic online because he can't find it in pharmacies. It works well for him especially when he is on a diet and active
Last edited by dinadore; 12-27-2022 at 11:25 AM.
Type 2 isn’t that bad. He can beat that will proper diet
Very true. I was diagnosed 1.5 years ago. Switched to OMAD/IF diet, still eat what I want within reason. Meds and Dexcom were a game changer. You can see in real-time how a particular food or meal affects your blood sugar. I dropped from 235lbs to 170. A1c from 9.8 to 5.3.
1997 Triton Tr-21
1999 Johnson 225HO
Libre, The CGM's are a game changer. If you are serious about controlling your numbers. It gives you an opportunity to see what affects your sugar, not just food but the time-of-day exercise ect.
You can make intelligent choices based upon facts.
Ohio river gets in the blood!
I've been Type II Diabetic since 02.
Used to ***** my finger occasionally. Not big believer in it.
Diet was best improvement, followed by weight loss of 25 lbs.
Lots of exercise, walk many miles each week, played hockey up until start of Covid.
I'm a metformin monkey, but a friend is on Osempic or whatever like that.
He claims it really helps curb his appetite.
I ran across this from another site i stumble over.
It’s estimated that over 400 million people around the world are living with diabetes, though that’s probably an underestimate, as almost half of all cases are undiagnosed. At the very least, 1 in 11 adults suffer from diabetes, and 90% of them have type 2 diabetes. There are several efficient drugs that can help keep type 2 diabetes under control, but it’s also known that a healthy diet and exercise can help keep the disease in check or even reverse. Now, a new study may have found a new weapon to do that: intermittent fasting.
zmescience.com
I agree with that statement 100% but I would also add exercise to help beat it. I let myself go to the point my A1C was 9.6 even though I was taking a high amount of medicine. It's a proven fact diet and exercise will reverse type 2 diabetes. When I was at a 9.6 A1C I was taking two 500mg metformin and one 5mg glipizide every morning and every night. That's 6 pills a day and my A1C was still out of control due to my poor choice of lifestyle. Since my A1C was not coming down my DR. put me on a new medicine. I can't recall the name but after about two weeks on the new medicine I was hospitalized for pancreatitis. The 4 days I spent in the hospital I was not allowed family visits because this was the peak of the Covid pandemic in my area. Anyways this gave me time to reflect and do some research and come up with a game plan.
Its been a little over 1.5 years and my A1C is 5.7 the last time I had it checked. I done this buy finding foods I like to eat that are low carb and low sugar. I also darn near eliminated any candy bars or unhealthy sweets I may eat. People ask me if I'm on a keto diet or what's the name of my diet. I simply tell them its called a healthy lifestyle diet. That any diet with a name is doomed to fail so you need to make a lifestyle change, not a fad diet change. Anyways, I might drink or eat something that contains a small amount of natural sugar but I avoid things like regular soda, candy bar, pie or cake. I instead drink one diet soda a day and drink unsweet brewed green tea or diet cranberry juice. Instead of pizza, breadsticks, pasta and potatoes and other high carb foods I eat something lower in carbs like salmon, tuna, chicken or turkey. I eat a lot of stir fry with broccoli, carrots, snow peas, mushrooms and onions along with other low carb veggies. I also pay attention to how food rates on the glycemic index. Heck I was type 2 for years and had no idea what the glycemic index was until I done my research. I can honestly say educating myself help give me the knowledge to make the right choices. For example I saw a banana, pineapple or watermelon as being a better choice than a candy bar or potato chips for a snack but to my surprise because of their high glycemic value they effect blood glucose levels in a similiar way. Hence why I say educating myself on how food impact blood glucose levels has been a huge plus in my journey. I lost about 45 pounds in a little over a year. In the last few months I've been holding steady at 215 ish. I could probably lose some more but my diet is somewhat of a high fat diet. Agian educating my self on the different kind of fats has help me with food choices. I eat Salmon 1-2 times a week and a decent size bag of mixed nuts every week and I have an avocado every single morning for breakfast. These are all consider foods high in fat but its the healthy omega 3 and monounsaturated fat. Again learning the difference between healthy and unhealthy fat has been another key to my food choices. My goal was to stay under 220 with 199 being an ultimate win. I'm probably not going to see 199 since I'm stuck at 215 but I'm okay with that as long as my A1C is below 7.
The final thing I will add is exercise. I started out slow and worked my way up to the current routine I have. In the last year I could count on one hand how many days I have missed exercise. I do 30 minutes on the treadmill daily. I start at 2.8 mph and work my way up to 3.2 mph and at the 28 minute mark I finish with a 2 minute jog at 5.7 mph. As soon as that is done I do 30 push ups and 15 sit ups. I jokingly say this makes me a lean mean F-ing machine because at 52 I'm more like I was at 32...In all serious though it is amazing what a proper diet and exercise can do for a person. Buy no means am I skinny because I'm a solid 215. Going from 6 pills a day to 1 slow release pill a day has been a huge boost to making me feel younger. Type 2 can be reversed through diet and exercise...
Sorry for the long reply but I had nothing better to do with it being 3* outside and a 15 mph windIf I inspire just one person it was worth taking the time to write this up
Last edited by JR19; 12-24-2022 at 03:28 PM.
I got a new Medtronic insulin pump in 2018. Due to leaving for a 3-month school with no options to go to the Dr or stop and do a phone appointment, I held off on it. Needless to say, once I got out of the school and started the new job, I never started the pump. I never used it, and it had two recalls on it. Not long ago I sent it back. There is now a new model out. With it, was a CGM. But now I have the ball rolling for CGM with the process of getting a new pump. But I have been thinking about the Dexcom. I just found out on a recent med visit that the Medtronic wasn't going to get you away from finger sticks due to calibrations and such. So now I am thinking about T-Slim with Decom G6. My current A1C was 6.7. But my hang up now is that I am getting 3 discs replaced January 3rd. So most everything is on hold.
Excellent Thread a whole lot of interesting information on Diabetes presented in a way you can understand and appreciate.
That’s what I love about this place! Read the whole thing, I don’t have diabetes…..yet
Mike Wright '07 Ranger 520vx
Henrico Va./Henrico NC.
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