Continuous Glucose Monitor Users

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Comment by Joe on November 5, 2009 at 6:54pm

I use the Guardian Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring System its great

Insertion

Put the new sensor in and let it "get wet" a few hours before attaching the transmitter and starting it up. So check your old sensor timer and maybe a few hours before the old one expires pop the new one in.

Make sure you put the sensor in at a 60 degree angle.

If you put in a new sensor and the site bleeds or there is trauma, you may want to wait an hour or so before attaching and starting it up. When there is blood, the sensor will sometimes report "Lost Sensor" or "Sensor Bad" - waiting it out for a few hours usually helps.

Calibration:
Only calibrate when your numbers are not moving. If you just ate, or just injected, then that's a bad time to calibrate. I try to do it when I first get up and just before meals - when I know I am not moving the sensor is reading interstational fluid (the juice between the cells in your body) rather than the blood flowing through your capilary system - they have figured out that interstational fluid is roughly 15 minutes behind the blood - so when you calibrate it is important to be steady

The sensor relies on the last 4 calibrations - so if you mess one up (your numbers were moving when you calibrated) the sensor will be off until you do four more calibrations - I have found that re-starting the sensor (tell it there is a new sensor) wipes out the bad data - others will do a calibration every 15 minutes for an (glucose steady) hour to force the bad calibration out.

Good luck with it all I love it.

The sensor - when well calibrated - seems very accurate between ~60 (3.3) - ~190 (10.5) - above or below that it seems to get a little off.

Comment by Joe D. Deaver on November 3, 2009 at 9:10pm

After being on a Medtronic pump for 8 years, I finally added a CGMS today at my endo's office. Hopefully, I'll get this calibration thing down before long.

Comment by Ginny Traynor on October 20, 2009 at 3:01pm

Angi, I'm with you. I also had chronic problems with the CGMS, went through all the calibration instruction a thousand times, nothing worked. My BG readings were as much as 100 points different from what the CGMS reading was. I think the technology needs to be improved.

Comment by Angi on October 15, 2009 at 2:56pm

Unfortunately Doretta, those of us having chronic problems with the CGMS have been through all the calibration instruction a thousand times. As I mentioned, I've worked with many specialists and supervisors at Minimed, as well as my trainer, and have followed their instructions to a tee, but it doesn't help. We are all frustrated, but I'm glad it's working for you.

Comment by Doretta Reily on October 15, 2009 at 2:00pm

Problems with accuracy are largely due to calibration. This is incredibly important with a CMGS. I've used the Minimed CGM for nearly 3 years now and absolutely love it. With CMGS of any brand, there is a learning curve. It may take a few weeks or a few months, or possibly even longer, but it's well worth the time and effort that it takes. For anyone who's using the Minimed CMGS and still experiencing problems, I would suggest that you call the 24-hour support line with your questions and issues. Also I would advise getting back in touch with your Minimed CGMS trainer. Between these two options, that should give you a lot of help.

Comment by Gerhart Friedel on October 15, 2009 at 10:59am

I share the frustration of those of you who get mixed results with the MM CGM. For me I've been on the device for almost 3-years & still have very mixed results. I do not believe it has anything to do with insertion technique or placement in my case. Sometimes it's close (within the advertised 20% accuracy), but more often it's outside that range & even in some cases off by an order of magnitude (for example the CGM saying I'm 94 & my BG reading is 212). I struggle with questions about why I continue to be frustrated with the expense & porr results. But on the other hand, I really want it to work.

Comment by Ron on October 15, 2009 at 8:27am

I feel that it largely depends on your body's physiology. My MM CGMS has been fabulous. Sure, sometimes there is a discrepency more than I care for, but most of the time I am real close or right on.
I'm sorry it is not working out for you Angi. I wonder if a different system would work better for you.
I sure wish you well.

Comment by Don on October 15, 2009 at 8:18am

"We wonder if there are some differences in body chemistry that might cause it, no other way to explain it. "
Yes, MM's sensor technology seems really prone to either working or not and I wonder if someday there will be a way to analyze interstitial fluid and determine which CGM will work best.

Comment by Angi on October 15, 2009 at 8:07am

I hate to come to this conclusion because I'm not a quitter, but I have to conclude that the Minimed CGMS simply doesn't work on me. My doctor is at Mayo Clinic, and she is finding that it either works very well for people, or not at all. We wonder if there are some differences in body chemistry that might cause it, no other way to explain it. I've worked with a multitude of specialists on it, but my numbers always flatline during the night, and my calibrations are almost always 40 points off or more. In another month or so I can probably qualify for a new transmitter; perhaps that will help.

Comment by Rebecca on October 15, 2009 at 7:13am

I have been a Dexcom owner for a month and a half now and have found that 90% of the readings are within 10% of my meter readings. I actually get upset with it if there's more than a 10 point difference between the readings now because it's usually so good! If they are way off I have a couple times done a second finger stick reading and realized from that that the Dex had the more accurate reading. I trialed the Minimed CGM for 3 days last summer and found I was lucky if it was within 50 points of my fingerstick reading. There was one point when my sugars crashed (after eating I was at 52!) and the Minimed CGM never dropped below 90. It was pretty much useless for me. I'd encourage you to try other CGM's (if possible) and find one that works the way you need it to.

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