Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jonah on October 9, 2011 at 8:20pm

Mine do last. The only things I have tried, all of which helped but aren't really necessary are: I shave the area before putting the sensor on if it's a particularly hairy area ('cause I'm a hairy guy) and if it's on my arm, sometimes I put an armband over it. Sometimes towards the end of a sensor's life I put on a bandaid to keep it on but I'm hesitant to do that.

Permalink Reply by olu Oog on October 10, 2011 at 7:38am

This is the product you need from the American Diabetes Wholesale... "Smith and Nephew OPSITE Flexifix Dressing 2in x 11yd" Someone in this forum reccomended it a while back, I bought it and it solved all problems related to the white sensor pad falling off or even the itch that goes with it.

Permalink Reply by Kelly WPA on October 10, 2011 at 8:18am

I agree about the Flexifix - it is the best stuff out there in my opinion!

Permalink Reply by jrtpup on October 10, 2011 at 4:23pm

+3 on the Flexifix. It doesn't come off no matter what. I cut 4 thin strips, one for each side of the adhesive, as soon as it starts to loosen. Max time I've gone is 22 days and the stuff was still going strong.

Permalink Reply by Kate on October 13, 2011 at 7:14am

+1

Permalink Reply by 2Dogs on October 10, 2011 at 8:19pm

after i place the Dexcom on and start it, I put a 3M Tegaderm (1624W) skin/film over it. You should cut a template in the center of the Tegaderm first. You can cut off the white fabric of the the one you just removed and use that as a template by tracing around it. When you cut it with a single edge blade, cut about an 1/8" inside the trace line. With a steady hands and a good eye put it over the top. Perfection isn't necessary, but this will keep the white cloth very fresh. On day 12 of my current sensor I just replaced the tegaderm since it was showing signs of curling at the edges. It pulled off clean and the white cloth still looked as fresh as when I put it on 12 days earlier. If you do a search with the words tegaderm and dexcom, you'll see several threads of others who do the same thing. Good luck

Permalink Reply by Brett on October 11, 2011 at 8:49am

I too am a fan of the Smith & Nephew Opsite Flexifix 2 Inch x 11 Yards Transparent Film Dressing. I've also used Smith and Nephew Opsite IV 3000 1-Hand 2 3/8 Inches x 2 3/4 Inches Transparent Adhesive Dressing. I shave the spots where I wear the sensor - the upper side of my thigh is by far the best spot for me (not supported by Dexcom). After cleaning the area with alcohol, I put the tape down and put the sensor on top of it so that the white adhesion pad is actually adhering to the Flexifix tape and not the skin directly. After a week or so, I may need put a strip of tape here or there to keep the edges tacked down. I've gone 25 days with this method and got good numbers the whole time. I took that sensor off because I got freaked out that it was in one spot for so long! I hope to find that money spot again and see how far I can push it. In the short time I've been a Dexcom user, I've averaged about 18 days per sensor.

With the Opsite IV 3000 1-Hand adhesive, I let the sensor poke a whole through the adhesive strip, although Dexcom does not approve. Wearing the sensor on the thigh is convenient because it's so close to my front pocket; I very rarely bump it and I can put the receiver in my pocket and hardly ever lose transmission. You can find the Smith and Nephew products on Amazon for a reasonable price. Local medical supply stores generally charge more.

Permalink Reply by jrtpup on October 11, 2011 at 10:07am

So you're shooting the sensor through the tape with no problems? Interesting!

I also find my thighs the best spots for me, though much more towards inner thigh than outer. Just have to be careful it's not under the seam of my jeans!

Permalink Reply by Korrie on October 11, 2011 at 7:10pm

Everyone has great replies, I have probably used most of the suggestions. To add to the mix - there is mastisol - when I insert above my belt line I tend to get peeling edges more so than below belt line insetions. I will use a q-tip and "paint" the edges with mastisol but everything has to be dry in order for it to adhere. I will "paint" as needed during the life of the sensor. Also I will use a blow dryer on low setting to "dry" the sensor after showers. Does not seem to hurt anything so figure why not! Also after insertion I will take the skin-tac pad and "soak" the tape of the sensor from the outside. That seems to help also.

Permalink Reply by MegaMinxX on October 12, 2011 at 7:37pm

A suggestion I heard a while back was to use Glad 'press and seal' to cover the sensor during the shower to reduce how wet it gets. It's similar to saran wrap, but has a 'tacky' side that sticks to skin well, and then easily removes.

Permalink Reply by Will D on October 17, 2011 at 7:56pm

You might try this. Everytime you get out of the shower, or out of the water period. Use a towel and firmly press down on the adhesive pad in order to dry it. I swim, water ski, shower and all with no trouble doing this. Before if I would just let it dry it would come off quciker. Usually not using flexifix until week 2.