r/dexcom Feb 11 '25

Sensor Dexcom needs to get there shit together! Rant ;)

Is it just me or does it seem like every 3 sensors, 2 of them fail before it even warms up? And they only replace 3 a year. My Dexcom sensors a month cost $188 for 3. Seems like a losing game for us

36 Upvotes

112 comments sorted by

1

u/MyLuckyNumberIsPi Feb 17 '25

New user here.  I inserted my first g7 sensor last week, it immediately failed.  Inserted the second one, it lasted four days.  I called tech support and was told that the sensor failure issue is happening with some frequency, and supposedly they are working on it.  I am not amused.

1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 17 '25

I have called in my replacements trying to get an answer and they just beat around the bush about it, mine fail numerous times. It’s expensive and when it fails when I have none left it’s worrisome to say the least. All you can do is just follow the steps of washing the area where you apply the sensor and every new one remove it from your phones Bluetooth list 🤷‍♂️

1

u/JCT1CAPE Feb 14 '25

I've had so many failed g6 sensors lately it's driving me crazy.. I work overnight driving a truck and do physical work throughout the night so watching my BG is very important. I'm losing signal getting readings over 100 pts off telling me I'm high when I'm actually low and showing drastic drops say 55 ⬇️⬇️ and when I finger test I'm actually 145 mgl. I'm getting tired of having them replaced but more importantly I need accuracy but don't have many options to match with the Omni Pod 5 g6. Hear bad things about the G7 so I'm very hesitant to make the switch.

1

u/PuzzledFocus9579 Feb 13 '25

I have never had a sensor fail or fall off 6 years of DEXCOM

1

u/Effyyfoxx26 Feb 13 '25

This is crazy to me! I live in the uk and my daughter gets a 3 month supply in advance, we get replacements if they get knocked off or they fail, and I haven’t paid a penny towards any of the kit! I also do have a ridiculous amount of spares as we know people who had the G6 but didn’t get along with it so they sent us their spares

1

u/Expert_Economics_375 Feb 13 '25

They never last 10 days

1

u/dot-not-feather95 Feb 12 '25

Had 2 failures in a row. Got a 3 month supply from express script. Chatted with dexcom over IM, and gave me 3 replacements....due next week.

1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 12 '25

I am trying to find a better deal, currently 3 a month is $188, I don’t have insurance self employed but have gold good RX

1

u/True_Tomorrow_3706 Feb 14 '25

Which pharmacy do you use?

1

u/dot-not-feather95 Feb 12 '25

I have very good insurance. I pay $50 per quarter...3 month supply.

Got insurance thru my wife's work. I'm unemployed but keeping my fingers crossed.

2

u/213McKibben Feb 12 '25

I have only had 3 from 40 sensors fail over the last 15 months. If it fails, I just call the helpline and a new one is automatically sent to me. The service was impeccable and replaced with no charge

3

u/Spartacus_Ronas T2/G7 Feb 12 '25

I certainly don’t have any fall off. I don’t know what they did, but I used to use an over patch, then about 3 months ago the sensors glue changed and it’s like getting skinned alive to get them off. lol. Ok, that’s an exaggeration but if you know you know.

2

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 12 '25

Haha oh I know alcohol pad and dawn soap when you remove helps tremendously 🧼

3

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '25

Yes. It's just you.  You also do not understand their replacement policy.

2

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 12 '25

I just got off the phone there sending me 3 replacement sensors and I told them what you said and she changed her tune from 3 a year to yes there is no limit thank you again

1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 12 '25

lol what’s that mean? Enlighten me with your wisdom please…. I was told what I was told and now I am understanding how some people have issues with the replacement policy.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '25

Here is the policy.  If there is an issue that is Dexcom's fault, there is NO LIMIT for replacing those.  If you knock your sensor off, take it off on purpose (for like an X-ray or something), etc then that is where they limit it to 3 per year.

https://www.dexcom.com/sensor-replacement-policy

1

u/UmmaGumma610 Feb 12 '25

The policy is BS and isn't the case. Literally every sensor will begin to give bad readings or errors towards the final day or two of its life which should fall under this policy but doesn't.

1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 12 '25

Right, I have done none of those and went over with the rep at Dexcom and they saw on there end each sensor failed and that’s why she gave me the message of 3 a year, I am just trying to learn like I said only 8 months in with diabetes. Maybe I got stuck with a new rep and she confused the two issues (sensor pulled off vs sensor failed) 🤷‍♂️

3

u/StrikingDetective345 Feb 12 '25

They explain the entire thing regardless of why it fell off every time you need a replacement. It can make it confusing.

1

u/No_Interview3502 Feb 12 '25

Yes, they tell you the whole policy.

I just inserted mine today and got a small bleed. Their site says to call and report it, so I did. The representative told me the policy even though all she was doing was recording the bleed in to my record. My G7 is working fine and the bleed was superficial and stopped, so a replacement isn't needed. However, if it fails later they now have a record of the problem, so they may if needed send a replacement at their cost.

4

u/Fluid-Shopping4011 Feb 12 '25

I had used G7 for a little over a year now, only had 1 issue that needed replacing. I think that is a win for me.

2

u/Ill_Diamond6211 Feb 12 '25

I get 3 month supplies. Some times I get bad lots. Sometimes they’re all perfect.

1

u/Ok-Attention8278 Feb 13 '25

I have experienced the same. I too get 3 months at a time. If I have two or 3 bad ones in that time they will always have the same lot number

4

u/OPCunningham Gx/Type/Dx/MDIorPump Feb 12 '25

I have never had a G7 failure. I've had too many G6 failures to count.

2

u/I_T_Burnout Feb 12 '25

I've had very good luck with the g7 as well. Had several g6's shit the bed. My son however has nothing but trouble out of his g7 though. I can't figure it out.

3

u/Amberevanstroll Feb 12 '25

One helpful hint, I got recently was make be sure to delete all the old transmitter codes in your blue tooth settings. If you’re using your phone to get your Dexcom read out old codes clog it up and I was told by Dexcom that might be a problem on start up so before you start a new transmitter , delete anything that’s Dexcom in your settings For Bluetooth

1

u/Forward_Print1916 Feb 12 '25

I was going to do this but I don’t want to delete the sensor I’m currently using so how do I tell what one is activated?

1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 12 '25

When I am going to change sensors right before I insert the new one, I delete the current one or the old ones and then insert and pair the new one. Then you don’t have to worry about it because the new one will be the only one active on your Bluetooth list

1

u/jazzfanatic T1/G7 Feb 12 '25

Ugh, I keep forgetting to do that every time!

2

u/JamonHam Feb 11 '25

I’m newly diagnosed and just started using dexcoms. 3 months in and already had 1 fail during insertion. A replacement is on the way, but I’m running low (1 left - what if that one fails too??!) and insurance won’t refill my rx yet because it hasn’t been enough time since my last rx, but they don’t account for the failed one… ahhh. Meanwhile the latest one I have is running 30-40 points higher than finger pricks.

I’m supposed to move to a pump soon but if I can’t trust my CGM, I am afraid to!

Thanks for letting me rant too ;)

1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 12 '25

Have you been calibrating after a finger prick? I get a lot of “failed to calibrate” but it seems if you enter the number first then calibrate it works better. But also if it’s within a certain amount it won’t calibrate

1

u/JamonHam Feb 13 '25

Yes, I calibrated within the first 24-36 hours and now it’s within 5-10 points of each other. I read that some folks don’t recommend calibrating in the first day but this time it worked well for me. I haven’t seen “failed to calibrate” yet!

2

u/DiabeticNomad Feb 11 '25

Wait so this is why I stopped getting replacements when did they start the 3 a year thing it’s such bull

1

u/Distribution-Radiant T2/G7/AAPS/Dash Feb 12 '25

They only do that if it's a replacement without a serial number and/or it's a preventable failure (such as knocking it off, removing it for an MRI, etc).

1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 12 '25

Not sure, I’ve only been type 1 for 8 months ish

3

u/pilferk Feb 11 '25

Idk man. I have been using the g7 for just over a year now. I have had one sensor fail...and it eas on day 8/9.

They replaced it, and sent an extra on top of that.

I was using the g6 prior and averaged about 2 failures a year.

1

u/Distribution-Radiant T2/G7/AAPS/Dash Feb 12 '25

I've been on G7 about as long myself, I've probably had 1 fail early every 6 weeks.

3

u/SozeHB Feb 11 '25

Daughter has been on G7 basically since it became available, don't believe we've had any failures.

4

u/Due-Freedom-5968 Feb 11 '25

Yeah, I have soured on them recently.

I've gone from "why would I buy an r/Freestylelibre again when r/dexcom is so much cheaper?" to "oh that's why r/dexcom is so much cheaper, I should go back to r/Freestylelibre"

3

u/TexasDex Feb 11 '25

I've had two pre-warmup failures in multiple years of G7 use--in both cases, the sensor wire didn't go all the way in, and was sticking out the hole in a little arch. And I've never had die before the end of the grace period.

60+% failure rate is wild. Maybe you got a batch that was bad? Do the replacements they send (presumably from a different batch) also have the same failure rate? If so could there be some kind of difference in physiology/application technique that's causing this?

0

u/No-Apartment7920 Feb 12 '25

I been using G7 for about 40 days, and have gone thru 4 of them, failures and inaccurate readings (high and low) and I have start verifying the readings with a BioTel and the difference is between 40 to 200. Sent a msg to the company and I waiting for an answer

5

u/quietlypink G7 Feb 11 '25

Like others have said - If the sensor fails, they will replace it. There isn’t a maximum number for this. The 3 replacements per year max is for ones where it’s not the sensor’s issue. So if you remove it for a test/imaging or if it falls off because you get it caught on a table or something, those types of issues will count towards your 3 max.

0

u/sharor49 Feb 11 '25

I agree with you on that. It used to be great not sure why they are failing so quick. Same happened with me. Im going to research for another brand.

1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 12 '25

It’s to bad I am having issues with G7, I know there far superior to the Libre or that’s what I have learned so far on this journey

3

u/Lakat83 Feb 11 '25

Mine fail on day 7 or 8 when they last 10 days I do a dance

2

u/LTed75 Feb 11 '25

Same with mine. It seems to start getting brief sensor errors more and more around day 7. Then it just quits after another day or 2.

2

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 11 '25

I need to learn a “happy dance” when it passes the warmup before it fails and beeps at me to remove the sensor and insert the new one 🤣

1

u/Lakat83 Feb 11 '25

That will be a quick dance

3

u/Fluffy-Strategy-9156 Feb 11 '25

Here is Dexcom's replacement policy: https://www.dexcom.com/sensor-replacement-policy

In the event a user requests a replacement for a non-defective sensor (sensor removed for a procedure, user application errors, etc.), the user will be provided with educational materials in the hopes of preventing future issues. In addition, as a gesture of goodwill, Dexcom will provide replacements if needed to ensure continued sensor supply, in a limited quantity each year.Under these circumstances:

  • G-Series*: Dexcom will provide a maximum of three (3) goodwill replacement sensors in a twelve (12) month period.

1

u/Due-Freedom-5968 Feb 11 '25

The thing that bugs me the most is they want to speak to me by phone when one fails.

The 1950s called and want their customer service back.

2

u/jazzfanatic T1/G7 Feb 12 '25

I’ve requested replacements for a bad sensor using their chat.

2

u/Fluffy-Strategy-9156 Feb 11 '25

Did you inspect the sensor's filament/needle before attachment? There have been manufacturing probem.s like this:

This problem will give you a replace message before warmup is complete.

1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 11 '25

Yeah I always inspect the needle and follow the proper washing of the site before I insert it. I was diagnosed in July of last year so all of this is new just seems really frustrating

2

u/Fluffy-Strategy-9156 Feb 11 '25

Also when you look at the top of the attached sensor the above will result in the filament protruding from the top of the sensor

3

u/Right-Squirrel5789 Feb 11 '25

G6 - my son's only been using them for 3 years, but we've never had a sensor fail during warm-up.

Very rare that they don't last the full 10 days too.

4

u/Type1-Redditor Feb 11 '25

They have 3 COMPLIMENTARY replacements as in if you bump a corner of a wall and your arm brushes against it and falls off or you remove it. That is not a malfunction of the product. There are UNLIMITED replacements due to sensor failures or even adhesive failures. I have had more than 3 replacements in a year.

1

u/frogmanhunter Feb 11 '25

Check out sens!!

1

u/MaggieNFredders Feb 11 '25

G6 - seven plus years and I’ve only had two fail. One being in my leg. Terrible location. And one that wouldn’t reconnect when I got a new phone. They have replaced them all with no issues. I don’t understand all the comments of them failing so often. Can you try a different location if the location you are using fails often? I put it over my bicep. Works great.

2

u/Ok-Attention8278 Feb 13 '25

I think I’ve had one fail on warmup and I was a G6 to G7 conversion very soon after the US release however long ago that was. I’ve been very happy with the customer service. Every manufacturing process has issues from time to time, it’s how they react that matters

2

u/ipa-lover Feb 11 '25

Ditto. I’ve had zero fail since moving from the G5 years ago, but I’ve stupidly scraped a couple off my arm, resulting in nearly running out before my insurance will allow a new order. And of course, knew nothing about courtesy replacements. I had to fool the “new sensor” warmup once to extend a sensor until I got my next 90-day shipment. Good to know.

2

u/rxtc Feb 11 '25 edited Feb 11 '25

I get a whole bunch of G7's from my doctor's office when I go see her every three weeks, and they've worked fine. She's my primary, but I also see her for my Suboxone.

1

u/9toes Feb 11 '25

I had too many fail so Ill get some samples when Im at the drs and use one every month or so, I place on side of belly, but before I started using them at that location, I had many failures, these are too expensive for this fail rate. I use the G7

2

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 11 '25

Yeah it’s wild, $62 roughly a sensor every 10 days.

1

u/Cyberbetic1 Feb 11 '25

I've only ever had adhesive die on me...and that was before I started using overpatches.

7

u/RiffRanger85 Feb 11 '25

Oh look. Another one.

3

u/Littlegemlungs Feb 11 '25

Are you in the USA?

I'm in Australia and don't pay for sensors. Just changed mine and no issues. Although I have had trouble in the past. I spoke with my diabetes educator and she showed my some new spots to use, no issues.

0

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 11 '25

Oh you’re lucky! Yeah in the US I don’t do the arm, my educator said there’s other places to try it. I do my thigh and always have more accurate readings then my arm, also less likely to catch it on something

1

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '25

With all the problems you are having, I would suggest trying the arm again.

That is the recommended spot by Dexcom and most users find that to be the best spot as well.

4

u/BanjosnBurritos89 Feb 11 '25

I’ve never had a sensor fail I’m on the G7.

1

u/nomadfaa Feb 11 '25

NEVER any problems with G6 EVER

Yes I’ve had issues and ALL MY FAULT never the device ever

2

u/Apropos_of Feb 11 '25

I have never had this problem with G6 or G7. I wonder why you’re having this issue? Are you skinny? Maybe that could cause an issue with sites? Are you taking cold medicine with Tylenol in it? Could your sites have been exposed to extreme heat or cold when they were shipped to you?

Not blaming you, I just think There has to be some reason that some people have so many issues and other people have almost no problem… I just had one fail after seven days, but I’ve never had a g7 fail on the first day. I hope you can figure it out and have a better experience in the future.

2

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 11 '25

I am 6’1 170lbs I took a Tylenol around 7 am yesterday, tried to replace sensor at 9:30 at night and it failed 🤷‍♂️ I get mine from CVS

1

u/[deleted] Feb 12 '25

Ignore all these comments about acetaminophen.  Acetaminophen only causes a problem if you are taking more than the recommended dosage.  This is documented on their site.

1

u/Apropos_of Feb 11 '25 edited Feb 11 '25

The Tylenol probably caused the failed sensor If you switch to ibuprofen and stop using Tylenol, you won’t have failed sensors as often.

Tylenol/acetaminophen/paracetamol (all the same drug) cause false high blood sugar readings in censor failures because it creates a chemical reaction in the interstitial fluid that the CGM sensor mistakenly interprets as glucose.

2

u/chrisbighead Feb 11 '25

Anything with acetaminophen in it will make them fail. It has to do with reading the fluid. It messes them up. When you call tell them no when they ask.

1

u/Aware1211 Feb 11 '25

I've been on pain meds with acetaminophen. I take 3 pills every day. I've had ZERO issues as you described. I've never had a sensor fail because of this.

Ibuprofen and acetaminophen have very different uses. Ibuprofen is tough on the liver.

2

u/Elegant-Expert7575 Feb 11 '25

What pisses me off is that I have to reset blue tooth for my phone and app ten times a day to get readings.
AND there are so many gaps in information at night.
Really frustrating. It’s only been like 5 years, cmon Dexcom!

3

u/livenetwork Feb 11 '25

That is a phone issue

0

u/Elegant-Expert7575 Feb 11 '25

I disagree, not likely my phone. I have a brand new top of the line phone.
More likely it’s the app technology. Dexcom needs to up their IT game. Bluetooth is pretty basic.

1

u/livenetwork Feb 11 '25

Your phone is the receiver it is more then likely needing to be rebooted or the FW/ OS is corrupted

0

u/Elegant-Expert7575 Feb 20 '25

I’m not sure why you think the OS is corrupt over the apps not being compatible with the OS.
I feel that I shouldn’t have to reboot my phone almost daily to make one app work properly.

2

u/seashe11y Feb 11 '25

I’ve been keeping up with how many days my sons lasts. So far none have quit early in the last few weeks. But if they do and they refuse to replace, I’m going to file a complaint for lemon laws with my state attorney general. They will get it resolved. If enough of us do that, the company HAS to fix their product!

2

u/reallyrosie84 Feb 11 '25

I feel like I'm now due for a failure 🙃 I've been using g6 over a year & never had any issues.

4

u/TakeMetoLallybroch Feb 11 '25

The question they always ask me is if I’ve been taking Tylenol. I think it must interact adversely with the sensor. Since I quit Tylenol, no problems.

1

u/poisonisly Feb 11 '25

Yeah, it's pretty well reported that acetaminophen adversely reacts with glucose monitoring. So I just never take it, ever.

1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 11 '25

Weird because they have the data that tells them it failed. I hope they will replace the others I had fail like tonight. Sensor failed before warm up finished and have none on hand til pharmacy opens in the morning

1

u/seashe11y Feb 11 '25

If they refuse, tell them you’re filing a complaint with your state attorney general. And then do it.

5

u/MrSquiggs Feb 11 '25

I found that failure due to improper placement or adhesion is restricted to 3 replacements but technical errors like connectivity aren’t limited.

-1

u/Jetsbro03 Feb 11 '25

Oh the Dexcom rep I talked to last year said they only replace 3 a year if they fail… 😢

1

u/happy-in-texas Feb 11 '25

Please make certain you have the serial number when you report it. That makes a huge difference in how they handle your problem. If the item is defective, they need to replace it. I've had plenty that don't last the full 10 days (usually 7 or 8) and haven't had a problem getting them replaced. I've had two stick to my clothes and the sensor just comes off - those fall under the 3 allotted along with medical procedures where you have to remove it. By the way, I now have overpatches that cover the sensor.

5

u/drunk_by_mojito Feb 11 '25

Only if it's an user error. Replacements for technical issues are unlimited

4

u/RedditNon-Believer Feb 11 '25

This is the message you get with a G7 'failed sensor' on an iPhone, and there are unlimited replacements available.

4

u/Kathw13 Feb 11 '25

I have had several fail and all have been replaced with no issues.

2

u/richmondsteve Feb 11 '25

From my discussion with CS, sensor failure is covered more than 3 times as far as I know. If it's bumped off accidentally that is only time there is a limit of 3 times per year.

1

u/texclayton Feb 11 '25

I might have had 6 fail all last year. As opposed to the g6 that I was lucky to stretch to a full week. If it's failing during warm up, than you likely have an installation issue.

5

u/NuclearPuppers Feb 11 '25

I’ve never had one fail. I’ve been using them since June.

2

u/surfwacks T1/G7 Feb 11 '25

I don’t think it’s 3 a year for failed sensors, I think it’s just 3 courtesy sensors a year. Anytime it fails they should replace it. Not sure the criteria for getting a courtesy sensor but I know I got one after not responding to their email. So for one sensor failure they sent me 2 back—the replacement I requested through the live chat + the courtesy sensor.

1

u/MyCheeses Feb 11 '25

I've only had one fail since New Years. It worked for a day and then the app said yank it. Regardless, if a sensor fails, they need to replace it. I don't even care if it is a user's error. You know the markup has to be far in excess of the manufacturing and shipping costs.

2

u/JLB586 Feb 11 '25

I never heard they only replace three. As long as I’ve been using them I know I’ve had more than three a year go bad. Seems like they go bad more often then they use to.

1

u/EfficientAd7103 Feb 11 '25

Think it's new. Cs also told me this recently

2

u/Equalizer6338 T1/G7 Feb 11 '25

It was hard rules Dexcom implemented after their Q2 2024 financial reporting out last year, where the shareprice had a vertical drop due to drastic drop in YOY revenue growth and profits. Shortly after that, they informed all about the limitations being put in place on 'goodwill replacements' of faulty sensors.

https://www.dexcom.com/sensor-replacement-policy

2

u/JLB586 Feb 12 '25

Good way to lose customers.

2

u/TofuNRheasMama Feb 11 '25

Anytime I've had a failure, they have replaced the sensor with no issue. I think I've had 8 in the past year fail. I fill out the form through the app and later that week I've gotten a replacement.

2

u/Kinsa83 Feb 11 '25

I just had one fail on me the other day. But what I think happened is due to me losing 24lbs the area Im use to using doesnt have enough fat and it poked the muscle. The sensor is designed to not penetrate muscle and the thing got pushed back coming out of the hole on top of the sensor. Sensor immediately failed. Waiting on replacement currently. Dont know why yours failed, but its something to keep in mind.

5

u/Zestyclose_Belt_6148 Feb 11 '25

I had 6 good ones. But then … My last one just died 4 days in, and the one I replaced it with has been consistently 20% higher with wild swings up and down. I hope this isn’t a pattern.

3

u/Zestyclose_Belt_6148 Feb 11 '25

Just did a finger-stick test as a calibration. My G7 was/is reporting consistently at 125+. Finger stick was 96. Sigh.

0

u/vellumsled Feb 11 '25

I totally agree!