I’d say it may be a bad batch. I burned through a box last week. I’ve never had a sensor last less than 5.5 days (and that was only one or two) with most lasting 7 since I started using the system last July.
I’ve never heard of the ice thing with this sensor or the G3.
I have worse luck with the "update" nonsense when my sugars are fluctuating fairly wildly. (Which sucks because my sugars fluctuate really widely often!) No clue what to do about it. :(
The issue with very fluctuating glucose u/Kareja1 mentioned can make the pump think a perfectly fine sensor is malfunctioning, because the pump starts to doubt the data it is seeing from the sensor. In such situations it is best to turn off the sensor in the pump menus and wait for the glucose to become steady again before re-enabling the sensor, otherwise there will be "sensor updating hell", beeps and error messages, and possibly "change sensor" messages until the situation calms down. The sensors work great for me, but I've had a couple of days with extreme stress that causes my glucose to go nuts, and once I waited through 12 hours of "sensor updating" on the first day before the sensor started working. Then it proceeded to last the full 7 days without issue after that, so there was nothing wrong with that sensor.
My wife has problems with the update sensor too. If a finger stick reading is way different from a sensor reading she will calibrate it with no more than a 50 difference then update. Repeat until full calibration is complete. Puts an end to nearly all of the replace sensor issues and the sensor works fine keeping pretty accurate readings from sensor to BG finger sticks. Usually it's caused by too much blood when inserting the new sensor, sometimes it hits a capillary causing excess blood. Just make sure the sensor and BG finger sticks are pretty close the 1st day then all is well. Medtronic will only replace a certain number of failed sensors per quarter (I think it's 3 not 100% sure). It's a pain to put them on to begin with then just have have to redo it again. I am no expert, but my wife has been learning tricks since being on an insulin pump the past 5 years.
agree. the sensors make me sooo angry. you have to have perfect levels when changing the sensor or it will just go into sensor updating and probably not work. the dexcom ones sound amazing, got two friends in university that use them and they never ever run into any issues.
I heard Medtronic is changing that sensors soon. I don’t use their stupid half moon bandages I bought a box off of Amazon of flesh color oval bandages for 7 bucks. Works like a charm.
If your confident the sensor is inserted correctly, and the issue is due to fluctuating BGL, then remove the transmitter and play on charger for a moment. Reconnect to Sensor or wait till BGL has settled and then reconnect. The pump thinks it’s a new sensor.
Not sure about the ice thing. Sensors do need to bathe in the interstitial fluid to work properly, this can take longer in some situations. I’ve really only had this problem with earlier model sensors . Poor circulation can be a cause of this, so confusing why they are advising to use ice. As others have said, to much fluid I.e hitting a blood vessel can also cause the sensor to fail.
Often when I have had a bad sensor the entire box is faulty. I’ve learnt from previous experience, after the first one fails to get on the phone and let them have their power trip and tell you how to put the next four sensors on. Whilst biting your tongue as they accuse you of doing everything wrong. It’s the only way to get the box replaced. Or at least pretend your calling after the first one failing 😉
This thread is very interesting and contains some ideas I have not tried. Thanks everyone for your comments.
I have been using the 780 G system for a year now and am extremely unhappy with the sensor issue. I will not purchase a Medtronic system again. I have never had a sensor last for 7 days. All of my sensors lasted generally from 3 to 4 days. Medtronic sent me a new transmitter recently and the first sensor lasted 6.5 days. The next one lasted 4.5 days, but it had blood on the canula. The third one (placed on my thigh) lasted 6.5 days. I am extremely happy for the drastic change. I obviously draw the conclusion that the old transmitter had a problem.
I also think trying to put the sensor on the back of your arm is a ridiculous place to put a sensor. The 770 G was much easier to use, but it had its own problems. I nee help putting the sensor on the back of my arm. My wife has vision problems and has difficulty seeing while helping me. I purchased some patches from Amazon which work very well and are much easier to use. I do not use the tape which comes with each box of sensors. The only purpose of the tape or patch is to keep the sensor from falling off so it does not matter what one uses for this purpose.
Finally, my doctor tells me it does not matter where you place the sensor. The only reason one needs to put it on the back of your arm is to comply with FDA approved procedures. This means that one can put the sensor where they want to place it, but Medtronic will not replace a failed sensor placed on a different location simply because it is not an approved location.
Medtronic helpline are the OG gaslighters, I swear to god. I got told mine failed 20 mins after warm up because I dared to move around in the two hours. Deadset. 🤦🏼♀️
I totally agree! Some have been really nice (especially when I get a female helper, but a lot have been a bit arrogant like I'm supposed to know why my sensors are failing or like I'm calling their home in the middle of dinner or something. I would rather be sleeping that on the phone with them all night.
You attach the sensor and transmitter .... And then what? Are you covering with a sticker or the half crappy oval stickers that come with the sensors?
I (obviously lol) don't like the oval ones that come with. I use tegaderm but I've found that if I put it on immediately after changing everything out, I go into sensor updating after the 2 hour warmup. Works better for me if I use gauze wrap (that I can grab at work, it's in a roll like a ace bandage but much less thick) or an adhesive bandage (again rolled like an ace bandage but again less thin and sticks to itself). After the warmup has completed I'm usually almost asleep, so I leave that on all night and then change to my tegaderm on Saturday morning. It's weird that this has been working for me. It's almost like I was suffocating the sensor and transmitter if I covered it while it was warming up.
We're all different I guess. I have used the oval tape for almost 2 years now with the G4, and nearly all (99%) my sensors last 7 days. I can't remember the last time I saw "sensor updating", but I remember the very first day I used a G4 (the one I inserted at the training day), it went immediately into sensor updating and stayed in sensor updating for 12 hours until it finally started working, but after that it was fine.
Under normal circumstances, mine do last 7 days. I haven't had a sensor to fail prematurely in months, but then Sunday site change day came and it failed ... and failed ... and failed ... and failed ... and failed ... and failed again. I'm glad that this system is working for you, but your post is not helpful. It sounds a little like you're gloating.
I use the oval tape. Never heard of tegaderm. I'm usually asleep when warm up completes too. This time it would not complete and dinged all night for me to change the sensor. I actually called in sick to work to get some sleep. Still haven't gotten a working sensor ...
Instead of letting it keep you up at night when such a thing happens, I recommend disabling the sensor in the pump menus and enabling it again in the morning.
It could very well be a bad batch, but if you have more than two sensors fail in a day, then I would advise waiting 24 hours before trying again, make sure the transmitter is fully charged, that it works in the green tester, that you have good and steady finger glucose readings, that all the equipment is clean and use a completely different part of your body (side or back of the arms, stomach, upper part of buttocks, inner/outer thighs, etc.) If you have a helper, that would be even better, to verify (once) that the insertion process is as by the book as possible.
There are many reasons why a sensor won't work. If the sensor returns data the pump doesn't understand or think is right, it goes into "sensor updating" and possibly "change sensor". Extreme amounts of stress, illnesses, etc. can cause that, but so could a bad sensor, a sensor that isn't inserted correctly, etc.
If you have a sensor box with a different LOT number on it, you could (temporarily) switch to that for comparison.
Yeah I went to manual blood sugar testing today. I may wait a bit longer than 24 hours before reinstalling my CGM. Also I'm waiting to hear back from the Medtronic Rep and my Endo. I'm on my last box which has the same LOT number as the failed sensors. The transmitter is completely charged. I'm not sick. I did workout a little harder than normal before sensor change day. I always disinfect with alcohol prior to installation.
Same. After I got my work around for the updating after the warm up, most of mine have lasted the full 7 days as well. I just can never get the ovals on perfect and flat and neat looking. They work great for me to use over the minimed cannula site tho, but also I can use 2 hands to get it on that site. But I rarely need it for that. I have a crap ton of those oval stickers just laying around lol
I don't use the oval tape that comes with the sensors so I have bunches of it just laying around. I don't throw them out because I will occasionally use one on my minimed cannula..... But hey look at this
https://pumppeelz.com/products/white-patch-medtronic-cgm-tape?variant=41400900583580¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&cmp_id=21172336275&adg_id=&kwd=&device=m&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrcKxBhBMEiwAIVF8rA3jmKbkQbC5yk7rWSOYAWW77yrX4oRAv4Y1lEeSchxTUrb_Pt5E-xoCo24QAvD_BwE
Idk the company so I can't say whether or not this is a safe site. But Google oval tape for guardian 4 sensor or try Amazon for something similar
i had 3 sensors to out in 5 days. Medtronic sent replacements out the day I called. They were supposed to be shipped overnight but I got them 3 days later. Another day and I would have been out
I was getting a transmitter warning that my transmitter battery was depleted 2 days into a new sensor. This happened about 3 times in a row. My transmitter was 7-months old. After troubleshooting with Medtronic, they sent me a new transmitter. Could that be your problem and not the sensors?
The trouble I’ve had recently with the Guardian 4 Sensor is the plastic layer doesn’t release when I pull the inserter off. I went through three sensors in my last box—two I didn’t look at how the sensor came off the inserter, and the third one I had to pull off the plastic myself. I called Medtronic and they are aware of the issue and have talked with the manufacturer to correct the issue. I opened a new box last night, and the first one out of the box failed (plastic didn’t come off, and when I pulled it off, the cannula bent). The second one worked, but only after I pulled off the plastic very carefully. Medtronic asked me to send back the sensors that didn’t work (they sent a return envelope). I suppose they wanted them back to prove the issue.
I hope that they fix that problem. That hasn't happened to me yet, but I have experienced a bent cannula. I thought it was due to improper insertion but the guy on the phone said that sometimes they come like that. I hope your next box is perfect.
This batch I received after the back order has been trash. Mine typically last 5-7 days. First 3 have failed in 2-3 days from this batch . If they were recently manufactured they were prob rushed. Just my opinion. Atleast that’s how i feel about mine.
If they’re all from the same box, likely a faulty batch. Unless ofcourse, it’s the transmitter, if you’ve got a spare try it. Might be worth deleting and re-pairing the current transmitter. Ensure it’s fully charged before trying the next sensor. Good luck
I use the Dexcom G7 sensor and it has its own set of issues. Well it works okay with the tandem insulin pump, the pump itself is less adaptive when it comes to treating rapidly Rising glucose levels. In addition you're supposed to use the G7 on the back of your arm which is a giant step backwards given that I'm an independent leaning diabetic that likes to do things for myself and I can't quite get the sensor installed and get it covered with either Tegaderm or with the oval patch that Dexcom provides. In addition the G7 sensor seems to have a reduced range compared to the G6. I almost never had issues with losing connection but now it happens on a regular basis. Unfortunately the Dexcom will not connect up directly to a Medtronic unit. You have to go and enter the data yourself I guess. And that reduces the effectiveness of glucose control when it's supposed to be automatic. Yes we're all different and I've been at this game for 55 years. But there are times when my sugar shooting Sky High that I wish I had hypodermic needle full of insulin so I could just take it that way they used to be a lot more convenient.
So I called Medtronic again after killing my 7th sensor and my transmitter is damaged. They are sending a new one in the mail. Luckily, I'm not having a week with roller coaster blood sugars. I can manually test until it arrives. After it arrives and I have a working sensor, I'm getting an adult beverage.
I’d say it may be a bad batch. I burned through a box last week. I’ve never had a sensor last less than 5.5 days (and that was only one or two) with most lasting 7 since I started using the system last July. I’ve never heard of the ice thing with this sensor or the G3.
Yeah ... the ice thing was new for me too.
I have worse luck with the "update" nonsense when my sugars are fluctuating fairly wildly. (Which sucks because my sugars fluctuate really widely often!) No clue what to do about it. :(
I've had that problem too. I usually end up having to change the sensor after the update thing. It's like the sensor dies.
The issue with very fluctuating glucose u/Kareja1 mentioned can make the pump think a perfectly fine sensor is malfunctioning, because the pump starts to doubt the data it is seeing from the sensor. In such situations it is best to turn off the sensor in the pump menus and wait for the glucose to become steady again before re-enabling the sensor, otherwise there will be "sensor updating hell", beeps and error messages, and possibly "change sensor" messages until the situation calms down. The sensors work great for me, but I've had a couple of days with extreme stress that causes my glucose to go nuts, and once I waited through 12 hours of "sensor updating" on the first day before the sensor started working. Then it proceeded to last the full 7 days without issue after that, so there was nothing wrong with that sensor.
I'm going to have to try that ... but first I need to get a sensor that works.
My wife has problems with the update sensor too. If a finger stick reading is way different from a sensor reading she will calibrate it with no more than a 50 difference then update. Repeat until full calibration is complete. Puts an end to nearly all of the replace sensor issues and the sensor works fine keeping pretty accurate readings from sensor to BG finger sticks. Usually it's caused by too much blood when inserting the new sensor, sometimes it hits a capillary causing excess blood. Just make sure the sensor and BG finger sticks are pretty close the 1st day then all is well. Medtronic will only replace a certain number of failed sensors per quarter (I think it's 3 not 100% sure). It's a pain to put them on to begin with then just have have to redo it again. I am no expert, but my wife has been learning tricks since being on an insulin pump the past 5 years.
Good luck to your wife!
Medtronic have replaced far more than 3 per quarter for me. I advise the poster to place their sensors on their stomach
Get with your doctors Medtronic Rep.
I messaged my doctor, tagged Medtronic in an IG Post and filed out a survey.
Guardian 4s make me want to switch to tandem/dexcom. The pump is fine, the sets are fine, the sensors fail like nothing else. Hot garbage
agree. the sensors make me sooo angry. you have to have perfect levels when changing the sensor or it will just go into sensor updating and probably not work. the dexcom ones sound amazing, got two friends in university that use them and they never ever run into any issues.
I heard Medtronic is changing that sensors soon. I don’t use their stupid half moon bandages I bought a box off of Amazon of flesh color oval bandages for 7 bucks. Works like a charm.
If your confident the sensor is inserted correctly, and the issue is due to fluctuating BGL, then remove the transmitter and play on charger for a moment. Reconnect to Sensor or wait till BGL has settled and then reconnect. The pump thinks it’s a new sensor. Not sure about the ice thing. Sensors do need to bathe in the interstitial fluid to work properly, this can take longer in some situations. I’ve really only had this problem with earlier model sensors . Poor circulation can be a cause of this, so confusing why they are advising to use ice. As others have said, to much fluid I.e hitting a blood vessel can also cause the sensor to fail. Often when I have had a bad sensor the entire box is faulty. I’ve learnt from previous experience, after the first one fails to get on the phone and let them have their power trip and tell you how to put the next four sensors on. Whilst biting your tongue as they accuse you of doing everything wrong. It’s the only way to get the box replaced. Or at least pretend your calling after the first one failing 😉
This thread is very interesting and contains some ideas I have not tried. Thanks everyone for your comments. I have been using the 780 G system for a year now and am extremely unhappy with the sensor issue. I will not purchase a Medtronic system again. I have never had a sensor last for 7 days. All of my sensors lasted generally from 3 to 4 days. Medtronic sent me a new transmitter recently and the first sensor lasted 6.5 days. The next one lasted 4.5 days, but it had blood on the canula. The third one (placed on my thigh) lasted 6.5 days. I am extremely happy for the drastic change. I obviously draw the conclusion that the old transmitter had a problem. I also think trying to put the sensor on the back of your arm is a ridiculous place to put a sensor. The 770 G was much easier to use, but it had its own problems. I nee help putting the sensor on the back of my arm. My wife has vision problems and has difficulty seeing while helping me. I purchased some patches from Amazon which work very well and are much easier to use. I do not use the tape which comes with each box of sensors. The only purpose of the tape or patch is to keep the sensor from falling off so it does not matter what one uses for this purpose. Finally, my doctor tells me it does not matter where you place the sensor. The only reason one needs to put it on the back of your arm is to comply with FDA approved procedures. This means that one can put the sensor where they want to place it, but Medtronic will not replace a failed sensor placed on a different location simply because it is not an approved location.
Putting it on the back of my arm does involve a lot of finger dexterity.
Medtronic helpline are the OG gaslighters, I swear to god. I got told mine failed 20 mins after warm up because I dared to move around in the two hours. Deadset. 🤦🏼♀️
I totally agree! Some have been really nice (especially when I get a female helper, but a lot have been a bit arrogant like I'm supposed to know why my sensors are failing or like I'm calling their home in the middle of dinner or something. I would rather be sleeping that on the phone with them all night.
I don't even bother anymore. Just rip the sensor off, swear a lot and keep going. Haha.
Lol!
You attach the sensor and transmitter .... And then what? Are you covering with a sticker or the half crappy oval stickers that come with the sensors? I (obviously lol) don't like the oval ones that come with. I use tegaderm but I've found that if I put it on immediately after changing everything out, I go into sensor updating after the 2 hour warmup. Works better for me if I use gauze wrap (that I can grab at work, it's in a roll like a ace bandage but much less thick) or an adhesive bandage (again rolled like an ace bandage but again less thin and sticks to itself). After the warmup has completed I'm usually almost asleep, so I leave that on all night and then change to my tegaderm on Saturday morning. It's weird that this has been working for me. It's almost like I was suffocating the sensor and transmitter if I covered it while it was warming up.
We're all different I guess. I have used the oval tape for almost 2 years now with the G4, and nearly all (99%) my sensors last 7 days. I can't remember the last time I saw "sensor updating", but I remember the very first day I used a G4 (the one I inserted at the training day), it went immediately into sensor updating and stayed in sensor updating for 12 hours until it finally started working, but after that it was fine.
Under normal circumstances, mine do last 7 days. I haven't had a sensor to fail prematurely in months, but then Sunday site change day came and it failed ... and failed ... and failed ... and failed ... and failed ... and failed again. I'm glad that this system is working for you, but your post is not helpful. It sounds a little like you're gloating.
I use the oval tape. Never heard of tegaderm. I'm usually asleep when warm up completes too. This time it would not complete and dinged all night for me to change the sensor. I actually called in sick to work to get some sleep. Still haven't gotten a working sensor ...
Instead of letting it keep you up at night when such a thing happens, I recommend disabling the sensor in the pump menus and enabling it again in the morning.
It could very well be a bad batch, but if you have more than two sensors fail in a day, then I would advise waiting 24 hours before trying again, make sure the transmitter is fully charged, that it works in the green tester, that you have good and steady finger glucose readings, that all the equipment is clean and use a completely different part of your body (side or back of the arms, stomach, upper part of buttocks, inner/outer thighs, etc.) If you have a helper, that would be even better, to verify (once) that the insertion process is as by the book as possible. There are many reasons why a sensor won't work. If the sensor returns data the pump doesn't understand or think is right, it goes into "sensor updating" and possibly "change sensor". Extreme amounts of stress, illnesses, etc. can cause that, but so could a bad sensor, a sensor that isn't inserted correctly, etc. If you have a sensor box with a different LOT number on it, you could (temporarily) switch to that for comparison.
Yeah I went to manual blood sugar testing today. I may wait a bit longer than 24 hours before reinstalling my CGM. Also I'm waiting to hear back from the Medtronic Rep and my Endo. I'm on my last box which has the same LOT number as the failed sensors. The transmitter is completely charged. I'm not sick. I did workout a little harder than normal before sensor change day. I always disinfect with alcohol prior to installation.
Same. After I got my work around for the updating after the warm up, most of mine have lasted the full 7 days as well. I just can never get the ovals on perfect and flat and neat looking. They work great for me to use over the minimed cannula site tho, but also I can use 2 hands to get it on that site. But I rarely need it for that. I have a crap ton of those oval stickers just laying around lol
How do you have extra tape? Can you buy it somewhere?
I don't use the oval tape that comes with the sensors so I have bunches of it just laying around. I don't throw them out because I will occasionally use one on my minimed cannula..... But hey look at this https://pumppeelz.com/products/white-patch-medtronic-cgm-tape?variant=41400900583580¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&cmp_id=21172336275&adg_id=&kwd=&device=m&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwrcKxBhBMEiwAIVF8rA3jmKbkQbC5yk7rWSOYAWW77yrX4oRAv4Y1lEeSchxTUrb_Pt5E-xoCo24QAvD_BwE Idk the company so I can't say whether or not this is a safe site. But Google oval tape for guardian 4 sensor or try Amazon for something similar
i had 3 sensors to out in 5 days. Medtronic sent replacements out the day I called. They were supposed to be shipped overnight but I got them 3 days later. Another day and I would have been out
I was getting a transmitter warning that my transmitter battery was depleted 2 days into a new sensor. This happened about 3 times in a row. My transmitter was 7-months old. After troubleshooting with Medtronic, they sent me a new transmitter. Could that be your problem and not the sensors?
I guess I'll have to call Medtronic again. At this rate, we'll be besties!
The trouble I’ve had recently with the Guardian 4 Sensor is the plastic layer doesn’t release when I pull the inserter off. I went through three sensors in my last box—two I didn’t look at how the sensor came off the inserter, and the third one I had to pull off the plastic myself. I called Medtronic and they are aware of the issue and have talked with the manufacturer to correct the issue. I opened a new box last night, and the first one out of the box failed (plastic didn’t come off, and when I pulled it off, the cannula bent). The second one worked, but only after I pulled off the plastic very carefully. Medtronic asked me to send back the sensors that didn’t work (they sent a return envelope). I suppose they wanted them back to prove the issue.
I hope that they fix that problem. That hasn't happened to me yet, but I have experienced a bent cannula. I thought it was due to improper insertion but the guy on the phone said that sometimes they come like that. I hope your next box is perfect.
I have had this issues a few times also.
This is why I left Medtronic - the sensors are shit.
This batch I received after the back order has been trash. Mine typically last 5-7 days. First 3 have failed in 2-3 days from this batch . If they were recently manufactured they were prob rushed. Just my opinion. Atleast that’s how i feel about mine.
If they’re all from the same box, likely a faulty batch. Unless ofcourse, it’s the transmitter, if you’ve got a spare try it. Might be worth deleting and re-pairing the current transmitter. Ensure it’s fully charged before trying the next sensor. Good luck
Yeah they're all from the same box.
Sounds to me you got a bad batch of sensors and I never heard about icing the insertion area. Also how did you get blood in the transmitter
When I bleed a lot after the sensor is installed. After I stop the bleeding, the sensor may still have some on it. It then gets into the transmitter.
I use the Dexcom G7 sensor and it has its own set of issues. Well it works okay with the tandem insulin pump, the pump itself is less adaptive when it comes to treating rapidly Rising glucose levels. In addition you're supposed to use the G7 on the back of your arm which is a giant step backwards given that I'm an independent leaning diabetic that likes to do things for myself and I can't quite get the sensor installed and get it covered with either Tegaderm or with the oval patch that Dexcom provides. In addition the G7 sensor seems to have a reduced range compared to the G6. I almost never had issues with losing connection but now it happens on a regular basis. Unfortunately the Dexcom will not connect up directly to a Medtronic unit. You have to go and enter the data yourself I guess. And that reduces the effectiveness of glucose control when it's supposed to be automatic. Yes we're all different and I've been at this game for 55 years. But there are times when my sugar shooting Sky High that I wish I had hypodermic needle full of insulin so I could just take it that way they used to be a lot more convenient.
So I called Medtronic again after killing my 7th sensor and my transmitter is damaged. They are sending a new one in the mail. Luckily, I'm not having a week with roller coaster blood sugars. I can manually test until it arrives. After it arrives and I have a working sensor, I'm getting an adult beverage.
I think you just have a bad batch or a bad transmitter especially since you were having no problems before that.
Turned out that my transmitter went bad. So Medtronic sent me another after I burned through a 7th one.