Dexcom G6 CGM. From left to right: inserter, receiver, transmitter in sensor pod, iPhone app, apple watch.

The G6 is not new, it’s just the latest iteration of Dexcom’s continuous glucose monitor. There are lots of reviews online about how people like it. Basically, it’s an upgrade and the big advantage cited is it doesn’t require calibration. However, I still find I can’t let go of checking it against my meter now and then, and sometimes it needs to be calibrated. I was told by a Dexcom rep to do so if there’s more than a 30% discrepancy.

Other than that, for me, the G6 pluses are not terribly significant – yes the sensor and transmitter make a slimmer and sleeker package, the sensor is easier to insert, but that humongous insertion device pains me to discard. It’s got a predictive alert which I like – it warns you at 70 mg/dl that in 20 minutes you’ll be 55 mg/dl, but I don’t care for the pastel colored screen (I only use my iPhone to see my readings).I wonder if that is to keep us calm looking at our numbers?

Three times last week I had to call customer service and get Dexcom to send me a replacement sensor, which they do without argument. First, I bled under the sensor pod, likely due to a too heavy-handed insertion, and the sensor stopped working. I’ve forgotten why I needed to replace the second sensor, but why I had to replace the third sensor came as a complete surprise. With the G5 you can put the sensor on and wait a day before you activate it. If your first day numbers are not accurate, as mine never were, letting the sensor sit on your body for a day before you start a new session helps. When you activate it, its had some time to read its new environment, you, and it’s more accurate. This way you don’t waste the first day of use.

So, I did the same thing with my G6 sensor. I put it on and didn’t “start new session” until the next morning, when it told me I could not reuse my sensor and needed to put on a new one. Of course I’d not activated it, it had only been on my body a day. But when I called Dexcom to ask about this, I was told as soon as you put the G6 sensor on your body it starts starting up, even though you haven’t clicked “start new session.”

So, a tip to the wise – if you’ve done this with your G5 you cannot do it with a G6. If you use the G5 and never heard of this tip, it’s a smart move if for you your first 24 hour readings are not trustworthy.