[am1977]

LOL! HA HA, Gotch ya! Got you to read this thread, didn't I?

I'm getting "hooked up" to CGMS on Monday and I was wondering if anyone has done this before. I'm anxious and excited about it and I guess I'm curious about what to expect . What was it like? Did it help with determining insulin doses and basal rates, etc?

If you have done this in the past, please provide your feedback...I'm interested in hearing about your experience.

Thanks SO much!

[JediSkipdogg]

To me it proved nothing. The problem was the doctor told me to do everything normal like I do. Well, if you do that, it can't really help determine your basal rates at all. It will only help them tell how your body uses the insulin given during a bolus. They claim they can do both, but I personally don't see how since for me the doctor was puzzled on what changes I need in my basal.

I recommend only eating 3 meals during the day and 3 meals that you can accurately count. Try eating the meals 5 hours apart and then you can get the best information. They will see what your basal rate is, and then how insulin reacts in a bolus.

The worst part of the whole thing was taking a shower with it. With my pump I disconnect and shower, with the CGMS, they don't want you to disconnect and for some stupid reason, Minimed didn't make it waterproof or even water resistant. So you have to cover it in a plastic bag and wear it around your neck (they provide the bags.) Kinda makes me wonder why they didn't spend the extra $5 and seal it up so it could be sat in the shower easily.

Good luck with it.

[jenet]

I did this about 18 months ago, and it provided some valuable information. It proved I shouldn't take any more Lantus to bring down my morning highs, because I was already bottoming out at "below 40" every night (all three nights) even if I was a little high 5 hours after dinner (with humalog). This put an end to the ongoing suggestions that I increase my Lantus.

cheers,
j

p.s. It bothered me the whole time it was hooked up (mildly painful), and made me reluctant to go on the pump. Only running into a T1 on the pump and being reassured that I shouldn't feel it at all made me reconsider.

[am1977]

o...k....

Can't say that this is exactly what I wanted to hear , but I guess it's better to know ahead of time then to find out later on. If it can provide any feedback on how to improve matters, I will find that using this sensor is worthwhile.

I know, Jedi, that you said that it didn't provide enough info to how to change basal rates, etc, but it's got to be a little bit helpful in aiding your doctor to identify trends and patterns, right?

J- how painful is painful? Ugh...that doesn't sound too pleasant . It sounds like you did benefit from using this system, even if it was a bit of an annoyance.

I guess I'll try to make the best of it. I can manage with a minor annoyance, hopefully it won't be any worse than that.

Thanks for your input!

[jenet]

Well, not all that painful - more of a mild ache unless I bumped it. I just found it a continuous low level annoyance, and was so happy to have it off.

I wonder if it wasn't inserted well since the nurse said there was some blood under the tape when she took the sensor off. I think I read elsewhere here that the sensor is similar to the Silhouete? And some people are fine with that set, so you might be just fine with it.

I did find it very useful though. They quit trying to up my Lantus, when I "knew" somehow that wasn't the answer.

cheers,
j

[JediSkipdogg]

I think the problem with me was I eat numerous times throughout the day. Probably 8 times at least, but in smaller amounts. Therefore I have lots of overlapping bolus's.

For me we couldn't really see my basal pattern at all exceppt for about 3 hours at night. That's why I recommend trying to only do 3 set straight meals, and maybe one evening snack. That will help to look at your basal configuration and give good info on your bolus patterns as well.

[MarkMunday]

I used the CGMS after switching to Lantus to try and get the dosage sorted out. And the results were very useful. The results are uploaded onto your computer and a graph is produced, showing exactly what your blood sugar has been doing. You need to keep a log of what you ate and when/how much insulin you injected.

I was waking up with very high blood sugars. The Endo thought it was because I was rebounding from an early morning low. And the CGMS proved that this was not the case. It seems the highs were being caused by a very powerful DP.

We dealt with it by injecting only half the Lantus dose (8 units) in the morning. And I inject the other 8 units as NPH before bed. The NPH peaks when the DP kicks in and my morning blood sugar are in the target range.

Inserting the probe wasn't too painfull. And I got used to it quickly. Showering with itwas a hassle. And I had to be careful not to disturb the probe, especially at night. It disconnected several times, interupting the history. And the prospect of wearing a pump became very unappealing after using the CGMS.

Anway, it was a useful exercise and I highly recommend using the CGMS to get a better feel for how your blood sugar responds to meals and shots.

Cheers,

Mark

[Cyborg]

Does it actually give you significant amount more data than you can get by doing manual basal testing? And does insurance cover it?

For those of you that have worn one, would you want to wear it 24/7?

[spike]

Originally Posted by jenet

Well, not all that painful - more of a mild ache unless I bumped it. I just found it a continuous low level annoyance, and was so happy to have it off.

I wonder if it wasn't inserted well since the nurse said there was some blood under the tape when she took the sensor off. I think I read elsewhere here that the sensor is similar to the Silhouete? And some people are fine with that set, so you might be just fine with it.

I did find it very useful though. They quit trying to up my Lantus, when I "knew" somehow that wasn't the answer.

cheers,
j

Well if the sensor is like the Sil, I'll not be getting a Guardian RT! I can't fathom how anyone can find the Sil's comfortable, although I know some people like them. I like my cannulas entering at a 90 degree angle.

[JediSkipdogg]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Does it actually give you significant amount more data than you can get by doing manual basal testing? And does insurance cover it?

For those of you that have worn one, would you want to wear it 24/7?

It takes a reading every 5 minutes for supposedly 72 hours. For me it only lasted 60 hours. But that is 864 readings based on 72 hours. Can you do that many manual tests and still have fingers? LOL.

Most, not all insurances cover it. It costs about $200 to go on it for 3 days. The sensor alone is a $30 senson.

I would not want to wear it 24/7. The main reason is having two pump like items would be a pain. Plus if you take it off to say take a shower you have a pretty extensive process to start it back up again. And it still won't fully replace fingersticks, right now the FDA is only allowing it for testing purposes or for a supplement to fingersticks. So not much of a point yet.

[Cyborg]

Wow, talk to the MM sales rep and you'll hear a whole different story.

[JediSkipdogg]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Wow, talk to the MM sales rep and you'll hear a whole different story.

I would hope they ONLY give a positive spin on it since it is their product.

[spike]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Wow, talk to the MM sales rep and you'll hear a whole different story.

Take a look at this link. you'll need speakers or a headset.

http://www.diabetes-symposium.org/in...chart=2&id=152

[Harold]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Wow, talk to the MM sales rep and you'll hear a whole different story.

Are you talking about the consumer version, or the one this threads about?

[Cyborg]

Wasn't aware there was 2 versions. Musta been the consumer version. But if it they use the same type of probe and it's not waterproof, I think I'd rather have an implant. The FreeStyle device looks cool, but how long till it's available?