If you are a regular reader of Diabetes Strong, you probably noticed that I often wear my Dexcom CGM on my upper arm. It’s one of my favorite places to wear the CGM but it can be a little tricky to insert it without help until you learn the technique.
Since a lot of you have been asking how I do it, let me show you in this short video:
As you can see, it really isn’t that difficult, but I still recommend havening someone around to help the first time you try it.
Why I wear my Dexcom CGM on the upper arm
My upper arm is one of my favorite CGM placements for several reasons.
- It’s a meatier part of my body, so there’s absolutely no pain when inserting the sensor
- I’ve found that this placement, for me, is where I have the least risk of ripping off the sensor by accident
- I get very accurate readings.
The only downside to wearing it on the arm is that wrestling off a sweaty sports bra without getting it snagged on the sensor can be a little tricky and getting the hang of inserting it by yourself might take a little practice.
I usually wear the CGM for 7-9 days. After that, it will start irritating my skin or give inaccurate readings.
Why doesn’t Dexcom recommend wearing it on your arm?
The Dexcom G5 sensor is only FDA and EMA (The European Medicines Agency) approved for 7-day wear (I know people who’ll make it last 30-days or more) and only for insertion on the abdomen. The placement approval is mainly due to Dexcom only submitting clinical data for abdomen wear to the FDA and EMA rather than them finding other placements to be worse. However, wearing it like I do is off-label usage and doing so is “at own risk”.
For more CGM tips and tricks, check out my post “5 CGM Tips for the Active Diabetic”
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Marcel says
February 26, 2019 at 12:20 pmI’m looking forward to the Dexcom G6, in Germany, the system is not so long, get my tomorrow. The only thing that bothers me a bit, that you should do it on the stomach, find the solution on the arm better, because of sports, sleep, etc. Not so much body fat through sports, had previously FreeStyle that was just optimal. Great videos / page.
Christel Oerum says
February 26, 2019 at 1:48 pmThank you. The Dexcom is only approved for the abdomen however, that just means that that was the only place they tested it. I’ve seen pleanty of peole (myself included) who has great success with wearing it in other places. Hope you love it
Marcel says
February 27, 2019 at 1:22 amYes, I watched her video, I think it will also test on the arm. What I also noticed is that the mobile app is only compatible with a few Android devices, was previously synonymous with FreeStyle Libre, but now the app from Abbott runs on almost all devices, hope that Dexcom also creates.
Suzy says
February 20, 2019 at 4:09 amI loved the G4 receiver, the new receiver is big and bulky and the case doesn’t fit properly, you have to modify it with an exacto knife to be able to plug in the charger. The G6 sensors consistently lose signal even when the receiver is less than three feet away. I’m awake half of the night with signal loss alerts. You may not have to calibrate it, in fact they holler at you if you do, but at least you don’t have constant signal loss alerts.
Christel Oerum says
February 20, 2019 at 5:18 pmThat’s annoying! I don’t use the G6 receiver that often so it’s not a problem I’ve noticed. It might be worth reaching out to Dexcom to get a replacement reciever
Amber says
January 21, 2019 at 2:03 pmI just started the dexcom g6 and I love it one have no negatives to say about this I can tell where my sugar is at n my husband can press the home button and see where I’m at which he loves, I also love the fact that it will wake me up in my sleep to tell me if I’m high or low. I don’t know what I’d do without my dexcom g6! It’s a huge life saver!!!
Christel Oerum says
January 21, 2019 at 6:39 pmSo glad you got a G6 and that it works for you! It can, as you say, be such a lifesaver
Frances Hernandez says
August 28, 2018 at 4:32 pmwhy is this necessary? Will it hurt? I was told it was only for 10 days. I am very scared to do this because I just got on medicare and I have aarp medicare complete ppo and I dont think my insurance will pay for it. What is the cost on this gadget? If I refuse to get it due to costs, what else could I do?
Christel Oerum says
August 29, 2018 at 7:54 pmCGM is approved for some, you’d have to look into whether it is for you. The Dexcom CGM is 10 days, other systems have a longer lifetime.
It might not be the right choice for you and the alternative is doing finger sticks or other systems like the Abbott Libre, Medtronic Guardian Connect or the implantable Senseonics CGM.
What a CGM can do is give you real-time information on your blood sugar as well as alarms and alerts if they are about the get out of range. If you’re on insulin it can literally be a lifesaver.
Isabel Negron says
June 5, 2018 at 9:17 amHi Christel, I’ve been a type 1 Diabetic for 38 yrs and i walk and jog every morning. I would like to find out what protein shake would I be able to drink before I go out to do my work out. Maybe you have a recipe that I can use.
Thank you very much.
Isabel
Christel Oerum says
June 5, 2018 at 6:09 pmHi Isabel,
If you’re just looking to get a little energy in before I run (<60 min), I'd keep it light and relatively low carb (so you don't have to dose right before a jog). You could try my Low-Carb Chocolate Coffee Protein Shake, the protein and coffee combo would be great pre-run. If you’re going for longer runs you probably need additional carbs to keep you fuelled through your workout