[Lovecraft007]

Just curious... does anyone here use a CGM? If so, what kind?

I was thinking that this would be a wonderful device for helping me track my BG's, since my days are so varried as to my timings and intensities of my activity & workouts, and my food timing & intake etc. I test an awful lot, up to 10 times a day. I get lows during the night sometimes, and am often high in the mornings. I have woken up at 3a.m. to do tests to see if i'm rebounding, but still can't hammer it down. I'm thinking a CGM would be able to track this kind of thing.

Anyone use one? What's the scoop?

Oh, and just curious as to what they cost, and if they're covered by pharmacare (in Canada)?

 

[johnleveritt]

Just curious... does anyone here use a CGM? If so, what kind?

I was thinking that this would be a wonderful device for helping me track my BG's, since my days are so varried as to my timings and intensities of my activity & workouts, and my food timing & intake etc. I test an awful lot, up to 10 times a day. I get lows during the night sometimes, and am often high in the mornings. I have woken up at 3a.m. to do tests to see if i'm rebounding, but still can't hammer it down. I'm thinking a CGM would be able to track this kind of thing.

Anyone use one? What's the scoop?

Oh, and just curious as to what they cost, and if they're covered by pharmacare (in Canada)?

I personally don't use one. Not because I, or my endo (he swears by them) don't want to, but because I'm a type 2, and it's hard to get insurance to pay for them for a type 2 diabetic. Now my diabetes educator uses one, and she swears by them too. But since she is a type 2 diabetic also, she payed for it out of her own pocket. It's not the cost of the unit that is the problem (around $700.00 I think). But it's the sensors that attach to you, they are around $100.00 each, I think. Like I said, I don't use a CGM, so I'm not all that sure on the prices.

But I did find this, it may, or may not give the information that you want:

http://mydiabetescgms.blogspot.com/2006/09/how-much-are-annual-out-of-pocket-costs.html

And in Canada, I don't know anything.

 

[Lovecraft007]

Thanks for that info, John!

I checked out the site. Yikes! I can see how that's expensive enough to be an aversion for a lot of people. The estimated annual cost of about $3000 would be tough for most people to cover out of pocket. He compared it to the cost of a hospital visit, but for me, that's a bit irrelevant since I don't get charged in Canada for hospital visits. (I was only ever hospitalized once for DKA, a week and a half stay, and let me say WHEW for that!)

I think I'm going to look into the costs and coverage for the CGM's here in Canada, and post back any info I can find out. I'm a type 1, but I don't know that coverage here would differ for a 1 vs 2 since for most other things (strips, meters, needles, etc) they don't seem to.

 

[upschick]

I use the Minimed Guardian and it has been a lifesaver.. I was having to take my blood sugars every 20 minutes to half hour that I was awake and sometimes even during the night due to lows while I slept... strangely enough, my cat would lick my face during the night and wake me up and over time I came to recognize a pattern of him licking my face to wake me up and when I'd check my blood sugar (since I was awake anyway) it would be in the 50's and sometimes even lower!
Now I have a CGM that does it all for me but I get up to 50 alarms a day because I am a brittle diabetic even though I follow a very meticulous diet and exercise routine.

 

[Lovecraft007]

Sounds a lot like the trouble I've been having, upschick!
Lol-as does the cat waking me up. Only mine does it by clawing at the bottom of the bed and meowing non-stop!)

How do you find it, wearing the sensor? I've always had a bit of an aversion to the concept of something attached permanently to me. I also follow a regular and sometimes quite intense exercise regime, since it's what I do for work, and wonder about wearing it during a workout and showers and whatnot.

Is it bothersome? Annoying? Un-noticible?

Sorry to assault you with so many questions, I'm just curious....

 

[Richard157]

I know several people who had poor results with the Guardian but then some have had excellent results as well. I have three friends on another site who use the Navigator from Smith Medical. All three of them say it a wonderful CGM.

 

[Lovecraft007]

I know several people who had poor results with the Guardian but then some have had excellent results as well. I have three friends on another site who use the Navigator from Smith Medical. All three of them say it a wonderful CGM.

Good to know, Richard. Thanks!
I have an appointment with my endo on thursday, and I'm going to ask about it. Not sure what brands are available where I am.

 

[Lovecraft007]

Well, had my appt with the endo today!
I asked about the CGMS, and apparently she can get me one on loan, which I can use for about a week. I just have to purchase the supplies (whatever those will be... i'm not sure either if they'll be covered by my insurance plan or not.)
I was a bit surprised when she said "well there are three of them that we have in the city. I'm not sure what brands they are." Wow! So... not very popular here I suppose.

Still, I'm excited at the prospect of being able to track and map my nighttime BG's without having to wake up and test all the time!

 

[Richard157]

Don't depend on having good results in only one week. I used one for a week, loaned to me by my endo's office. The numbers on my meter did not come close to those on the CGM at the end of the week. Some people have close agreement after one week but others need a lot more time for that to happen. I used the Navigator from Minimed.

 

[Lovecraft007]

Good to know. Thanks again, Richard! I guess I'll see about possibly keeping it longer. (I'd like to have a longer record to follow, anyhow, since my BG patterns are so wacky).

I suppose I'll have to do regular daytime testing with my meter at the same time, and compare results.