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If you use a CGM, do you ever experience “compression lows”? These are inaccurate CGM readings that occur when there is pressure placed on the CGM transmitter and sensor. They typically look like a sudden and drastic drop on a CGM graph, and often occur when a person is lying on their sensor.
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“Other” as I don’t know.
This will be something good to test.
For a long time I wasn’t sure what you all were talking about when you referred to “compression lows.” However, I recently experienced several compression lows while I was sleeping. I found that relocating my CGM from areas where my body meets the mattress appears to have resolved the problem.
Keep my Libre (now 3) on my left arm so I try to make sure that I sleep on my right side. Don’t want the alarm going due to compression lows.
I have not noticed this, and I did not know that this was possible. I will be aware of it now.
It stops
Not with Dexcom….Libre? Constantly. One of the many reasons I don’t use Libre.
I have never heard of that being something that happens. I will now pay attention, I will have a conversation with my endocrinologist about this.
When I had a G6 it happened rarely. Happens more frequently with the G7. For me it’s more difficult to place on arm. Always had G6 on arm but didn’t seemed to compress like the G7. Also happens more in the beginning of sensor placement. Then not so much. Annoying
I have a hard time finding a spot that is not my abdomen to place the sensor so I don’t get compression lows. So annoying in the middle of the night!
I’ve had only 1 in 3 years that I can attribute to laying on the sensor in the night. I put the pump infusion set and the sensor on the same side of my body, so I’m used to sleeping 10 days on my right side and 10 days on my left side! LOL! No compression lows!
I don’t think so. If I get a low alarm at night, I eat sugar and go back to sleep. I don’t get up and double-check with a finger stick.
Not that I’m aware of.
I am not know
While I have experienced compression lows they have been infrequent. I have a bigger problem with loss of connection to my pump if I lay on the Dexcom transmitter
I had compression lows only if I had been dehydrated as well. This is more likely to happen after traveling.
I answered “no”, however, I am very aware of where my G7 is located when sleeping on that side.
Regularly if sensor is inserted in my abdomen or arms, but only rarely when inserted on my inner thighs.
I said Yes, but rarely because I almost always insert my sensor rotating from one leg to the other on my inner thighs.
I tried a sensor on my calf but in the calf, it sometimes hurt and frequently gave sensor out of range errors on my pump.
I get them when I have my G6 on my arm, so I don’t put it there anymore. I only put it on my abdomen. So far so good.
Any pressure results in not getting readings at all.
I do occasionally during the night
On the G6, I got them all the time.
I am now on the Eversense which does not have compression lows (no matter how I sleep.) I believe this has to do with the sensor being inside the body and being “compressed all the time”, so to speak.
I said “other”. I get inexplicable rapid drops (not instantaneous, but sloping down significantly over 3-5 5-minute test periods. I had never considered this as a possible cause. When it happens, I go and do a calibration, usually finding that my true BG level is 30 or more points higher than the indicated SG. I had never considered this as a possible cause. I’ll pay attention to that now. Thanks.
No, I’ve learned where sites are bad for this and don’t use them there. Been 12-15years without a compression low now
Not too often, but when they happen, we usually have multiple alarms in a night. It’s always after a sensor change when we, of course, switch arms.
Yes and that prevents me from putting the sensors on my arms because I sleep on my sides. Now I have the sensors on my thighs nearer the inside where I won’t sleep on them.
Every time I lay on it, I either lose the signal or go low.
Fascinating, was unaware there was a term for this specific nightmare(s)
Yes, often within just the first 24 hours after inserting a new sensor!
Yes, but with the CGM 6 not as frequent as the CGM 5. I was thinking about what CGM to use next and after reading all the comments I’m not sure what to use, so for now sticking with the Dexcom CGM 6 because in our area there’s only 1 endocrinologist who does the Eversense and sadly it’s not my endocrinologist.
I’m a side and stomach sleeper, so I used to get compression lows all the time in Manual Mode on the 670G and 770G pumps (Medtronic). Now I run Auto Mode and have very few compression lows.