Samantha Walsh
Samantha Walsh has lived with type 1 diabetes for over five years since 2017. After her T1D diagnosis, she was eager to give back to the diabetes community. She is the Community and Partner Manager for T1D Exchange and helps to manage the Online Community and recruit for the T1D Exchange Registry. Prior to T1D Exchange, Samantha fundraised at Joslin Diabetes Center. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelors degree in sociology and early childhood education.
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How often do you experience alarm fatigue? Cancel reply
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Assuming I understand this term of “alarm fatigue” as a frustration of the various alerts, reminders, or alarms when the CGM and/or pump goes off, I get very frustrated. Especially when those occur in the middle of the night.
I answered never, I truly appreciate what I am being told. Yeah I wish there was a way to tell the device, okay I know, and I’ve taken appropriate action, but considering all the years I operated in the dark – I am grateful
With Dexcom G6, most of the time due to the limited choices of alarms. I tried TCOYD’s Edelman’s idea of lowering high alarms looking at it as an opportunity to impact, but the G6 limited choices drove me nuts. The G7 offers more choice (should have been incorporated in G6), more soothing tones (the jury’s still out whether it makes a significant difference), and the ability to shut them down for a period of time (also should have been incorporated with G6). While there’s been discussion whether the G6 issue was Dexcom’s or the FDA’s doing, I can’t get past the point that I could have used finger sticks and eliminated the issue altogether, but because I took the “safer” route, I had to deal with issue at all!
My phone is on silent all the time. My watch will vibrate if I get low but there is no alarm until I have a severe low which happens very infrequently.
Increased annoyance/fatigue with alerts/alarms from Dexcom G7 cgm linked to my Tandem pump. Many lost connection and false low blood glucose alerts, which I rarely experienced with the G6.
Phyllis, that’s interesting to know. I just asked to upgrade to the G7
Thanks for the info
Does anyone else have this issue?
@KarenTay Just during the first day
I have so many beeps and alarms that sometimes I tune them out. At least I have a Diabetic alert dog who alerts me when I’ve tuned out my alerts.
A lot, but I’m to blame. I run a very tight ship with my sugars so I’m asking for more alarms.
Turn most of them off except for low BS. Tandem will vibrate so not loud. But wakes me up. Only one I don’t like is the lost sensor connection.
I used to experience irritation at all the alarms, but with the newer settings I am much happier and capable of sleep or paying attention to them when I actually need to.
The alarm that is most annoying in the OmiPod alarm lettin you know that in a few hours the pump needs to be changed – for me that alarm is every three days at 2:00 a.m.
Most annoying!
CAn you change a pod a few hours early? I know that means loss of some insulin, but if it is regularly alarming at 2:00 am, perhaps changing at 8:00 pm would work.
I answered never, but that’s because all of my alarms are turned off except for a 55 low. I check my CGM often.
Really, never. My only device is a cgm. I don’t need a high alarm because I check my readings so often. It is turned off. The no connection alarm has always been off. As for the low alarm, it doesn’t happen that often. Like others here have stated, I am grateful for it.
I HATE my alarms, especially when I’m asleep. I get alarms from my pump, from my Dexcom app and from my t:connect app. The Dexcom app alarm is extremely loud. I’ve been listening to alarms, every day for 26 years. The technology is nice to have, but I HATE the alarms!
I appreciate one Low BS alarm from my Dexcom/Tandem combo. What I hate is that the alarms come at separate times (one from my pump, another from my sensor) and neither waits 15 minutes for the carb intake to take effect. Like, I’m sitting at a wedding, waiting for the Bride to appear, and both alarms start sounding! I wish there was a response button on the pump/sensor that would indicate: “Relax, I got this!”
Yeah. I hate that too. That was one nice thing about Medtronic’s solutions.
TOO OFTEN
Interacting with dexcom alerts makes me feel like the character in the show Lost who’s lot in life is to “push the button” continuously
Not really sure if “fatigue” or just annoyance when it warns me my sugar is low but I have already eaten glucose and I am just waiting for sugar to rise.
Prior to placing CGM on back of arm, answer was always!
Still can not place sensor solo
I do NOT want to hear the alarm E-V-E-R!!! During the day, I’ll endure it ONCE, after that literally shut up! Clearly rising, do NOT waste my time with more stupid alarms period. *Telling me for a half hour I’m going back up is violently irritating, entirely 100% worthless). As long as it is going upwards STOP, period. At NGHT, I do not want to hear it EVER regardless…. waking me is bad enough, waking ANYBODY else is NOT forgivable. I want a DISABLE the alarm feature ….