Sarah Howard
Sarah Howard has worked in the diabetes research field ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Marketing Manager at T1D Exchange.
Related Stories
82 Comments
If you use a CGM, have you ever extended your sensor past its approved session duration? Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Always; I’ll get from 3 – 7 add’l days. Helps with always having a couple spares here, in case a “new” one goes wonky.
Depends on what kind of sensor you are using. What kind of sensor do you use?
I mainly do it periodically to ensure I have a back up supply of sensors. I do the same kind of thing to ensure I have an ample store of pump supplies and insulin. A lot of T1s do this, maybe the majority. BECAUSE OUR LIVES DEPEND ON THIS STUFF.
I recently retired and switched to Medicare from employer-based insurance. Re pump supplies, they specifically ask you to avow that you have seven days of supplies or LESS when you place an order. Here’s a handy piece of advice: LIE. That’s what I do, and I’m not remotely ashamed of it.
The SHAME is that we HAVE TO LIE!!
I’ve only done this once, due to an issue I was having. Someone at Dexcom walked me through how to stop and restart my CGM. I don’t remember the steps though, and wouldn’t do this unless it’s necessary.
How do you extend a Libre?
Yes to ensure I have some spares. And I’d extend the battery life for my Dexcom G6 if I could. Having only a single transmitter really worries me, especially if I’m travelling.
I did it recently with my Dexcom because I did not have any supplies to swap out my current sensor.
How did you accomplish the task of getting the G6 sensor to extend beyond the 10 day hard stop?
We all do it. I am so good at extending pump supplies that I have twice as many reservoirs as I do infusion sets. Now that my medicare supplement pays for everything I do not have that need anymore and I have a hard time giving those extras away. Our whole system is profit based, not health based. They even have special labeling on products sold via medicare and sellers can be charge with a crime for selling those products to someone off medicare. (Test strips) I do not have this confirmed yet because I am waiting for my first Medtronic sensor shipment but my US Senator said the 18 month delay in Medtronic opting into allowing them under Medicare was changing the label.
Yes, with every sensor I use. Medtronic’s Sensor 3 is only certified for 7 days. By recharging the transmitter and attaching it as a “new” sensor, I usually extend it’s life to 10 – 14 days. They are too expensive to toss out after 7 days.
How in the heck do you get it out with all those tapes without pulling it out of your skin?
I rarely get the 10 days using the Dexcom G6. I start getting sensor errors and inaccurate readings at 8-9 days.
I have the same issue. My readings on the first 2 days and the last 2 are only occasionally accurate. The last thing I want is to extend the bad readings. However, even with 40% unreliability, I’d rather have it than not have it.
Back in the early days of the Dexcom I was able to routinely get more time out of a sensor. The Dexcom 5 & 6 have a hard stop that I have not been able to override.
I’ve tried to but it doesn’t work. Dexcom G6
There’s a trick to it, but it’s doable. Lots of instructionals on Youtube and elsewhere.
I use to do it all the time when the Minimed sensors first came out and lasted only 3 days. Now that they last a week I don’t.
I totally agree with Mr. William Bennett’s comment.
Not possible with the Libre.
Dexcom G6 user. I do it all the time. I almost always get 13 days of reliable readings. Once in a while up to 23 days. Instructions are out there on the internet
How? Please share how you get a G6 to extend beyond the 10 days.
When I was on Dexcom G6 I would sometimes extend just to see if the YouTube instructions worked. It was pretty easy but my insurance covered so really didn’t have to. Don’t think possible on FSL 2
My Guardian sensor will not work any longer than seven days. So expensive and cumbersome and annoying. It only lasts as long as the battery lasts, which is 7 days to the minute.. It’s accurate, though so I put up with it.
You can recharge the battery and then reapply it and start it as a new sensor.
When Dexcom G6 expires..it expires immediately and stops working. There is no opportunity to extend.
Yes there is. I do it frequently but I never get another full 10 days. Typically a good 4-5 days extra on average.
I also am like Dave; however, I’ve even extended some past 30 days and they still maintain their accuracy. IT CAN BE DONE – EASILY!!!!
If my sensor is accurate (which it is 95% or more of the time) I extend. Check YouTube for instructions. I often get up to 20 days.
don’t know how.
No. I have not extended my Dexcom G6 sensor beyond the 10 days that it works. However, there have been times in the past where I had to go without a CGM because my sensors arrived after my last sensor expired. Now, reading some of these comments, I must find out how to extend my sensors. It would be nice to have my CGM continuously, without running out of sensors. My supply company almost never gets supplies to my on time.
If you message me I’m happy to explain. I know it’s not approved but still…
After the one I just started yesterday ends I will be without a sensor until early July when medicare will allow me to receive more. The DME supplier shorted me the last 2 times.
Julie Nalibov,
How do I message you?
Absolutely. If not the 3 per month covered by insurance would leave me short from the occasional early fails, accidental pull -outs, etc.
How do you do that with the Medtronic CGM? I would, but once it gives you a change sensor notice – you are done.
Actually you can extend it and I have done it regularly. It is best to not put on the second Medronic adhesive patch but use some surgical tape to hold it in place. At the end of the week, peal of the surgical tape and take off the transmitter which you then recharge. It can then be put back on and restarted as if it is a new sensor, with the customary warmup etc..
I have used mine for 2 weeks. Towards the end of the second week it can become a little less reliable.
Beyond 10 days, boy wouldn’t that be wonderful. Usually around day 8 the sensor error messages start with the ‘please wait up to 3 hours’ popping up, all the way through day 10. Hoping to move onto a 6 month implant. Stay tuned.
I used to do it all the time on DexCom 5. I’d usually get 10 to 12 days before the readings would get off. I haven’t been able to do that with DexCom 6 yet but my insurance does cover them fully so I haven’t needed to do that.
I use a Dexcom G6 and it will not let me do that. It shuts down, to the minute, after its 10-day lifespan.
Yes it does shut down. But it is quite easy to restart it for another 10 days, then another, then another, etc. Sometimes accuracy is affected but often it is not. Check it out.
I’ve done it a couple of times with the G6 but now that I’m on Medicare I may do it more often in order to ensure I don’t run out.
For those with the G6 sensors that fail early, call Dexcom support and they will usually send a free replacement.
I have no idea how to accomplish such extension!
Me either
I restarted with G5 but not G6. Average life with G5 was 14-16 days. A few of 20-30 days. My record was 79 days. Not a typo. Gave good results for 76 days. Just won’t die.
How is that even possible?
I guess if you save the code you could trick it but why. I would think the sensor would lose it’s accuracy. Fresh is best.
The receiver tells me ‘I will no longer receive signals from the sensor’ when it expires. Not sure how that could be extended?
people show how on U-tube, but it is very dificult and not worth it I feel !!
My insurance is very parsimonious concerning Dexcom sensors. When I could extend, I did, in order to have an extra on hand because shipping where I live is so unreliable. Then I was able to get some spare sensors. Now I only go the required 10 days. I need what I need to to keep my anxiety levels down and enough to keep for backup for these uncertain times without over doing. It is difficult to find that balance when your health depends so much on an item. Next to insulin, Dexcom is most important in my healthcare.
But… but… your health only depends on monitoring your glucose, not on this SPECIFIC technology. You should always consider finger sticks a backup to the Dexcom. (And Dexcom will say so, as well.)
With the G5 I I routinely got 14 days — twice the advertised time. But the G6 is set up to prevent extension. I will go on UTube to see what the trick is to extend it, but my experience with the G6 — in contrast to the G5 — is that I’m barely able to get the designated 10 days. About 1 in 5 sensors doesn’t even last the entire ten days. On the other hand, Dexcom is very good about promptly replacing sensors that fail prior to the 10-day period, and the replacements are the standard 10-day variety.
I used to but Medtronic G3 doesn’t permit anymore.
I used to all the time, with my earlier model Dexcom’s; since beginning on the G6 I have not successfully extended one. I’ve tried all the ways.
With the dexcom 5, I was able to routinely extend the sensor for 1 other session, but a 3rd wasn’t good enough to be worth it, for me. With the 6, I have twice successfully gotten it restarted, with difficulty, but each took a good 24 hours to start working well, and began having troubles again after a couple days of working okay. So, not worth it for me. I do get a replacement for any set that doesn’t last the full 10 days, which over time has allowed a little leeway.
Today I am wearing my first sensor, which I received yesterday. I am beyond thrilled! So, at this point I don’t know what answer I would give.
I rarely leave comments but I feel like this is a super important issue! I have the Dexcom G6, and amazing health insurance (covers all DME at 100%), but I absolutely always extend past the 10 days (or at least try to). While my insurance coverage is amazing, there is ZERO wiggle room if a sensor were to fail, come out, etc. Yes, Dexcom is great at sending replacement sensors, but that is not instantaneous. Also ever since Dexcom switched to using Edgepark to send out supplies, I’ve had nothing but headaches in terms of getting shipments on time. It’s been a nightmare, and since I’m using the RileyLink loop, I NEED a sensor for my pump to properly operate (on the loop, at least). Since there’s zero wiggle room from my insurance in terms of days covered/allowing for a backup sensor, I have no choice but to extend each sensor in the off chance something goes wrong. And without fail, this strategy has saved me many times. It also keeps my already high anxiety somewhat at bay.
@Tray – are you willing to share your technique for extending the sensor? And how far? From 10 days to.. .12? 15? Curious minds want to know!
freestyle libre 2 doesn’t let me
Using Decom since 2009, with the G4 I would regularly extend session also with G5 but since going on Medicare Coverage 100% with G6 I no longer do extension.
I agree. But how do you extend it?
I don’t know how to extend the Dexcom. If I did I may do it as seen fit
I did occasionally in the past, extending the sessions by only a few days. Now that I use Dexcom G6, I’ve heard it’s not possible.
I typically use one G6 sensor a month and I’m so glad because insurance changed and it took months to get everything sorted.
How does one get the DexCom G6 to extend more than its intended 10 days?
If I was able to successfly extend the Dex G6 sensor, I would. I’ve tried several times without getting it to restart.
With a previous model this was possible and I occasionally did. If there is a way to do that with my dexcom I am unaware of it. Because my sensors are covered by my medicare and supplement, there isn’t much of an upside.
Yes, with the Medtonic harpoon in the early aughts.
No, with the G6 being barely able to get out of bed and get its pants on after 7,8, or 9 days.
I loved those old harpoons! I always got several weeks at least from them.
Just confirmed the ONLY difference in sensors paid for under Medicare is an additional line on the label that says “For Government Use.” So my US Senator was right. Medtronic took 18 months to change the label on Sensors paid for by Medicare.
I get a full 7 days from the Medtronic Guardian 3 sensors but when I try to extend them I get only another 2-5 days, and it often starts asking for calibrations every 6 hours so it’s not worth it. I loved Medtronic’s original harpoon sensors (SofSensors) because I’d get a few weeks out of those, and even got one to accurately last 56 days.
Yes, but I did not like the results, so I have done it any more , I am not very good on
Computer stuff so I try to keep it simple.
FreeStyle Libre2 sensors cannot be extended. They stop working exactly two weeks after they are started.
I used to with the older versions of Dexcom – the G4, G5 and early versions of G6 before they made it a hard stop at 10 days. I used to get up to 22 -24 days with older sensors. Have not figured out a way to make the current crop of G6 sensors last past 10 days.
Rick Martin – Please share with the rest of us how you so easily restart a G6 sensor. You must have some magical tech wizard power that the rest of lack.
Yes, due to being out of state and flying home the next day. It was less risky to extend the sensor as it was a good site than to risk a sensor change that wasn’t performing well on the flight.
How would you extend it? My Dexcom works for 10 days then stops reading. Sensor has to be changed.
Extend Dexcom G6 sensor use by after sensor session ends, instead of removing sensor use old test strip or insurance card (or similar preferably thinner than credit card plastic) to slide between transmitter surrounding plastic to release the two locking tabs, remove transmitter from sensor and leave off sensor for 15 to 30 minutes, then snap transmitter into same sensor, start sensor with same code that came with the sensor or using the “No Code” option.
No, I haven’t. But HOW do you do such a thing?! I’d like to know how!
With the Freestyle Libre, there is no way of extending the sensor byond its approved session duration – It dies, practically to the minute of the 14 day period they’re good for…. However, periodically, they have suddenly died a number of days before they should expire (with no explanation)!
In Washington state we have an aggressive progressive state insurance commissioner and a powerful diabetic lobby. We hav3 Patty Murray and Cantrell in the Senate. I have Pramila Jayapal in the House of Representatives. In the state legislature I’ve had Senator Frockt, and representatives Pollet and Mendez. They listen. Please elect people who will listen to you. Insulin is capped at $35/vial in this state. My Dexcom sensors last 20 days. Get busy electing progressive democrats like AOC and the Gang of Four. Contribute to Public Citizen and the League of Women Voters. Contribute just $25 to Warnock and Stacey. Put $25 to support the Poor People’s Campaign. It pays off.
I use this guy’s test strip method for extending my Dexcom G6 sensor life. Often can get 20 days. Obliviously be watchful of skin irritation and performance but overall has worked pretty well for me. Adhesive usually fails before sensor does.
https://youtu.be/tx-kTsrkNUM
I have found it very difficult to extend past the approved duration although there are times I would like to. I know that some say they can extend their dexcom period but I haven’t figured out how to do it.