xDrip » FAQ » Dexcom sensor errors
Never take advice that could impact your health without consulting a medical professional.
This page contains my personal observations. Some of what I describe here is based on speculation.
If you see “Sensor errors” on the status page, you should first verify that you have proper connectivity. If the transmitter is not communicating with xDrip, the “Sensor errors” status line may not be current or valid.
This page describes how to verify your connectivity. If there is no connectivity, you must follow connectivity troubleshooting instead of the steps described on this page.
There is no way to guarantee the exact cause of these errors. In some cases, sensor errors are irreversible—for example, if the filament was never properly inserted under the skin.
However, I have occasionally experienced this error after a sensor had already been working fine for several days.
Our immune system impacts the operation of a sensor. One reason for the “warm-up” period (during which you receive no readings) is that the immune system’s initial impact is so severe that accuracy varies significantly from person to person. Therefore, no readings are provided during the warmup period.
After warmup, factory calibration takes into account the impact of the immune system and adjusts the readings to account for it.
However, what if the immune system causes a temporary “disconnect” or barrier between the filament and the interstitial fluid?
I do not experience this on a regular basis. In the past, I have found that after waiting for an hour or so, readings sometimes returned and operation returned to normal on its own. On other occasions, the readings never returned, and I had to replace the sensor.
The last few times I experienced this, I tried pressing on top of the sensor and gently massaging it to slightly move the filament. My theory was that this might re-establish contact between the filament and the interstitial fluid.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the readings returned.
Please note:
There is no guarantee this will always work.
This may negatively impact accuracy.
This may interfere with the accuracy of the factory calibration.
I am not affiliated with Dexcom. I am not a medical professional. You should not attempt this without first consulting your doctor.
If you decide to try this, you must use your blood glucose meter to verify accuracy and calibrate the sensor if necessary.
