Activated G6 sensor before inserting transmitter

I just activated the g6 sensor before inserting the transmitter. Will it still work?

Hi @kc0olm and welcome to the forum. I would imagine it should still work unless you got an error message of some kind. Some people find that Dexcom sensors give false low readings the first 24 hours or so after insertion, so if that happens if may or may not be due to the early activation.
It looks like you posted this about 3 hours ago so your sensor is wanted up by now and you may have your answer - let us know how things turned out! Don’t forget, Dexcom tech support is open 24/7, and they will send a replacement if needed.

I’ve done that before! As long as I inserted the transmitter ASAP after starting the sensor, everything has turned out fine.

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Thank you Dorie!

So yes, after the warm up, it did come back on line. I checked the glucose with a prick, and it was accurate. It’s still working this morning.

As for Dexcom support, it’s not really usable. It might be valid as support for something unimportant, like a toaster, but for a medical device, which could affect someone’s life, it’s not functional. I called right away, and got a prompt saying the wait time was 20 minutes. I elected for a call back. Didn’t get my callback for 3 more hours, 3 a.m. That’s not support.

FYI: Chat GPT gave this response, which, like many ChatGPT responses, is inaccurate, per my experiments - and it misunderstood my exact question:

No, the Dexcom G6 sensor requires the transmitter to be inserted and properly connected for it to function correctly. The transmitter is a crucial component of the Dexcom G6 system as it wirelessly communicates with the sensor to collect glucose readings and transmit them to a compatible receiver or smart device.

The Dexcom G6 system works in the following steps:

Inserting the sensor: The sensor is inserted under the skin to continuously measure glucose levels in the interstitial fluid.

Attaching the transmitter: The transmitter is a small device that snaps onto the sensor. It collects data from the sensor and wirelessly transmits it.

Pairing with receiver/smart device: The transmitter needs to be paired with a compatible receiver or a smart device, such as a smartphone or a Dexcom receiver. This allows the user to view real-time glucose readings and receive alerts and notifications.

Data monitoring and management: Once the sensor and transmitter are properly connected, the system continuously monitors glucose levels and provides valuable insights to the user for diabetes management.

Therefore, activating the sensor without inserting the transmitter will not enable the Dexcom G6 system to function correctly, as the transmitter is necessary for data transmission and monitoring.

. hi folks, hey for the record, you cant activate a g6 sensor. it is a passive device. What you are doing is telling the transmitter to start a sensor session, if you failed to connect the transmitter to the sensor, and you left it that way, it will just create an error which will be picked up by whatever receiver you are using. even if you left the transmitter off, you could always just “start a new sensor” and repeat the steps (enter the calibration, start warmup, etc.)

I think you would find more useful information in the Dexcom literature than in a 3rd party, unrelated chat bot… I learned everything I needed to know about Dexcom from their literature.

Also, I just got off the phone with Dexcom, I had a G7 issue (not the sensor, but the stupid tape they send with the G7). I have my best luck with actually staying on the phone or using their Dexcom support chat window… much better results. good luck!

Waiting can be frustrating, particularly when you have an issue with a medical device. But important as our hardware is to our survival, if we can’t wait 15 or 20 minutes for a specialist, we may need 911 more than tech support. We need our Dexcom for the closed loop system - but we can put the pump into manual mode and use fingersticks if necessary. Granted, CIQ may (hopefully will) do a better job than making manual adjustments to keep us relatively steady, but being off it for a couple of hours until things are resolved - even a few days of necessary - should be do-able even if not as convenient.
Some of us lived with diabetes for 20-some years or more before the first simple home BG meters came out; and until the last few years when loop systems came on the market, pumps were simple delivery devices. Three hours is a very frustrating wait time, but hopefully you keep a Plan B in place to tide you over in case you have to go old school.
I’m glad to hear things worked out in the end.