What should I do if a continuous glucose sensor fails soon after insertion?
Answer
Keep the phone or receiver close during warm-up, follow official reposition-receiver prompts, and contact the sensor maker for replacement if sensors keep failing early under normal use.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- Do not make insulin or other treatment changes from a failed or questionable sensor without confirming on a meter and following clinician guidance.
Follow these steps
Use a backup meter if readings look wrong
If you feel symptoms that do not match the sensor, or the sensor failed, check glucose with a fingerstick meter and follow your clinician’s guidance for treatment decisions.
You should see: You have a reliable reading for immediate decisions.
Keep the receiver close during warm-up
After inserting a new sensor, keep the phone or receiver nearby for the full warm-up and the first few hours as the maker instructs.
You should see: Warm-up completes without signal-loss failures.
Follow reposition-receiver prompts
If the app says reposition receiver, move the phone/receiver closer, remove thick cases or metal obstacles if advised, and wait for signal to return.
You should see: The sensor reconnects, or failure is confirmed.
Document failed sensors
Write down insertion time, failure time, error text, and lot/serial numbers for each failed sensor.
You should see: You have clear evidence for a replacement request.
Request manufacturer replacement
Contact the sensor manufacturer’s official support to report early failures and ask about replacement sensors under their product policy.
You should see: Support issues replacements or further troubleshooting.
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Extra tips
What to look for: Reposition receiver messages, warm-up status, and how many hours or days each sensor lasted before failing
Before you change anything: Do not ignore medical symptoms—use a backup fingerstick meter if readings seem wrong. Save lot numbers and failure times for support. Follow only the sensor maker’s official app instructions.
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