Is the Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitor Right for Me?

The G7 is out. It’s smaller, it’s cooler… but is it right for you?

Nick Jonas Super Bowl Commercial

Did you see the ad Dexcom ran at the Super Bowl this week? Join the club!! If this is the first time you’ve heard about this continuous glucose (CGM) monitor magic🪄, then prepare to have your mind blown. And it’s not just for people with diabetes.

Is the Dexcom G7 FDA approved?

Yes. Dexcom received approval from the FDA in December 2022. 🎉 But not all of the features are ready for prime time, so you might need to be a little patient.

How much will the Dexcom G7 cost?

Dexcom announced that it is working to get the same coverage for the G7 as it did for the G6. For private insurers, Medicare and Medicaid, it sounds like some will get 100% coverage and others will have to pay about $40/month. As you might know, the cash price in the US is pretty dear. The price varies, but you could be looking at around $1k per month in the US for the G6. I haven’t heard what the cash price of the G7 will be as of now (Feb 2023).

However, I’ve seen in the past year a few of my patients WITHOUT DIABETES getting full coverage for a Dexcom G6 for a period of time. It all depends on their insurance policy and how their doctor codes it. I’m based in the US, and as we know, everything having to do with medical costs, insurance coverage and pharmacy prices is a crap shoot and not always terribly transparant. My adivce is to ask your provider for the prescription and run it by your insurance to see. The choice of medical coding is key here too.

When can I get the Dexcom G7?

If you live in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austrailia, Hong Kong or New Zealand, it’s already available.

The release date for the US is February 17th, 2023.

What is the difference between the Dexcom G6 and G7?

Plenty. They have made a LOT of great improvements, but have not delivered on two key features.

Let’s start with the bad news. The G7 still only lasts for 10 days compared with 14 days the Libre 3 gives you. And while there was a hack with the G6 where you could restart it and extend its service (great value for cash-pay users), that is not available with the G7 (at least nobody has figured it out yet). The other downside is the adhesive is not very good. It is reported to last about 7 days without the overlay patch and the overlay patch is not very comfortable. (Dexcom says they are working on improving this.)

Now for the good news! The app has been totally redesigned and it’s awesome. The best part is they combined the Dexcom app and Clarity so you can get both real-time and historical data right on your phone in the same app. This is brilliant. They also have a feature where you get a bonus 12 hours of use after the 14 day period. This may not sound like much, but paired with the next improvement, it’s huge.

The start-up period for the G7 is only 30 minutes vs 2 hours for the G6 and it’s automatic. Combined with the bonus 12 hours, users report having continual glucose data available with no breaks in service.

They have also combined the sensor and transmitter all in one AND reduced the size of the sensor considerably. This not only simplifies the installation process, it also makes it less likely to knock the sensor off during daily activities. The size reduction is especially important for small children with less surface area to work with.

Another fantastic feature that gives the user much more control is that Dexcom allows the user to SILENCE ALL ALARMS for a period of time. This can be a bit mental health plus for users. The downside is that it looks like the FDA won’t allow this feature for USA users😢, so this function will only benefit users in the rest of the world.

Which is better Libre 3 or Dexcom?

They each have their strengths and weaknesses.

Aside from the price (which is a big factor), the Dexcom has my vote on many fronts. The app is orders of magnitude better than the Libre app, it’s the one that pairs with your insulin pumps, it pairs with up to 3 devices (including your Apple watch).

That said, I still work mostly with Libre for the following reasons. It is MUCH less expensive for cash users (roughly $100/month), it lasts 14 days and you can easily log your food, activity, etc. right into the app (which I use for education purposes).

So when making a choice, you’ve got to customize it to your own needs and insurance coverage. You can see an updated price list of CGM services here.

Does the Dexcome G7 work with my insulin pump?

Yes. It can be used in manual mode right now. But the integrations with Omnipod 5 or Tandem are not up and running yet. The estimated release dates for integration with Tandem is Q3 2023 and Q1 2024 for Omnipod.

Is a CGM right for me?

While CGM technology is undeniably cool and awesome, it’s not for everyone. But in my opinion, it’s for most people.

Type 1 Diabetes

If you are someone living with type 1 diabetes, it can give you a level of automation that, while not exactly like a pancreas, certainly gets you closer. That might clear a lot of that mental real estate you devote to managing your blood sugar and more importantly, might improve time in range.

Type 2 Diabetes

If you are someone living with type 2 diabetes, then a short-term stint will help you identify your unique glucose response to different foods and activities and can help you both improve time in range, reduce the need for medications and reduce risk for chronic diseases.

Prediabetes and metabolic syndrome

The same could be said for those with prediabetes, metabolic syndrome or any dysregulated blood glusose issue. For example, I have worked with a number of people experiencing severe hypoglycemia a year or more following a gastric bypass procedure or other surgeries affecting their esophogus and stomach that have impacted glucose control. They become prone to severe drops in blood sugar 1-5 years later and often don’t realize it’s blood sugar, mistaking it for heart trouble or menopause symptoms. Very short-term CGM use can be helpful to assess this and make dietary adjustments that significantly reduce occurance.

You can use this technology for the long term, as in type 1 diabetes, or use it for a short period of time to help assess your metabolic state, unique response to food, activity, assess your needs and create a more personalized plan.

Getting the data is only half of the picture. Everyone who uses a CGM needs to learn how to interpret their data, they need a good working understanding of carbohydrate metabolism in the body, and they need to know how to act on their data. That usually takes a little time to educate and to get some professional eyes on your data. That’s what I do.

Grab the free booklet below to find out more about how you can use this technology to create a personalized program to optimize your blood sugar.

Upcoming free webinar on CGM use 2/16/23.