Using Your G6 For Treatment Decisions - Dexcom G6 User Manual

You may have a number but not an arrow or vice versa. If that happens, use your
meter.
WARNING
Do: Only make treatment decisions when your G6 shows both an arrow and a number.
Why: No number, no arrow, no G6 treatment decisions.
Consequences: You could have a severe low or high glucose event.
Don't Wait, Calibrate!
When notified, don't wait, calibrate! Calibrations keep your system accurate. If you
haven't calibrated when notified, use your meter until you calibrate your G6.
11.5 Watch and Wait
Be patient. Insulin takes time to work. When your BG is high, think about when you last
took insulin. Rapid-acting insulin doesn't start working until 15-30 minutes after dosing.
It works best 1 or 2 hours later and stays in your system about 4 hours. If you take
another corrective insulin dose within that time frame — or stack insulin — it could result
in low BG. Watch and wait instead.
Don't worry — If you take insulin to cover what you eat, you're not stacking insulin. And
you do want to respond to a high glucose reading between meals; just be careful not to
overcorrect. Talk with your HCP about what you should do if you're high between
meals.

11.6 Using Your G6 for Treatment Decisions

Alarm/Alerts
Just got an alarm/alert? You probably need to make a treatment decision!
Your HCP can help you set your alerts. Find a good balance between getting too many
High and Low Alerts and not having enough time to prevent a high or low when you
get an alert.
Trend Arrows
Arrows show the speed and direction of your readings so you can see where you're
heading. Work with your HCP and use them to guide how much insulin to take. In
general, with a down arrow, consider using less insulin, and with an up arrow, more.
Remember — it takes time for your insulin to work. Don't stack insulin by giving too
much insulin in too short a period. Sometimes it's best to watch and wait!
Below is an overview on how to use your trend arrows to fine-tune your treatment
decisions, whether you're low, high, or in your target range.
LBL014003 Rev 001 Dexcom G6 User Guide