FREESTYLE LIBRE ON SALE!!!!

[ann34+]

Hi, I'm toying with the idea of buying the Abbot Freestyle Libre system over here in France where we are retired. I've been type 1 for 51 years, on NovoRapid & Glargine & using an Accu-Chek Mobile to monitor blood-sugars. Low-carb diet also.

I have a carte vitale ALD that means I do not pay for insulin or the mobile cassettes, although I guess I would have to pay for the Freestyle stuff.

My BS averages are within the normal range BUT but I do have fairly unpredictable changes depending on the weather (!) & the amount of heavy work I do. Although retired, we have a large garden & soil preparation can be hard work. Not had rain in weeks & using an SDS Max drill with a spade fitted to dig a hole in our rock-hard clay soil for a new apple tree! Rather concerned about unexpected hypos & having to correct them....

Would appreciate any thoughts, advice etc...I remember someone posting about using a CGM here in France but can't find their post.

All the best,

Roger

Hi, see my post - buy it if you can afford it! So good as a learning tool i do not know why all can not be offered even a 2 month trial. I have a feeling now that it, for me , is MORE accurate than the Contour next usb. Esp as regards early hypos.

 

[ann34+]

I can't make up my mind whether it's the adhesive or a reaction to the filament (similar to a splinter reaction)

i know you wrote this ages ago, but i am pretty sure, in my case, that i am sensitive to both the filament and the adhesive, and the bit of plastic that touches the skin.
Having loved my Libre so much for a week, i am fed up that i could no longer bear the burning and pain. And the feeling my body was rejecting it, and wanted me to remove it immediately. I have now removed it, the plaster was so stuck i had to use olive oil soaks to remove. Round the edges is reddened and the skin is raised in the centre in the exact shape of the plastic that touched the skin, the whole area is burning, i had this with a Looper heart monitor, but this is worse, and the pain seems in the arm , and seems to be affecting the muscle, and has worsened since taking the libre off. I will try again in a few days if things go back to normal and i get Compeed.

 

[jackois]

i know you wrote this ages ago, but i am pretty sure, in my case, that i am sensitive to both the filament and the adhesive, and the bit of plastic that touches the skin.
Having loved my Libre so much for a week, i am fed up that i could no longer bear the burning and pain. And the feeling my body was rejecting it, and wanted me to remove it immediately. I have now removed it, the plaster was so stuck i had to use olive oil soaks to remove. Round the edges is reddened and the skin is raised in the centre in the exact shape of the plastic that touched the skin, the whole area is burning, i had this with a Looper heart monitor, but this is worse, and the pain seems in the arm , and seems to be affecting the muscle, and has worsened since taking the libre off. I will try again in a few days if things go back to normal and i get Compeed.

Hi Ann,

I never did make up my mind about it.

I have found that if I leave a break of a month or so at a time, I can tolerate a sensor for a fortnight and now just use the Libre occasionally, whilst I watch and wait for the other promised systems to become available.

Luckily my type one is, currently, pretty stable and, if I exercise daily, can manage without a bolus for breakfast and lunch and around 15 units with my evening meal. My long acting, lantus, seems to keep me steady at 14 units.

Such a shame, as I loved being able to scan and get a reading and I'm sure it contributed hugely to getting myself to a steady state after diagnosis.

Fingers crossed you get it to work for you without a reaction.

 

[ann34+]

Hi Ann,

I never did make up my mind about it.

I have found that if I leave a break of a month or so at a time, I can tolerate a sensor for a fortnight and now just use the Libre occasionally, whilst I watch and wait for the other promised systems to become available.

Luckily my type one is, currently, pretty stable and, if I exercise daily, can manage without a bolus for breakfast and lunch and around 15 units with my evening meal. My long acting, lantus, seems to keep me steady at 14 units.

Such a shame, as I loved being able to scan and get a reading and I'm sure it contributed hugely to getting myself to a steady state after diagnosis.

Fingers crossed you get it to work for you without a reaction.

Hi, jackois,
Thanks for your reply. and the information regarding time out allowing you to tolerate the occasional Libre.
I have now got a replacement sensor coming - Libre have good customer services. I hope to try a skin covering when my arm recovers, but not sure it will work, as most of the pain at present seems to be inside my arm.
I agree with you, it is such a shame we cannot use Libre all the time. Its good, though , that it helped you so soon after diagnosis, it would have greatly helped me years ago - with only 3 or 4 strips per day max, and nurses saying less were fine, and advising only testing every other day, or less, and telling me i needed to just lead a normal life, it was a different world. To me, Libre use actually allowed a more normal life, as a scan took no time and removed my worry re my hypo unawareness.

 

[Lenah_]

In the UK, are Libres available in chemists or similar? I have a friend travelling there shortly who would be willing to pick me up some if they can swing into a storefront and grab them off the shelf.

 

[Books1]

I've not seen them in chemists only ever bought on line direct from Abbott

 

[robert72]

In the UK, are Libres available in chemists or similar? I have a friend travelling there shortly who would be willing to pick me up some if they can swing into a storefront and grab them off the shelf.

No, they are currently only available from Abbott https://www.freestylelibre.co.uk

 

[RogerRam]

Hi just had this
This is a DCUK test post, aligned to test condition 129
I have now been using the Libre for months & wouldn't want to be without it-so useful. I use a Samsung S7Edge to monitor on the move & double check with my Accu-Chek Mobile if need be. So doing anything physical-mowing, sawing, log-chopping/splitting, taking builders' rubble to the dechetterie (tip) or clearing the fosse (ditch) tends to start a low arrow so I can be OK.
The good news is it may be free from 1 June 2017-I have a rendezvous with my local doctor tomorrow because I think I need a referral to a specialist-not seen one for years!

https://www.federationdesdiabetique...ibre-sera-rembourse-a-partir-du-1er-juin-2017

All the best,

Roger

 

[RogerRam]

Hi just had this
This is a DCUK test post, aligned to test condition 129
I have now been using the Libre for months & wouldn't want to be without it-so useful. I use a Samsung S7Edge to monitor on the move & double check with my Accu-Chek Mobile if need be. So doing anything physical-mowing, sawing, log-chopping/splitting, taking builders' rubble to the dechetterie (tip) or clearing the fosse (ditch) tends to start a low arrow so I can be OK.
The good news is it may be free from 1 June 2017-I have a rendezvous with my local doctor tomorrow because I think I need a referral to a specialist-not seen one for years!

https://www.federationdesdiabetique...ibre-sera-rembourse-a-partir-du-1er-juin-2017

All the best,

Roger

 

[slip]

In deed I saw an article saying it would be available on prescription in France in June - now NHS take note!

 

[winephil]

WE have now been told that from June 1 2017 the Freestyle Libre will be available under the French healthcare system and reimbursed 100% up to 26 capteurs a year. I have used it from time to time buying from the internet but I have asked my diabetic specialist to give me the prescription as soon as she can. I look forward to this making my control very much easier.

 

[Scott-C]

Great find, @RogerRam !

Ran it through google translate, there's a paragraph headed, "Can I continue to receive support for another blood glucose meter?", and the answer seems to say (on google translate, remember), that the support excludes use of another meter but where manufacturer in clinical situations recommends blood tests, strips should be limited to 100 per year.

So there's maybe some giving with one hand and taking away with the other! I want both!

 

[RogerRam]

I think for me it shows bureaucratic misunderstanding of how the Libre works! With UK driving law you cannot rely exclusively on the Libre when driving due to its relative inaccuracy & the delay comparing interstitial to blood glucose. Seems that their thinking is one or the other. I use a French Surface laptop with AZERTY keyboard & Windows 10 & MS Translate says the same as Google Translate.
However, currently I use the Accu-Chek Mobile with attached finger-pricker (6 needles) so there are 50 tests per cassette. Having used the Libre for months I have a stockpile of cassettes & in any case the kit is only £30, & 2 cassettes about £36 from Amazon UK so not a big deal.
See my doctor tomorrow maybe €27 but appointments booked online easily & I'll keep you posted. There's an Abbott Freestyle Users group on Facebook who are very helpful with the 'wrinkles' of the system-stuff like you must use the Reader to start the Sensor & then your Android phone, other way round & you can't use your Reader. With the Glimp app you can sometimes get longer than 14 days. There's also Libre Geeks group who can help with re-programming a Sony watch to remotely monitor sensors-handy for worried parents etc. It's beyond me!
All the best,
Roger

 

[Hill28]

Is there still no App for IOS available? I´m about to order my 4th reader already since the button and/touchscreen break down/become less responsive rather quickly.

By the way, I finally found a way to control my glucose values. I´m now between 4,1 and 9,9 mmol 85% of the time. Also thanks to the Freestyle Libre

To achieve this:

- I skip breakfast almost completely. My Bg already automatically starts to rise as soon as I get up without eating. So when I get up I take 10 units Lantus and 3 units Novorapid. This stops the rising and will start lowering bg slowely. Sometimes I take a glass of low calerorie drink, like Nalu, (max 4g carbs/100ml) to get a flat line.

- For lunch, around 12:00, I take a salad (almost) without carbs. So, for example a salad with cheese or chicken. I take 2 or 3 units Novorapid, depending if there are croutons or other small amounts of carbs in the salad. My bg will stay flat.

- Around 15:00 my bg will start to fall. I eat, not too heavy, sandwiches/wraps, and get about 5 units Novorapid. BG will stay stable.

- Before dinner I take another 10 units of Lantus and about 5/6 Novorapid. Well if it´s a pizza more BG will stay rather flat.

- Before I go to bed, around 22:30 my bg might be falling, which I compensate with AA-drink, or Belvita breakfast biscuits (so I finally have breakfast). Anyway, any not-too-complicated- carbs that work rather quickly and don´t last too long will do

- Around 2:00 AM I do a nightly check, to avoid hypo´s. Normally it´s fine. But when I´m on less carbs for some days in a row, I might have to get additional sugar.

It takes some effort and hunger in the first part of the day, but I´m feeling a lot better. I also noted that I can eat a bit more carbs for about a day, after going to the gym.

 

[Steveyeu]

Sorry if this has been asked before... can the libre be used with an andoid watch? (Sony2-3 or similar)?

Thanks for all the info!! So much on here keep it up everyone!

 

[eventhorizon]

Sony Smartwatch 3 can be used with Glimp and Libre Alarm apps after some hacks are applied. I think for the time being this is the only watch which can be made to work.

 

[Steveyeu]

i like the idea of having it hands free... im a nightmare for loosing things... thought if the watch was attached to me id have a better chance lol

 

[Steveyeu]

Is there a link or an idiots guide to setting it up on a sony watch?

 

[Scott-C]

Is there a link or an idiots guide to setting it up on a sony watch?

Here's the link:
https://github.com/pimpimmi/LibreAlarm/wiki

It involves hacking a sony smartwatch to switch on nfc so it can read the sensor, and then the watch sends results to a phone. The watch becomes a transmitter like dexcom. So it needs to be worn over the sensor, not on your wrist.

 

[Steveyeu]

Ahhh right thanks so i cant just use the watch to take readings instead of on the phone? Was hoping with an android watch with nfc i could use the app? Or am I making it too simple lol??