- Messages
- 8,934
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Other
Again, I think you misunderstand the Libre. The Libre captures data in the same way as a "blind CGM" from Medtronic does. When you sleep, it still captures data and gives you the information about what happens overnight. It doesn't alarm, no, but it does provide you with continuous data.if you consider "libre" works in past way (past information), it only works 16 hours per day (when you sleep, it doesn´t work...), it lasts 14 days, but I think 90% dexcom users get 2 to 4 weeks (personally I always get 2 weeks, some 3, but I always replace it in 2 weeks)
Based on the conversations I've had with people on Facebook on a group that is all about CGM, Dexcom users typically don't get more than two weeks out of a sensor, and more importantly, the data quality of the sensor after about 14 days is reduced as the Glucose Oxidase enzyme becomes much less effective. If you look at the topic here, you will see the cost of the Dexcom and Libre over two years are roughly comparable only if you get four weeks per sensor. If you get the more average two weeks per sensor, the cost of dexcom is significantly larger (roughly 1.8x the price of the LIbre).
As pointed out above, the cost of the two systems is very different. As soon as you introduce a transmitter into the sensor you need far more power - that's a huge benefit of NFC. NFC doesn't have the range for a permanent feed so you would need an alternative.I hope next "libre" will be released with alarms and automated read (it´s very easy... a wireless NFC device programmed to read every minute and transmit to receiver).
Alarms are only beneficial if you need them. I don't as I have hypo (<3.9) and hyper (>9.0) sensations that indicate that there is something up. In addition, with the Libre I get 24 hour x 7 day data showing what my blood glucose is doing. This is the most useful data possible as it allows full details of what I am doing to be observed and allows me to gain insights into my diabetes.
Taking the costs into consideration, in the first year of using a Libre it will cost me £1290 for a huge amount of insight into how my diabetes works. If I want the same thing from Dexcom I pay £2825.
However you look at it, if I don't need alarms, then I get the same information from a Libre for less than half of what I'd pay for a Dexcom. That's why doctors (and the public) like it. It changes the cost paradigm for continuous glucose monitoring.
I respect that there may be other reasons for wanting or requiring the Dexcom, but unless you have fully assessed the Libre, I think you haven't understood what it really does.