Life with Libre

barrym

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800
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LADA
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Insulin
Somebody posted here that he showered when that happened and flushed that hole out. I don't know what it's for, but is meant to be a hole and not full of congealed blood.
 

maglil55

Expert
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6,519
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Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
Somebody posted here that he showered when that happened and flushed that hole out. I don't know what it's for, but is meant to be a hole and not full of congealed blood.
Fear not, it isn't full of congealed blood. I was at swimming today and I'd cleaned it anyway. From the look of Google it's happened a few times and apparently it doesn't interfere with the operation of the sensor.

Sent from my SM-T713 using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 

Fleegle

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Messages
775
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
I get that it works for you, but I am not so brave! Reading what you have just written just makes me feel worse. So you have to pull the needle out as well as push it in??? And then there is a filament IN ME!!! NO WAY! Makes me feel finger pricking is almost enjoyable by comparison. But thanks.
IMHO it is a lot less painful than a single finger prick test. You do not put a needle in an out - there is a spring loaded device that you apply and it presses on for you and just guides it in. I honestly never feel any more pain than a small finger prick and it is only once every 14 days and not 10 times every day. :)
 
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maglil55

Expert
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6,519
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IMHO it is a lot less painful than a single finger prick test. You do not put a needle in an out - there is a spring loaded device that you apply and it presses on for you and just guides it in. I honestly never feel any more pain than a small finger prick and it is only once every 14 days and not 10 times every day. :)
Got to agree. Before I was converted to Libre I'd had a couple of seriously high , unexplained jumps and I was having to do a lot....and I mean lot of testing. My poor fingertips were a mess. Libre was a relief and gave my fingertips a rest.

Sent from my SM-T713 using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 

maglil55

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Well my experiment starts tomorrow. I applied the last sensor that expired on 31 August and it is due for activation tomorrow. The one I am currently wearing also expired 31 August but was applied before the expiry date which is fine according to Abbott. To be honest it has been a good sensor only measuring 0.4/0.5 under the finger jab at 15 mins. I'll do a few checks when I activate the new 'out of date' sensor just to be sure. If it fails I do have a new batch.

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Well despite the bleed through the sensor, I'm glad to say the out of date sensor activated no problem. I've carried out my first comparison and it is measuring 1.4 under the finger prick at 15 mins. However, my BGs are currently falling and I have found with Libre that there tends to be a wider gap when they are on the fall. Will be carrying out more checks over the next 2 days.

Sent from my SM-T713 using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 
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barrym

Well-Known Member
Messages
800
Type of diabetes
LADA
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Insulin
I have said it before, I love the Libre for convenience, but accuracy? I'm seriously thinking of quitting using it. Yesterday I had a period of inexplicably high BG, and the meter to Libre discrepancy was nearly two! The meter being the higher, but earlier in the day while in range the difference was about one, and the other way

Coincidentally seeing my consultant today so will discuss pro/cons of potential better control against accuracy with her.
 

charliebarker

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Messages
256
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I have said it before, I love the Libre for convenience, but accuracy? I'm seriously thinking of quitting using it. Yesterday I had a period of inexplicably high BG, and the meter to Libre discrepancy was nearly two! The meter being the higher, but earlier in the day while in range the difference was about one, and the other way

Coincidentally seeing my consultant today so will discuss pro/cons of potential better control against accuracy with her.

I've had similar reasons - i was wondering whether the meter can't cope with rapid changes or whether it's the libre......I only get big discrepancies when I'm running on adrenaline and am quite jittery and stressed and then the finger prick is always higher than the libre.
 
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maglil55

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6,519
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We'll this out of date sensor ends tomorrow and it has been pretty much trouble free. It was a bleeder to start. First time ever I've had blood coming through the sensor and running down my arm but it cleaned up fine with antiseptic wipes. All the way through it's been about 0.5/ 0.7 under probably because it was a bleeder.
Surprisingly despite the blood flow it remained firmly attached although as usual I've had Tegaderm on for my many swimming sessions.
The only 'annoying' thing is having become bug free and reverted to lower levels I've been getting more than a few low glucose warnings today. Lowest it registered was 3.3 but I checked and I was at 4. It is a bit irritating as I must admit the red result and the low glucose is enough to make me stab to make sure.
Main thing is it worked fine and it wasn't £47 wasted.
 

Scott-C

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,474
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Back around page 10 or so of this thread, there was some discussion about the blucon nightrider transmitter which sits on top of libre and sends results to your phone every five minutes, but it doesn't do alerts.

Just a note to say that those ingenious people behind xdrip+ have now tweaked it so that xdrip+ and blucon talk to each other, which basically means you can calibrate and get alerts and all the other stuff xdrip+ does.

I think a couple of people have got blucon already so if they want to have a play around with xdrip+ to see how the alerts work out, it can be downloaded from here:
https://github.com/NightscoutFoundation/xDrip/releases?after=2017.09.13

I used the 9 Sept nightly build, I assume later ones will work too.

You need to select Libre Bluetooth as the Hardware Data Source in Settings. When you scan to find the blucon it shows up on the screen, but you've then got to click the device name to bring up a screen to enter the pin code on the side of the blucon.

I've only had it running for an hour so far, will have to spend some time now getting used to how to set up the alerts!
 
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AlexMagd

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Messages
184
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Just started using my first sensor. Already loving the freedom to test whenever without having to take time out and go somewhere to test. Quite happy to just do it at my desk now.

Accuracy is a bit of a concern at the moment - my Tee2 is saying 5.4 while Libre is holding steady at 4.9 10 minutes after, which seems like a bit of a difference to me. From this thread though it seems like it might settle down after a couple of days? Looks like I'll be doing some confirmatory testing for a while :)
 

maglil55

Expert
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6,519
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Just started using my first sensor. Already loving the freedom to test whenever without having to take time out and go somewhere to test. Quite happy to just do it at my desk now.

Accuracy is a bit of a concern at the moment - my Tee2 is saying 5.4 while Libre is holding steady at 4.9 10 minutes after, which seems like a bit of a difference to me. From this thread though it seems like it might settle down after a couple of days? Looks like I'll be doing some confirmatory testing for a while :)
0.5 of a difference is pretty good for the Libre. My current sensor is around that level. I've had them 2 under but as long as you know roughly where it is sitting you can work with it. I tend to jab 3 times a day and scan at 15 mins after. Only time I scan extra is if I get a weird reading. For example I got a 3.2 recently with a downward arrow which was enough to make me check. It wasn't 3.2 - it was 4 so it was low but not as low as Libre thought. It seem when it is very low or very high in a rapid change you get a bigger gap.
The really low readings are annoying as it comes up as low glucose events which of course it isn't.
I always apply mine 2 days before I activate it. It really didn't like being activated straight away.
 
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cott97

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Messages
329
Type of diabetes
Type 2
0.5 of a difference is pretty good for the Libre. My current sensor is around that level. I've had them 2 under but as long as you know roughly where it is sitting you can work with it. I tend to jab 3 times a day and scan at 15 mins after. Only time I scan extra is if I get a weird reading. For example I got a 3.2 recently with a downward arrow which was enough to make me check. It wasn't 3.2 - it was 4 so it was low but not as low as Libre thought. It seem when it is very low or very high in a rapid change you get a bigger gap.
The really low readings are annoying as it comes up as low glucose events which of course it isn't.
I always apply mine 2 days before I activate it. It really didn't like being activated straight away.
Have just had my third sensor of 5 fail - it's over 5 mmol out against finger pricks. According to libre I was at 2.9 and dropping but I was really 8 and rising. The libre never went above 3.8 for the next 5 hours though I went up to 11 having started to treat the 2.9 instead of double and triple checking with other meters. Not sure I will be buying again as they can't seem to explain it not that they really try. It does seem to go wrong more in my left arm than right...
 

maglil55

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Have just had my third sensor of 5 fail - it's over 5 mmol out against finger pricks. According to libre I was at 2.9 and dropping but I was really 8 and rising. The libre never went above 3.8 for the next 5 hours though I went up to 11 having started to treat the 2.9 instead of double and triple checking with other meters. Not sure I will be buying again as they can't seem to explain it not that they really try. It does seem to go wrong more in my left arm than right...
You should have got Abbott to replace it - that's well outside their parameters. You've certainly been unlucky. They've replaced 2 of mine no problem.
 
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cott97

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329
Type of diabetes
Type 2
You should have got Abbott to replace it - that's well outside their parameters. You've certainly been unlucky. They've replaced 2 of mine no problem.
In discussion with them, they have replaced the previous 2 but I think I have reached the point where I would rather they gave me a reason. I have sent them all back but no feedback. I work with GPs and we were discussing the libre and I was honest and said great for trends and when it works there is nothing better but it's reliability does seem to be in doubt. None of my sensors started as failures and all developed problems at different times which in some ways made the failure worse as I believed it was accurate until it was clear my levels weren't rising even though I had eaten carbs etc. It doesn't appear to be position on arm, I'm not sleeping on it, I've tried it covered and uncovered. So far the only thing is that the last 3 have all failed on my left arm. If I get this one replaced I will put it on my right arm even though that's where the current one is and see what happens. I also wonder whether or not they have had a few dodgy batches as the first few I used were fine.
 

maglil55

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In discussion with them, they have replaced the previous 2 but I think I have reached the point where I would rather they gave me a reason. I have sent them all back but no feedback. I work with GPs and we were discussing the libre and I was honest and said great for trends and when it works there is nothing better but it's reliability does seem to be in doubt. None of my sensors started as failures and all developed problems at different times which in some ways made the failure worse as I believed it was accurate until it was clear my levels weren't rising even though I had eaten carbs etc. It doesn't appear to be position on arm, I'm not sleeping on it, I've tried it covered and uncovered. So far the only thing is that the last 3 have all failed on my left arm. If I get this one replaced I will put it on my right arm even though that's where the current one is and see what happens. I also wonder whether or not they have had a few dodgy batches as the first few I used were fine.
What I find with them is so long as I apply them 2 days before activation then they run pretty close until the last few days then the gap widens but not usually more than 2 under.
Current one went from 0.4/0.6 to 1.4/1.8 and now back to 0.8! I do about 3 checks a day anyway but I've done a few more in the last few days as I've been getting readings in the 2's and 3's on the Libre (was actually low 4's). Thankfully I change over tomorrow so hopefully I'll be back to a closer reading for a week or so.
 
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cott97

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Messages
329
Type of diabetes
Type 2
What I find with them is so long as I apply them 2 days before activation then they run pretty close until the last few days then the gap widens but not usually more than 2 under.
Current one went from 0.4/0.6 to 1.4/1.8 and now back to 0.8! I do about 3 checks a day anyway but I've done a few more in the last few days as I've been getting readings in the 2's and 3's on the Libre (was actually low 4's). Thankfully I change over tomorrow so hopefully I'll be back to a closer reading for a week or so.
So perhaps what I am seeing is a normal pattern but exaggerated for some reason.
 
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