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Freestyle Libre Sensor: highly inaccurate??

@bravopapa I believe the Dexcom is significantly more expensive, but can’t remember how much, which is why I bought the Libre.

(As I said, I don’t have any issues with the Libre’s accuracy.)
 
So I spoke with Libre CS and they have offered a replacement sensor. Not a great experience for the first sensor and no apology or goodwill from a rather robotic team. I have over 20 readings that have been taken in parallel with a finger blood test on the Expert. Over the 20 the average difference is exactly 3mmol and a %change of 25%.

Libre "should " work out at around £100 per month. Dexcom offers a subscription service of £160 per month for 4 transmitters and 26 sensors over a 12 month period. Assuming 3 weeks per sensor then this again is as near £100 per month as well.

My only issue was sensor size (with the transmitter attached) for an 8 year old, and the application device. I have a Blucon on order and will use that with xDrip+ for nighttime alerts and just leave it as a flash meter during the day.

I have told Libre CS that should the next sensor be no different I want a full refund. Anyone getting on with Libre I will offer the bluecon on here for sale should I go this route.

Just wanted to say what a great community this is. Its such a daunting topic and I wanted to thank everyone for their patience and help.
 
Read lots of info with tolerances between , libre and finger pricking . I used acucheck mobile then moved over to Medtronic link meter difference in reading 2 mmol and have any of you ever taken a reading. Then repeated second later and got a totally differnt reading I use libre first sensor. And it' about 1 mmol lower than the medtronic link meter but which is correct the bm meter or libre . The hba1c well tell .
 
TedTomato said:
My first sensor was providing readings all over the place, in term of values and also trends.

I emailed Abbot but they never replied.

I then called, and spoke to someone fairly quickly. A set of three readings between the Libre and a blood tester was enough to show that the difference was more than 15% each time. He confirmed that a replacement would be sent, and it arrived the next day (so they do keep stock available for replacements), along with a return envelop for the faulty one.
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um....no they don't. you must have contacted them on delivery day, I'm having to wait three weeks for my replacement :mad:
 
urbanracer said:
This is more about reliability than an accuracy issue but after a painful sensor application, I withdrew the applicator to find that the filament protective sheath had detached itself from the applicator and was stuck in my arm.

View attachment 25840

I pulled the sheath out but after 4 attempts to start the sensor I took it off to find a fair bit of fresh blood under the sensor.

Watch out for this, it hurts!
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Ouch!!! :arghh:
 
hh1 said:
um....no they don't. you must have contacted them on delivery day, I'm having to wait three weeks for my replacement :mad:
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I called them on a Monday morning, and I received the replacement on the next day, Tuesday. At the same time, their website was indicating some delays in shipments, so I can only assume they set some stock aside for replacements.

Is it the first time you ask for a replacement?
 
TedTomato said:
I called them on a Monday morning, and I received the replacement on the next day, Tuesday. At the same time, their website was indicating some delays in shipments, so I can only assume they set some stock aside for replacements.

Is it the first time you ask for a replacement?
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No, I'd had one before because one of my sensors fell off. That was before all the current stock problems.
 
hh1 said:
No, I'd had one before because one of my sensors fell off. That was before all the current stock problems.
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Maybe they therefore prioritise people who ask for a replacement the first time...
 
After trying 3 Libre Sensors, I am done with it:

* First sensor was overestimating glucose levels quite significantly
* Second sensor was underestimating most of the time
* Last sensor was overestimating again (sometimes up to 3 MMol/L) and fell off after 10 days anyway

My own conclusion: promising technology, but not fit for purpose yet, apart from getting some vague trends, ignoring actual values displayed
 
My current sensor and the previous one were surprisingly accurate.

The sensor that I had so many problems with 4 weeks ago was replaced by Abbott and although the sticky pad was firmly attached to me, the sensor had started to come away from the sticky pad.
 
urbanracer said:
Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh!
View attachment 26544
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I feel your pain!

I have taken advice of other members from this forum and inserted my new (current) sensor in 24-48 hours before I was due to activate it.

However now that I have activated it isn't matching up to my BG meter. I am out by 2-3mmol every-time. It has been 24 hours since I have activated it. Do I give it time to settle? Or do I call Abbot?

I assumed the whole point of inserting the sensor earlier- was to avoid this!
 
CranberryIce said:
I feel your pain!

I have taken advice of other members from this forum and inserted my new (current) sensor in 24-48 hours before I was due to activate it.

However now that I have activated it isn't matching up to my BG meter. I am out by 2-3mmol every-time. It has been 24 hours since I have activated it. Do I give it time to settle? Or do I call Abbot?

I assumed the whole point of inserting the sensor earlier- was to avoid this!
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What I do in this circumstance is keep using it for week before I call Abbott. I take the view that if it's consistently 2 mmol low then I still know roughly where I am and I get a few days use out it. It might correct itself, it might not.

For me it only becomes unusable when the readings are disproportional and erratic when compared to real glucose readings.

I awoke this morning to 2.9 on the Libre. Got over the initial shock and thought to myself 'I feel OK ' and sure enough my real level was 5.4. This sensor only has 3 days to go and appears to be developing a fault.
 
urbanracer said:
What I do in this circumstance is keep using it for week before I call Abbott. I take the view that if it's consistently 2 mmol low then I still know roughly where I am and I get a few days use out it. It might correct itself, it might not.

For me it only becomes unusable when the readings are disproportional and erratic when compared to real glucose readings.

I awoke this morning to 2.9 on the Libre. Got over the initial shock and thought to myself 'I feel OK ' and sure enough my real level was 5.4. This sensor only has 3 days to go and appears to be developing a fault.
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To be fair most of the sensors I have had (apart from one well dodgy one) have settled after 2 days or so. So I will try and be patient (although I don’t think I could last a week).

But you make a good point, at-least I know its consistently out by 1-2mmol.
 
TedTomato said:
Hi,

I bought a Libre Sensor from Boots yesterday (£64, and they wouldn't remove VAT).

Applied yesterday, and got readings after 1 hour. Everything seemed fine.

A day later, I am getting completely wild readings.

Before breakfast, the Libre sensor is reporting 6.6.
90 minutes after breakfast (bacon and coffee, so very little carbs), the Libre sensor is reporting 8.1 then 8.8 a few minutes later.

My glucose blood tester is reporting 6.2 and then 6.4.

Surely, there can't be such a large difference (2.4), so is the Freestyle Libre sensor so inaccurate that it becomes pointless, or did I just get a faulty (and expensive) one??

Thanks,
T
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Hi
 
Hi sorry about that I ordered four today from super Drug get them in 3 days . Could not get reader was told I Phone 7 will do .was very excited untill I have read your experience.
 
CranberryIce said:
To be fair most of the sensors I have had (apart from one well dodgy one) have settled after 2 days or so. So I will try and be patient (although I don’t think I could last a week).

But you make a good point, at-least I know its consistently out by 1-2mmol.
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Spoke too soon!
Difference between the readings on my meter and the libre are getting bigger ‍♀️

I did feel some discomfort after inserting this sensor (a dull/achy kind of feeling). It is on the back of my arm ish. Could it be that I have not inserted it properly?
 
TedTomato said:
Hi,

I bought a Libre Sensor from Boots yesterday (£64, and they wouldn't remove VAT).

Applied yesterday, and got readings after 1 hour. Everything seemed fine.

A day later, I am getting completely wild readings.

Before breakfast, the Libre sensor is reporting 6.6.
90 minutes after breakfast (bacon and coffee, so very little carbs), the Libre sensor is reporting 8.1 then 8.8 a few minutes later.

My glucose blood tester is reporting 6.2 and then 6.4.

Surely, there can't be such a large difference (2.4), so is the Freestyle Libre sensor so inaccurate that it becomes pointless, or did I just get a faulty (and expensive) one??

Thanks,
T
Click to expand...

I bought online and compare readings of freestyle with accucheck proforma, it is out 4mmol/l. Maybe it’s only 2 hours. I will wait another 12 hours and compare again
 
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