Free Style Libre

Samanthav21

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, I have recently just started using the free style libre and it’s very helpful! But when I’m out I don’t want people to see it on my arm, so I’m wondering if anyone has tried it anywhere else that’s a good place for it? I’ve seen people trying it on there thighs but I’m not sure! Has anyone tried it?
 

Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,213
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi,

Mine goes inside the arm. reasonably reliable site for the sensor.
Never really had anyone ask? & i do a fair bit of in front of public stuff.
 

miahara

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,019
Type of diabetes
Type 3c
Treatment type
Insulin
I don't really care if it's seen, in fact I've made friends with other users as a result of it being seen. I've only been asked 'what is it?' a couple of times and my stock reply is 'it's my on-off switch,' before I explain properly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: suk and Jaylee

Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,213
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I don't really care if it's seen, in fact I've made friends with other users as a result of it being seen. I've only been asked 'what is it?' a couple of times and my stock reply is 'it's my on-off switch,' before I explain properly.

I was stolen from the baby shop & the security tag was never removed... ;)
 

Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,213
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Love it !!!!

To be frank. I spent a week mum sitting two summers back. (she has Alzhiemers) it's a thing I do to give my sister her full time carer a break.
The first time she spotted it it was briefly described a new way of testing my blood sugars.
From then on.. I was "stolen goods."

The circles I tend to move in on the whole, anything goes.. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: suk and Samanthav21

Ushthetaff

Well-Known Member
Messages
867
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Mountain out of mole hill makers ,queues , crowds , shopping on a Saturday hmm just shopping I guess no matter what day it is
I actually 5ought about putting it on the back of my neck like Neo from The Matrix lol but , I use my belly , but I don’t really care who sees it , if it bothers you tell them it’s a new type of nicotine patch lol ,I have a prosthetic leg and that’s always on show as I wear shorts constantly
 

In Response

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,369
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
@Samanthav21 I completely agree with you.
Why should my medical condition be on display for others to judge me?
Many may not know what the Libre sensors (or my pump) are but why should I have to explain or change what I wear to hide them?
One great thing about lockdown is I can manage my diabetes from home and not worry about what others think. As rules are relaxed and the weather warms up, my sensor will move. I have no fat on my chest so I'll trial the sensor lower down on my torso. Other CGMs are recommended to wear on the abdomen so why not the Libre?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Samanthav21

Samanthav21

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
@Samanthav21 I completely agree with you.
Why should my medical condition be on display for others to judge me?
Many may not know what the Libre sensors (or my pump) are but why should I have to explain or change what I wear to hide them?
One great thing about lockdown is I can manage my diabetes from home and not worry about what others think. As rules are relaxed and the weather warms up, my sensor will move. I have no fat on my chest so I'll trial the sensor lower down on my torso. Other CGMs are recommended to wear on the abdomen so why not the Libre?

I know I agree with all of this! I just don’t want it on show in summer. I just need somewhere to hide it so I don’t get questioned about it.

I’m still very secretive about have type 1 diabetes because people have a lot of wrong views on it. That’s why I would like to hide it somewhere :)
 

Tony337

Well-Known Member
Messages
727
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Not being on holiday....
Hi
I have mine just above my armpit with a miaow miaow attached.
I only have it there because I kept knocking it on the door frame when on the outside of my arm.

On the lighter side my wife and I are naturists so would have immense difficulty in trying to hide it on the beach....lol

Tony
 

KidChameleon

Newbie
Messages
4
Hi. I have to say, that in the 3 times that I have been out with my muscle fit t-**** on that my libre has been on view and all 3 times someone has asked what it was. 2 times when out in a pub and 1 time I was actually outside in a queue for the health centre.
So in many respects, yes, it´s a bit annoying.
So I was also wondering why exactly it is that all health care professionals and also the manufacturers say these things have to be put in just that one place on the upper arm (in my case on my bulging muscle, which people are looking at anyway, lol).
Furthermore, I do sleep on my side, so at night it´s 50-50 whether I´ll be lying on the sensor all or part of the time.

I´ve just come to the end of a sensor and currently am sensorless. So was just looking to see if I could put the new one somewhere else. Of course these things are expensive so I wouldn´t want to waste one.

Has anyone´s ´health professional´ told anyone here it´s okay to put them in other places? What exactly is the science behind the upper arm thing anyway? As I couldn´t find any on the Abbot site.
Have those that have put them on in other places had any issues?

I wonder if I did try it on my stomach abdomen if injecting insulin in that zone could possibly have any effect, as that´s the only place I inject insulin these days (and been that way for year´s - as it´s the place that hurts less and where I have the most fat).
 
Last edited:

Hopeful34

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,693
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Mine said it was fine anywhere I wanted, and lots of her patients had put them on leg, chest etc. I've never had a problem wearing mine on my chest to give my arms a rest. I do it in strict rotation, so that each place has a rest of 6 weeks before I go there again. I had to admit to wearing them elsewhere as was at clinic one day and consultant asked to see my miao Miao and sensor was on my chest. Ha, ha, but they weren't bothered at all by that, more interested in the results using Miao Miao.
 

KidChameleon

Newbie
Messages
4
Well that was a disaster. I decided to try it on my abdomen/stomach (a couple of inches to the side of the belly button).

It clicked on okay (and the needle went in). But then after the 60 minute wait was up I kept getting the message. "Glucose reading Not available. Try again in 10 minutes" repeatedly over the ensuing 30 minutes (I´m using the official Freestyle Libre 2 Reader).

Then it decided to just give up with a final message something along the lines of "Sensor is not working please take off and replace"

Then subsequently switching to the default ´No Active sensor´.

´Sensor Ended´ ´Start a New Sensor to check glucose´.


So. One sensor wasted. :banghead:

Fortunately, I was sent 3 months sensors in advance. So I can replace it immediately if desired (back on NHS prescription in the UK, the three times I had sensor issues happened with the 2nd sensor out of the 2 a month you get - Sod´s Law - so I had to switch back to finger pricking for a short time).

It could be a coincidence, but unlikely. It looks like I´ll have to go back using my arm.
 
Last edited:

Paul520785

Well-Known Member
Messages
95
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I have been using Frees style Libre sensors for nearly 2 years
I have just upgraded to Libre 2 sensors read by app on Iphone.
I have had issues with sensors falloing off when tried on arm so I have been using on muscle at top of chest using the nipple as a marker to display distyance to position on next sensor and swapping side every change.
Abbott replace failed units with out any problems when just fail or fall off.
I have experienced a higher level of sensor error when using the Libre 2.
The change to Libre 2 is iniated by asking GP to change type on prescription and then talking them through the change process as they do not appear to have had any notificationfrom local sources - Extreemly annoying and embarassing that you have to educate your surgery!

Paul T1 for 63 years >> still here so must have been doing somthing right.
 

Glucobabu

Well-Known Member
Messages
248
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I know I agree with all of this! I just don’t want it on show in summer. I just need somewhere to hide it so I don’t get questioned about it.

I’m still very secretive about have type 1 diabetes because people have a lot of wrong views on it. That’s why I would like to hide it somewhere :)
Honestly I don’t see the need to hide it. Over the last 2 years hardly anyone has asked me about it. In fact I wish people would show more interest so I could show off my latest high tech blood test gadget!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tony337

Glucobabu

Well-Known Member
Messages
248
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Well that was a disaster. I decided to try it on my abdomen/stomach (a couple of inches to the side of the belly button).

It clicked on okay (and the needle went in). But then after the 60 minute wait was up I kept getting the message. "Glucose reading Not available. Try again in 10 minutes" repeatedly over the ensuing 30 minutes (I´m using the official Freestyle Libre 2 Reader).

Then it decided to just give up with a final message something along the lines of "Sensor is not working please take off and replace"

Then subsequently switching to the default ´No Active sensor´.

´Sensor Ended´ ´Start a New Sensor to check glucose´.


So. One sensor wasted. :banghead:

Fortunately, I was sent 3 months sensors in advance. So I can replace it immediately if desired (back on NHS prescription in the UK, the three times I had issue happened with the 2nd sensor out of the 2 a month you get - Sod´s Law - so I had to switch back to finger pricking for a short time).

It could be a coincidence, but unlikely. It looks like I´ll have to go back using my arm.
At my induction/training for Libre1 two years ago, the instructor told us to put it more towards underarm rather than outer arm to make it less likely to fall off. But she also added that when reporting a faulty sensor to Abbots always say it was on the outer arm to comply with their instructions! It works fine and so far none have been dislodged.
 
  • Like
Reactions: oldgreymare

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Extreemly annoying and embarassing that you have to educate your surgery!
Yes, but in my experience absolutely normal! I know there are health professionals out there who are clued up about diabetes (eg dear Dr Unwin and of course the amazing Dr Bernstein), but I have yet to meet one. If only they knew that they don't know, rather than believing that the half-day's instruction they received in medical school 20+ years ago was the last possible word on the subject!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jill Johnson