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FREESTYLE LIBRE ON SALE!!!!

A Dexcom G4 transmits the data continuously, you don't have to "scan".
The advantage with this is that you can set an alarm if your blood glucose drops below a certain point (or above a certain level). So if I'm heading for a hypo overnight an alarm wakes me & I can treat the impending hypo before it actually happens. Still sensible to check using an old fashioned blood test of course.
 
Cost mostly. I looked at CGMs about a year ago and it cost thousands per year as opposed to a bit over a thousand.

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
 
Yes, but the sensors (£60+) are only guaranteed for 7 days. The start up kit is also much more expensive (£1100+).
Fortunately for me I find that a sensor lasts a month or longer making it just about affordable. Other people are not so lucky.
 
donnellysdogs said:
So, when are you all going to eliminate blood teating? As this is the whole purpose behind paying for a sensor isn't it?
The only way that NHS will accept it as a product to fund is if it truly eliminates the costs of the blood steips. It just seems to me that at the moment people are testing a lot still?
Has anybody gone 24 hours yet without doing a blood test?
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I test once a day on my BG meter. I do a finger prick test using the Libre every morning then the rest is all done on the scan. If I feel hypo, then Id test on both. So far so good.
I fasted for the first time in my life and my levels stayed between 7 and 9 from before bed last night till about 4pm this afternoon then for some reason I spiked to 15 at 5pm. In 14 years since being diagnosed, the Libre is definately the best gadget I have ever spent money on. For the first time ever, I am able to see exactly what my levels are doing and exactly where I need to make adjustments and its so much more simpler.
 
DunePlodder said:
A Dexcom G4 transmits the data continuously, you don't have to "scan".
The advantage with this is that you can set an alarm if your blood glucose drops below a certain point (or above a certain level). So if I'm heading for a hypo overnight an alarm wakes me & I can treat the impending hypo before it actually happens. Still sensible to check using an old fashioned blood test of course.
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Dexcom would definatly be a better option but its definately NOT affordable to the majority. £1300 start up vs £139!! Libre sensors are also cheaper.
Also, you still have to calibrate dexcom with finger prick tests at least 3 times a day.... so you have the strips to pay for aswell.
 
I'd also question whether the alarm is really necessary. Generally on overnights, I don't drop to a level that is dangerous (haven't done that for years) so it seems a waste of time? I'm sure some benefit from it but I'm not sure I would, and cost is prohibitive.

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Omnipod said:
Dexcom would definatly be a better option but its definately NOT affordable to the majority. £1300 start up vs £139!! Libre sensors are also cheaper.
Also, you still have to calibrate dexcom with finger prick tests at least 3 times a day.... so you have the strips to pay for aswell.
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Not quite, because T1's don't pay for strips.

I wasjust enquiring as I thought that one of the reasons so many people were raving about wanting to do was to stop pricking their fingers and yet from all the postings until last one you are still hugely reliant upon testing so much.
 
donnellysdogs said:
Not quite, because T1's don't pay for strips.

I wasjust enquiring as I thought that one of the reasons so many people were raving about wanting to do was to stop pricking their fingers and yet from all the postings until last one you are still hugely reliant upon testing so much.
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I'm not sure that, once they are used to it people will. I think you need to calibrate brain to current sensor and from then on, you'll need it less. Mine's not arrived yet to prove or otherwise this theory...


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donnellysdogs said:
Not quite, because T1's don't pay for strips.

I wasjust enquiring as I thought that one of the reasons so many people were raving about wanting to do was to stop pricking their fingers and yet from all the postings until last one you are still hugely reliant upon testing so much.
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yeah...seems like people are pricking more than ever and comparing 2 - 4 meters at a time...lol
 
Omnipod said:
yeah...seems like people are pricking more than ever and comparing 2 - 4 meters at a time...lol
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I would have had to go out and buy other meters and other strips as no way would I be able to check against any other meter. I was thinking that comparing to 2-4 metres is excessive. Surely you only need compare if needed to the metre that you use?

I can't fathom these extra tests out -lol:)
 
donnellysdogs said:
I would have had to go out and buy other meters and other strips as no way would I be able to check against any other meter. I was thinking that comparing to 2-4 metres is excessive. Surely you only need compare if needed to the metre that you use?

I can't fathom these extra tests out -lol:)
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Same here. I do 1 blood test on the libre in the morning and the variance is between .5 and 1.5mmols. Im just so thankfull my experience has been good so far. i guess as more people use the product, it will get more and more acurate
 
I think it's the first time some people have realised that BG metres are not accurate. For me, I only have one metre to compare against - the Accuchek Mobile. It is now running at more than 2mmol out from that - it's increased today. So not good enough to stop testing as seen by my earlier hypo. I'm certainly not prepared to pretend it's anything other than what it is however much people want it to be. It's an additional tool, not a replacement one at the moment. It's valuable, but in its current state, not something I'd expect the NHS to fund. It has the potential to be game changing as it lets us see things that previously only the few people who could afford CGM could see and they clearly weren't able to challenge the diabetes establishment. I'm glad I bought it - it's been eye opening, but for the moment, you should expect to self fund if you want it.

Smidge
 
You cannot compare BG tests and scans taken at the same time, the one is 'now' and the other is 20 minutes ago. My glucose can go up or down several points in that 20 minutes.

I'm happy with the consistency of the Libra data but there is no way I would ever trust a scan to calculate a bolus
 
Emmotha said:
What's the difference between a dexcom and libre?
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I had the dexcom for a month and sent it back

Would alert me in the night to hypos I did not have didn't register post meal spikes

I find the libre so far to be more accurate

If I do a finger test, then wait 5to10 minutes and do a scan then the results are very close with the libre

I was being woken in the night by the dexcom saying I was low at 3.2 and a finger test showed me at 7.6
 
For those of you who have used tegarderm or similar do you cover the whole sensor? Mine is starting to peel away from the edges on day 1!!
 
grant32 said:
For those of you who have used tegarderm or similar do you cover the whole sensor? Mine is starting to peel away from the edges on day 1!!
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ImageUploadedByDCUK Forum1414569556.297299.jpg
Mine started to peel after 12 hours so I've out kinesiology tape over it for now. Not thrilled as its bright pink lol but I've ordered opsite which I will use in the same way
 
igmr said:
You cannot compare BG tests and scans taken at the same time, the one is 'now' and the other is 20 minutes ago. My glucose can go up or down several points in that 20 minutes.

I'm happy with the consistency of the Libra data but there is no way I would ever trust a scan to calculate a bolus
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I'm sorry, but some of you are still missing the point. Regardless of whether it lags 5 or 20 minutes behind (for what it's worth, the evidence from the data downloaded from my current reader shows it generally lagging between 5 and 10 minutes) it is actually measuring something different - it measures interstitial fluid not blood as the BG metres do. There is an algorithm that calculates a BG reading from the IF reading and shows that on screen - it is very clever but has many variables involved; individual physiology, location of the sensor, tolerance of the sensor, hydration levels of the individual at a given time etc etc etc., so the result it displays at a given scan will be more or less accurate given a wide range of variables. We then look at the scan and compare it with a BG reading from our favourite meter which also has a +/-20% tolerance. I'm afraid it will be more or less comparable to a BG reading from our favourite meters at different times for different people. It is a guide showing trends. No more and no less - that in itself is an incredibly powerful tool to help spot patterns and manage diabetes.

Smidge
 
After my settling in period of about 3 days, my scans now generally match the pattern of my blood tests and I’m happy with that. I take into account in my head that it is approx 1 mmol below and runs behind. I find it very very useful, and if I see the blood sugars dropping on my scan I prepare myself for a hypo in advance. Then I can check my blood if I start to feel shaky. It’s great!
 
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