FREESTYLE LIBRE ON SALE!!!!

[logindetails]

Had a great day - flat as a pancake all day

 

[Emmotha]

Had a great day - flat as a pancake all day

Wowzza!! Good work!

 

[LucySW]

Something to watch out for. Archive your exported Libre .csv data files. When I exported data yesterday, in the resulting .txt file only historic glucose readings appeared (those taken automatically by the sensor). The other columns appear but are empty. Then the other data appears from a later date.

Today the same thing happened with data from the first week.

Luckily I found an old file which was intact and have archived it. But watch out for this. Or is it just a fault?

 

[tim2000s]

Do you mean that when you export, some of the meter data is not being transferred?

 

[LucySW]

Yes. The first three and a half days is historic data only. Other columns empty.

 

[LucySW]

Yes. The first three and a half days is historic data only. Other columns empty.

Has anyone else found this, or is it a fault in my reader?

 

[logindetails]

Has anyone else found this, or is it a fault in my reader?

I just exported the data from mine and it shows everything (inc historic, scan & strip glucose) going back to 22 October when I first used the meter.
2232 rows (records) of data were exported - how many rows did yours export? It is likely that there is a limit to the number of records the meter can store which would be logical or else it's bound to run out of memory at some point.

 

[Bullon]

I bought one last month, I find it very good to use, completely painless application. Only bad part is replacement sensors are £57.95. A bit steep every 2 weeks.

 

[Dillinger]

I think it's pretty obvious from the posts that almost everyone is having issues with the accuracy of the sensor; I certainly am.

What I find very valuable though is the trends and particularly the night time trends. We still need to look to normal glucose monitors for reality checks; that much is clear.

One thing that I have seen really quickly is that I'm getting my carb ratios wrong for lunchtime injections; my afternoons are running too high which is not something I was aware of before getting this.

The sensor is sitting well on my arm; almost on the underside of my arm; I can't feel it at all and it has survived door bangs and toddler's trying to pull it off so I'm happy with that.

The pricing is off though; I really won't be able to justify this full time as I simply don't have a spare £100 kicking around each month.

I also feel that I may be over checking/correcting as it is much easier to see that you are going out of your target ranges; I suppose seeing 8.0's as too high is good, but it's making me more stressed about my blood sugars.

Best

Dillinger

 

[cally]

I think it's pretty obvious from the posts that almost everyone is having issues with the accuracy of the sensor; I certainly am.

What I find very valuable though is the trends and particularly the night time trends. We still need to look to normal glucose monitors for reality checks; that much is clear.

One thing that I have seen really quickly is that I'm getting my carb ratios wrong for lunchtime injections; my afternoons are running too high which is not something I was aware of before getting this.

The sensor is sitting well on my arm; almost on the underside of my arm; I can't feel it at all and it has survived door bangs and toddler's trying to pull it off so I'm happy with that.

The pricing is off though; I really won't be able to justify this full time as I simply don't have a spare £100 kicking around each month.

I also feel that I may be over checking/correcting as it is much easier to see that you are going out of your target ranges; I suppose seeing 8.0's as too high is good, but it's making me more stressed about my blood sugars.

Best

Dillinger

I have also found it useful for spotting trends.

My first reader didn't work so Abbot replaced it and the first two sensors. The next sensor was pretty accurate during daytime, often almost the same as fingerpricks or at least not far out. But it showed false lows at night.
My last sensor was always at least 2mmols lower than fingerpricks so as long as I remembered that it was OK. But it did seem to be more accurate at night.
So its been an interesting experience but I feel I cant really justify the cost. Like someone else said I don't have a spare £100 to spend every month!

 

[tim2000s]

I find the sensor/fingerprick to be well aligned, especially given that I am now running much flatter during the day. During hypos, yes there is a misalignment, but that is expected. Just a pity they can't get their website right to order more sensors.

 

[LucySW]

It is likely that there is a limit to the number of records the meter can store which would be logical or else it's bound to run out of memory at some point.

That may be right Login, I'll check with them. I've got 4,215 so far since starting on 28 October. ??? Weird - have I been über-scanning?

 

[LucySW]

What I find very valuable though is the trends and particularly the night time trends. We still need to look to normal glucose monitors for reality checks; that much is clear.

...

I also feel that I may be over checking/correcting as it is much easier to see that you are going out of your target ranges; I suppose seeing 8.0's as too high is good, but it's making me more stressed about my blood sugars.

Agree about trends and especially night-time trends - but now have an accuracy doubt there too. Sensor # 3 tells me that I go low every night, something that four weeks of previous sensors did not show, and as the sensors regularly go AWOL down in the 2s when they're not working, I don't believe it. And I wanted those graphs to show the doc next week. It's extremely annoying. I start looking for other signs of cockup too. More obsession and time wasting.

The thing just isn't fully ready for release.

 

[smidge]

@Dillinger - I'm sorry you're having sensor accuracy difficulties. I did have with my first two sensors - Abbotts replaced both of them though. My third sensor has been very accurate. It is from a different batch and is generally within 0.2 of my Mobile. It still has some readings where it is 1 - 2 mmol out, but these are far rarer - to the point where I have realised that I am now BG testing only 4 times a day. Unfortunatley this sensor ends on Tuesday and my others are from the original batch. Given how accurate this sensor has been, any discrepancies at all will see me back onto Abbotts insisting they replace that sensor and the unused one from the same batch! It is amazing how much more confident I am with the Libre now it is pretty accurate for me.

I only ever intended to use it for 6 months to get a feel for the pattern of my BG. Like you, I have found a horrible afternoon BG climb which I hadn't been aware of - I have flattened this considerably this week. Being able to see the impact of the Apidra on top of the Levemir is really helping me to sort out exactly what's going on.

If it's any consolation, you do stop stressing over your BG after a while - I'm nowhere near as bad this week as I have been for the past few weeks - I think it is a shock at first to see how high your BG is secretly going when you were under the illusion you had pretty good control. However, you can't fix something you don't know about, so knowing there is an issue let's you address it. By addressing some of the little things, my BG average has gone from 7.3 30-day average to 6.6 7-day average and my time in target has gone from 60% 30-day average to 71% 7-day average. At first, the amount of data was simply overwhelming and I was looking at it thinking 'everything's wrong and I don't know where to start', but by concentrating on one area at a time, I am gradually flattening that graph.

Give it a couple of months if you can, because you really do see a difference.

Smidge

 

[jackois]

According to the handbook, the reader can hold 'around 90 days readings' in the reader memory.

With respect to sensor accuracy, I'm on my third and they have been mostly within 1mmol of my Accu-chek Aviva when I've checked. I also had the 'running in the red' through the nigh, so on the third night, set an alarm and and tested 2 hourly which proved that I was hovering around 3.8 to 4 until early morning (05.00) where my BG rose to 5mmol. reducing my Lantus by a couple of units has it showing running between 5 & 5.5 through the night now. Confirmed, again, by setting an alarm.

As an aside, since reducing the Lantus, I'm sleeping better, waking later & feeling a lot more like I've had a good night's sleep than at any time since diagnosed. No problems (hope I'm not tempting fate!) with loose or falling off sensors. Number 1 took a good hard tug to remove but number 2 took less of a pull.

I've also started trusting the Libre to the point where I only finger prick before driving or if I'm feeling odd.

 

[logindetails]

That may be right Login, I'll check with them. I've got 4,215 so far since starting on 28 October. ??? Weird - have I been über-scanning?

4215 - that would be about 40 scans per day over 31 days so that's not über-scanning.
Over 31 days (and assuming no gaps) you'll have:

24 x 4 x 31 = 2976 historic records + number of scans + number of bg tests = total number of rows.

The reason I have a lot less is that I have been using a replacement meter for the past 2 weeks.

 

[LucySW]

4215 - that would be about 40 scans per day over 31 days so that's not über-scanning.
Over 31 days (and assuming no gaps) you'll have:

24 x 4 x 31 = 2976 historic records + number of scans + number of bg tests = total number of rows.

The reason I have a lot less is that I have been using a replacement meter for the past 2 weeks.

My sensor data capture figures are down suddenly too (in the Snapshot screen). They've gone down since the new sensor to 92%. I'm wondering if this explains the wild off-the-maps lows that sensor # 3 gives me at night, unlike ## 1 and 2.

I'll stop chuntering and call Abbott. I work with words, not data, so I may be making a Really Stupid Mistake.

 

[MrsB]

I have found all of my sensors to be pretty reliable so far luckily. My only problem now is going to be withdrawal symptoms.

My original plan was to do this for 4 weeks every few months to try and help with tightening overall control. I am now finding it so reassuring to be able to just scan whenever I want and give correction jabs as soon as it looks like things are going up which minimises spikes. I'm not sure how I'm going to cope without it now.

 

[logindetails]

I have found all of my sensors to be pretty reliable so far luckily. My only problem now is going to be withdrawal symptoms.

My original plan was to do this for 4 weeks every few months to try and help with tightening overall control. I am now finding it so reassuring to be able to just scan whenever I want and give correction jabs as soon as it looks like things are going up which minimises spikes. I'm not sure how I'm going to cope without it now.

Yep - I can relate to that.
I had a week off scanning as I had to wait for Abbott to send me a replacement reader - it was purgatory
Heaven knows what it'll be like when my last sensor ends - I can't afford £100 every month but I'm addicted

 

[MrsB]

Yep - I can relate to that.
I had a week off scanning as I had to wait for Abbott to send me a replacement reader - it was purgatory
Heaven knows what it'll be like when my last sensor ends - I can't afford £100 every month but I'm addicted

I know the feeling. I caved in at the weekend and ordered another 1 as my last one runs out on Sunday. It's just one. What can it hurt? I'm NOT addicted. It's just one more...