Frustrations with freestyle libre - help me keep using it

[EllieM]

I started using a freestyle libre (self funded) in June 2006, and until February 2017 I was overjoyed. I rarely needed to use a blood testing meter and my HBA1C reduced dramatically.

However, since then I've had two issues
1) allergic reaction to the sensor glue. The sensor itches badly and leaves a rash and some raw skin. This is variable, however, some sensors are much worse than others.
2) increasingly inaccurate readings, particularly at the "low" end, where low is anything less than 6. Blood sugar readings of 5 can give me sensor readings of LO, while a sensor reading of 4 can give me a blood sugar reading of 7. Once my blood sugar gets to 8 the meter is pretty accurate, only out by up to 1 mmol/l, but since I'm trying to keep my blood sugar lower than this it's not much help.
Occasionally I get a sensor that works slightly better after being attached for 4 days, but mostly they're abysmally inconsistent.

Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong, or have I developed an autoimmune reaction to the sensor which is also affecting the results?
My main issue is that it's no longer any use for detecting hypos, particularly overnight. (I know it was working for the first 8 months, because my own mental hypo warnings corresponded to the ones on the machine, and my occasional blood tests also matched).
Abbott have been very good about sending me replacement sensors, and even a replacement meter, but they just told me to see a skin specialist for the rash and haven't given me any reasons for the inaccurate results.

 

[catapillar]

I have to caveat that Ive never actually used a libre (I need the alerts of a cgm). Did the inaccuracies coincide with when the allergic reaction started happening? When you have sensors that cause less of a skin reaction are they the more accurate ones? It kinda sounds like the allergic reaction and inflammation irritation aroipund the site could be having an impact on accuracy (that's totally just a guess, but it seems possible) so, are you doing anything to address the allergy? Antihistamines, barrier spray/cream or barrier plasters before you stick the sensor or - there will be tips on dealing with it on Facebook groups for libre users, at least im guessing because there are lots of tips on this kinda thing on groups for pump/cgm users.

 

[EllieM]

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. The inaccuracies started a couple of months after the allergic reaction, and I'm not 100% sure whether there's much correlation between the strength of the irritation and the inaccuracies, though my gut feeling is that it reads a bit better when it's less itchy. (But in the last 6 sensors, I've only had one give me decent results, at least 3 days after application. ) I should probably locate the facebook libre users, I'm not a big facebook user so haven't worked out how to do this yet! (I discovered these diabetic forums by googling libre issues.)

 

[RFSMarch]

My first four sensors were fine, and then I hit an awful run of failing sensors, bad reactions to the sensors and as a result I probably had a couple of months where the numbers are well and truly skewed and nonsensical.

I came to the conclusion that because the rash and the weeping under the sensor and the rash underneath sometimes caused the sensor to shift in position so the readings for me were often flatline LOs before the whole thing would fail, even though I knew I was fine, if ever it started reading low I knew it was on its way out.

My arms were in such a bad way I had to resort to using it on my thigh to allow the arms a couple of weeks to heal. I now cut a small hole in a compeed blister plaster and fire the sensor through that and whack a tegaderm over the top to hold it all in place. There is still a little skin reaction but the sensors for the last two attempts have been a lot more sensible readings when co,pared to before the failing ones.

 

[Jo1407]

Try cavilon spray by 3m. My son is now allergic to his cannula adhesive so we use it for that. But it’s approved by Abbott’s for the libre.