Freestyle Libre

lilybracken

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I have been diagnosed as T1 nearly four weeks ago. I'm considering the Freestyle Libre - is it worth the money?
 

Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,810
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
BDCE63CE-59B1-4243-B5F0-C2E1A76D8AD0.jpeg
I’m a type 2 and have never used one. However I read a post recently about demand outstripping supply. I just went to the Website and this is what pops up when you click buy :(
 
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Fishpie90

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
It’s totally worth the money. I’ve been diabetic nearly 26 years. And this is the most brilliant device ever.
I’ve learnt lots about my “spikes” some of which I didn’t even know about. Which has been very helpful and I’ve managed to smooth them out.
I know not everyone loves it but for someone like me (always on their phone” being able to scan at any point is a bonus!
 

eabhamurphy

Well-Known Member
Messages
94
View attachment 26147 I’m a type 2 and have never used one. However I read a post recently about demand outstripping supply. I just went to the Website and this is what pops up when you click buy :(
If you go to a pharmacy they will be able to order one in for you. The order went through the pharmacy order system so I assume it was in stock and came in this afternoon. the lady said she had been buying them through the pharmacy for the past few months. I saw this yesterday I was working (in a pharmacy).

I used to use the libre before I got CGM and it is a great tool. Definitely worth the money. Think I wore sensors continuously for about 5 years.
 

therower

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,922
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Hi @lilybracken . Welcome to the forum. It would appear that the libre is a great piece of kit.
I'm in no way trying it put anything negative but I would just say a few things.
1. Learn the basics of being T1. The libre is great but you need to understand your diabetes and how you manage it to reap its benefits.
2. If in the future should you find a problem with the libre you will need to revert to finger pricking control of your diabetes.
This is far more difficult to get right but if you have this experience you'll be far better equipped to deal with anything diabetes and erratic sugar levels will throw at you.
3. Being so recently diagnosed you will invariably go through a honeymoon period, this is going to make things very irregular and erratic for you. The libre is great at tracking trends, being in the honeymoon period is not going to give you good day to day trends.
4 . Definitely give it a go, maybe in a few months time ( only my suggestion) but don't rely on it completely. Master the basics of being diabetic first.
Hope I've not been to negative here.
Good luck with everything.:)
 
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Mick1959

Well-Known Member
Messages
151
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I have been diagnosed as T1 nearly four weeks ago. I'm considering the Freestyle Libre - is it worth the money?


Hi

I was diagnosed with T2 in February, and have one, and find it invaluable to follow how my BG is affected by foods, exercise etc., as the constant monitoring and self scans allows me to make informed decisions on my diet / exercise regime.

I also feel, it shows I have some effective control over my T2,
 

catarinagallo

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello,
I’m fairly new to the forum but I wanted to add my Freestyle Libre experience to this thread. When I realised I was prediabetic last year, I was reading up and came across the Freestyle Libre, it sounded ideal. All except the price, that is. I tracked my blood sugar pricking for a while but I eventually decided to invest in a starter pack as a very special birthday present. It is MARVELLOUS. At first I felt bad using it, not just because of the money, but because I felt a bit of a fraud as I was ‘only’ prediabetic! Never heard of anyone using it in prediabetes! However, I soon realised it’s the way to go, not just for me but for the whole health system! The outlay may be high now but would SAVE health & care costs in the end if it helped people stave off T2 diabetes! When will the powers that be realise this I wonder?

When I had slightly raised fasting blood sugar and raised cholesterol, my GP decided THE solution was to take statins!! I refused (been there before) and wanted to try through nutrition etc. Pricking at first, then The Freestyle Libre starter pack which was invaluable in giving me insight into my blood sugars - and realising I was actually prediabetic! I realise now from the complaints I’d been having that my blood sugar has likely been creeping up for years. My belief is that a single annual fasting bs value may not be enough to weed out prediabetes.

The Freestyle Libre is not only easy to use but gives a blow by blow account of what I am doing, enabling me to fine tune my food. Thinking I was eating healthily already, it was a shock to see my bs shot up after wholemeal bread or oatmeal porridge, even no sugar or milk!

After the starter pack, I reverted to pricking, it’s a method, but after recording my values, I mentally add ‘yes but what was it just before or just after....?’ The Freestyle Libre gave me that insight and peace of mind. I think I’ve managed to ‘reverse’ the prediabetes but I know it lurks in the shadows, so I’ll try and use a sensor occasionally if I need to keep on track. I also want to say how happy I am with Abbott’s customer service around the Freestyle Libre. Sad that it’s on hold for now but I hope for everyone’s sake it can soon be delivered again.
 

Carterc2

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 1
I fully endorse what Therower has said, but I have been using the Libre on and off for about 1 year (self funding) - it has given me much better control and it is the blood sugar indicator which I find so helpful. The actual blood sugar reading is important, but when I'm in and out of meetings all day, I can keep my levels lower without the fear of hypo'ing without warning.

As more become available on prescription, I hope the costs will reduce.

In addition Abbott do need to improve their reporting capability to make it a fully one stop shop for analysing all readings - whichever meter / phone app you use

Good luck with your education process and managing the condition.
 
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ECDRUM

Active Member
Messages
28
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi lily bracken
I have been T1 for 54 years. Libre is a game changer. I have to self fund as having self funded for a year and a half my CCG say I am ‘too well’ to get it on prescription. They don’t see the irony in that! However, whilst the prescription lottery is stupid and counter productive from the point of view of cost to the NHS the device is certainly worth it. Find a way to pay for it if you can’t get it prescribed-it will change and preserve your life.
 
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slip

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,523
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I to agree with @therower, liken the Libre to a new nice fast shiny (expensive!) Ferrari, you wouldn't put P plates on it and expect your average 17yr old newly passed male to live beyond the first dual carriageway they come to.............!

Think June or July they intend to reopen the site to new customers.
 

porl69

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Stupid people
Abbott must be making a fortune.....

My son used to work there (London?). They were making 40 odd thousand a day. They recently opened a new line to double production! And that is the London site. Ireland are making 80 thousand a day as well..... What with the FDA approving them not so long ago as well. Its a huge money making company
 
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porl69

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@lilybracken It is an amazing bit of technology BUT as has been said before you need to learn the basics of being T1D first. Its a lot to take in and understand. Definitely go for it after after you know how your body reacts to being type 1 and how insulin and carbs affect your blood sugars
 

Mick1959

Well-Known Member
Messages
151
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
My son used to work there (London?). They were making 40 odd thousand a day. They recently opened a new line to double production! And that is the London site. Ireland are making 80 thousand a day as well..... What with the FDA approving them not so long ago as well. Its a huge money making company


I have no issue with company recouping money on its investment in time, product development, trials, approvals, because it takes an awful lot of money to get a product to market.

What I do object to is where they manipulate the market for profits - e.g. limit supplies, keep prices high due to demand. That way will lead to short term gains only, as customers will consider alternatives, and have their eyes opened as to other possibilities from other manufactures and potential future products.
 

porl69

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I have no issue with company recouping money on its investment in time, product development, trials, approvals, because it takes an awful lot of money to get a product to market.

What I do object to is where they manipulate the market for profits - e.g. limit supplies, keep prices high due to demand. That way will lead to short term gains only, as customers will consider alternatives, and have their eyes opened as to other possibilities from other manufactures and potential future products.

Totally agree with you. There are a fair few other companies with products being tested at the moment. As soon as they are approved I can see Abbotts loosing a lot of there customers. They have been so unfair on the people that have been self funding for soo long
 

Celsus

Well-Known Member
Messages
483
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I have no issue with company recouping money on its investment in time, product development, trials, approvals, because it takes an awful lot of money to get a product to market.

What I do object to is where they manipulate the market for profits - e.g. limit supplies, keep prices high due to demand. That way will lead to short term gains only, as customers will consider alternatives, and have their eyes opened as to other possibilities from other manufactures and potential future products.
I am not affiliated with Abbott at all !
(actually as it is, working for one of their worst competitors. :), but we don't do diabetes related stuff at all though, so I can speak freely here)
But I can assure you that Abbott is doing everything possible to scale up their production of Libre Sensors for the UK market!
For all the many good reasons that you even list yourself there. Because if they don't, alternative products from competitors comes in and take over the patient preferences. And due to human nature, changing brand/material from something you already started to use is a big step and delayed to be last option for any patient, even despite some patients have different adverse opinion about the material they use. Change is always hard.
The market uptake for Libre has been a fantastic success and gone beyond wildest expectations and therefor also beyond their demand planning etc at Abbott. But its a very professional company with many good people, so they are working on it 24/7 to catch up with that fast accelerating market. I can btw say it was close to same market development patterns in some of the other European markets they released it to. And lets not forget that the restrictions in the regulatory system which is different from one European country to the next is playing a major role here, in which a company like Abbott has only limited to actually absolute no say in. And changes to this also have a major impact in how a medical device is being utilized/promoted/wanted/pushed out of any given market.

But back to answer the question asked by the OP to this thread:
Yes, to me the Freestyle Libre has been worth it - down to every single penny!
And I paid for it out of my own pocket the first 2 years or so.
 

Celsus

Well-Known Member
Messages
483
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Totally agree with you. There are a fair few other companies with products being tested at the moment. As soon as they are approved I can see Abbotts loosing a lot of there customers. They have been so unfair on the people that have been self funding for soo long
Please offer some credit to Abbott where due.
They even brought the Libre device to the UK market before any public funding for it was granted by the government.
And despite the UK health authorities still do not consider the Libre good enough to control your bg level!
(aka, you still need a separate bg meter to use for documenting your bg levels when driving a motor vehicle)
It is the UK health authorities that have decided not to offer funding for the device to the full population in need.

Take other European countries where everybody being diagnosed with diabetes (1, 2 or whatever number you may have) are being offered this device and sensors at no cost to the individual!
And why is that? Well due to all the outstanding advantages you get by using a cgm, especially the increased better bg control, which ultimately result in your living a better long life with more days active (paying taxes to the state), avoiding/delaying expensive complications (costing less for the national healthsystems etc) etc etc etc.
And when having such central approach on behalf of a full population, the state health authorities can cut exceptionally good price and delivery conditions with such companies. Making everybody a winner!

Blame the folks that you have elected to rule and govern for you.
Vote for the people that can and will help you to have a better life.

Like when I moved to Belgium, the first 4 years I couldn't buy the Lantus glargine insulin I used to use for a few years already in France. But it surely wasn't the fault of Sanofi.
 

jlarsson

Well-Known Member
Messages
261
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
mods who selectively modify posts for explicit language that isn't explicit
I am not affiliated with Abbott at all !
(actually as it is, working for one of their worst competitors. :), but we don't do diabetes related stuff at all though, so I can speak freely here)
But I can assure you that Abbott is doing everything possible to scale up their production of Libre Sensors for the UK market!
For all the many good reasons that you even list yourself there. Because if they don't, alternative products from competitors comes in and take over the patient preferences. And due to human nature, changing brand/material from something you already started to use is a big step and delayed to be last option for any patient, even despite some patients have different adverse opinion about the material they use. Change is always hard.
The market uptake for Libre has been a fantastic success and gone beyond wildest expectations and therefor also beyond their demand planning etc at Abbott. But its a very professional company with many good people, so they are working on it 24/7 to catch up with that fast accelerating market. I can btw say it was close to same market development patterns in some of the other European markets they released it to. And lets not forget that the restrictions in the regulatory system which is different from one European country to the next is playing a major role here, in which a company like Abbott has only limited to actually absolute no say in. And changes to this also have a major impact in how a medical device is being utilized/promoted/wanted/pushed out of any given market.

But back to answer the question asked by the OP to this thread:
Yes, to me the Freestyle Libre has been worth it - down to every single penny!
And I paid for it out of my own pocket the first 2 years or so.
Ideally they or someone else comes up with something like ARM did which would enable companies to build their own products using the same core techniques but allow for variation in adhesive and size and so on.
 

becca59

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,856
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Interesting comments re the Libre and learning to be a diabetic first. Technology moves on. When blood glucose kits first came out would we have thought to say. Keep putting your urine on a dipstick and learn to know your body first. Just a thought!

AVOID ABBOT USE YOUR CHEMIST!!
 
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Dweller

Active Member
Messages
28
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I’m on a two week trial for the libre. Currently have had no issues with it. It took a couple of days to adjust to what my other glucose system was reading and I find it’s 15 minutes behind whatever I’ve done to raise or lower my sugars but is tremendous. I thought I’d feel it and snag it on everything but I haven’t really noticed it’s there since it’s mostly out of view. I have taken to checking my sugars at least 15 times a day because of the sheer ease of just scanning a device near it. Painless! Would recommend to any diabetic who can get it. Hoping I’m eligible just for the reason of regaining control since currently suffering from proliferative retinopathy complication. :/ x