Freestyle libre

[Gabbii]

Hi all hope your keeping safe, is there any others out there that use the libre? Would be interested to chat and know what pro's and cons you have found with it

 

[Jaylee]

Hi @Gabbii ,

What do you wanna know?

I tend to draw this analogy with the Libre. (I use it with Miaomiao 2 & Xdrip.)

A BG meter is like a speed camera.
The HbA1c more like the average speed check on the motorway. (The last 3 month stretch?)
The Libre closer to a dash cam recording the actual journey.

There are plenty of others on the forum with a take on it.

 

[Antje77]

You can also use the search bar on the forum. I searched for Freestyle Libre and ticked 'title only' and found many threads on the Libre:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/search/162197886/?q=Freestyle+Libre&o=relevance&c[title_only]=1
You can read and chip in on any thread you like

For me, I wouldn't do without a Libre or CGM anymore.
Libre has it's annoying quirks (for me, it always reads lower than a blood test so I have to account for that and regularly double check with a finger prick) but it's still very much worth it for me.
Knowing what my blood glucose is doing at a glance, all day, allows me to do small corrections with only very little food or insulin before I get out of range most of the time. Preventing hypo's and hypers instead of treating them definitely makes living with diabetes a lot easier!

 

[Gabbii]

You can also use the search bar on the forum. I searched for Freestyle Libre and ticked 'title only' and found many threads on the Libre:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/search/162197886/?q=Freestyle+Libre&o=relevance&c[title_only]=1
You can read and chip in on any thread you like

For me, I wouldn't do without a Libre or CGM anymore.
Libre has it's annoying quirks (for me, it always reads lower than a blood test so I have to account for that and regularly double check with a finger prick) but it's still very much worth it for me.
Knowing what my blood glucose is doing at a glance, all day, allows me to do small corrections with only very little food or insulin before I get out of range most of the time. Preventing hypo's and hypers instead of treating them definitely makes living with diabetes a lot easier!

That's what's confusing me, scans and blood readings aren't always the same or close. Done a scan just now and it shows 3.9 but blood reading using the libre reading it reads 5.4

 

[Antje77]

That's what's confusing me, scans and blood readings aren't always the same or close. Done a scan just now and it shows 3.9 but blood reading using the libre reading it reads 5.4

So either you're rising now and you were on the low side some 15 minutes ago, or Libre reads somewhat lower than blood for you.
It is a difference of 1.5 mmol/l, such a difference can even been seen when you test with the same blood meter at the same time. For me I got used to the differences and do a double check often, especially when Libre says hypo but I don't feel hypo.

 

[Jaylee]

That's what's confusing me, scans and blood readings aren't always the same or close. Done a scan just now and it shows 3.9 but blood reading using the libre reading it reads 5.4

Hi,

I use an app on Android that can be calibrated regarding what the Libre interprets & the graph on the app?
The meter takes a "snapshot" of anything upto 20 minutes ago?
So, if it correlates (within reason.) with a point on the Xdrip graph. (15/20 minutes prior?)
Tapping on that snapshot dot on the Xdrip graph pulls a brief "pop up" on the BG logged at that time.
If way out? I may consider further calibration. Which I tend to only do on a flat line..

What I do find when low & treating, the Libre responds a lot slower to a rise than my meter.

 

[MarkHaZ123]

I love the libre. I have had it for a couple of months now and it was the best thing I'd done.

I find it helps just knowing my bloods more on a regular basis. I am always filthy at work or out on the bike so it's good to just get a quick reading.

The worst part I'd say is the time delay on readings but it's not a major issue.

I thought I'd check bloods the other night and it was reading 2.9 so obviously into hypo, I did the finger prick and i was actually at 1.9 so the delay isn't the best for that reason

 

[Ymdawd]

Hi all hope your keeping safe, is there any others out there that use the libre? Would be interested to chat and know what pro's and cons you have found with it

The libre is not always accurate. As a sort of check i will occasionally do a blood glucose test strip in addition to the libre. Yes the results can differ by several mmol/l which is worrying.

Also one time the libre readings went totally off the scale ( > 29mmol/l ) . After checking with my blood glucose meter which was normal i decided that the libre sensor was faulty. When i took it off the sensor site was slightly infected/inflamed which may have affected the readings to such a crazy extent.?

My diabetic consultant refuses to give me the libre on nhs prescription and so I buy them privately. Generally it is so much easier and comfortable to use. This coming from someone who though i do not have a needle phobia dislikes sticking sharp things into my fingers several times a day. I can live with one needle every 14 days. LOL

 

[searley]

That's what's confusing me, scans and blood readings aren't always the same or close. Done a scan just now and it shows 3.9 but blood reading using the libre reading it reads 5.4

This is why in the U.K. HGV drivers are not allowed to use them for driving we still have to measure using a regular meter

The libre is not measuring blood... it’s measuring the fluid under the skin think using software to convert to blood measurement which can be more accurate for some people than others

Also after meal or treatments the reading can be worse as glucose levels in interstitial fluid changes slower than in the blood

The included info with the meter used to state ‘ not to be used for treatment decisions’ don’t know if it does anymore.

But certainly if the libre says you are particularly low or high you should use a regular meter to decide your treatment

I’ve had it where the libre says I’m 3.2 so considering having a couple of glucotabs I did a blood test to find I’m 4.7 so no treatment needed if I had the tabs I’d be high

 

[Rose22]

Hi all hope your keeping safe, is there any others out there that use the libre? Would be interested to chat and know what pro's and cons you have found with it

I have used my first Libre and taken it off today when the 14 days ran out. Wasn’t expecting it to be so superglued to my arm! I have a strange 3 dot mark from the sensor on my arm, bit bruised looking, does anyone else get this?
Found it really useful to see what I was doing through the night though as I had no picture of that before. I was far less anxious when going out for walks or exerting myself and thought oh I can just scan and see...reassures me.
Not so fun when see a straight up or down arrow telling it’s changing fast. Interesting to see some large spikes after meals but all in all a great insight.
I self fund, bought myself 2 sensors to see how I found them. Haven’t put next one on yet, going do week finger testing again then pop it on I expect. I did find it was usually a good 1.0 out than blood. My finger readings where always lower than the sensor. So I did bear that in mind, especially for the waking level etc/low level. I found I stopped writing my numbers in log book so much though (I’m new 9 weeks insulin) and find that does help me. With recording my doses etc too. The nurse only looks at that book so I had to go through writing them in.
Amazing advances...if they could make it easier to remove...and even small....even better!

 

[becca59]

@Rose22 I tease off very slowly with a cotton bud dipped in baby oil. The first one I took off removed half the skin.

 

[Rose22]

@Rose22 I tease off very slowly with a cotton bud dipped in baby oil. The first one I took off removed half the skin.

Ah I think that’s what’s happened, it’s very sore looking right around where the filament was in a triangle shape. I am amazed how sticky that thing is! It’s like industrial strength plasters! Maybe that’s why there’s no how to remove part on the instructions leaflet!

 

[Ymdawd]

I have used my first Libre and taken it off today when the 14 days ran out. Wasn’t expecting it to be so superglued to my arm! I have a strange 3 dot mark from the sensor on my arm, bit bruised looking, does anyone else get this?
Found it really useful to see what I was doing through the night though as I had no picture of that before. I was far less anxious when going out for walks or exerting myself and thought oh I can just scan and see...reassures me.
Not so fun when see a straight up or down arrow telling it’s changing fast. Interesting to see some large spikes after meals but all in all a great insight.
I self fund, bought myself 2 sensors to see how I found them. Haven’t put next one on yet, going do week finger testing again then pop it on I expect. I did find it was usually a good 1.0 out than blood. My finger readings where always lower than the sensor. So I did bear that in mind, especially for the waking level etc/low level. I found I stopped writing my numbers in log book so much though (I’m new 9 weeks insulin) and find that does help me. With recording my doses etc too. The nurse only looks at that book so I had to go through writing them in.
Amazing advances...if they could make it easier to remove...and even small....even better!

There was once my libre readings went crazy, right off the top of the scale. I actually did a BG strip reading as a check which was normal. I decided to remove the sensor to find it was a tad infected at the site. Came to the conclusion this was the cause of the abnormally high readings. ( >29mmol/l ) That scared the hell out me for a few minutes.

 

[Danucci]

Hi all hope your keeping safe, is there any others out there that use the libre? Would be interested to chat and know what pro's and cons you have found with it

I use the Dexcom G6. I'm from the US, and I don't know if it is available in the UK.

My friend has the Libre' and we always compare the two. While the G6 allows you to to be more independent of the receiver than the Libre', the Libre's reporting features are much more robust and helpful.

 

[Colin of Kent]

I've been using the Libre for just over two years, and it's great. Thanks to some other forum users here, I got a Blucon Nightrider, which I use with xDrip+.

As @Jaylee said, this setup can be calibrated. I too found the Libre alone quite inaccurate at times. On the first day of a new sensor it tends to give me some dodgy readings, so I have to fingerstick about 4-5 times that day. Otherwise, it just requires a once-a-day calibration fingerstick to keep it on track.

It's basically a full-on CGM system, complete with alarms to warn when I'm going out of range. I love it!

 

[Jaylee]

I've been using the Libre for just over two years, and it's great. Thanks to some other forum users here, I got a Blucon Nightrider, which I use with xDrip+.

As @Jaylee said, this setup can be calibrated. I too found the Libre alone quite inaccurate at times. On the first day of a new sensor it tends to give me some dodgy readings, so I have to fingerstick about 4-5 times that day. Otherwise, it just requires a once-a-day calibration fingerstick to keep it on track.

It's basically a full-on CGM system, complete with alarms to warn when I'm going out of range. I love it!

Hi,

Oddly, the current Libre sensor I'm using (5 days old.) has been pretty bang on? (Within a fraction.)
With the scan against Xdrip. (& even the meter.)
I love the CGM set up with the MM.

I've found making sure I'm appropriately hydrated helps a little with the libre?

 

[Wayward Blood]

HI Gabbii, I love using the Libre (can you tell from my profile picture?). I got one back in October and it gives me so much more information than before. It does have some quirks, and I spent the first couple of months stressing that the sensor was going to fall off or fail the whole time! Touch wood neither of those things have happened yet, although a few times I've needed to cut a hole in a Tegaderm plaster and put it over the sensor to keep it stuck. You can purchase those plasters at a lot of pharmacies; I think each one cost me around 30p from Boots. They're actually meant for keeping things like cannulas in place but they work brilliantly for this purpose too.

A few times I've taken a correction dose or glucose tablets based on the direction of my sensor's arrow, only to find that my blood sugars have changed their mind fairly rapidly afterwards. But generally I've found the readings to be surprisingly accurate. For me, it was definitely the right choice to use the Libre.

 

[Antje77]

although a few times I've needed to cut a hole in a Tegaderm plaster and put it over the sensor to keep it stuck.

If you need an overpatch again, no need to cut a hole, you can just put it over the sensor

 

[JohnEGreen]

I'm still pondering on whether I should get one or not I must admit my fingers do hurt from all the finger pricks but would it be of benefit when I already have pretty well controlled blood sugars most of the time.

 

[Wayward Blood]

If you need an overpatch again, no need to cut a hole, you can just put it over the sensor

Thanks, I thought that would probably be the case. I've just done it that way as my DSN was adamant that the hole in the middle of the sensor needed to be exposed to the air. I don't know why that would be, but I thought it would probably be best to follow the advice.

 

[Girvo]

I got 1 nearly a year ago, after passing out in the middle of the road and waking up in an ambulance, and I have to say it's been a lifesaver ( literally), I feel so much more confident when I'm out and about, I get it on prescription.