Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems

Step

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Thanks guys,
Yeah, I've just been reading through it all. It does sound very interesting.

Graeme, do you use it with a pump or pen?

I'm struggling a little to work out why essentially removing a small transmitter and receiver set up and swapping it to a flash reader or bluetooth device and using an interstitial sensor saves the initial financial outlay required by CGM systems?
I think I understand the difference between CGM and this Flash GM method now. But is that £600-£700 cost required by the CGM units still justified now?

Thanks so much for your experience and views.

Step.
 

GraemeJones

Member
Messages
20
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Step - Pump? Pen? No I'm still using syringes. Actrapid and Insulatard mix twice a day. It's worked well for nearly thirty years and I've never asked or been invited to change to one of these 'er new fangled systems. The Libre has been a bit of an eye opener regarding BG patterns though. Basically my BG goes up and down at random, in the sense that no 2 days are the same. As long as I'm within my target range of 3 to 10 mmol/L for most of the time and continue to keep my HbA1c around 48 I don't worry about it. Must go now, BG down to 3.6 and my tea is cooked!

Graeme
 

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
8,934
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Other
The one thing that the CGMs give you is alarming. If you need to know when you are going low due to lack of hypo awareness, they are invaluable. It is the absolute realtimeness that you pay for, not the backward looking history that the Flash gives you.
 

JANROU

Well-Known Member
Messages
190
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I love my freestyle libre, ok it doesn't give any alarms but it is teaching me so much about my BS and effects of insulin and food
 

Step

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Cheers all!

I can see the merit in both these more advanced blood glucose monitoring methods. I do find it strange though that the Freestyle Libre seems to have opted to be backward looking rather than real-time as you put it Tim. It is realtime after on each scan you undertake. Therefore could it simply just output it's data live or be read constantly rather than requiring a scan. And if it did do this, would that really up the unit price to the £500-£600?


Either way I think it sounds good and considering a trial. Can a trial be undertaken through the Freestyle libre site or are there better ways?

Cheers,
Step.
 

Spiker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,685
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I test quite a lot, up to 15 times a day, generally between 5-10 times. I've been told that this is excessive by some Dr's and I feel guilty for costing the NHS money, however, I worry about the future and so I continue to test.
Hi Step

Think how much more you would cost the NHS if you weren't preventing diabetic complications with your diligent testing. By testing 15 times a day, you are practically performing a public service! ;-)
 

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
8,934
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Hi Step, the major difference between the libre and "real time CGM" is the data transmission technology. The libre captures the raw data on a memory chip and passes it to the reader to interpret via NFC when it is scanned. CGMs have a transmitter and receiver that function continuously feeding the data from the sensor to the receiver and interpreting it. The tech to do this is more involved and therefore more expensive. Abbott also offer a true CGM system which is inordinately expensive.