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1st ever libre

HSSS said:
Wow. First morning readings. 8.2!!!! on the libre but 6.1on my accuchek mobile (taken 12 mins earlier to account for the time delay in interstitial). That’s a big discrepancy imo.
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The Libre is factory calibrated.
Unfortunately, not everyone's interstitial fluid is the same as the factory calibration. I found I was regularly out.
The Libre Reader and LibreLink provide no option to calibrate against a finger prick reading. However, there are some free phone apps which use a different algorithm to convert interstitial fluid reading to BG reading and they take into consideration a calibration finger prick reading. I use an app called Glimp which does this and the readings are much much closer to my finger prick. The LibreLink app is still needed to activate the sensor bur once activated, you can switch between the two ... and compare the two if you want.
 
Yeah i realise we’re all a bit different. It’s still useful to see the comparative rises and falls as others have said and timings of them. As I’m not medicating based on it it’s just a bit of a shock rather than worrying to see higher numbers.

I think Glimp is Android, does anyone know the name of the iOS version. I did try looking for something like this but couldn’t find one.
 
HSSS said:
I think Glimp is Android, does anyone know the name of the iOS version. I did try looking for something like this but couldn’t find one.
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Sorry I am an Android (user).
Some Apple (users) may come along and provide an answer. In the meantime you could take a look at Spike, maybe?
 
Well the numbers aren’t so scary now. Partly I think I’ve got my head around the fact that the libre simply reads higher (by at least 1mmol) than my accuchek and partly it seems to have settled a little. Wish I’d had the patience to wait more than 15hr before activating it now.

The arrows still don’t seem to be very relevant almost always pointing sideways, a few diagonals and not a single up or down so I’m assuming my changes are not rapid at the point I scan. Sometimes though I’ve been going up or down, by less than a mmol admittedly, in 15 or 30 mins and the arrow has shown the wrong way!

I’m scanning a huge number of times a day. Not because I especially need to but as I’m using my phone and the graph is pretty small is marks points of interest easily and means I log directly in the app any food and activities etc I may wish to reference back to. Oh and it’s so novel getting an instant reading with the faff of a fingerprick. I’m a kid with a new toy. I’ve told my kids that I’ve gone cyborg. They roll their eyes ( as teenagers they do that a lot to me )

I’m seeing the real point food rises me most not assuming the 2 hr mark is the highest. So now I understand better why the estimated hb1ac from the accuchek is lower than the actual one. 2hrs is more like the point it’s heading back close to preprandial on a good low carb meal rather than the peak.

Very interestingly I’m seeing what happens at night. I seem to jump upward as I fall asleep then maintain that til early hours when I start to rise again. Now the second part I anticipated as DP but I’m not sure about the early rise. Last night however I saw a middle,of the night rapid plummet of about 3mmol that I’ve never seen awake down to a low 4 that I virtually never see either. Followed by a rapid rise back to where it had been. I did wake abruptly just afterwards. I’m not sure if that actually happened or maybe I was squashing the sensor? 10 more days to see what repeats.

It’s certainly got me thinking about things afresh, in a positive way, not just ticking along and maybe letting a bit of complacency slip in. I think I’d like to get one every so often on that basis and also if I have any significant lifestyle/long term med changes etc to get my head around.

I’ll update again towards the end of the sensor for anyone thinking about trying it.
 

I have no idea what you can see using a phone rather than the reader. I use a reader and by connecting it to the Libre Freeview app I can see various different graphs full size, including the actual levels in mmol/ls of all the post meal peaks, and also I can download the full data, which gives every single 15 minute reading with the mmol/l level and time and is most useful for overnight analysis.

I find I see "low glucose" levels (under 3.9) over night, which is when I am probably lying on the sensor, and I also see a few bumps up and down, which according to the times is when I needed the loo. Possibly, when asleep and the bladder fills up, there is a certain amount of stress requiring a bit more glucose!

I am currently wearing one and because of the earlier conversation about the time lag, I took more notice of it than usual. It is definitely around 20 minutes in my case.

As I was on holiday last week I was experimenting a bit with my holiday treats. These were a vanilla ice-cream in a tub, a wedge of Victoria Sponge, and a batterless fish with a normal portion of chips. The chips came off worst, followed by the ice cream, followed by the Victoria sponge. I was a bit surprised because I do eat chips at home, but only half a dozen. So the plateful was far too many! (I should clarify that these were on different days and not all at once!)

Glad you seem to be finding it useful.
 


Experimenting with the Libre. I tried to start a thread on this some months back but it never really took root. If I had ultimately acquired one then I might well have adopted a similar approach.
 
I haven’t linked up regularly to the libreview website just because it’s different devices and it doesn’t seem to much like the iPad (Abbott looking into that) but yes I get better graphs in that and I’ll transfer the data again and take another closer look on that.

I’ve done repeated readings and the lower I go the closer they are but even when stable in the 6’s on fingerprick it’s usually high 7’s on libre 10, 15, 20 mins later. I’ve got my head round the difference now though and it seems every sensor differs a bit.

I’m curious mostly now about the nighttime rising from falling asleep but I’ll see if it keeps happening all sensor. Just the one “dip” so assuming I laid on it as the most likely explanation.

Also starting to notice after food I get a rise, then a slight dip and then another second rise and l’m wondering if this is first and second insulin response (about which I can find little information) or if it’s about protein. More watching for now to see if particular foods do the more than others.
 

I imagine it will be the first and second insulin responses, possibly combined with a fast acting carb in the meal. Then the slower acting ones come into play, held down usually if the meal is fatty, but lasts a bit longer. It is unlikely to be the protein from that particular meal. Protein takes much, much longer to digest, and will only be converted to glucose where this is deemed necessary - ie in the near absence of glucose from carbs.
 
A note for first time Libre users - many of us have found that the first few sensors can throw up some odd numbers, as your body is reacting to the intrusion of the filament, which will elicit both an inflammatory and immune response. After a few sensors, it doesn’t bother any more, aside from the initial healing response you get on insertion - hence pre-applying it and leaving it to “soak” for a day or two before activation.
 
Mmm sounds very reasonable. Didn’t think I ate fast acting carbs (almost all veg and dairy) and always try to ensure there is fat in there but maybe this is the next step in the learning curve As I say watching closely

From what I have managed to find, first insulin response is often lost in type 2 do having an identifiable one is probably good news despite having glucose issues for a very long time before diagnosis
 
Day 11 - sensor seems to be detaching itself from the adhesive disc firmly stuck on my arm. It means if I knock it it feels like it might get pulled off leaving just the sticky pad (20% use still to go so I hope I don’t lose it seeing as they are so expensive)
 

Just stick a plaster over it.
Any old plaster will do, but I bought Opsite.
There are a few different brands that do the job, including sports tape.

When I am in water for any length of time i use a vecro strap intended for joggers to hold their phones.
 
Due to end tomorrow. Anything to be aware of removing it? Although one small area is loose the rest feels very firmly stuck. Do I need to be aware of the needle?
 
HSSS said:
Due to end tomorrow. Anything to be aware of removing it? Although one small area is loose the rest feels very firmly stuck. Do I need to be aware of the needle?
Click to expand...

You shouldn’t feel the needle, just pull firmly.
 
Thanks for posting this.
I keep thinking about trying a Libre as well.
 
OK
Drove to Asda (quite a long drive) and bought 3 because in scientific terms if 2 don't agree then the 3rd may give a hint.
[Boeing designers please take note.]

Reading through this and other threads, I am thinking that the outside of the arm is not a good place for the sensor if you are a restless sleeper (which I am).
So inside of the arm, fore or aft?
Over the bicep seems the place most likely to be dislodged.

I read about the sensor becoming loose or dislodged.
I read about tape.
I read about armbands.

Sports tape - elastic support tape looks a good idea.
How long before you have to replace it?
Will I have to shave/wax my arms?
Will the sports tape do that for me?

Elasticated arm bands.
I remember having a towelling arm band/wrist band when playing squash and tennis to stop sweat running down my arm onto the grip.
I assume that something similar over the sensor would hold it gently but firmly?
Amazon seems to want me to buy a job lot of black ones, though.
I quite fancy the "Captain" arm bands.

My next decision is when to start testing.
I have two touring bike rides coming up, one over 3 days and one over a full week.

I plan to investigate my BG behaviour when medium distance cycling (and having a wild time away from the home environment) but can't decide if I should use the first sensor before the first ride. I don't think I have time because, if I understand correctly, you have a 16 day period for each sensor. Two days to let it bed in, then activate and monitor for 14 days. Hmmm...might just fit it in if I move fast and it would be interesting to monitor my training rides.

Any tips for a newbie gratefully received.
 
I wear mine on my upper chest after knocking too many off my arms. Not supposed to as it’s only been licences for arms, but accuracy is just the same there (I blood calibrate mine). I don’t need to bother with tape or anything.
 
Oh, probably obvious, but...
If it takes 48 hours for a sensor to bed in, then presumably you have to fit the new sensor two days before the old one runs out.
Alternate arms?
 

Just about to do the deed (or get my partner to press the plunger; I'm a wimp).

First step was to download Glimp. This says it can read the Freestyle Libre but cannot activate it.
Second step was to download LibreLink which said that you needed to use a Reader to activate the sensor.
(!)
Firstly can you confirm that you activated the sensor with the LibreLink App on Android?
Just making sure before I apply the sensor.
I have the LibreLink App running but can't see any menu item to activate the sensor.
 
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