Changed Freestyle sensor, readings all much higher

finzi1966

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183
Has anyone had this happen - I changed my sensor yesterday (only my second one, so I’m quite new to this). It’s readings seem to be much higher than the last one, for no obvious reason (ie no change in diet or exercise or anything else). Frustratingly, I am away from home this week and have no access to a finger prick monitor to check.

I’m just wondering if this is a thing that can happen between different sensors? I know it isn’t really important in the scheme of things, but it’s just really upsetting and depressing me. My readings were all sevens and eights with some sixes with my first monitor, now they’re all nines and tens. Obviously calibrating it with a finger prick monitor would give me the answer but I won’t have access to one for another four days, and I’m getting more and more miserable.
 

In Response

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Messages
3,374
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Pump
It is frequently mentioned that Libre sensors may be inaccurate on the first day or two as our body gets used to having an alien object inserted into their arm. This is why many of us insert the sensor 24 hours or more before activating it.
You may find that your readings are closer to what you expect in a day or two.

However, it is possible that you have a dud sensor and the only way to tell is to check with a finger prick. Pharmacists used to offer a diabetes testing service which was just a finger prick test. I don't know if this is something that has gone along the wayside wit the pandemic but you could ask a friendly local pharmacist if they could do a test for you to compare.
 
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Lakeslover

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422
Yes, I find different sensors can give different results and I attach mine 48hours before starting. My sensor usually reads up to two points below my meter.

but I have noticed the last two sensors are reading higher, ie closer to the meter. Maybe coincidence or maybe libre have changed something.

if you are away from home are you certain nothing has changed in your diet? I do find meals harder to control when I am away. Even just a small bit of carb creep? Or increased stress? I am sure if you are in the Uk a pharmacist will do a check for you if you are that worried.
 

finzi1966

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183
Yes, I find different sensors can give different results and I attach mine 48hours before starting. My sensor usually reads up to two points below my meter.

but I have noticed the last two sensors are reading higher, ie closer to the meter. Maybe coincidence or maybe libre have changed something.

if you are away from home are you certain nothing has changed in your diet? I do find meals harder to control when I am away. Even just a small bit of carb creep? Or increased stress? I am sure if you are in the Uk a pharmacist will do a check for you if you are that worried.

The reason I don’t think diet is to blame is that I’ve already been away a week (on my “old” sensor) and it was only after changing sensor that the levels shot up to 10/11/12. So although I might be eating a little bit differently to at home (but we’re self-catering so I’ve tried to keep difference to a minimum) I’m not eating differently to yesterday and the day before. In fact the two “treats” I’ve had this week, a scoop of ice cream on Sunday and a scone on Tuesday, were well before this happened (and although I was shocked at the time at the spike they caused, neither of them caused my sugar to be as high as it was this morning just sitting at home!)

Ah well, first world problems. I need to try to not be quite so distressed and miserable about it.
 

Rokaab

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,159
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Pump
The sensor may be faulty..you should send it back to abott for testing. This has never happened to me. My sensor work perfect with my blucon nightrider and my linkblucon app has option to calibrate which further improves accuracy.
Without a blood test kit to actually test, you cannot say it is faulty, and finzi1966 is currently lacking said testing kit,
Abbott would also want to know what a proper blood test was at the time to tell if it was faulty or not as well
 

jape

Well-Known Member
Messages
160
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
A few weeks back, a new sensor gave me a reading of 3.1, whereas my finger gave me a reading 9.8. Abbott replaced the sensor without any real hassle. I am on my 61st sensor now, and that was the first sensor that clearly gave me an erroneous reading.
 

finzi1966

Well-Known Member
Messages
183
Just to update: I think it was a “sensor settling in” issue. When we got home and I was able to blood-test, at that point the discrepancy was closer to 1.0mmol. And now a couple of days later the Libre figures are right back to what I would expect (in fact, they’re slightly better than I would expect, I think probably because I started Ozempic on Sunday)