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Continious Glucose Monitors

T

Tracey167

Well-Known Member
Messages
309
Location
Essex
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi All

Just wanted to know if anyone has got a CGM (continious glucose monitor) ?

I have recently changed hospitals due to the very poor care i recieved from diabetes nursed and the bad attitude of a diabetic consultant and besides putting in complaints about how i had been treated they still failed to help me. Back in 2010 i went onto a insulin pump but unfortunatley i had a bad experience with it and could'nt get along with it and after 4 weeks i decided to return to pen injections. I have been type 1 for over 30 years now and have lost all my awareness of HYPOS and my hubby had to give up work and care for me as i was having hypos regularly. Even though 3 consultants have now told me i have tight control of my sugar levels they can't work out why the hypos are happening. I read up about the CGM and both me and my hubby feel that this will be of great help, i am now under a london hospital who apparently fund the CGM and just wanted to know if anyone has one and if iy has helped them and does it do what it says on the tin so to speak.

tracey167
 
no experiences but thought I would just say it sounds as if you would be a perfect candidate for one, even if it s just to see whats going on regards the hypos........but definitely over the long term too as it has affected your life and your husbands....

getting back on the pump is also a good idea.....

good luck, my fingers are crossed...
 
Yes, yes! It's a great help! I've been having problems with hypos and since getting a CGM I had almost no hypos at all. It has it's drawbacks (inaccuracy, calibrations, false alarms, etc) but for me it has been a GREAT help. I honestly think that everyone should get one funded. Especially since you're having such gigantic issues with hypos.

Talk to your new doctors - since you're having many hypos and lost your awareness and it is affecting your life so much, you should qualify for a funding of a CGM, at least for a short-time to figure out what is going on.
Take a look here: http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/glucose-monitoring/cgm-costs/

Or if self-funding is an option for you...

Let us know if you have any specific questions and how you get on!
 
Engineer88 said:
Yep these is a small tight group of us on here @Spiker @PaulinaB @Hooked Who else?
Click to expand...
I chickened out of getting one after talking to the DSN. Testing about 10 times a day and kind of regretting not going for it anyway.
Tracey, you sound like you could be in with a good chance of perhaps getting funding for one. Check out this website to learn more:
http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/glucose-monitoring/cgm-costs/

Also, your clinic will probably offer the use of a CGM for a week. You won't be able to see the results until you take it back to the clinic, but coupled with a thorough exercise and food diary, it should help in seeing more of what's happening.

ETA: Durrrhhh! Just noticed that Pauline has given you the same link! Sorry
 
Hi Tracey,

I have used CGM for the past 3 years with my Veo pump and it has been a life saver. I've been type 1 for nearly 37 years and lost all hypo awareness probably about 10 years back. Using a pump helped with the severity of my hypos but I was still going unconscious without warning. I tried all ways I could think of to pick up on any low blood sugar warnings but without success.

CGM has allowed me to get tight control but avoid severe hypos where I need third party help. I can go to sleep with the safety net of knowing my pump will alarm -and some nights it does drive me up the wall alarming - and also knowing that insulin delivery will be suspended to my pump for 2 hours if my glucose level falls below a certain threshold.

It has altered my life in terms of feeling safer, knowing where my glucose level is and having an early warning system to hopefully protect me from harm. It is quirky as it measures interstitial glucose and there is a time lag between blood and interstitial glucose but you soon adapt to this. It also makes you focus on what and when you are eating and also when you are delivering boluses, in fact it makes you super aware of everything that is going on glucose wise.

If your hospital consultant supports your application for funding I would totally recommend it especially knowing how frightening life becomes with no hypo awareness. At present there are no NICE guidelines for the use of CGM so the decision for funding even with support may not be straightforward but don't be put off. Most diabetes clinics can loan you a CGM for a week to see how it might help you and if it something you would want to use. Good luck with it all.
 
I use a CGM and it's fantastic.
 
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