Dexcom or Libre ?!

[Babydee00001]

Hello all , my Type1 son is currently trialing the Libre which has been performing excellently for him .
I’d really like to get him more sensors but due to the Abbott website high demands on them they are no longer selling to new customers.
Well for the time being anyway .
As you all know they can be bought elsewhere but they really are silly money .
I am looking into the Dexcom which I know is more expensive but I’m thinking right that it’s a more complex and effective system?
I know the Libre measures via body fluid for a overall reading of last 10/15 mins
Does the Dexcom measure it more alike the actual pricking ?
So far the Libre has been pretty much spot on anyway compared against the accu chek reading
He is currently on a waiting list to go on the pump too ... so I’m asking is would the Dexcom be a much better option for him ?! Or shall I just pay through nose for the Libre if and when I am get hold of them ?!
Thanks in advance xx

 

[Scott-C]

I am looking into the Dexcom which I know is more expensive

Hi, Babydee, the good news is that although a dexcom sensor officially lasts 7 days, the sensor can be restarted. It can be a bit hit or miss, but many people have reported that they can get 14, 20, 28 days out of it. Pricewise, it can end up the same as libre, but, like I say, there's no guarantees on how long it will last after a restart. They can get really sketchy really quickly once the enzyme on the sensor filament starts wearing out.

Also, the transmitter life can be extended if you run it to an unofficial (but widely used and highly respected) android app, xDrip+, so you get more bang for your buck.

If you're in the UK, the libre prescribing rules are starting to loosen up, so you might end up getting it on script eventually. There's a couple of transmitters which you can buy for libre as a one off cost of between £100 and £150, blucon or miaomiao, which'll turn libre into a cgm just like dexcom, so that's maybe something to keep an eye on for the future.

Does the Dexcom measure it more alike the actual pricking

Dexcom measures glucose in interstitial fluid between cells just like libre, so there will still be a lag. But the difference with dexcom is that you can fine tune it by taking a bg reading when bg is stable, feed it into the app as a calibration so the app has a better sense of the relationship between bg and interstitial fluid glucose, so the lag isn't that important. There'll still be a difference when bg is rapidly changing but when more or less stable, there's not much of a difference. Calibration can be done with the libre transmitters and xdrip+ too.

Libre is good (and with a transmitter even better), but with dexcom you're getting much more information, a reading every 5 mins which produces a much more detailed graph, compared to the smoother averaged graph on libre, so it can take a bit of time getting used to reading the graph, and learning how not to over-react to what it's telling you. For example, sensors sometimes get a bit "noisy" and there will be a sudden up or down movement, and you might think, oh, better do something here, but chances are if you leave it another 10 mins it'll click back into a more regular line ok. It takes a bit of time and experience to be able to identify when rapid movements are actually happening or are just noise.

Dexcom also has hypo and hyper alerts, which will be a huge comfort for both you and your lad.

Enjoy!

 

[Deleted Account]

Liber from Asda is cheaper than buying them direct from Abbott so I woildn’t Bother getting them direct from the manufacturer.

Dexcom and Libre are different things. The Libre stores 8 hours of readings which it downloads to the reader when you swipe it. The Dexcom constantly downloads the values to the reader. This means you can set alarms to go off when your BG is too high or too low or rising too fast or falling too fast.
The Libre can be “pimped” by adding a gadget that automatically downloads the readings to your phone allowing you to convert it to a CGM with alarms like the Dexcom.

Which is better depends on your needs and your body (I found more accurate readings from the Dexcom).

If your son is likely to get a pump soon, this should be considered as some pumps talk to the CGM. Dexcom talks to the Animas Vibe but Animas are exiting the pump business. I think Medtronic have a CGM that works with their pump. I am still using my Vibe so do not know what the level,of integration is with Medtronic and a CGM.

 

[Babydee00001]

Thank u all for such detailed informative comments !! Just what I was after I have been looking on asda but to no avail as it happens I am usually always the last horse to get into the paddock. Thank u all again xx

 

[therower]

@Babydee00001 . I personally use Dexcom, never actually used Libre.
Most things about comparisons have been covered above.
Dexcom sensors can be rebooted after their 7 day period. My shortest lived sensor was 9 days, longest 45 days.
At £50+ a sensor a good one is a bargain, likewise a poor one can prove costly. An average lifespan for me is around 23 days.
I use the G4 system which requires quite a costly outlay. Receiver, transmitter and sensors hit me for £800. The newer systems work out cheaper as you have no need for the receiver. Unfortunately I believe you will still need the transmitter, I’ve recently had to order a new one £260, I’ve had this transmitter 13 months, how long it will last I don’t know but it’s giving a replacement warning. Apparently the G5 and 6 transmitters struggle to last this long.
A few hidden costs to consider maybe.

 

[Scott-C]

I have been looking on asda but to no avail as it happens

I've not had to buy any from stores, but from other posts, it seems that they're not advertised on store websites, you need to pop into a store which has a chemist and ask at the counter, and it varies from store to store.

Superdrug has been mentioned a lot as a stockist, and also Boots, so maybe worth asking around at a few stores.

 

[Babydee00001]

Thank u I’ll do that !! The asda near me has a pharmacy .

 

[Babydee00001]

@Babydee00001 . I personally use Dexcom, never actually used Libre.
Most things about comparisons have been covered above.
Dexcom sensors can be rebooted after their 7 day period. My shortest lived sensor was 9 days, longest 45 days.
At £50+ a sensor a good one is a bargain, likewise a poor one can prove costly. An average lifespan for me is around 23 days.
I use the G4 system which requires quite a costly outlay. Receiver, transmitter and sensors hit me for £800. The newer systems work out cheaper as you have no need for the receiver. Unfortunately I believe you will still need the transmitter, I’ve recently had to order a new one £260, I’ve had this transmitter 13 months, how long it will last I don’t know but it’s giving a replacement warning. Apparently the G5 and 6 transmitters struggle to last this long.
A few hidden costs to consider maybe.

Thank u , good info

 

[Scott-C]

longest 45 days.

Jeesh, after 45 days, it must have seemed like a member of the family - did you give it a name, lol?!

 

[Deleted Account]

Thank u I’ll do that !! The asda near me has a pharmacy .

I phone them before. My local Asda only gets them in on request but they only take a couple of days to get them in stocks.
Super drug used to be cheap but their price has rocketed up to more than Asda.

 

[therower]

Jeesh, after 45 days, it must have seemed like a member of the family - did you give it a name, lol?!

I did become quite attached to it. No idea how it managed to last so long. It actually went on holiday with us.
Names for inanimate objects???????? Now that would be telling.