Does the Freestyle Libre continuous monitoring work for type 2

Robbity

Expert
Messages
6,683
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
@Robbity if it was just early activation then wouldn't you expect it to become more accurate after the first 24 hours of reading?
Or are you suggesting that once it is activated some values are "set in stone" and if the sensor reads low when activated it will always read low?
Intrigued by this. Might give the next sensor 3 days before activation just to see.
I assume there must be a maximum time before activation which still allows the sensor to work for the full 14 days.

To clarify:
As far as I understand it, the 14 days worth (UK period) of live sensor time starts when you activate it, not when you initially insert it, so time between insertion and activation can vary, and this timing for me was 48 hours, so when I used them continuously I just popped a new one on 2 days before old one expired.
When I left a shorter period (12-24 hours) between insertion and activation, I got wonky readings for the first 24 hours as shown by those red lows on the graphs, after which they worked fine for the rest of the period - so I got 12 instead of 14 days worth of useful/sensible readings. But inserting and leaving them to settle for 48 hours before activation, they started off and continued fine, so I had the full 14 days worth of sensible readings.
 
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LittleGreyCat

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,233
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
@Robbity I was extending your argument to consider if it might be wise, for example, to give 36 hours for the sensor to settle down.
Then extending it further to wonder how long you could leave it applied but not activated before it couldn't complete an effective 14 day monitoring period.
There must be some time limit.

For the sensor I am using at the moment, I left it 24 hours before activating.
It then read approximately 1.5-1.6 below finger prick.
With 3 days left it now seems to be reading around 1 to 1.2 low.
It certainly doesn't match my finger prick tests, even after 20 minutes for the interstitial fluid to catch up with the blood.
This is a shame because it is currently showing an average of 5.0.
Even at 6.5 this isn't exactly shabby (HbA1c of 5.7) but I would like it to be a little more accurate.
Especially when it is waving red flags about hypos when 3.5 is really around 5.
 

Brunneria

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
21,889
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
@Robbity I was extending your argument to consider if it might be wise, for example, to give 36 hours for the sensor to settle down.
Then extending it further to wonder how long you could leave it applied but not activated before it couldn't complete an effective 14 day monitoring period.
There must be some time limit.

For the sensor I am using at the moment, I left it 24 hours before activating.
It then read approximately 1.5-1.6 below finger prick.
With 3 days left it now seems to be reading around 1 to 1.2 low.
It certainly doesn't match my finger prick tests, even after 20 minutes for the interstitial fluid to catch up with the blood.
This is a shame because it is currently showing an average of 5.0.
Even at 6.5 this isn't exactly shabby (HbA1c of 5.7) but I would like it to be a little more accurate.
Especially when it is waving red flags about hypos when 3.5 is really around 5.

This is why I got the miaomiao (well, this and the fact I can now get auto updates to my smart watch, every 10 mins, telling me what my bg is, 24/7 without scanning at all).

I know that when the Libre reads 5.2 my actual bg is likely to be between 6.2 and 6.7.
Yup, I KNOW it.
But that still doesn't stop me from thinking 'yay! 5.2, arn't i klever', when in reality I should be thinking 'Hmm, 6.7 maybe not a good idea to top up on chocolate then...'

With the miaomiao I get the option of calibrating, so that it shows me the 6.7 not the 5.2, which stops all the little me-to-me conversations, and helps me to stay on track (and not have that extra square of 70% cocoa solid choc).
 
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Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,214
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
This is why I got the miaomiao (well, this and the fact I can now get auto updates to my smart watch, every 10 mins, telling me what my bg is, 24/7 without scanning at all).

I know that when the Libre reads 5.2 my actual bg is likely to be between 6.2 and 6.7.
Yup, I KNOW it.
But that still doesn't stop me from thinking 'yay! 5.2, arn't i klever', when in reality I should be thinking 'Hmm, 6.7 maybe not a good idea to top up on chocolate then...'

With the miaomiao I get the option of calibrating, so that it shows me the 6.7 not the 5.2, which stops all the little me-to-me conversations, and helps me to stay on track (and not have that extra square of 70% cocoa solid choc).

Oddly, even when calibrated, there is still a lag with the current result. I go by the trend in the arrow. (The direction calculated on previous successive reading.)
I can feel hypo. (As a hypo inducing med user.) Look at the result & think "close but no cigar." With a downward arrow. Treat the hypo & sure enough, a proper low reads on the line 5/10 mins later before I start to see a rise from the fast acting carb.

It's easy to panic & feel the carbs arn't working fast enough, then overtreat.

Calibrated. & on a straight line. (Horizontal arrow.) I find the reading (if not bang on to the meter) within 0.2, maybe 0.4?

Of course always back up any suspect sensor readings with a BG meter..
 
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Gab1

Newbie
Messages
3
What’s your view on the freestyle libresensor, if you’ve ever used one! how accurate your blood sugar readings have been in comparison to manual testing? Thanks
 

Lotties

Well-Known Member
Messages
317
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
What’s your view on the freestyle libresensor, if you’ve ever used one! how accurate your blood sugar readings have been in comparison to manual testing? Thanks
Have you read the thread you've posted in? If this doesn't answer your questions there are several really good threads that can be found by a search. Otherwise what is the particular thing you want to know?
 
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Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,214
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
What’s your view on the freestyle libresensor, if you’ve ever used one! how accurate your blood sugar readings have been in comparison to manual testing? Thanks

Hi @Gab1 ,

Welcome to the forum.

Some members report that the system may read a little lower than the meter. (Not counting the possible 15% margin of error with the meter?) other's have reported it close within a certain range.
If you are just scanning the sensor using NFC on a smartphone? A free reader app like "Glimp" can be calibrated to read close to your meter. When interpreting the data from the Libre sensor. I found Glimp more detailed, in that you can also log carbs & meds too..

I rate the Libre as a good tool that joins up the dots, between meter tests.

Hope this helps.
 

LittleGreyCat

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,233
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
This is why I got the miaomiao (well, this and the fact I can now get auto updates to my smart watch, every 10 mins, telling me what my bg is, 24/7 without scanning at all).

I know that when the Libre reads 5.2 my actual bg is likely to be between 6.2 and 6.7.
Yup, I KNOW it.
But that still doesn't stop me from thinking 'yay! 5.2, arn't i klever', when in reality I should be thinking 'Hmm, 6.7 maybe not a good idea to top up on chocolate then...'

With the miaomiao I get the option of calibrating, so that it shows me the 6.7 not the 5.2, which stops all the little me-to-me conversations, and helps me to stay on track (and not have that extra square of 70% cocoa solid choc).

I think I am being edged towards more technology.

A short time ago I had a reading of 2.8.
A. concerned partner asked if that was a little low.
I said it was probably at least 4.
Finger prick was 4.7 so a nice number but around 2 out.
So the sensor is going into the unreliable zone when my BG is still just below 5.

Knowing it is low is OK at one level but deep red is not a good look.