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Free style Libre

E

emily deacon

Well-Known Member
Messages
142
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hiya, I was diagnosed 6 years ago, I am now nearly 23. I have struggled a lot but for the last couple of years I have been really trying to control my levels as much as possible. Something I have looked into is the free style Libre, which is not funded in medway Kent where I live, but the doctors told me to write a letter in if I really wanted it, has anyone had any experiences on this or how I could get this on NHS?
 
Hi @emily deacon you need to get in contact with your diabetes team and ask them if they can get you on a free trial. Then it is down to your local health service on whether they will prescribe them. At the present time it is a real postcode lottery for getting them on prescription.
 

Ok thank you! I really struggle with hypos and high blood sugars, which means I tend to test a lot so I know I’m not high or low, and now I’ve been limited to how many strips I use which sucks a bit
 
I was testing 8 - 10 times a day for the same reasons as you. Went to see my DSN who wrote a letter to my GP saying that i was hypo unaware and that i should be having as many test strips as required. My GP agreed. Defo go and see your DSN and ask them to write a letter to your GP. Worth a try
I had to fight to get the Libre prescribed, my DSN thought it was a god send to me. I scan around 25 times a day now and only finger prick 3 times to bolus. Have the the Libre pretty close to my finger prick results as well
 

When do you need to use the finger prick then? I assumed you could use the Libre all day everyday?
 
emily deacon said:
When do you need to use the finger prick then? I assumed you could use the Libre all day everyday?
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There are a few things to remember with the Libre
- it is not accepted by the DVLA for pre-driving readings: you must take finger pricks to prove you are above 5.0.
- it is about 15 minutes behind so if you are doing somethings which is likely to cause your BG to change quickly (e.g. exercise) it will not react fast enough to catch lows
- some people find it very accurate and some people find it way out. This is the reason I would highly recommend a trial before you are committed to the Libre.

I trialed it and found it very inaccurate and decided it was useful to track trends to make adjustments such as checking my basal settings, checking I adjust my insulin appropriately before exercising, working out the best time to inject when eating certain foods, ....; but, for me, it was completely useless to replace finger pricks.

For this reason, I would use a Libre occasionally but not all the time (e.g. I would use it every other month).
 

Thank you that’s great to know!! Is there any other testing kit you recommend? I am currently on the accu-chek aviva
 
I’ve been type one for twenty years and have been lucky enough to get the Libre on prescription in South Wales about a month ago - I’ve just installed my third sensor. I’ve got it as a trial for three months, as our prescribing guidelines are quite strict. If I can bring my HbA1c down by 2.5 (in old money, it was 10.8 at my last appointment) I’ll be able to have it long term.

It’s an absolute game changer. I’m able to see which way my levels are heading, and can nip any wild swings in the bud before they get too out of hand. You can scan the sensor as many times a day as you like (it updates once a minute), and it keeps the last eight hours stored so you can see what was happening when you were sleeping. In the month I’ve been using it, my control has been amazing, because I can see what is happening all the time. I’ve already noticed some of the numbness and pain in my feet reducing.

Negatives are that the reading is taken from interstitial fluid (the juice between the cells) so it’s about 10-15 minutes behind a blood reading. So you sometimes have to check to confirm a high or a low. I’ve found it to be pretty accurate. Also, DVLA don’t yet recognise it, so you still need a blood reading of above five before you can legally drive. England is currently quite behind the other home nations in prescribing it, but it is filtering through.

Even if you only get the chance of a two week trial, take it! You’ll get the scanner (which also works as a blood and ketone meter) as part of it, and even if you do end up buying some sensors later on, you won’t have to buy a scanner. They’re almost sixty quid. But the information you’ll get from a fortnight’s use could still be seriously valuable.
 
Even Abbott say not to bolus from a scan - But I guess they have to cover their derriere!

Many who don't drive might only do a BG test once of twice during the first few days of a new sensor just to confirm it's tracking accurately then for the rest of the time hardly if ever prick.
 
emily deacon said:
When do you need to use the finger prick then? I assumed you could use the Libre all day everyday?
Click to expand...
I finger prick before food. My acucheck Aviva expert works out my bolus for me. And also if I am low or high. Pretty impressed with the accuracy of it atm
 
porl69 said:
I finger prick before food. My acucheck Aviva expert works out my bolus for me. And also if I am low or high. Pretty impressed with the accuracy of it atm
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I have this one as well, I’ve just always been on the hunt for something that could possibly give me notice if my sugars are low or high or something that doesn’t need strips to work
 
The dexcom g5 will alert you. Pretty much the same as the li bre BUT it has a transmitter with it and transmits the data to a receiver every 5 mins and you can set it for loss and highs.
 
porl69 said:
The dexcom g5 will alert you. Pretty much the same as the li bre BUT it has a transmitter with it and transmits the data to a receiver every 5 mins and you can set it for loss and highs.
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Does it have a delay like the Libre though? Because I would love to be notified when high or low but I don’t like the sound of the delay
 
porl69 said:
I finger prick before food. My acucheck Aviva expert works out my bolus for me. And also if I am low or high. Pretty impressed with the accuracy of it atm
Click to expand...

The Libre blood tests also provide those features too (suggests bolus dose taking in consideration of IOB, correction factor if high or low etc), one less thing to carry around (if you carry the Aviva as well as the Libre reader)?
 
slip said:
The Libre blood tests also provide those features too (suggests bolus dose taking in consideration of IOB, correction factor if high or low etc), one less thing to carry around (if you carry the Aviva as well as the Libre reader)?
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My GP will not prescribe the Optium test strips for the Libre BUT still prescribes the Aviva Expert ones!! I do get 50 strips free every month from Abbotts and my son works there so am trying to get him to get some discount for me on the strips lol
 
does he get the sensors for you at staff discount? I heard it's a very good deal!

On what grounds does you Doc not prescribe the optium strips?
 
slip said:
does he get the sensors for you at staff discount? I heard it's a very good deal!

On what grounds does you Doc not prescribe the optium strips?
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I don't know what price he can get them for
The GP wont prescribe the Optium strips because I get the Libre sensors on prescription. Have said that i need them to bolus and he said that he will continue to give me the Aviva strips
 
porl69 said:
GP wont prescribe the Optium strips because I get the Libre sensors on prescription
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LOL thats just plain stupid! Does that mean if I fill up my car at Tescos I can't use their air line to pump up my tyres?????

But it's always good to have your critical data in two separate places! Makes collating and understanding the data just that little bit more easier! (not!)

Edited to add, price wise theres very little difference as far as I can tell, between the strips - staff discount on the sensor on the other hand is Grand Canyon like!
 
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