Free Style Libre

tsouza

Well-Known Member
Messages
79
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
I have just been given a free style libre and the first sensor was placed yesterday. It is really helpful to take frequent BG measurements without repeated finger pricks to check the BG fluctuations along the day and night. I have continued the traditional checks with my old OneTouch select Plus strips, and noticed that Libre Style tends to show relatively lower counts.
I would appreciate what is the experience of forum members with recent and long experience with Frre Style Libre. It is not officially released for Portugal, but private hospitals are giving it a push, though the government has also come forward to share the sensor costs significantly.
 
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Deleted Account

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Libre takes readings differently to a finger prick. As a result, the readings from Libre are about 15 minutes behind finger pricks.
Libre are calibrated in the factory so do not take into consideration any personal variations so it may be a little out for you.
Libre take up to 48 hours to bed in and for your body to get used to an alien implant which may disrupt readings.
Libre has a tendency to under read if pressure is applied. For example, if you lie on the sensor when you are asleep.
The huge value of the Libre is the trends not the individual readings.
 

LooperCat

Expert
Messages
5,223
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
They also tend to get more accurate when you’ve been using them for a while. A couple of months in and mine are indistinguishable from blood readings unless I’m massively out of range (which I don’t tend to be because the data it gives mean I can nip any highs or lows in the bud) but not everyone is so lucky.
 
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Robbity

Expert
Messages
6,683
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
My experience very much ties in with what @helensaramay has posted: I find my sensors usually require a full 48 hour settling down period before I actually start them otherwise I get very erratic and low readings readings - mainly overnight and particularly if I lie on that arm!

In general mine tend to read lower( around 1-1.5 mmol/l) than finger prick tests, but the overall patterns and trends they show are consistent ( though obviously much more detailed!) with those I see from finger pricks using Freestyle test strips and the Libre reader rather than my usual Contour meter. As a diet controlled T2 I am quite happy with this since I don't need to worry about managing insulin doses. Robbity
 

tsouza

Well-Known Member
Messages
79
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
I do not have the test strips for the FreeStyle Libre, but for FreeStyle Freedom Lite. How can I merge the readings with the sensor data?
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I agree with @Robbity although mine generally read around 0.5mmol/l lower, with some spot on, and some quite different. I find the time lag on mine varies too. Sometimes just a few minutes, and other times as much as 20 minutes. I do a few calibrations with my Accu Chek Mobile and try to average the differences, so I can make mental adjustments. However, I do find the estimated HbA1c can be ridiculously low.
 

paganlady

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Just to go slightly off topic, anyone having problems getting their sensor? I've tried all over Liverpool, and nowhere seems to be able to get hold of them. In the end I had to buy off Amazon at £73!!
 

h884

Well-Known Member
Messages
385
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
You can buy them at Superdrug. They sell them for £35 each
 
Messages
6,107
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
My experience was fine at first and then I got a series of faulty ones. Inaccurate, low, high, stopping after a few days and flatlining. I had to re-assess their use to me and at £50 a time the decision was to stop wasting money until such time as I had the money to waste.

Maybe I will buy more sensors when I get over it but for now...........