Freestyle Libra problems

[lisacp]

Hi all can anyone help me?
I bought a Libra sensor and applied it to my arm. For the first couple of days the readings differed a lot to the readings on my insight. The Libra told me I was 3.4 whilst the insight said I was 7.2. After the first two days it seemed to settle and readings were more in line.
I have just purchased two more which I intend to use whilst I am on holiday.
I have read on this forum that it is common for the readings to take at least 24 hours to work correctly. This is a bit of a pain when they cost £50.00 a time.
What I am thinking is:
If I was to insert the sensor but not scan it for 24 hours would this give it time to adjust without using one of the 14 days that the sensor works for?
Thank you x


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[noblehead]

@lisacp, you apply the sensor but don't activate it for 24 hours, you don't lose any days as the 14 day countdown begins once the sensor is activated

 

[lisacp]

@lisacp, you apply the sensor but don't activate it for 24 hours, you don't lose any days as the 14 day countdown begins once the sensor is activated

Thanks noblehead. Will doing this without it being activated still enable it to adjust to my body? Thanks

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[Snapsy]

Hi @lisacp - when I got my Libre (and I was so grateful for all the advice I'd harvested on this forum) I applied my first sensor on the Friday evening and didn't activate it until the Sunday. The 14-day countdown started on activation, not application. The way I understand it is that (anecdotally) the reaction happening in the body in relation to the (albeit small) trauma of the probe firing into the arm can muck up readings, hence the idea to do it in advance so that the (small) injury to the site can calm down. I still follow the same procedure now, because all seemed fine the first time, and I figured that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Once the sensor is activated, I just bip away to my heart's content, and take the readings with a pinch of salt. That's not to say that I feel it's 'wrong', or not working, or whatever. Experience (since February) tells me that my Libre usually reads a little higher than my actual blood glucose, and I'm used to that now. For me the sensors all seem to be the same in their behaviour, making me think that it's the reader itself (or the bipper, as I call it) that is reading high, rather than the differences varying from sensor to sensor.

I use my Libre for two things: for seeing a nice trend line on the graph (happy happy), and for what I call 'reassurance testing'. I bip, and then based on the bip, I will then either do, or not do, a fingerprick test. I bip to see if I need to test, basically.

Snapsy is a little obsessive when it comes to the numbers.
*coughs*

Obviously I do a fingerprick test before I drive, and before I bolus any insulin. This is because I know that there is variation between bipped results and pricked results.

As for the application of the sensor some time before activating it, the only 'issue' I have with that is that I look like a wally all day every other Saturday, with one on each arm! I looked particularly daft doing parkrun with the new sensor on one arm and a whole load of gaffer tape on the other arm, holding the nearly-expired sensor on (don't worry - the gaffer was an exception - under normal use I find they want to stick like superglue). Gaffer tape is not part of my everyday Libre-using life, I assure you!

But you know what? I don't care! Now I've got used to it I'm very happy to not worry about it showing, and if anyone asks, I don't mind at all explaining just how darned clever it is!

Enjoy your Libre-life - it's addictive!

 

[Bill_St]

My first 2 sensors worked from 2nd hour. Very similar readings when checked against my Accuchek Mobile on all mid range readings. When the Libre sensor reads below 3, I find blood test is around 4. I did try allowing Libre reading to drop to 2.2, blood was then 3.4. These differences were repeatable. Similarly the Libre seems to read 1-2mmol higher than blood test in the high ranges, above 12. So in general readings are lower than blood in low ranges and higher than blood in high ranges.

Since the first 2, I have had a few which were particularly low in the first 24-48 hours. Abbott replaced one foc that read 2mmol low after 3 days but I had to take blood readings with Abbott strips. They would not accept AccuChek. I can understand that as different meters/strips can vary quite a bit anyway.

I am now going to attach sensors 48hrs before I need to activate. There seems to be no disadvantage in that. They easily last the 14 days after that although I do cover them with Tegaderm which acts as "belt & braces" if I swim or do heavy exercise causing a lot of sweat.

I believe some of the problems reported due to sensors becoming loose early may be due to the application.
Always:
Wash and dry well first.
Use the alcohol swap but ensure it has completely evaporated before attaching sensor. I use a hair dryer that also warms the area.
When pressing the applicator, hold it down for a few seconds to allow the adhesive to attach. I have only once felt any pain (and then very little) when applying the sensor. That was almost certainly because I jumped. Not because of pain but more from the noise the applicator made!

The Libre is potentially a life changer. My HbA1c dropped to 64 from 95 before I started using it. It is now predicting below 50mmol/mol and its last prediction was 63 before my blood showed the 64. Before Libre I did not dare exercise alone without keeping a high blood sugar. Now I am quite happy at 4.0. I scan every 15mins when climbing and walking. No way could I use strips that frequently!