Freestyle Libre accuracy query

[Type1John:)]

Hello again

I know i posted asking for experiences on the freestyle libre and was kindly moved onto a very long thread about people discussing it. I am however posting this because id like a sort of update on how accurate the libre sensors are compared to when they were first brought out. i have heard a lot of people compaining about accuracy issues but these are all from last year or even the year before. so i was wondering if anyone has maybe used the libre for some time and found the sensors to be more accurate than they were or is anyone newly using it who has trust in the readings they are getting? also how accurate are the readings for you?

Thankyou for any feeback im just hoping to get as much info as possible from the people using it (not just the rep from freestlye) as i am due to get my libre next monday! lets just hope this works well and i dont have to move onto a CGM...

 

[noblehead]

I'll tag @robert72 as he has been using the Libre for some time now.

 

[robert72]

hi @Type1John:)

I am on my 41st sensor and generally find them to be within 1 mmol/l of finger stick tests. I have had 3 sensors replaced by Abbott for being too inaccurate but that was in the early days. If you are rising or falling quickly then you should rely on finger tests, because the glucose in interstitial fluid, that the Libre measures, is about 15 minutes behind blood glucose levels.

I really couldn't imagine life without sensors now

 

[tim2000s]

During 2015 I had just abut every other sensor replaced during the first six months. Since then I've had two replaced due to accuracy issues. I'd say they've got better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Type1John:)]

thanks for the replies. i am a compulsive blood sugar checker and this is hopefully a chance to give myself a break from so many finger tests another thing im worried about is my diabetes isnt the best controlled (slowly making steps in the right direction) and because i exersise a lot (skateboarding) and like to be spontaneious if possible, my sugars can go up and down quite quickly and i like to react to them as soon as i can to keep my levels as stable as possible (this however means obsessive checking). Im hoping this allows me a bit freedom so i can relax and instead of say worrying about if my sugars going down at 8.5 and i want to go skating instead i can see its going up on the libre and i can go with no problems.. but i also want it to aid me when im doing exersice because stopping to do blood sugars is so annoying for me as i do many to keep close eyes incase of hypos, but ive heard not to rely on the sensors when sugars are changing quickly so that means id have to still check via finger tests when excersising. soo.... i was also wondering if maybe you have gathered an understanding of how the sensors react to the actual level of your glucose when excersising and if you can manage an extensive bout of exersise just going off the readings from the libre? again thanks for the replies hope to hear from you both soon

 

[robert72]

@Type1John:) - I think the best thing about the Libre is that you will learn to be more predictive about what happens under particular conditions, which should give you more confidence.

 

[Type1John:)]

first day of sensor. done a fair bit of skateboarding- my blood sugars spiked quite high after a short while, so i tried to counteract with some novorapid, the libre struggled here - to keep up with blood testing. but its the first day, and i was skating hard... after a while of skating i seemed to level out and it read within 1 of my blood tester from there on out. had my tea 2.5 hours ago, currently having/had a hypo- the libre was reading and still is on a 3.2 at level arrow (has been at 3.2 for some time, was on a down trend till 2 minutes ago - blood test was 4.5) and ive ate quite a bit of glucose tabs etc... skating gets me with the late hypos! my blood glucose tester is reading 6.7 10 - 15 minutes later and the libre is still at 3.2! maybe overdone it on the sweets but the libre doesnt think so yet haha. all in all quite impressed by the first day, full of great features, painless insertion. accurate results when at stable levels.. lets just hope the accuracy improves and it can keep up with me (so to speak)