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FREESTYLE LIBRE ON SALE!!!!

tim2000s said:
How many sensors were you given to trial with? I've been using it for three months and have burned through 11 sensors due to performance issues.
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I was given 4 sensors, 3 of them fell of my arm within 48 hours of wearing them, Then i just thought well there's interstitial fluid all over my body so i stuck it on my hip and it lasted a full 2 weeks....readings were the same as Blood meter. Although DSN nearly had a breakdown as its not licensed for hip use.....so i used common sense.
Another note is the rep was telling me I was the only person ever to have the sensor fall off during exercise...until i met a real person who had the same issue as me.
 
With the current level of reliability, I hope that the NHS chooses to wait a while before putting these on prescription. Given the clear issues that are out there and that you can almost guarantee that they will have to pay for faulty sensors, it feels like a substantial waste of money till the reliability issues are resolved.
 
For those who haven't looked, this is the abstract from the accuracy test. Given my anecdotal experiences, it is interesting that a MARD of 11.4% was achieved. Based on my sensors vs capillary BG levels, , my average variance has been massively sensor dependent, and in far too many cases, >40% out. I really should look at the data to determine what my MARD is in the period of use.

"Seventy-two adult participants with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes were prospectively enrolled by 4 US clinical sites. Participants wore two FreeStyle Libre sensors (one on the back of each upper arm) for up to 14 days. Three sensor lots were used, each lot was factory calibrated.

Sensor glucose measurements with the FreeStyle Libre system were recorded over 14 days of sensor wear. About 8 capillary blood glucose (BG) tests, using the blood glucose meter built into the reader, were performed daily by each subject. Tests were completed whether at home or during in-clinic visits.

There were 3 scheduled in-clinic visits of at least 8 hours during the 14-day sensor wear period, each in-clinic visit included venous and capillary sampling at 15 minute intervals.

86.7% of results were in the clinically accurate Zone A of the error grid. Overall, MARD of 11.4% was achieved when compared to capillary BG reference.

No trends in performance of the system were identified with subject characteristics."
 
LucySW said:
Given my experience of eight Libre sensors, that's absolute tripe. It is impossible that that trial showed up no wildly erratic or systematically inaccurate sensors. Unless they used a different supply.

Tripe.
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You are somewhat missing the point. A trial of 72 people could easily show 86.7% of results being in the Clinically Accurate Zone A and produce a MARD of 11.4% without an issue. It means that 13.3% of results were not in the Clinically Accurate Zone A, and we don't know where they were, and that a set of statistical data provided some numbers that were presented at a conference.

It very clearly does not state (and at a conference like this you wouldn't state) that some sensors are showing complete rubbish. The aggregate statistics negate the need to deliver an adversely positive message. That doesn't preclude a few sets of terrible data, but those won't be reported!
 
Day 5 with sensor attached over Compeed Medium. Skin still seems fine. Although the Compeed seems not to stick for 9 more days..
However, I will try to achieve a sensor lifetime of 10 days (so 5 more days), since I think 14 days is too much anyway to have your skin covered.
 
Apologies @LucySW , but having taken a brief look at my overall data set, my average relative difference from blood glucose testing is under 15% across all the sensors, which is still in line with guidelines, but doesn't show any of the really of the stupid variance I've seen on occasions, and more importantly, the oddities relating to hypos.
 
Ok sensor number 8 just applied. Following others I have put this on top of a Compeed extreme medium blister plaster. I have then put Opsite over the top of this. I made a hole in the middle of the Compeed first. Fingers crossed that there will be no irritation.

 
Yo Andy,

The opsite shouldn't be necessary for the first few days. Think I have to tape it though on day 6 or 7.

I also didn't make a hole in the compeed plaster but just shot it through. Still all of this is lookin a bit messy, I hope abbot will find a better solution for it..
 
i guess not all treatments suit everyone.
I have been on freestyle libre from the first week it was launched. I have hardly had any issues. My scans and blood readings are very rarely more than 1.5mmol out. Ive not had a sensor fall off. I once only had a small red mark but i used bio oil for a couple of days and the red mark went. Never had a sensor fall off.
Had 2 faulty sensors that stopped working but Abbott replaced them within 3 days.

I couldnt go without them now.
My HBA1C is the lowest ever. The arrows are a huge support and Ive avoid many hypos and hypers.
Just being able to scan whereever and whenever is amazing.
At night, I wake up in my sleep, reach out for my scanner...and within seconds I know what my BG is doing. I would never have gotten a stable BG pattern had it not been for the Libre.

I never want to go back to blood testing.
 
I've just removed my last sensor, worn for 5 days. I'd placed the sensor sucessfully over the top of Compeed with a hole cut into the middle. Unfortunately from about 2 days in the familiar itch started, day 4 and the sensor started to read 2mmol lower throughout the day.

I removed the sensor and whereas the entire area that was covered by Compeed was reaction free the small hole in the middle was red swollen and inflamed. Strange since there isn't any adhesive where the little plastic sensor is in the middle. I'm not quite sure if I should be trying to fit entirely over compeed, I know others have had no problems with penetrating the patch but on my first attempt I wasted a sensor by not having it go through. Can anyone give any advice?, I'll almost definately be sending this last sensor back and getting a replacement since the readings were the issue predominantly.
 
I don't know if this method is any good to the allergy suffers.
What I do with my dexcom sensor is use skin tac on the bottom of the tape. This acts as a skin barrier and also holds the sensor firmly in place.
Another option cavilon spray this is also a barrier with a bit of stick in it. Do check with libre people though that the spray can be used and that it wont interfere with the sensor. The spray goes directly onto the skin.
 
@Sideburnt , like I mentioned I did not make a hole and it started to read fine. It's on over compeed now for 7 days, I don't think there's skin reaction...The Compeed really seems to make it more comfortable to wear the sensor.

I just now got a reading error (after 7 days). I hope the sensor will recover, if not it would be the first to give up sooner than meant. I remember having another forum-member getting a reading error after 5 days when she used the Compeed.

When I placed the sensor I really made sure that I had a part of my arm where there is (at least some) 'fat', so the sensor would be easier to attach, rather than through the Compeed and than through my triceps

..while finishing this message the sensor is reading again... 6.2 and dropping fast..so gotta get me some candy..

Cheerz!
 
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