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FREESTYLE LIBRE ON SALE!!!!

Glad you got your Libre!

Mine is always low on the first night. No idea why. You probably weren't as low as the graphs suggest and hopefully tonight it will be better. Are you finding it's 1-2 mmol higher or lower than finger pricks?
 
madusmacus said:
Im guessing (clutching at straws really) that after a few days the body has some defence/interference mechanism for the sensor
(
Click to expand...

You're certainly right there. It's the most complicated part of a CGM:

The super-secret ingredients in CGM sensors are the coatings that help persuade the immune system to leave the sensor alone. “The key to the intellectual property is tricking the body,” says Pacelli.

On top of the glucose oxidase, the manufacturers “paint on” a series of chemicals that help camouflage the sensor from the immune system. “This complex layer of membranes is laid on top of glucose oxidase to keep it active for a long length of time,” says Pacelli.

http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2014/05-may/anatomy-of-a-cgm-sensor.html​
 
pinewood said:
Glad you got your Libre!

Mine is always low on the first night. No idea why. You probably weren't as low as the graphs suggest and hopefully tonight it will be better. Are you finding it's 1-2 mmol higher or lower than finger pricks?
Click to expand...


So excited about it! I've found today it's settled in and is roughly the same as my meter. Yesterday it was running a lot lower. It does tend to run lower in general though. I suppose a more recent hba1c will help to show its accuracy too.

It's amazing how it's made me feel, more confident in all situations!
 
Asyarlk - further to my last post, my Libre has been giving fairly low readings all day. I felt hypo this morning as well, while doing some work in the garden, so I've eaten some extra carbs. Still only showing 4.0 I decided to check with a blood test using an Optium test strip. That showed 5.9. I'm 1 week into this sensor so it appears to have gone a little low, at least compared to the Optium. Other people have found this as well. Just confirms that multiple tests with more than one system can drive you mad, until you realise that it happens because of tolerances and the 5 to 20 minute lag of the Libre system.

In answer to your earlier question, I've almost given up blood tests while using LIbre, except while driving or doing checks as above. Once I know a new sensor is working correctly I might not do a finger-prick for more than a week.

Just scanned again and it's now showing 5.1 rising steadily, so it could be that the time lag is longer than usual, about 20 minutes.

Hope you get on with it, I wish I'd had one years ago.

Graeme
 


I've also talked to a few other people that get a consistently slightly lower reading from libre.
Interestingly, mine are consistently a bit higher (and, again, I've talked to others with the same observations).
I'm guessing this is more to do with me/you/them and physiology than the individual sensors?
 
Messed up 3 sensors in a row, probably because of the Compeed underlayer. Strange since I have been using it before and it always went well. Didn't get one reading and sensors all just quit after some hours.. I checked and the filament was always coming from well within my skin when I took the defect sensors off..

Now 4th try, waiting til the sensor starts. If it doesn't work I don't know what to do next..But Compeed doesn't seem to be the solution after all.
 

EXACTLY this happened to me a few weeks ago. Never any problems (using compeed since December) and then, boom, three failures in a day.
My current one (over compeed, inserted a week or so later) is absolutely fine.
I thought it must be compeed's fault, but now I wonder whether they might not just have been a dodgy batch.
 
Mine is consistently higher too. Usually only 0.5-1.5mmol but can be much more at higher (7-10mmol) levels.
 
New sensor this morning and boy was it an odd response. The background is that I had a few glasses of wine last night and didn't drink much water until about 1pm today when I downed about 2l. I had two cups of coffee this morning.

When I started the sensor, it gathered data for an hour from about 10am, then plummeted and stayed at the low level for ages. My bg at this point was about 5 mmol/l but I was showing 2.4 to lo on the sensor.

I ate some lunch and my bg went up to about 8 before dropping back to around 7. Then I drank the water and my sensor suddenly woke up. It's been within 0.5 mmol/l since.

This isn't proof but I do wonder whether dehydration might play a very large part in the inaccuracies we see....



 
Quick question: when the sensor is applied, is it recommended to use some kind of clear dressing to hold the sensor in place? Will this still scan?

Just received my order yesterday and don't fancy having to try 3 or 4 sensors due to them falling out etx

Thanks
 
Shorty17 - as long as you follow the recommended application procedure (shave, wash, alcohol wipe then apply) you should find, like me, that they are difficult to remove after 14 days. I've never had one try to fall off on it's own! The only factor that might cause a problem is if you sweat at the application site, either with heavy exercise or during a deep hypo, since the best glue in the world won't stick to wet skin. Washing and swimming are not a problem because the water doesn't get between the glue and skin.

Graeme
 
Mmm...I find that they start to come loose at about day 11 and I have to secure them with Opsite tape at that point or they'd fall off. However, I do have a skin irritation and have been using various things like Carillon and SkinTac under the sensor to try to prevent it, so it might be that that causes mine to come loose.

I'd certainly buy some Onsite or similar just in case - the scanner works perfectly well through it.

Smidge
 

If you wear the sensor on your arm you could use a armband or tubular a bandage to help hold it in place, I find when I'm wearing my pod on the back of my arms it pulls on the skin slightly when I'm active and a bandage helps stop this happening.
 
2 of these have been replaced but will not ask for new replacement now. I bought new Compeed and the 4th sensor is working well again. I think it might be the Compeed that caused the problem but not sure of it. I bought the last package in Belgium maybe it was slightly different or something..question: has anybody experienced failing sensors without Compeed lately?
 
Can't say I've had any issues with the sensors trying to fall off when placed correctly. I find them hard to remove after 14 days as well.
 
I have been having issues with my sensors becoming itchy and having to be removed after 5-7 days, leaving a horrible red mark as many people have also experienced. I have recently tried cavilon under my sensor but on day 2 I can already feel that tell tail itch. My concern is that I am due to start my pump in 2 weeks time- and obviously will be wearing canulas etc. I know they are worn for a much shorter time period but does anyone cross react with the libre and other things?
Also I have the option of a dexcom trial in the near future- is cross reaction common here too?
Thanks!
 
I don't use anything at all, simply follow the instructions in the manual. Have not had any problems - I find it sticks the whole 14 days and I struggle to remove it on day 14. I swim, shower 2-3 times a day and run 5-10km at least 4 times a week. Unless you have skin reactions etc. I really don't think anything extra is necessary.
 
Just posted this on another thread but has anyone noticed the adhesive used on the sensors has gone down, my last sensor fell out and at the beginning I would take skin off when removing the sensor.
 
SOS, people. Something has gone wrong with my Libre reader/sensor’s export of data. It still exports to a file, but as of yesterday afternoon, the data isn’t updating. It’s stopping at about 10am yesterday. I’ve repeatedly saved in a new file, quit, signed on again and repeated the process.

Looking at the historic readings and matching them to what happened is the main thing I use the Libre for.

Abbott shut till Monday. Anyone had this? Anyone any ideas?

Edit: Reader still scans and uploads the data, I still get the graphs. But I can't access the non-scan numbers (which are the more reliable numbers).
 
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Oooh no idea sorry Lucy :-( Is the reader still able to scan the sensor and get a reading? If so, I would think it is more likely to be a software fault, but I don't knw.

Smidge
 
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