FREESTYLE LIBRE ON SALE!!!!

[Jeanie B.]

I felt I had to tell you my experience with the Libre, which I applied for in January and received in March. I was diagnosed T2 in 2002, and started on 2 a day insulin in 2010. Throughout the whole time since 2002 I have not been able to control my BG properly, having readings in the low 20s quite frequently. When they started doing HbA1c my levels were consistently around 95 to 100, at my last clinic visit in February it was 98 and the consultant wanted to increase the number of injections to 4 a day. I told him I was getting the Libre so he agreed to wait until my visit in July.

As soon as I started using the Libre I felt I was gaining better control, and I was swiping every hour or so to tell me which foods were affecting me most. Having the constant stream of information was great, and the fact that it showed what was happening during the night was really good too. The biggest benefit for me by far was that I swipe before I get in the car, and if it shows around 4 but going down I have a glass of juice and a biscuit to make sure my levels are high enough. I know the Libre is not an acceptable device for DVLA, but for me it is much more important that it tells me if levels are going down which a finger prick just does not do. I check the Libre against the Verio IQ and the Libre is always a little bit lower than the Verio, so I am confident that I am driving safely.

In July I went back to the clinic, to be told that my HbA1c had fallen to 53, so they have started reducing my insulin - result!!! So for me the cost is justified because not only do I not have to prick my fingers so much, but my health has dramatically improved and I have regained control of my life.

 

[AndBreathe]

I felt I had to tell you my experience with the Libre, which I applied for in January and received in March. I was diagnosed T2 in 2002, and started on 2 a day insulin in 2010. Throughout the whole time since 2002 I have not been able to control my BG properly, having readings in the low 20s quite frequently. When they started doing HbA1c my levels were consistently around 95 to 100, at my last clinic visit in February it was 98 and the consultant wanted to increase the number of injections to 4 a day. I told him I was getting the Libre so he agreed to wait until my visit in July.

As soon as I started using the Libre I felt I was gaining better control, and I was swiping every hour or so to tell me which foods were affecting me most. Having the constant stream of information was great, and the fact that it showed what was happening during the night was really good too. The biggest benefit for me by far was that I swipe before I get in the car, and if it shows around 4 but going down I have a glass of juice and a biscuit to make sure my levels are high enough. I know the Libre is not an acceptable device for DVLA, but for me it is much more important that it tells me if levels are going down which a finger prick just does not do. I check the Libre against the Verio IQ and the Libre is always a little bit lower than the Verio, so I am confident that I am driving safely.

In July I went back to the clinic, to be told that my HbA1c had fallen to 53, so they have started reducing my insulin - result!!! So for me the cost is justified because not only do I not have to prick my fingers so much, but my health has dramatically improved and I have regained control of my life.

That's an astonishing result Jeanie. Have you considered sharing it with Abbott too?

 

[AndBreathe]

I wonder. Is everyone being invited to join the PIP? I first ordered in May, and accepted the invitation this morning, so I'm hardly a true early adopter. I wonder if the proportion of issues and returns influences the selection criteria.

Whichever, it'll be interesting to see what transpires.

 

[tim2000s]

I wonder. Is everyone being invited to join the PIP? I first ordered in May, and accepted the invitation this morning, so I'm hardly a true early adopter. I wonder if the proportion of issues and returns influences the selection criteria.

Whichever, it'll be interesting to see what transpires.

When raised on the FB group, it seems that nearly everyone who adopted in October/November last year got an invite but those who were 2015 take-up are more distributed in their receipt of emails.

 

[AndBreathe]

When raised on the FB group, it seems that nearly everyone who adopted in October/November last year got an invite but those who were 2015 take-up are more distributed in their receipt of emails.

Thanks for that. I'm (typically!) very curious what direction this will go.

 

[June_C]

I've just received my invitation this morning. I registered in February this year and finally started using the CGM in June, so like AB, I'm not an early adopter either. Will be interesting to see what comes of this.

 

[Hill28]

**** I just found out that a ov-chipkaart (electronic card for public transport in NL) can disable a sensor. Have the sensor on my leg and put the card in my pocket on the same side...

Probably best to keep any nfc devices, except for your reader, away from the sensor.

 

[Hill28]

Update: it just disables the sensor for 10 minutes, its working again.

 

[slip]

Won't be going to Holland then! Lol (when I do get one)

 

[Hill28]

I would like to participate as well and sent an email to Abbot. But as Always they do not reply to emails...:s

 

[slip]

I have received an email from Abbott today inviting me to join the PIP, I'm defo not an early adopter of the Libre, I'm still waiting for my invite to purchase.................not sure to laugh or cry!

 

[Emmotha]

Sounds like they just emailed everyone on their mailing list tbh. Not great that they've emailed it to ppl not on the waiting list

 

[bekhh01]

Well, I have not received such an e-mail, although I am an early adopter (first week november 2014). Perhaps the invitations are limited to UK residents?

 

[BeccyB]

**** I just found out that a ov-chipkaart (electronic card for public transport in NL) can disable a sensor. Have the sensor on my leg and put the card in my pocket on the same side...

Probably best to keep any nfc devices, except for your reader, away from the sensor.

Has it been cleared for use not on the arm now? or are you just a rebel @Hill28 ? ;-)

 

[bekhh01]

Has it been cleared for use not on the arm now? or are you just a rebel @Hill28 ? ;-)

For the past two weeks I participated in a Dutch trial to investigate the accuracy of the Fsl. Therefore they placed a sensor on the back of my arm ( the recommended place) and one sensor on the belly. The participants were asked to scan at least for four times a day (before meals and bedtime) and after every scan also a bloodsample test with the fsl and a bloodsample test with a golden standard meter, the StatStrip Xpress. If I compare the glucose values between armsensor and bellysensor I would not recommend using an other place then the back of your upper arm because the differences were huge.

 

[Hill28]

I didn't try it on my belly, but on my leg the Libre is doing fine.

@bekhh01 Will you try for some longer or just for 2 weeks? If you compare just 2 sensors, you could just have an inaccurate one..I'm wearing the sensors on my upper legs now for 4 months, with a Compeed plaster under it, and almost no problems regarding accuracy

 

[tim2000s]

Now here's something new. This is an app for Android that reads the Libre and plots it. Apparently it doesn't have the same predictive algo that is present in the reader.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.ct.glicemia

What's more interesting is that it continues to read the sensor beyond the 14 day cut off imposed by the Libre reader... I wonder for how long and what the life can be extended to?

 

[AndBreathe]

Now here's something new. This is an app for Android that reads the Libre and plots it. Apparently it doesn't have the same predictive algo that is present in the reader.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.ct.glicemia

What's more interesting is that it continues to read the sensor beyond the 14 day cut off imposed by the Libre reader... I wonder for how long and what the life can be extended to?

Are you an Android user Tim? As an Apple user, I can't give it a whirl.

 

[tim2000s]

I have both @AndBreathe. I will give it a whirl and see what it comes out like...

 

[AndBreathe]

I have both @AndBreathe. I will give it a whirl and see what it comes out like...

I'll look forward to the feedback. Being able to stretch the sensors would be excellent. Fo me, just the raw data would be absolutely fine, as I'm just trend monitoring, in reality.