FREESTYLE LIBRE ON SALE!!!!

Robbity said:

I had a similar message regarding time discrepancy on 28th May, but since there wasn't one, I ignored it. The software had actually sat for much longer than usual, with the little egg timer going - before acknowledging the reader was connected.

Robbity

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I also had a software update when I first connected the reader for the sensor. The update could have been available for any time since the end of Feb, as I hadn't used a sensor since then. I wonder if there's a gremlin in the latest software, which could link in with the earlier comment that there may be a new release soon.

Thanks for your response. I thought for a while, I was "special" in all the wrong ways!

AndBreathe said:

Have you contacted Abbott about these issues? I'm very much a part-time user, but when I have had issues, I've always found Abbott to be open to listening and rectifying the issues I've had. The only time I got really frustrated was when overseas and I tried to use their support system by email. I didn't find that satisfactory, but got there in the end. Again, once I had established contact with an appropriate person, I was well looked after.

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Yeah, their customer service has been brilliant and swapped the sensors out with no problems at all: I've got 2 new ones coming today and another one on its way. I really want this to work because the convenience of scanning is absolutely fantastic, but I need to be confident in what it's telling me.

The first sensor was amazing for a week and then just fell away, whereas the latest one has been useless since the beginning. Hopefully they'll sort out the teething issues because if they can I'm more than willing to keep paying for it, but I'm not going to spend nearly £100 a month if I don't have confidence in it

phil1966 said:

. Hopefully they'll sort out the teething issues because if they can I'm more than willing to keep paying for it, but I'm not going to spend nearly £100 a month if I don't have confidence in it

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But they shouldn't really still be having teething issues because the sensors have been on sale for well over a year now.

Robbity

Robbity said:

But they shouldn't really still be having teething issues because the sensors have been on sale for well over a year now.

Robbity

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Whilst it can certainly be frustrating, and I would like to violently agree with you, I think we also have to align it to some of our experiences with finger prick testing, where we end up doing the old wash hands and retest routine, except that that is a momentary process, and much cheaper to undertake.

I'm sure, over time, things will develop further and become more robust, but for now we either have to accept how things are, move onto other products, or stick with finger prick testing. The ball is firmly in each of our individual courts.

I have to say I am personally extremely disappointed with Abbott, although their customer support is great when you can get hold of them. They have so far replaced two sensors for me without issues and for that I can't fault them.

However, a product needs to be fit for purpose. I have applied three sensors so far and each and every one of them has been defective - the first one gave wildly inaccurate results for the fist week, but did last the full 14 days. The second one stopped working after three days and this latest one fell off after 20 hours of use.

I am begining to feel like I'm being used as a guinea pig for a product that has not been adequately tested. A product that has been properly tested would not fall off after 20 hours (and yes, I read and followed the instructions to the letter). I'm reasonably certain the clinical side of the device has been tested and is (faulty sensors excepted) accurate and fit for purpose. What I think has not been adequately tested is the physical and logistical aspects of the device - i.e. getting it to stay on for 14 days regardless of whether the user has a bath every day or swims every day. I appreciate that the sensor is waterproof to a degree - but it would appear that the adhesive is just not up to the task of getting wet.

I will have to bob out of work Monday morning to call them to get this replacement replaced (and wait several days for it to be delivered). Of course, if they had a helpline that was actually open at times when things really went wrong, I'd have called them already and it would have been considerably more convenient for me.

I really hope I've been unlucky and the replacements will start working as designed, but if things don't improve I'll be giving the Abbott Libre a miss altogether as I can do without having to call them on a regular basis to have sensors replaced.

At the end of the day, every system for glucose measurement I have used has had it's issues. (don't even get me started on the BG Star iPhone connected meter!) The Libre is no different in that respect. The main difference to me is the cost. I can get Freestyle Optium glucose test strips on prescription and additional ones are (mostly) affordable. The Libre of course is only available by self funding and requires rather more funds than the test strip route.

The thing is, I like the concept of the Libre. I like the ability to see a CGM-like set of results for much less than any CGM on the market. Even with wildly inaccurate results, I've still learned things (the numbers were hopeless but the trends appeared to be spot on) about how I react to certain foods - something finger pricking alone would not have shown. I like not having to conduct finger prick tests and I like not having to worry about whether the finger-prick has stopped bleeding. (I still have vivid memories of one incident at work where a finger prick site started bleeding again and by the time I realised it was still bleeding, my desk looked like a crime scene.)

Sorry about the rather long winded comments but @AndBreathe I do agree with you - each individual has to make their choice whether to stick with the Libre and its imperfections or move onto another system with it's own imperections. Personally, if I can get the failure rate down to 10-15% from 100%, I'll be rather more inclined to carry on with the Libre.

I think the bottom line on the support line timings is probably cost. You need more folks to man the lines for longer. Assuming Abbott would want to protect their profit margins, inevitably that suggests that increased hours would lead to a high product cost. Personally, I'd rather wait until Monday than pay more per sensor.

I too have had a number of defective sensors, although not one of them has been due to adhesive failure. Indeed, I usually find I'm just about prizing the thing off at the end of it's life. By that stage, me sensor will have been attached for 16 days, as I have found the accuracy has been more aligned to my finger prick testing if I attach the sensor some time before activating it.

Someone, whose Consultant is also T1 and was an Abbott prelaunch tester, suggested some people had reported this phenomenon. My theory on this is that some people's immune system "detects" the foreign body when the sensor is inserted, and tries to reject it. After a variable time, this settles as our body catches on the filament isn't going to harm us and our bodies settle too. You could give it a whirl?

Finally, there are a number of users - probably posts earlier in this thread - who use either kineseology tape or Opsite style tape to keep their sensors in place. As I say, I haven't had adhesion issues myself, so I can't comment personally on the efficacy of that.

Good luck with it all.

I am on my 8th sensor now, since last November.
Each one has been within acceptable parameters and after a short settling in period I have been very happy with the accuracy.

I'm sure that I will, sooner or later, come across a defective one and have to wade through the replacement process, but at the moment I am still exceedingly pleased.

The issue with this and every other form of continuous sensor is that they can only ever be built one way. It's then down to the individuals body as to how well they get on with them. Some have outlier skin, some more a more veracious immune system, others neither. The result is that they get 80% of people having no issues and 20% who do. That 20% are usually the noisiest.

Whilst you are unlucky @stevespalding, most don't seem to be. I don't know whether you've tried other CGM solutions, but based on my experience, it's no worse than they are, with the exception that you must calibrate the others.


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tim2000s said:

The issue with this and every other form of continuous sensor is that they can only ever be built one way. It's then down to the individuals body as to how well they get on with them. Some have outlier skin, some more a more veracious immune system, others neither. The result is that they get 80% of people having no issues and 20% who do. That 20% are usually the noisiest.

Whilst you are unlucky @stevespalding, most don't seem to be. I don't know whether you've tried other CGM solutions, but based on my experience, it's no worse than they are, with the exception that you must calibrate the others.


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Tim, is it fair to say that ability to calibrate comes at a financial cost, which is usually also self-funded?

AndBreathe said:

Tim, is it fair to say that ability to calibrate comes at a financial cost, which is usually also self-funded?

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Yes, this is the case. And the cost is typically substantially higher, unless you build things for yourself.


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Well, I suspect that my love affair with the Libre is about to end.

I've written before with respect to my body rejecting the sensors and each sensor leaving a worse and worse mark on my arm to the point where the sensors were failing & falling off due to the sore under it weeping. Having taken almost a year off, I fitted a sensor a month ago and to my surprise it was like fitting the first one, no discomfort, worked extremely well and only left the sort of mark that having a plaster on for a fortnight would.
The latest one, fitted 4 days ago felt wrong almost from the start, was running 1 to 2 mmol higher, although trending well. Over the next couple of days, I started getting discomfort from the sensor site until yesterday, playing golf, it started showing me going lower and lower until it no longer read. Blood testing showed my levels to be fine & the sensor came back into range a little time later before starting 'sensor not found' message and finally coming off.

As ever, Abbott's customer service have been first class and are replacing the sensor. They've asked for a photograph of the wound which I'll send and see if they can come up with a solution.

It's a shame, as the device was a revolution while I could use it. I'll try once more on the 'good' arm, but suspect it'll have the same result. Meanwhile, I'll wait for the first proper non-intrusive tester to hit the market and see how that does.

Based on my experience with different sensor brands, I've experienced by far the worst skin reactions to the Libre. I'm not sure what's different in their adhesive, but it certainly seems to cause issues!

I can't make up my mind whether it's the adhesive or a reaction to the filament (similar to a splinter reaction)

I would be curious to know what the 'filament' is made off, as I am working on environmental and public health policies and I know that a lot of plastics have endocrine disrupting properties..

By the way, I've received an email from abbot about the new app. A pity that i have an Iphone. And even more that I'd have to get an Android phone, since I hate Android...

Did any of you use the app already and would you recommend it?

To @jackois : i still use the compeed plasters, but am cutting a small whole in the middle now to avoid the sensor failing..did you try it?

To @jackois : i still use the compeed plasters, but am cutting a small whole in the middle now to avoid the sensor failing..did you try it?[/QUOTE]

I have tried everything that people have recommended and nothing at this point has worked. That's why I lean toward the filament being the cause, some sort of rejection.
I think I'll maybe get away with using a sensor once every 3 or 4 months, which will be a waste really if I'm managing to keep my HB1AC in the fifties without it.

I have been reading some experiences from new users in this topic. Some have had really bad experiences with inaccurate sensors and sensors falling off.

I am using the sensors now for almost 2 years and I've had also times when up to 4 or 5 sensors in a row where completely useless indicating "sensor not found", "LO" or totally garbage values.

I almost gave up on the Libre at the point when Abbot started kind of blaming me by asking if they should send someone to show me how the sensor should be inserted and all kind of other stupid questions. (Yes I know how to insert a sensor Abbot).

However, at that time I still had some sensors left and I used them successfully. After that I have had no problems at all. I think I have been using my last 6 or 7 sensors without any problems. Even though I have been swimming, in the gym etc.

So new users, I wouldn't give up too soon, and just ask for replacements if you know you have done nothing wrong but sensors are behaving oddly..

On the other hand I think the Libre might be tricky to use for some people, like maybe elderly people or people which might be not so updated on using new technologies (how put this nicely. It's not completely plug & play yet, you have to keep on using your brains.

@jackois , I am what a medic recently called a "super healer", in that my body has a real knack of rejecting anything foreign to it, including, infuriatingly, surgical sutures, but thus far, I haven't experienced any major skin irritation with the Libre.

Curiously, my last one fell off (just plopped on the floor) last Saturday, and that one was itchy for a while afterwards, but no redness, oozing or any of the other inflammation markers. I found my last couple of sensors have been much more accurate if I applied them, then deferred activation for 48 hours. I read about it on here, and the concept of the "injured" area settling after insertion made sense to me.

I know that doesn't help with your skin issues, but my only other comment would be not to write off the periodic use of the Libre. I completely accept I'm not T1, and therefore may be looking at differing trrends, but my part-time use of sensors helps reassure me of the things I learned when using the Libre, that could never be picked up by even diligent and structured finger prick testing.

I hope you can find a balance that allows you to continue to see the benefits, even if on a compromised level.

Breaking news. Diasend have worked with Abbott to allow the new Librelink app to speak directly with Diasend so you no longer need to plug the reader in to transfer data if you use the Android app.


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tim2000s said:

Breaking news. Diasend have worked with Abbott to allow the new Librelink app to speak directly with Diasend so you no longer need to plug the reader in to transfer data if you use the Android app.


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That's great, now how do I get Libre link?

I'm back in love with my Libre now after finally getting a sensor that worked! I got new sensors sent for the faulty ones and have just finished one with a fortnight of highly accurate results (within 0.1 of a finger prick consistently). The new ones were from a different batch and I'm wondering if I got a bad batch the first time.
Either way, I feel I can trust it now