Freestyle libre readings

[andyw01]

What’s peoples opinion on the readings the sensor gives?
I’ve had mine for 6 months and until my recent catch up with healthcare professionals it was driving me mad.

It gives me a high reading which prompts a correction dose only for my blood to drop quicker than someone without a parachute. Likewise it tells me I’m low, I’ll eat 1 maybe 2 jelly babies (example) and end up high in no time.

Also the estimated A1c it gives was 8mmol higher than what a blood test at the hospital actually showed.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

The Libre (and other CGMs) are great but only if you understand the limitations and follow the advice to always check highs and lows before correcting. If you do this but still drop quickly or rise too high, the problem is likely to be your corrections rather than the sensor.
As for the estimated HBA1C is is an estimate. I found it consistently estimates 10 lower than by blood tests so just thought of it as something else to track rather than the same thing.
Now I consider time in range more than HBA1C anyway.

 

[Lainie71]

Mmmm well I have a love hate relationship with mine at the moment and have given myself and my arm a rest for a bit I am lucky at the moment I dont have to dose up but it must be more frustrating for you and others that do. Good thing about it is the estimated HBA1C is alot higher which hopefully in my case would reflect a lower one at the drs. Fingers crossed!

 

[andyw01]

I actually had the opposite where it estimated higher, so I was pleasantly surprised. The time in range also can be misleading in my opinion.

I’m learning now, albeit it’s difficult, to try and take everything it says into context.

Yes I concur that my corrections are probably wrong but mentally getting your head around the readings can be difficult after 15 years of previously using the finger prick method.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

The time in range also can be misleading in my opinion.

Can you explain why?
This may be something different between Type 1 and type 2 but I would like to understand.

 

[andyw01]

I wish I could in a short reply. Without showing my readings it’s difficult to explain / analyse, but they are massive changes from 7 to 14 days and do not reflect the actual A1C that I got from the hospital.

Just my opinion

 

[Deleted member 527103]

I wish I could in a short reply. Without showing my readings it’s difficult to explain / analyse, but they are massive changes from 7 to 14 days and do not reflect the actual A1C that I got from the hospital.

Just my opinion

My point is that HBA1C reflects an average and does not take into consideration major swings. You could get a similar HBA1C if your levels are between 4 and 8 most of the time or if they regularly vary between 2 and 15. Clearly the former is preferable. Hence, the HBA1C is rather a crude measurement and the average time within range is now considered a better measurement. Unfortunately, it cannot be used universally until CGMs are universal.
Time in Range also feels to me as something that I can manage on a daily basis whereas, with HBA1C being a 3 month average, changes to daily diabetes management are not seen soon enough. For example, I can learn from my Libre graphs that my breakfast always spikes me over 10 so I should take my bolus earlier to flatten the curve.

 

[andyw01]

Fair point. But we’re all different and our bodies react differently. It’s a constant learning curve even after many years of being diagnosed

 

[Dave with T2]

I was diagnosed as Type 2 a year ago. My current HbA1c is 41 (down from 61 a year ago). I control my diabetes with a low carb diet and exercise. Healthcare professionals never mentioned blood testing but I bought a finger pricking blood testing device after joining this forum. I have being paying about £24 per week for Libre 2 since last September - health professionals discouraged me because if they didn't they perhaps felt they would have to fund it.

I find the readings to be next to useless and have no idea why I still use it. It might as well just say Low, Medium or High. I have had about 6 sensors replaced by Abbott when I ring up and complain that the readings are consistently higher than finger prick readings or the sensor has packed up early. In one case the sensor was consistently too low. In fairness, Abbott never quibble and immediately send me a replacement sensor. I figure that they cost Abbott peanuts and if they have a customer daft enough to pay £24 per week they want to keep me doing it!

I love the concept but given that a sensor is replaced every two weeks there is no calibration - no way of knowing whether your blood sugar has increased or a new sensor is responsible for higher readings.

The one area where I do value the sensor is the continuous monitoring which finger pricking cannot provide. Initially I was eating porridge for breakfast and found a finger prick two hours after breakfast showed my blood to be fine. However, Libre drew my attention to my blood sugar spiking dramatically within 30 minutes of eating porridge. I have learned that I cannot tolerate cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, alcohol or ordinary bread. I do eat Liv Life bread which was mentioned on this forum. 7g of carbs per small slice and only available from Waitrose.

I started off at 14 st 5 lbs last year and within 3 months on a low carb diet and walking several miles a day I was down to 11 st 6 lbs. The trouble was I wanted to stop losing weight at about 11 st 11 lbs and found little help on this forum. However, my wife found recipes fore low carb cakes and cheesecake and I now successfully use these to control my weight at around 12 st 0 lbs.

I have just bought another 4 Libres for £193 so I am committed for another couple of months. Hopefully their accuracy will improve over time.

 

[Lainie71]

I was diagnosed as Type 2 a year ago. My current HbA1c is 41 (down from 61 a year ago). I control my diabetes with a low carb diet and exercise. Healthcare professionals never mentioned blood testing but I bought a finger pricking blood testing device after joining this forum. I have being paying about £24 per week for Libre 2 since last September - health professionals discouraged me because if they didn't they perhaps felt they would have to fund it.

I find the readings to be next to useless and have no idea why I still use it. It might as well just say Low, Medium or High. I have had about 6 sensors replaced by Abbott when I ring up and complain that the readings are consistently higher than finger prick readings or the sensor has packed up early. In one case the sensor was consistently too low. In fairness, Abbott never quibble and immediately send me a replacement sensor. I figure that they cost Abbott peanuts and if they have a customer daft enough to pay £24 per week they want to keep me doing it!

I love the concept but given that a sensor is replaced every two weeks there is no calibration - no way of knowing whether your blood sugar has increased or a new sensor is responsible for higher readings.

The one area where I do value the sensor is the continuous monitoring which finger pricking cannot provide. Initially I was eating porridge for breakfast and found a finger prick two hours after breakfast showed my blood to be fine. However, Libre drew my attention to my blood sugar spiking dramatically within 30 minutes of eating porridge. I have learned that I cannot tolerate cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, alcohol or ordinary bread. I do eat Liv Life bread which was mentioned on this forum. 7g of carbs per small slice and only available from Waitrose.

I started off at 14 st 5 lbs last year and within 3 months on a low carb diet and walking several miles a day I was down to 11 st 6 lbs. The trouble was I wanted to stop losing weight at about 11 st 11 lbs and found little help on this forum. However, my wife found recipes fore low carb cakes and cheesecake and I now successfully use these to control my weight at around 12 st 0 lbs.

I have just bought another 4 Libres for £193 so I am committed for another couple of months. Hopefully their accuracy will improve over time.

I only use it now to see what spikes me and I have a love hate relationship with it. I am going to be self funding but cannot really justify paying 50 quid a pop to be honest. Also if you were trying to stop losing weight, did you not up your fat content as that for me starts increasing the weight again.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

Before I was lucky to get Libre on NHS, I was self funding for 2 weeks out of 6. I was using the 2 weeks to learn what impacted my BG and the 4 weeks to apply changes. Then 2 weeks to check my lessons and learn more.
I found this really valuable

 

[becca59]

As a type 1 that loves this technology and is helping me balance my levels every day I do not worry about the difference in blood glucose readings. Yes it is not 100% accurate but I think too much belief in blood glucose meters is also misguided. I have 2 of those, both calibrated with testing solution and I have found those too gave quite different readings when I spent a day experimenting. It’s about the arrows and the middle of the night alarms.

 

[Sax]

I was impressed with the Libre previously but on trying again today its out by a full 2 mmol/l. I think I need to take more care on location.

 

[jaywak]

I've had my Libre for 1 week and have had quite a lot of mishaps , the first night I was awakened with the alarm telling me I was below 3.9 so quickly had a spoonful of glucose and a biscuit but then did a finger prick and had a reading of 6.6 so then alarmed 3 times more during the night to tell me I was running high 12 - 14 , I think I am just trying to over correct , I have had several alarms telling me i'me low but actually in the norm and even the highs due to the over corrections have not been as high as the Libre says , 16 but the finger prick says 11 , today I had one of my worst the Libre said 21 . 8 and the finger prick said 16 , I guess I'll get my head around it , well I hope so .

 

[andyw01]

What would you say is a good ‘time in range’?

Isn’t it all subjective based on varying factors?

For example if the sensor readings aren’t accurate or are misleading then the time in range won’t be accurate. On my recent appointments with healthcare professionals they haven’t even checked the libre readings and have worked solely off of the HBA1C blood test readings,

 

[Deleted member 527103]

Libre is calibrated to be most accurate when you are in range.
The guidelines for Type 1 is to spend at least 70% of time between 4 and 10 with no more than 5% under 4.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

@jaywak do you check your highs and lows with finger pricks as per the usual guidance?
If you get low alarms at night, these could well be compression lows.
Libre is most accurate between about 4 and 10. Outside of this range, it is likely to over estimate variations. Hence why you are likely to see large variations above 10.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

I was impressed with the Libre previously but on trying again today its out by a full 2 mmol/l. I think I need to take more care on location.

Do you follow the common advice to activate the sensor 24 to 48 hours after applying to allow your body to familiarize itself with the alien object in your arm?

 

[Bcgirl]

I tried all the tricks, embedded in arm two days before activation…but the libres were awful. Readings were incredibly inconsistent and downright wrong (as compared to prick test). Waste of money. Caused stress always.
iwas so careful with placement, watched videos and followed manufacturers instructions.
libre needs to up their game.

 

[becca59]

What would you say is a good ‘time in range’?

Isn’t it all subjective based on varying factors?

For example if the sensor readings aren’t accurate or are misleading then the time in range won’t be accurate. On my recent appointments with healthcare professionals they haven’t even checked the libre readings and have worked solely off of the HBA1C blood test readings,

Yet my consultant is no longer interested in HbA1c and scrutinises my TIR and above and below.