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Freestyle libre

A

AshrafUM920

Well-Known Member
Messages
943
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi I just wanted to know if I can shower with the libre or do I need to be cautious I know theres like plasters you can buy too but I already applied it and I wanted to know if I go shower will it destroy the sensor I spent £60 on it just to experiment I'm scared to break It so early on
 
Hi,

Yes you can! It's pretty waterproof.

I shower with the Libre & have had no issue. Just be mindful of soaping up & when drying/towelling.. (Incase you catch/snag it.)
I sort of dab the area dry then play the hairdryer over it whilst doing the hair...?

Stays stuck like the proverbial...
 
Jaylee said:
Hi,

Yes you can! It's pretty waterproof.

I shower with the Libre & have had no issue. Just be mindful of soaping up & when drying/towelling.. (Incase you catch/snag it.)
I sort of dab the area dry then play the hairdryer over it whilst doing the hair...?

Stays stuck like the proverbial...
Click to expand...

Thank you I'm only experimenting with it to get better understanding on my glucose levels in 24hr period. I hope its worth the money.
 
UsmanMo96 said:
Thank you I'm only experimenting with it to get better understanding on my glucose levels in 24hr period. I hope its worth the money.
Click to expand...

I get where you are comming from. I self fund.

I find it a usefull tool. & pretty much forget I'm wearing it. Good luck with your trial! :)

Don't be afraid to ask questions if you have any?
 
Jaylee said:
I get where you are comming from. I self fund.

I find it a usefull tool. & pretty much forget I'm wearing it. Good luck with your trial! :)

Don't be afraid to ask questions if you have any?
Click to expand...

I know it's only for 2 weeks so what happens after do I ripp it off?
 
UsmanMo96 said:
I know it's only for 2 weeks so what happens after do I ripp it off?
Click to expand...

Yes. The sensor needle is quite flexible. You may pull at the sensor from the edge & lever it back leaving the adhesive pad on the skin.. But that can be removed after.

What I normally do when applying a sensor is take a shower exfoliating the area to be applied? Then make sure the area is dry, then wipe with the alcohol wipe things. Then allow the skin to dry before applying the sensor..
Again, I use a hair dryer on the area to warm up the skin as well as drying..

Don't ask me why? But it seems to work. But then I have done a fair bit of car dash & interior modding using "3M tape."
 
Jaylee said:
Yes. The sensor needle is quite flexible. You may pull at the sensor from the edge & lever it back leaving the adhesive pad on the skin.. But that can be removed after.

What I normally do when applying a sensor is take a shower exfoliating the area to be applied? Then make sure the area is dry, then wipe with the alcohol wipe things. Then allow the skin to dry before applying the sensor..
Again, I use a hair dryer on the area to warm up the skin as well as drying..

Don't ask me why? But it seems to work. But then I have done a fair bit of car dash & interior modding using "3M tape."
Click to expand...

I just had my first scan it was the same number as my finger pick test Awesome!
 
UsmanMo96 said:
I just had my first scan it was the same number as my finger pick test Awesome!
Click to expand...

You may see a little "lag" between the two? But you will see more linear trends with the Libre filling in the "blanks" twix finger pricks..

Oddly, you may get a variation from the traditional meter from the opposite side to where the sensor is located? That's just a little lag in blood circulation..
 
I am addicted to my Libre because it gives me such great information but when my BS gets low it is not as accurate sometimes it is out by 1mmol. So just be aware and still do the occasional finger prick.
 
It does have its little foibles. Asda has the cheapest prices at £46. It does lag up to 20 minutes behind a finger prick. If you sleep on the sensor, it may be inaccurate. It is notoriously inaccurate reading at 4 and under. I have had a few readings in the 2s but a fingerprick tells me I am in the 4s. I have found it excellent in managing my BGs.
 
To secure it I use Kinesiology tape.

I put two strips in a cross over the sensor.
The first strip, I leave the plastic backing on the middle bit where it covers the sensor so it doesn't stick to the sensor and can be easily removed.
I did try once without any tape but I felt so nervous about snagging it that I soon put the tape on.
Having said that, many people don't use tape or anything.

It is worth checking mid way through the life of the sensor.
The one I have on now was spot on the first day, but after a week had drifted low by about 1 mmol/L then came back up to about 0.5 mmol/L.

The message is that the Libre is wonderful for showing trends over 24 hours but isn't as reliable as a finger prick to show your current BG.
 
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