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Has anyone quit using Freestyle Libre?

YogiBear76 said:
I had been using Freestyle Libre for 2 years. I do think it is a gamechanger for diabetics. However over the last number of months I feel I have been chasing trends and getting overwhelmed by the data it provides. I have decided to stop using the Freestyle Libre 2 and revert back to fingerprick testing. Since doing this I'm now feeling a lot more relaxed and I'm not getting myself stressed out with having the constant data to hand.
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I stopped and swapped over to Guardian 4 sensors which control my Medtronic 780g pump perfectly.
 
YogiBear76 said:
I had been using Freestyle Libre for 2 years. I do think it is a gamechanger for diabetics. However over the last number of months I feel I have been chasing trends and getting overwhelmed by the data it provides. I have decided to stop using the Freestyle Libre 2 and revert back to fingerprick testing. Since doing this I'm now feeling a lot more relaxed and I'm not getting myself stressed out with having the constant data to hand.
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I completely agree with everything you said, and your situation is almost exactly the same as mine, I suffer A LOT of hypos so my GP insisted I use it, but I can't wear it all the time, I find them irritating and uncomfortable, also the readings are often way off my finger prick test, so I don't trust it anymore, I still occasionally wear one, depending on my plans, but as I lost trust I prick my finger every time I scan, to check if it's right, so really what's the point
 
Antje77 said:
Personally, I love the data, but this sounds like reverting to fingerpricking is the exact right decision for you.
Possibly you'd like to use a Libre again every now and then to see if there are any relevant patterns you've missed after a while of relying on fingerpricks.

Living with diabetes isn't about getting the best numbers possible, it's about finding the right balance between diabetes and the rest of your life.
So if slightly more erratic numbers from paying a little less attention to diabetes means a great improvement on overall quality of life, it sounds like the way to go for me.
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I honestly think we can all get too involved with data from our Libre 2 's. I know we all want the best control possible- but we are in danger of being obsessed with all the available figures these days. I've had Type 1 for longer than most on here (64 yrs) and I've seen a heck of a lot of changes in diabetic management and control. I just use the Libre as an easier form of finger pricking and don't sweat too much if figures go a little awry sometimes as long as my HBA1c is 55- 59 or a little above I'm not bothered and if the quack says otherwise- so what? It's my diabetes not his !
 
Captain_Sensible said:
I honestly think we can all get too involved with data from our Libre 2 's. I know we all want the best control possible- but we are in danger of being obsessed with all the available figures these days.
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I think it depends on personality and circumstances. I'm only 7 years in and I feel best, mentally, when keeping on top of my numbers. So for me, this is a good approach at this point in my life (and it may be different in the future).
We're all different, which is why no one size fits all.
 
Ushthetaff said:
I have been using Libre for ages , I had to go on a course before I was able to get my Libre on prescription , I remember saying to the person taking the course , that there was a definite prospect of “ information overload “. This had been found to be very true. Personally I’m don’t get affected by it , I take my bloods if they are within range I carry on , if my Hb1ac is acceptable I’m fine , I don’t try to keep my blood sugar range too tight and I definitely don’t stress if my blood goes out of range for a short period . I more than most realise the effects of long term control. I experiment more than most which has led me to understand what works for me ,unfortunately it’s not a quick fix, I feel very lucky that I have had diabetes that long that I can to relate to life before the technology we have today. There is so much information available to us now , we now have to learn what to so with it all ! No different to life itself really ,
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I have been using Freestyle Libre for about 2 yrs and wouldn’t go back to fingerpicking, mostly because it damaged my fingers so much. As a type 2, I was fortunate to get Freestyle on prescription. I do find I get occasional strange readings and when this happens I double check by fingrrpricking.
My main problem is that (probably because I have slim arms) the sensors come off, usually about 3 days before they are due to expire. I have resorted to using a sticky plastic over the top. I wonder if anyone else has this problem and if so, do you use the various advertised types of plasters or just normal ones?
I do find you have to be very aware of whether a high reading means it is just taking a while for the insulin to take effect and I usually wait a bit before being tempted to use more insulin.
I was recently concerned that I was getting peaks but when I spoke to my diabetes nurse she said my control looked very good! Just shows what others have said - that you can get too concerned with the readings/charts.
 
JudiP said:
I have been using Freestyle Libre for about 2 yrs and wouldn’t go back to fingerpicking, mostly because it damaged my fingers so much. As a type 2, I was fortunate to get Freestyle on prescription. I do find I get occasional strange readings and when this happens I double check by fingrrpricking.
My main problem is that (probably because I have slim arms) the sensors come off, usually about 3 days before they are due to expire. I have resorted to using a sticky plastic over the top. I wonder if anyone else has this problem and if so, do you use the various advertised types of plasters or just normal ones?
I do find you have to be very aware of whether a high reading means it is just taking a while for the insulin to take effect and I usually wait a bit before being tempted to use more insulin.
I was recently concerned that I was getting peaks but when I spoke to my diabetes nurse she said my control looked very good! Just shows what others have said - that you can get too concerned with the readings/charts.
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It's great to hear all your experiences with Freestyle Libre and thank u for sharing. x
 
I was diagnosed before the release of Libre, when CGMs were rare and incredibly expensive. As a result, I started with only knowing finger pricking. I knew my BG when I pricked and that was it - I had no thought about what was happening between pricks unless I felt high or low and, in the early days, most of us are more sensitive to variations.
Given I was anxious having being diagnosed with a chronic condition, this was the right level of data for me at the time
Over time, I wanted to know more and pleaded for a CGM. I wasn't thinking about the ability to glance at my phone to see my BG instantly. I wanted data for me to understand what affect exercise was having, whether I should pre-bolus earlier for some foods and later for others, whether I needed a bolus to handle stressful work meetings, ... Therefore, I was given a trial CGM for 10 days. It was "blind" so I had to keep a detailed dairy and then analyse the results a week later. This was really helpful for me.
Then Libre were released and I was given a trial but had to self fund. I funded 1 sensor every 6 weeks - 2 weeks sensored and 4 weeks unsensored giving me insights and lessons for different foods and different activities adjusting my insulin treatment based on the results,
Again, nothing to add to the anxiety because I was not wearing it all the time.
Fast forward a few more years and I got Libre on prescription so use it all the time and have done so ever since finding the ability to glance at my phone to see my BG brilliant. But I know this would have been information overload if I had had it on day one. Or if I had been given it with an expectation of replacing finger pricks.

In summary, I think I was lucky in the timing of Libre - I was able to build up my knowledge of diabetes and my BG so I was not overloaded on day 1 and it wasn't in my mindset to depend upon it.
 
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Hi

I am very new to this, only 5 months since diagnosis and so far I havent had the best experience of the freestyle libre 2.

When mine isnt showing sensor error, the readings are wildly inaccurate often by up to 6mmol. I have only had one hypo and my alarm didnt go off . However, if i have the sensor signal alarm on, it constantly goes off even though phone is glued to my side. It can sometimes hurt my arm too so all in all I have decided there is very little benefit in me wearing one.

It is a shame it doesnt work for me as I find the app very user friendly and the tech is amazing for plenty of others.
 
I think the finger pricking is suiting me better. I keep reacting to the trends rather than let things play out with Freestyle Libre. It was a major concern for my HCP's that this woud happen and they were correct. I'm so glad the majority of people who are on Freestyle Libre find it beneficial. I suppose it's different strokes for different folks. x
 
I find it incredibly useful, diagnosed just under 6 months ago and I find it gives me exactly what I want which is a visible reading any time of the day. Once you can get past the craving of over-checking and being obsessed (I was checking mine 100-200 times a day for the first couple of months) it really proves useful. Another issue I had to get past was the rage induced bolus seeing my libre rapidly shooting up for it to settle down in 15-20 minutes 2-3mmol lower which resulted in some hypo's. Like a lot of people are saying, it depends on what works for you both in terms of controlling BG & also not ruining your quality of life via information overload and obsessing over readings.
 
Ashintheuk said:
As a driver it makes life a lot easier to conform to the law. I get unpredictable hypos if I deviate even slightly from my routines so is a godsend to me. No plans to give the tech up, and 3 years in with it now.
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On that score, For me it highlights consistently a liver dump either driving work’s vehicles or a stressy drive in my own.
I use an A pillar heads up CGM display in the phone cradle on my van or keep the pull out O ring on the phone case inserted into the CD slot on the work van stereo.
 
YogiBear76 said:
It's great to hear all your experiences with Freestyle Libre and thank u for sharing. x
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Try putting you sensor somewhere other than your arms
 
While the discussion is very interesting, it seems to have wandered a little from @YogiBear76 's original discussion of giving up the libre for finger pricking because they are overwhelmed by its data.
Mods have moved some posts to a new thread

Libre accuracy and predictive ability

I have been using it for the past 4 weeks and I have to say that I am NOT impressed. Its always saying my blood sugar level is way what my finger prick say. For exam, even though its scanning ever time and I can see the realtime graph. I would still manually scan and it would say its 9.7...
www.diabetes.co.uk www.diabetes.co.uk
 
I think a lot depends on the type of person you are. I would class myself as an ocd over checker type person. So to a degree the constant data does take over your thoughts and does put you in danger of burnout etc. However, I would still much rather have the data than not, which for me has probably lowered my hba1c from mid 7s down to mid 6s. So I would not go back to finger picks, absolutely not.
Unfortunately it's just the T1d way of life. I'm sure one side of my brain has now dedicated itself to the constant thought process of sugar levels and wether to eat, inject or just wait a bit.
 
Zinadane said:
I think a lot depends on the type of person you are. I would class myself as an ocd over checker type person. So to a degree the constant data does take over your thoughts and does put you in danger of burnout etc. However, I would still much rather have the data than not, which for me has probably lowered my hba1c from mid 7s down to mid 6s. So I would not go back to finger picks, absolutely not.
Unfortunately it's just the T1d way of life. I'm sure one side of my brain has now dedicated itself to the constant thought process of sugar levels and wether to eat, inject or just wait a bit.
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T1 + OCD here too and I fully understand the drive/risk of micromanagement. Interestingly, I've lowered my A1c from low 7s to mid 5s but unlike you I did this using more fingerpricks and not through Libre. As you say we're all different but it's good to know that this doesn't just apply to our metabolism but also to our thinking and choise of methods.
 
ATB123 said:
I'm only been using it for 8 weeks but I love it,don't find I chase trends or react to anomalies because I've learned already that what goes up comes down again and it let's me nip a hypo in the bud. It's really helped me in learning how to manage my insulin. Plus my fingers don't get sore!
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I've been using the Libre for over 5 years and I think it's great! You have to be aware that it can be very inaccurate. Just don't get paranoid about your diabetes, it messes it up! I've been dealing with it for nearly 58 years and is catching up on me but I would expect that at 71 years old. Most of my organs are giving up!
Just keep smiling an treat every day as a bonus
Andy :)
 
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