How long for Libre Sensor attachment before activation?

[friendlyfish]

Hi all,

I am now on my second sensor. It really helped me to bring down my BG levels and I had far fewer hypo readings overnight once my daytime readings were less high (I control by diet not meds).

I have read on here that several people attach their next sensor several hours or days before they activate it? When you do this does the activation period still last 14 days?

Also if you attach the sensor, say, the 24 hours before you activate it, does any improved accuracy still last the full 14 days of activation or do you loose 24 hours of accuracy at the other end?

This meter is so much better for me than blood sticks (aka finger prick testing). The peaks and troughs are what give me most unwanted symptoms - so seeing which foods peak the most is fantastic.

Thanks.

 

[noblehead]

Some members like @robert72 apply their sensor 24 hours prior to activating it which is good advice and seems to reep good results, you don't lose that time btw.

 

[AndBreathe]

Hi all,

I am now on my second sensor. It really helped me to bring down my BG levels and I had far fewer hypo readings overnight once my daytime readings were less high (I control by diet not meds).

I have read on here that several people attach their next sensor several hours or days before they activate it? When you do this does the activation period still last 14 days?

Also if you attach the sensor, say, the 24 hours before you activate it, does any improved accuracy still last the full 14 days of activation or do you loose 24 hours of accuracy at the other end?

This meter is so much better for me than blood sticks (aka finger prick testing). The peaks and troughs are what give me most unwanted symptoms - so seeing which foods peak the most is fantastic.

Thanks.

Folks have different experiences of this, but personally, I have found things to be more accurate if I have the sensor attached for about 48 hours, prior to activation. I tried it when I read feedback, on here, from someone whose Consultant is T1, and was a Libre trialist, pre-launch, and allegedly some people found this improved things.

My theory is that some folks, like me, react quite aggressively to foreign bodies, like splinters. My body goes into an aggressive reject mode, which means the area around, say a splinter, will become red and swollen as it tries to get rid of it by natural means. I reckon, for me, the same thing happens with the sensor filament, but after a couple of days, my body is satisfied it isn't harmful, so settles down.

Not everyone finds this, and of course some sensors are a little more accurate than others, so it's a csae of doing what you feel is best to get maximum bang for your buck.

The 14 day sensor life begins from the point of activation, not application.

Good luck with it all.

 

[Snapsy]

I apply my next sensor on a Friday evening, and activate it on a Sunday morning, which is when its predecessor expires, every other week.

I don't notice any tailing-off of accuracy. The 14 days only start when you activate it. And so far the sticky has been sticky enough for the whole 15 and a half days I require it to be.

Positive: I find it more accurate when I've left it to 'settle' in this way.
Negative: I feel like a wally all day every other Saturday with one on each arm!

 

[Robbity]

My sensor takes around 48 hours after activation before it settles down and stabilizes. I tried adding my most recent one about 24 hours early which hasn't made any difference, so I'll be trying (if I can remember!) adding the next 48 hours early. But I didn't see any issues with the existing one tailing off at all.

As far as i can see the reader only recognises one sensor at a time, so my new one just sits on my arm until it's activated after the old one expires. If I run them consecutively I get a gap while the new one has to have a one hour think about it period before I can actually start it recording.

Robbity

 

[Brunneria]

And I am someone who always seems to get a few wacky readings in the last 3 days. Go figure, eh?

Am delighted you found the Libre useful @friendlyfish
I am the same.
Wouldn't be without it nowadays, although I can't justify running it fulltime, I find that a sensor every few weeks really helps me to focus, and spot the odd 'discrepency' I have allowed to sneak in during the down time. lol.