Libre 2 Advice

[Mr_Pot]

My free trial Libre is on its way, thanks to @DunePlodder alerting me to the offer.

I would like to make as much use out of this opportunity as possible, so I would appreciate any advice from experienced users.
1) What mistakes should I avoid as a first time user?
2) How should I glean the most information, other than just wearing it and regularly scanning?

I am a well controlled Type 2 just using diet, if that makes any difference.

 

[In Response]

What mistakes should you avoid?
Not understanding the limitations. These have been described many times on many threads. So my first advice is to use the Search function. There was a recent thread asking the pros and cons which I think called it “Freestyle”.

How to make the most of it?
The biggest thing is to understand trends.
- what happens to your blood sugars when you eat various foods outside the 2 finger pricks you typically take. You may find the spike is earlier or later than usual.
- what happens when you exercise? Try different types of exercise if you can.
- what happens overnight when you are sleeping?
- if you drink, check what impact alcohol has

And ask yourself why you want to know your blood sugars throughout the day.
Then focus your tests around that.

 

[Providence 62]

My free trial Libre is on its way, thanks to @DunePlodder alerting me to the offer.

I would like to make as much use out of this opportunity as possible, so I would appreciate any advice from experienced users.
1) What mistakes should I avoid as a first time user?
2) How should I glean the most information, other than just wearing it and regularly scanning?

I am a well controlled Type 2 just using diet, if that makes any difference.

Great idea @Mr_Pot , I could do with as much help as possible. More than a little nervous now it has arrived. A not so well controlled LADA here. Looking forward to seeing what others think.

Regards


P62

 

[Jaylee]

Hi guys,

If it's yer first time doing this.?

Pick a day or time for your very first plant where your less likely to get hassled by stuff around you in the household.
Take a bath/shower exfoliate the area chosen to stick it. Dry. Don't go spraying deodorant about. Clean the area again with the swab in the package. Alow to dry. Set up the aplicator. & go for it.
You may find the sensor seems a little stuck on removing the applicator?
It will come out. Just keep the aplicator as square as possible to the sensor & it should tug loose. The firm the edges of the sensor adhesive down checking round the edge. I give the whole sensor a bit of a push too just to be sure?

But then I have worked with automotive "3M tape."
I find warming the skin up a little bit with my wife's hair dryer helps adhesion too..

Hope this helps.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

other than just wearing it and regularly scanning?

The big change with the Libre 2 is that you don't have to keep scanning.
The Bluetooth should keep it permanently in contact (allegedly).

I am awaiting my first Libre 2 and my main anticipation is that if I walk away from my phone I will get bleated at as I go out of range.

 

[MrsA2]

I'm a libre newbie too. I think I'm going to try a normal week of exercise and food, then the second week add in some foods I've been avoiding, just to see. Might start it in about 10 days as have more dental work coming up which might muck up stress and bg levels

 

[miahara]

I've been using Libre for almost two years - still on the L1 and not convinced I really need the L2; The massive advantage libre CGM gives is the constant measurement of blood glucose and how food and lifestyle impacts on this. Oncoming 'hypos' can be spotted and headed off with some instant glucose and some folk may control 'hypers' with extra insulin.
While Libre View uploads are extremely useful for reviewing one's BG management, I've found that keeping a written log detailing food/carb intake, insulin and activity has been invaluable as it is so easy to look back in it and assess what went right and what went wrong and was that slice of cake a bad idea or a really very bad idea!

 

[Providence 62]

Thrilled with myself - managed to get the sensor on. I had been sitting looking at it for a couple of days and finally got a grip. Didn't hurt a bit.

 

[Ledzeptt]

I’d also add a comment that it’s easy to focus on the problems I.e. “wow, that xxx food really spiked my BG”... glossing over all the things that go well, and these can also help improve your life if you focus on doing more of the same.

 

[nutribolt]

1) What mistakes should I avoid as a first time user?

I would say when we first apply the sensor, we tend to scan it quite often but then as the novelty wears off it is quite easy to forget scanning it every 8 hours. If you do not plan to use a third party app (Diabox / xdrip with OOP2) which will automatically fetch the data from sensor to the phone, then next best thing you can do it set a reminder within the libre app for say every 6 hours or 7 hours so you don't end up loosing your data.

Another mistake would be to completely rely on numbers from libre and not do your finger prick tests. You see there can be variation in readings between finger prick and Libre sensor and in such cases finger prick is what we must rely on. Although Libre 2 in my experience (On my 4th one now) is far more accurate than Libre 1 and when paired with Diabox (3rd party app) and calibrated it amazingly gives results within 0.1 mmol/L variation rather than 2 to 3 mmol/L.

2) How should I glean the most information, other than just wearing it and regularly scanning?

Like I said above, the best way to extract all data (every 1 minute in fact) with better accuracy in my opinion is to use the third party app. Having said that, even if you would not be inclined to use a third party app, scanning regularly will allow you to have the trends which can be very helpful especially if you also record your activities and food intake to then visualise the impact of those activities and foods thereby allowing you to make changes based on factual information leaving guesswork out of it.

 

[Mr_Pot]

I would say when we first apply the sensor, we tend to scan it quite often but then as the novelty wears off it is quite easy to forget scanning it every 8 hours. If you do not plan to use a third party app (Diabox / xdrip with OOP2) which will automatically fetch the data from sensor to the phone, then next best thing you can do it set a reminder within the libre app for say every 6 hours or 7 hours so you don't end up loosing your data.

Another mistake would be to completely rely on numbers from libre and not do your finger prick tests. You see there can be variation in readings between finger prick and Libre sensor and in such cases finger prick is what we must rely on. Although Libre 2 in my experience (On my 4th one now) is far more accurate than Libre 1 and when paired with Diabox (3rd party app) and calibrated it amazingly gives results within 0.1 mmol/L variation rather than 2 to 3 mmol/L.



Like I said above, the best way to extract all data (every 1 minute in fact) with better accuracy in my opinion is to use the third party app. Having said that, even if you would not be inclined to use a third party app, scanning regularly will allow you to have the trends which can be very helpful especially if you also record your activities and food intake to then visualise the impact of those activities and foods thereby allowing you to make changes based on factual information leaving guesswork out of it.

Thanks for the helpful advice.
I am only on my 2nd full day so the novelty hasn't worn off yet and I am unlikely to forget to scan. I have taken advantage of the free trial from Abbott and I am very impressed. However as a diet controlled Type2 I couldn't justify buying more than the occasional sensor and I don't think I need any third party apps.. There seems to be a very close correlation with the finger sticks I have done which is reassuring. I have been keeping a food diary as you suggest and it has been very interesting even after 2 days. I should be able to carry out a lot of experiments during the 14 days, tonight's will be my regular pint of beer!