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Libre 2 alarms every night

S

Smiler99

Well-Known Member
Messages
174
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Needles
I had my second libre 2 sensor which was going off on blood sugar low when I was in 7s so I put my next one in after ringing Abbotts and waited for a replacement, which I replaced 4 days ago and its doing the same thing I am not getting any sleep from it I wouldn't mind in my glucose levels were lower but there always between 6s and 7s my health care workers don't seem bothered getting quite tired
Has anyone else had this problem?
 
If the sensor is recording ok when you are awake during the day, this sounds like a compression low.
This occurs when you apply pressure to a sensor such as when you lie on it when asleep. It is not the fault of the sensor but the fault of physics and the only way around it is to place your next sensor on a part of your arm that you will not lie on.

This is a common issue (although Abbott ... and Dexcom and all CGM manufacturers do not advertise it).
 
It's going off during the day time and when I'm sitting up in bed
I sleep on my opposite arm and front sleeper
It's very random compared to the other 2 I had
 
Daibell said:
I assume you have checked the settings for low-glucose alarms in LibreLink. The default is 3.9 mmol.
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Yes I have finger pricked more in the last 3 day
 

This happened repeatedly to me when I first used the alarm system on Libre 2, so I now have the alarm turned off at night. Its no good me placing the sensor in a different position I don't think, as I toss and turn so much, there is probably no easy way to avoid the compression problem.
I was really excited with the possibilities when I first heard about this alarm facility, but I find it's not so great because like you, it kept me awake, and was virtually always inaccurate.....and since it is really mostly night time that it would have been most useful, I now simply don't turn it on at all!
 
Are you putting the sensor on and waiting at least 24hrs before activating and scanning? I find they are not accurate otherwise.
 

Maybe I move around more then I think but the new one I put in on Monday night is working fantastic no alarms.it's a shame that you can't have your alarms on
 
Smiler99 said:
Maybe I move around more then I think but the new one I put in on Monday night is working fantastic no alarms.it's a shame that you can't have your alarms on
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I have found the same, some sensors fantastic, some not so. Hopefully the Libre 3 will solve this. At least Abbott’s are very efficient with replacements.
 
Hertfordshiremum said:
I have found the same, some sensors fantastic, some not so. Hopefully the Libre 3 will solve this. At least Abbott’s are very efficient with replacements.
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That's very true
Do you put yours in 24 hours before the other one runs out I have seen it on YouTube?
 
Smiler99 said:
That's very true
Do you put yours in 24 hours before the other one runs out I have seen it on YouTube?
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Yes I do exactly that, so for the last 24 hours I have one about to run out and another one on the other arm waiting to be started. Since I did this, Antje77 posted this, they have been very accurate.
 
Why use the libre if you dont want alarms ??? I dont get that
 
My Libre 2 low alarms very rarely work, high ones a bit more but can't rely on them. Have found xdrip much better.
I use the reader to scan Libre, and as I'm frequently awake in the night, have done a lot of checking Libre levels v finger prick tests while lying down, on the opposite arm to Libre placement, so no compression lows.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the Libre frequently shows lower than finger prick tests while lying down. Trouble is, it's not always. According to the Libre I can be hypo for an hour or more sometimes, while finger prick tests are well above 4.0.
 
annliggins said:
Why use the libre if you dont want alarms ??? I dont get that
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The first Libre did not have alarms anyway, Ann. It's still useful of course because using Libre means you do not have to depend on finger pricking all the time and can test whenever you want to. It has only been with the introduction of libre 2 that alarms have been a possibility.
 
I find that the Libre varies as to how much below a finger prick it measures. According to my data, I have had 41 hypos in the last 90 days, most of these in the night - but I’m sure I would wake up if I was actually having a hypo. If I am awake and the Libre measures low, I confirm with a finger prick. I have the Libre 1, so I don’t get alarms, but I think I’d rather have the alarm, so I could check with a finger prick. I have found that if the sensor is measuring consistently low, if you let Abbot know, they will replace the sensor.
 
Smiler99 said:
It's going off during the day time and when I'm sitting up in bed
I sleep on my opposite arm and front sleeper
It's very random compared to the other 2 I had
Click to expand...
I have the precise same problem my friend. I sleep on the side that my sensor isn't on. It appears to be affected when I'm laying down.

I would say that for ever 4 sensors, 2 of them in some way will misread (depending on the fluid in the skin) or fail early because of a sensor fault.

We'll just have to make sure we've got a blood tester close by. I've had to disable my low glucose warnings unfortunately... It was wrecking my sleep.

You get a good readout of how things affect glucose throughout the day at the very least but it is certainly not a silver bullet to blood testing.

Re Libre 2 with its new CGM functionality.
 

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Different site for the libre perhaps. I tend to go more to the inside on the upper arm.
Generally I think libre will be a liitle lower (up tp 1mmol perhaps) at the low end of the scale. Not sure if this is some form of factor of safety.
Xdrip you can change low alarm threshold. I'm set on 3.6. Also, you can snooze it for a period of time, if confident it's not going to drop lower.
 
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