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Libre 2 and painful arms

Annb

Expert
Messages
9,229
Location
Western Isles, Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
I have been using a Libre 2 for about 3 years (prescribed with few questions in Scotland) and have found it to be very useful in controlling BG. Early on, the sensor dropped off fairly frequently and was difficult to make it stick when applying. However, in the last few months the adhesive seems to have changed because they not only stay on - they are difficult to remove at all. The last time I changed to a new sensor, pulling the old one off was very difficult and painful. I can't see the back of my arm and didn't see any damage that might have been there. After a day or so, I realised that there was a roughened area and found that it was still wet and had been bleeding. It scabbed over but now there is a reddened and inflamed area around the scab.

As a result, I had to put the next sensor onto the left arm, not in the same position as the one coming off, obviously. Nevertheless, the left arm is now painful to lift and/or touch. As is the right one. I could put the sensor elsewhere but the skin and muscle everywhere else is also pretty sore and I don't want to make it worse.

Has anyone else had this problem?
 
Have you tried using something oily (baby oil, olive oil, whatever type of oil or even butter you have at home) to slowly work it off? You're not in a hurry, just take your time while you're in your chair anyway.

I'm more of a just rip it off type of person, but then, my skin is a couple of decades younger than yours and seems to be able to handle any abuse I throw at it. And I'm an idiot.

Please keep a very close eye on the inflamed area and see a doctor, we don't want you to become seriously ill.
If the arm is now painful to lift and sore to touch, it sounds like you may have a more serious infection going on than just a mild inflammation of the skin. Better to have it looked at tomorrow and get a course of antibiotics if needed than to let it get worse and end up in hospital.

Take care of yourself!
 
I had Neil check my right arm and he tells me the inflammation has faded away although the scab is still there, so I guess it has more or less healed itself. It's the left arm causing most trouble at the moment. I'll give the rest a day or two and, if it doesn't improve, I'll try to get an appointment with the GP. I don't have much confidence in that though.
 
I use the Libre 3 and Libre 3 Plus; I've had them for about a year now. I have little good to say about the accuracy or reliability of the sensors, which frequently fail, go low, or simply don't reflect blood glucose. I'm aware of the differences in the methodology of reading and what's being read, but often the Libre sensor isn't close, and at the moment, it's showing red and low, while a finger stickwith a glucometer shows blood sugar normal. I feel fine. I suspect the sensor is failing again, as it keeps going low, and presently seems to be falling off. It's been a regular feature of the sensors, and very frustrating. I haven't had any issues with them adhering. Initially, I used a type of plaster to cover the sensors, but I've found that they seem to do fine as is; installing and removal isn't a problem with one exception: a sensor that wwas painful on installation, bled through the hole in the sensor, and finally dropped off after serveral days. So far, only one has done that.

Calls to Abbott over failed sensors have yielded replacements, but it's like pulling teeth, between operators who barely speak English and their apparent policy of blaming the sensor failures on everything but the sensor. In Alaska, I hiked miles through the snow in high winds and -20 weather to mail a failed sensor back to them, with no feedback or recognition. Any more, they don't seem to care about getting the sensor back, and don't seem surprised when the sensors fail. Why would they? The sensors fail with regularity. I would be fearful of making insulin decisions based on these sensors, and as a non-insulin type II, I still do regular finger sticks to verify where things are. It only makes sense. To me, the only use for the Libre sensor is a rough indication of food response, in an ongoing effort to learn more about eating properly. Much of the data is questionable so at best, they seem useful for general guidelines or trends, but little else.
 
I have 2 days left on the current sensor, so we'll see how I get on with removing it. Right arm has now healed itself. Both upper arms are still mildly painful, but then, so are my legs so it must just be me. I'll ask the nurse tomorrow when she rebandages my legs to see if she has any ideas. I have my doubts though. No chance of seeing a GP.

Abbott don't seem to question the failure of a sensor these days and don't want them back to find out what was wrong. It must be such a regular occurrence.

I have found the Libre 2 to be very helpful in showing when there is a change in BG level. It is usually a couple of points lower than a fingerprick test, but I am aware of that, so no problem. It does help me to know when BG is so high that I need to take some insulin to bring it down. It also lets me know when a particular food is causing a spike. Finger pricking brings its own problems - my fingers are pretty sore, even though I don't use that test very often. Probably all this soreness is something to do with arthritis, not due to stabbing with any instrument.
 
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