Libre 2plus sensor problems

Hi @Alun Roberts and welcome to the DCUK forums.

As a moderately frequent traveller (with a dexcom) I feel your pain. Despite carrying lots of extra sensors I have still run out on occasion and it's much harder to get spares while overseas. Last time I had issues it was actually because my glucometer broke while I had a bad cold, and I really wanted to be able to check both blood sugar and ketones while my levels went sky high and I no longer trusted my sensor.

I actually went to a local pharmacy/chemist to get a replacement meter. Though this used US units mg/dL, I just needed to divide by 18 to get mmol/L and it gave me the information I needed. I'm not sure what units they use in Bali but recommend going to a local pharmacy and getting a glucometer.

I actually wonder if repeated exposure to xrays in airport terminals is bad for sensors, because I always seem to have multiple failures near the end of my holiday...? On the other hand, I can get multiple failures when at home, so I probably just need to take lots (more ) spares.

Good luck and I hope you can get a glucometer

Alun Roberts said:

Hi my name is Alun.
I've only recently joined. I'd like to mention I take insulin to control my diabetes.
My wife and I left the UK on the 7th July for a five week vacation to the southern hemisphere. I left with enough sensors to last 7 weeks. After only being introduced to the libre 2 plus sensor before I left.
I have had numerous malfunctions with the product. We are now in Bali and I have no means of monitoring my sugar levels. Two sensors finished at least 5 days early and my last one only lasted 12 hrs before a message came up to exchange sensor.
I had none left to replace it with!
I immediately contacted the supplier on their helpline. Very unhelpful line!
They refuse to answer emails and have chosen to reply saying these sensors are country specific and it's not possible to replace . I mentioned about air mailing sensors out to Bali.
I've sent about 8 emails only 2 replies. They won't engage. Leaving me in a dangerous scenario.
In hindsight I should have fetched a manual tester but having used libre 2 for about 2 years without major issues I feel this supposed upgraded model is far from the finished article.
Just in case anyone has had the same faith in the sensor plus the company that manufactures them beware!!

Click to expand...

Oh blimey.

I’ve had sensors go bad but never while traveling. - if it were me I think I would try to get a regular finger pricking devise if they are available?

Best of luck and thanks for the warning

OrsonKartt said:

Oh blimey.

I’ve had sensors go bad but never while traveling. - if it were me I think I would try to get a regular finger pricking devise if they are available?

Best of luck and thanks for the warning

Click to expand...

Happened to us in the Maldives...2 failed on the plane out, one after a swim in the ocean and one fell off...10 days with no sensors!

I spoke to my diabetic nurse this morning about the multiple failures of Libre 2 plus and she told me people were not reporting the problem to them...so if you are having the same problems dont just report to Abbott...tell your nurse and doctor as they are being kept in the dark.

Alun Roberts said:

Hi my name is Alun.
I've only recently joined. I'd like to mention I take insulin to control my diabetes.
My wife and I left the UK on the 7th July for a five week vacation to the southern hemisphere. I left with enough sensors to last 7 weeks. After only being introduced to the libre 2 plus sensor before I left.
I have had numerous malfunctions with the product. We are now in Bali and I have no means of monitoring my sugar levels. Two sensors finished at least 5 days early and my last one only lasted 12 hrs before a message came up to exchange sensor.
I had none left to replace it with!
I immediately contacted the supplier on their helpline. Very unhelpful line!
They refuse to answer emails and have chosen to reply saying these sensors are country specific and it's not possible to replace . I mentioned about air mailing sensors out to Bali.
I've sent about 8 emails only 2 replies. They won't engage. Leaving me in a dangerous scenario.
In hindsight I should have fetched a manual tester but having used libre 2 for about 2 years without major issues I feel this supposed upgraded model is far from the finished article.
Just in case anyone has had the same faith in the sensor plus the company that manufactures them beware!!

Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear what happened.

Of course, some people might say, "you should have gotten in touch with your travel insurers to sort the problem." Perhaps. Others might say, "If you take insulin, you should always pack your glucometer and test strips when you go away on holiday." Aye, I can't argue with that.

However, I tend to think it is reasonable to contact the manufacturer of the product to see if they can help.

May I make a suggestion please?

When you get back to the United Kingdom, why don't you tell the UK medical devices regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency ("MHRA"), about your experience with Abbott's Customer Services and trying to get them to source usable extra sensors?

Diabetics are entitled to go on holiday just like everyone else. The fact that Abbott have chosen to "geolock" their sensors to protect their intellectual property rights shouldn't be the patient's problem, especially as you appear to have done everything reasonably possible by taking extra sensors with you before you went on holiday.

I can remember decades ago now going on holiday to an island in the Far East. I packed my insulin but very stupidly forgot my insulin pens! Very embarrassing on my part. And yes, I had travel insurance.

At the time the manager of my hotel contacted Novo Nordisk, who made my insulin pens. Novo Nordisk moved heaven and earth to courier me - free of charge - pens that would fit my insulin cartridges to my hotel.

It was one of the best and most seamless customer service experiences I've ever had.

The MHRA's email address is: aic@mhra.gov.uk.

Explain to the MHRA precisely what happened.

I believe that medical device manufacturers having a "proper" system in place to deliver - anywhere in the world - to a patient or a local clinician that the patient has consulted a working (non geolocked) replacement of a medical device when the current device has malfunctioned is very important.

There was an article published last year in a trade magazine aimed at the medical profession, in which th MHRA said they believed both diabetics, and the diabetes clinicians treating them, were under reporting actual or potential adverse incidents.

If the MHRA aren't aware of what's going on in the real world, they can't "encourage" the manufacturers of these products to put proper systems in place and to do the right thing.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday!

Tracey P said:

I spoke to my diabetic nurse this morning about the multiple failures of Libre 2 plus and she told me people were not reporting the problem to them...so if you are having the same problems dont just report to Abbott...tell your nurse and doctor as they are being kept in the dark.

Click to expand...

I agree with you, but I would go further.

There was an article published last October in an online trade magazine aimed at the medical profession and pharmacists, in which the UK medical devices regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency ("MHRA") said they believed both diabetics, and the diabetes clinicians treating them, were under reporting actual or potential adverse incidents concerning continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps.


I believe that statement to be true.

If the MHRA aren't aware of what's going on in the real world, they can't "encourage" the manufacturers of these products to put things right, or order the manufacturers to take the product off the market (which is the ultimate sanction the MHRA has).

Patients shouldn't leave reporting adverse incidents to their clinicians alone.

Same issue here, these have either software issues or adhesive issue, as you can see this was put on well over the time when my current dexcom one+ I was trialing (worked brilliant and not far out like 0 something) I had nothing but failure with libre 2 plus and my last working well sensor I had was libre 3 version, I haven’t tested the 3 plus but try a diff sensor when your back home and trial the dexcom one+ @Alun Roberts