Type 1 Libre sensor

Kellya said:

Hi I’m kelly,I’m new the group and was after some advice on the libre discs.ive used two and they only stay on for about a week.the second disc I put surgical tape round and it lasted 1week 1day. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

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Hi and welcome to the forums.

Some people find that the adhesive does not suit their skin type so maybe you are one of the unlucky ones. Do you do a lot of sport or other exercise?

There are things you can buy like Tegaderm which is a clear breathable pad and you could try putting it over the whole sensor. If you search for it on-line you'll get a few alternatives listed aswell. There's also something like a watchstrap you can try..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/202641010034?chn=ps - may be available from other places so shop around.

Hi, my husband uses these and they stay put perfectly (often wrestles with his to get it off after two weeks!)
Do you use the sterile wipe on your arm beforehand & place it on the underside of your arm so it’s less chance of being knocked?
My husband also gives it a ‘forceful’ push when applying to ensure the needle & sticking adhesive is firmly attached.
I’d advise against using body lotions etc in this area as they may not help the Libre stick.
Good luck!

Kellya said:

Thank you,I had it put into place by the rep at the libre session and haven’t knocked it.ill try and completely cover it instead of taping the disc and see if that helps. Thank you for your replies

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You might find that Rock Tape (Kinesiology Tape) sticks better to your skin. You can put the Libre on top of this but will need to make a hole for sensor filament. Some people use this method to counter adhesive allergy problems. If you buy this (it's not cheap) try it on a small area of skin first.

My first sensor fell off one night in bed.
My next few, I held in place with micropore tape.
Then I forgot and went through a few that held in pace well.
Since then, I have had one which came away from the stickiness so the plaster thing was attached to my arm but there was no sensor attached.
I wear mine under my arm (the further under, gives more accurate results) and it sticks well through (slightly) sweaty exercise. I have not tried it when swimming but understand water can loosen it.
On the two occasions my sensor fell off, I have contacted Abbot and got free replacements.

Hi, @Kellya , one other thing to try is to shave the bit of your arm it's being stuck to.

Even if someone doesn't have hairy arms, there's usually a sort of fine "peach fuzz". Uncovered, those hairs will get knocked off, but covered with the sensor, they can grow a fair bit and don't help the sensor stick.

So, best to run a razor over it first so it's being put on a totally smooth area.

Use the alcohol wipes too and give it a few minutes to dry really well.

A lot of new users don't realise at first how many times they tend to bump into doorjambs, or drag their coatsleeves, rucksacks etc across their arm, all of which might tend to snag the sensor and loosen it, so after a while, we tend to develop a "spatial awareness" to lessen bumping it.

Also, new users sometimes place it on the side of the arm where it's more likely to be knocked, so getting into the habit of placing it further round the back of the arm makes sense.

Molnlycke Mepore 7 by 8cm plasters, about 17p from Boots are good for smoothing out the edges against snagging.

I always use a 10x10 cm patch of Tegaderm, works perfect for me!

I guess my hubby has been lucky then as no issues or taping needed. Didn’t realise it was an issue for so many!

I no longer have the Sensor on my arm (for another medical reason) but, when I did, I made a band with some Tubular stockingette, not too tight, and it would support the sensor well.

I now place sensor on upper thigh and use 'Rock' tape aka Kinsology tape over the sensor (with a small circle of paper over the sensor to help with removal of Rock tape if needing changing/replacing), which I get from a well-known auction site. I find it works very well. I get the 5cm width, cut off 10cm (grid on backing) and put it vertically over the sensor to help protect it from when putting on/taking off jeans

I did try Tegaderm over the sensor but it peeled too easily and not too cheap either.

If you Google 'Libre sensor not sticking' you'll find lots of links regarding the issue. Many people have this issue and there are lots of things that can help. There is also a product 'Skintac' which helps adhesion, amongst many others, but I haven't tried any of them.

Hope that helps