Not totally happy with libre 2

[richyb]

Hi all
I have been on the libre 1 for quite a while and found them reasonably accurate. Often quite good compared to bg.
Why is the 2 nowhere near as good in my opinion. Yet they are advertised as being more accurate. I am on my 3rd libre 2 sensor and all not very good. Don't they get people to try them first before release. How did they get approval. I just did a bg test it was 7.2. But 3 mins later the scan was 5.0 With a straight across arrow.

 

[Deleted member 527103]

I find Libre 2 significantly more accurate than Libre 1.
However, I find they take longer to “soak in”. The first couple of days after insertion of Libre 2, it seems to make up numbers. Therefore, I insert in 48 hours before activating and have great results.

There seem to be a few people expressing frustration with Libre 2 but there seem to be many more people who find it more accurate.
We are all different so maybe the algorithm (which has been changed for Libre 2) suits some people better than others.

 

[richyb]

So how much difference are you getting compared with bg tests.
Thanks

 

[Margie@home]

I have problems with Libre 2 not being very accurate also they need to be charged up every day. The alarms keep going off as well.

 

[richyb]

So how much difference are you getting compared with bg tests.
Thanks

My previous couple of sensors were often 2 out or more. My current unit though, after first couple of day's usually 1 or slightly better. Quite often though if I scan say 5minutes apart it changes quite a lot. Yet the arrow shows straight across...this happens when the first reading is out, so it quickly is trying to bring it more in line with bg test. It will hopefully get better eventually. The libre1 did

 

[Mr_Pot]

I have problems with Libre 2 not being very accurate also they need to be charged up every day. The alarms keep going off as well.

Charged up?

 

[Tony337]

Hi
I have the original libre with a miaomiao attached which, using the xdrip+ app on my phone, you can calibrate.
Apparently there is another app that can convert the sensor 2 so you can calibrate that too.

The ability to calibrate is essential to me but i would like to emphasize its right for me.

I've been doing this diabetes thing for nearly 50 years and the tech at my fingertips (lol) amazes and excites me and would love to back in time to visit the 6 years me sticking a harpoon (thats how it appeared) with an armful of practise insulin into an orange
and saying "chin up mate it will get better"

Good luck

Tony

 

[elephantsocks]

I have found Libre 2 to be quite inaccurate for my 9 year old son. We were getting readings that were about 2mmol/l higher on the Libre when he was in range and could be about 5mmol/l higher if he was above 10. I have found that using a Miao Miao 2 with it has made it much better. Strangely, even without calibration the Miao Miao will give a more accurate reading than the Libre 2 even if you take the readings at the same time. I have no idea why this is but it works for us.

Abbot did say to me that if we provide 3 examples of inaccurate readings (compared with finger pricks) then they would replace the sensor, but I’ve found that they are out so often that even if they replaced them it wouldn’t be much good. I don’t know if it’s just a biochemistry thing with my son, but I find it strange that the Miao Miao can get an accurate reading off the same sensor so I tend to think it must be the algorithm.

The other problem we have is the “try again in 10 minutes” message which seems to happens at pretty much any time that we *need* to know his blood glucose (e.g. change of direction/fast rise or fall). Again, Miao Miao sorts this out as it just gives the readings anyway. It will also continue to give readings for about an hour after his sensor has officially ended, which is helpful if we haven’t been organised about placing his new one.

Bottom line, Miao Miao 2 has solved most of our problems with the Libre 2. I bought it off eBay second hand so it was about half the price. I know you (OP) shouldn’t have to buy it and you might not want to but we found that it does help. Obviously that’s just us.

 

[Lakeslover]

I also find a regular difference of 1 to 2 with the libre 2 compared to blood glucose, at its worst if readings are high or low.

I’ve downloaded diabox and use that to calibrate the sensors which gives me a much more accurate result. But diabox doesn’t have as many interesting graphs as libreview so I still use that to check trends, adjusting in my mind for the inaccuracy.

 

[DavidDK]

I have found Libre 2 to be quite inaccurate for my 9 year old son. We were getting readings that were about 2mmol/l higher on the Libre when he was in range and could be about 5mmol/l higher if he was above 10. I have found that using a Miao Miao 2 with it has made it much better. Strangely, even without calibration the Miao Miao will give a more accurate reading than the Libre 2 even if you take the readings at the same time. I have no idea why this is but it works for us.

Abbot did say to me that if we provide 3 examples of inaccurate readings (compared with finger pricks) then they would replace the sensor, but I’ve found that they are out so often that even if they replaced them it wouldn’t be much good. I don’t know if it’s just a biochemistry thing with my son, but I find it strange that the Miao Miao can get an accurate reading off the same sensor so I tend to think it must be the algorithm.

The other problem we have is the “try again in 10 minutes” message which seems to happens at pretty much any time that we *need* to know his blood glucose (e.g. change of direction/fast rise or fall). Again, Miao Miao sorts this out as it just gives the readings anyway. It will also continue to give readings for about an hour after his sensor has officially ended, which is helpful if we haven’t been organised about placing his new one.

Bottom line, Miao Miao 2 has solved most of our problems with the Libre 2. I bought it off eBay second hand so it was about half the price. I know you (OP) shouldn’t have to buy it and you might not want to but we found that it does help. Obviously that’s just us.

Hi Elephantsocks. I was wondering what app are you running on the Miao Miao 2? Was it difficult to set up? Thanks.

 

[mike944]

I've recently started using libre 2. I'm on my 2nd sensor and have found it to be about 2.5 mmol out from the blood reader on average when my blood sugars are stable. I spoke to Abbott and they're sending a replacement. I didn't do such comparisons on the first sensor.

However I had a hypo today the libre said I was 3.3 mmol and the blood reader 4.8 mmol. The big psychedelic blob in the middle of my vision confirmed the Libre was correct in saying I was having a hypo and the blood reader incorrect.

So now I'm doubting the accuracy of the blood reader which previously trusted. I think both have the potential to be inaccurate. After doing a Google search I see blood readers are not as accurate as I thought.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose-meters/blood-glucose-meter-accuracy.html

I've also read that you are supposed to test your blood reader regularly with a testing solution. Something no one has ever told me.

After today's hypo readings I've come full circle on being pretty disappointed with the libre to now thinking it's more accurate than my reader which I was comparing against.

 

[Glucobabu]

I've recently started using libre 2. I'm on my 2nd sensor and have found it to be about 2.5 mmol out from the blood reader on average when my blood sugars are stable. I spoke to Abbott and they're sending a replacement. I didn't do such comparisons on the first sensor.

However I had a hypo today the libre said I was 3.3 mmol and the blood reader 4.8 mmol. The big psychedelic blob in the middle of my vision confirmed the Libre was correct in saying I was having a hypo and the blood reader incorrect.

So now I'm doubting the accuracy of the blood reader which previously trusted. I think both have the potential to be inaccurate. After doing a Google search I see blood readers are not as accurate as I thought.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose-meters/blood-glucose-meter-accuracy.html

I've also read that you are supposed to test your blood reader regularly with a testing solution. Something no one has ever told me.

After today's hypo readings I've come full circle on being pretty disappointed with the libre to now thinking it's more accurate than my reader which I was comparing against.

I know we should, but I don’t think many people bother to use control solutions! It would be interesting to hear from members when they last tested their meter with control solutions.

 

[Mr_Pot]

I know we should, but I don’t think many people bother to use control solutions! It would be interesting to hear from members when they last tested their meter with control solutions.

As far as I can see control solutions are pretty pointless. They give a wide range readings that are within tolerance. I think you would know if the meter or strips were that far out.

 

[mike944]

In this instance I have to say the symptoms I was having suggest that the reading from the libre was more accurate. 4.8 mmol from the blood reader suggest I shouldn't be having a hypo but I'd just totally screwed up my novorapid dosage and was crashing hard.

I'll be interested to see how accurate the a1c estimate is next time I get it taken.

 

[Alexandra100]

As far as I can see control solutions are pretty pointless

This is what Jenny Ruhl (veteran T2 and writer of many books on diabetes) says. My Navii meter came with a test strip which I never bothered to use until the meter malfunctioned. The meter then rejected the strip as being itself faulty. However, this was enough for the kind representative of Home Health UK to send me a new meter, which seems to be working perfectly.

 

[Alexandra100]

So now I'm doubting the accuracy of the blood reader which previously trusted. I think both have the potential to be inaccurate.

I totally agree. The one time I tried out a Libre I found it read startingly low compared to my meter. Luckily it did not have an alarm, as otherwise it would have been waking me up all night. I used to think that a Dexcom would be more accurate, but Dr Bernstein complains that his Dexcom often wakes him up with false alarms. Incidentally, the only meters he praises for basic accuracy are Abbott ones.

 

[Michele01]

Another here who is experiencing libre levels that are 2 below finger pricks (using 2 x monitors to check for accuracy). It's giving me lots of warnings of hypos when actually I'm running in the 5s. So it's a bit frustrating.

 

[miahara]

I’m perhaps the odd man out, but I’ve found the L2 just as good as the L1 as far as measuring my interstitial glucose levels is concerned – there’s next to no difference between L1 and L2 and when I look back at the levels I recorded on the L1, and on the L2 the trends are pretty much the same. As far as comparing blood tests with Libre either the L1 or L2 tests is concerned, there’s always been a difference but as far as I’m concerned it’s not a major issue and in my experience hasn’t impacted on how I manage my insulin and diet.
I’m just really very thankful that I was prescribed Libre CGM as it has vastly improved my management of my blood glucose compared with when I was limited to finger-pricking. A bonus with the L2 is the alarm facility, and I’ve found this to be a very useful and practical addition as I can set it to give me a subtle poke in the ribs if I’m starting to head too low.
As I said, maybe the odd man out, but I wouldn’t be without my L2 – I love it.

 

[Michele01]

I’m perhaps the odd man out, but I’ve found the L2 just as good as the L1 as far as measuring my interstitial glucose levels is concerned – there’s next to no difference between L1 and L2 and when I look back at the levels I recorded on the L1, and on the L2 the trends are pretty much the same. As far as comparing blood tests with Libre either the L1 or L2 tests is concerned, there’s always been a difference but as far as I’m concerned it’s not a major issue and in my experience hasn’t impacted on how I manage my insulin and diet.
I’m just really very thankful that I was prescribed Libre CGM as it has vastly improved my management of my blood glucose compared with when I was limited to finger-pricking. A bonus with the L2 is the alarm facility, and I’ve found this to be a very useful and practical addition as I can set it to give me a subtle poke in the ribs if I’m starting to head too low.
As I said, maybe the odd man out, but I wouldn’t be without my L2 – I love it.

Actually I love mine because it's really helping me to understand my requirements and how my body reacts. The ONLY thing I don't love is that it gives false low readings and so wakes me up saying I'm having a hypo when I'm not. That's the only downside.

 

[mike944]

Couldn't you just reduce the target level for the alarm slightly?