Odd Lingo biosensor graph

[IanBish]

I applied a new Lingo biosensor yesterday, but it said I was below 3.1 mmol/L during most of the day. The flat whites, the pasta and the two beers barely seemed to register either. I think I should have been comatose for most of the day! (I felt fine)

I reported it to Abbot, but the Lingo seems to be behaving more normally today; it says my glucose is 4.7 mmol/L at the time of writing. I just wondered what could have gone on. Or is the sensor faulty?

 

[Antje77]

I use the Freestyle Libre, but since it's produced by the same company I'd expect the same technology is used.
My sensors always read too low, especially on the first day even though I apply them a day before activating.

We have similar hba1c's so we both sail at the lower end of the range. If a sensor is slightly off on the low side, it will report hypos. Mine tend to read 1-2 mmol/l lower than blood, worse on the first day.

Without the occasional fingerprick to double check there is no way of knowing how far a sensor is out.

 

[IanBish]

Thanks. I know that often new sensors need a day to settle down. But I haven't experienced that with a Libre. There's no way the pasta I ate only put my glucose up to 3.0 mmol/L. I'll see what Abbot say when they come back to me.

 

[EllieM]

Thanks. I know that often new sensors need a day to settle down. But I haven't experienced that with a Libre. There's no way the pasta I ate only put my glucose up to 3.0 mmol/L. I'll see what Abbot say when they come back to me.

It might be worth having a backup glucometer just so you can test when this happens. I certainly find my dexcom sensor can occasionally under-read seriously for the first 24 hours or so and the only way to tell is with a glucometer. My limited understanding is that it is caused by "insertion trauma", so I would expect it to apply to libre too.

 

[IanBish]

It might be worth having a backup glucometer just so you can test when this happens. I certainly find my dexcom sensor can occasionally under-read seriously for the first 24 hours or so and the only way to tell is with a glucometer. My limited understanding is that it is caused by "insertion trauma", so I would expect it to apply to libre too.

I have a glucometer, but have no test strips left. It didn't hurt at all when I applied the sensor, but I suppose it could have been caused by insertion trauma, though that hasn't happened before.

Anyway, I told Abbot about it, attached a screenshot, and answered a few questions about error codes, the serial number, my phone model and the Lingo software version. Despite me saying that the biosensor seems to be behaving normally now, they're sending out a replacement.