POLL.Has continuous glucose monitoring changed your out look?

[Nuck]

Since I fitted the freestyle libra the information I gained has changed my view of diabetes. I am now able to tightly control my highs and lows before they bite. This means taking small corrections when my levels rise or the odd fast acting carb as my sugar starts to dive.

My biggest change is my Lantus. It appears that this stays active and useful for 9 hours (peaking after 6 hours) before my levels start to rise. This led me to splitting my dose. As Lantus is a 24 hour drug this is not licensed to take more than once. Before I would take a large night time dose and go low at 3am followed by a high at around 9am. I would check my sugars at 7:30 medicate for breakfast and the get the high at 9-10. This does not happen now.

I am now wrestling with the fact that my nighttime requirement has changed after having a near perfect line with no apparent changes in diet or exercise.

Please let me know how you are getting on?

 

[videoman]

I do not have a CGM but I keep asking my GP about getting one!

 

[Brunneria]

I'm a T2 so don't have to juggle insulin doses, but the Libre has helped me to
- understand my dawn phenomenon
- fine tune my diet in ways I never expected
- understand the impact of things like stress, exercise and sleep deprivation
- significantly lower my HbA1c
- feel 100% more confident that I am actually managing this condition

 

[ally1]

I,m type 2 and Don, t take insulin but I ckheck

 

[PenfoldAPD]

Interesting that you are type 2 @Brunneria and use CGM. I'm relatively new here so exploring options - fed up pricking my finger. Have you been using for a while?

I see many positive results from CGM, all education is good surely?

 

[Brunneria]

Interesting that you are type 2 @Brunneria and use CGM. I'm relatively new here so exploring options - fed up pricking my finger. Have you been using for a while?

I see many positive results from CGM, all education is good surely?

I can't justify the expense all the time, so I tend to run a sensor, leave it a week or two then use another.

Been using it since early December. It proved to be a magnificent motivator to stay very low carb all through the Xmas season. lol

Have also noticed a sadly childlike tendency to be 'less strict when no one is watching me', so my diet deteriorates a bit when not using the sensor. Prick tests just don't highlight my every criminal tendency towards 70% chocolate and that extra little bit of carb!
- so it is REALLY in my best interests to monitor as often as possible

 

[tim2000s]

@Nuck If you are finding that you need split basal, it may be worth you having a conversation with your team about using Levemir instead of Lantus. DAFNE has found that it is more effective when split basals are required.

 

[Casper60]

My best friend is the Dexcom GGM wouldn't be without it as it's save me from hypoing numerous time it's well worth the expense. It tell me the current trend of my blood sugars whether it's spiralling or descending.

 

[Robbity]

I'm another diet and oral medication controlled type 2 who uses the Libre. I haven't voted because I can only really say it's enlightened me somewhat rather than changed my outlook.

My LCHF diet's fairly well controlled, but I've learned that some of my smaller low carb meals may cause short low little spikes, and others mainly my main meals will cause longer slightly higher curves. Any activity after inaction may cause a rise in levels, and any even minor stress may cause a straight up jump. Most of the time I don't see any "up arrows", only on the rare occasion when my body been clamouring for sugar at night. and I've eaten something sweet to shut it up.

My first two sensors read a fair bit lower that my meter, but the next two from 2 different batches and placed further back on my arm have given closer results. I also had some very low readings on the first 2 sensors for first few of days, mainly if I lay on my side to sleep, but the last two haven't been so bad in this respect.

I'm not sure that I'd want to completely rely on it though, due to the initial changeover issues, and the gap between ending one and being able to start the next.

Robbity

 

[Bluetit1802]

I'm another unmedicated T2 that has a Freestyle Libre meter. I have used 2 sensors so far, 10 days apart, and have 2 more waiting to be used. Whilst I have to totally ignore the actual levels (it reads a LOT less than my finger pricks, and estimated my HbA1c at 28 for goodness sakes!), I have found it enormously useful to see the variances, and note they aren't at all bad, plus what is happening at times when I never finger prick. Heartwarming to see I am flat overnight. Not so heartwarming when I ate a plum on one occasion. I intend to use my 3rd sensor in April when I go on holiday. That will be very interesting and probably illuminating.

I can't vote either, because I can't say it has changed my outlook. I have no medication and am already eating minimal carbs. It has just made me more relaxed and happier about my diet-only control.

 

[mo53]

Hello. I think I may have voted wrongly. Do you mean a specific kind of monitor? I'm type 2 and read this as checking blood glucose with an accuchek mobile meter. If I've voted wrongly I hope someone will clarify so I can change my vote so it doesn't distort the poll.

 

[Robbity]

Hello. I think I may have voted wrongly. Do you mean a specific kind of monitor? I'm type 2 and read this as checking blood glucose with an accuchek mobile meter. If I've voted wrongly I hope someone will clarify so I can change my vote so it doesn't distort the poll.

@mo53 - it's not about regular testing by finger pricking but having a permanent monitor/sensor attached to your body so that you're getting 24hours a day monitoring of glucose levels. Probably most useful to insulin dependent diabetics who need to closely monitor their levels, but can be enlightening for all of us. @Brunneria has her own thread somewhere about her RH experiences with her Freestyle Libre.

Robbity

 

[mo53]

@Robbity . Thank you for the information. I will remove my vote now. Thank you

 

[Snapsy]

@Nuck I too was a Lantus-splitter until I started on a pump recently.

My Libre has changed my diabetic life in immeasurable ways. I would say that 6-8 of my 10-12 blood tests per day were simply 'reassurance' tests. Now I'm doing 5-6 tests a day, plus bipping the Libre whenever I need that reassurance. My husband can bip me in the night (no, don't laugh - it's not a euphemism for 'that'!) and it's so, so easy. Not a replacement for testing, but an additional option that is phenomenally useful.

Am more relaxed! Still massively obsessive, yes, but just a little less so!

 

[Nuck]

@Nuck If you are finding that you need split basal, it may be worth you having a conversation with your team about using Levemir instead of Lantus. DAFNE has found that it is more effective when split basals are required.

Hi
I am going to bring this up at my next review. Without the Libre I would not have know. It is really sharpening my control.

 

[Josh1990]

Since I fitted the freestyle libra the information I gained has changed my view of diabetes. I am now able to tightly control my highs and lows before they bite. This means taking small corrections when my levels rise or the odd fast acting carb as my sugar starts to dive.

My biggest change is my Lantus. It appears that this stays active and useful for 9 hours (peaking after 6 hours) before my levels start to rise. This led me to splitting my dose. As Lantus is a 24 hour drug this is not licensed to take more than once. Before I would take a large night time dose and go low at 3am followed by a high at around 9am. I would check my sugars at 7:30 medicate for breakfast and the get the high at 9-10. This does not happen now.

I am now wrestling with the fact that my nighttime requirement has changed after having a near perfect line with no apparent changes in diet or exercise.

Please let me know how you are getting on?

I was looking at the libre the other day and was undecided but after reading your experience with it I'm going to buy it so thank you

 

[Mrs Vimes]

When my partner worked away for weeks at a time it was a godsend through the night. I used to set the alarm to wake up and test to make sure I was safe. I'd had serious problems with lantus and trying to deal with mental DP. Now on the pump it is so much easier. I don't set my alarm but I have alarms set on my animas vibe for 4.4-6.7. It means I correct before I get to a hypo and I can head off any unexpected spikes through the night. This is rare now and only seems to happen when I gave a change in routine.
It can't keep up during exercise (cardio or resistance) but the peace of mind during a normal day or sleeping omg it is amazing.

 

[Nuck]

Your lucky, I have been up and down all day. My job can be stressful.

 

[Nuck]

I do not have a CGM but I keep asking my GP about getting one!

I do not have a CGM but I keep asking my GP about getting one!

I never mentioned I have to pay for this myself no NHS funding for members . When I flinched at the cost the doctor asked how much is a Starbucks these days.

 

[joe-90]

A meter is a great help. Within a week I can predict what my levels will be according to time/exersize/diet etc. I'll not need to test anywhere near as much as I am doing now in the future.
It really gets on my goat that the NHS is willing to spend £5K on bariatric surgery for the morbidly obese, £350 on private trainers for the lazy, but for people like us that really make the effort to stay well - we get sweet FA.