Pumps and cgm

[tcroberts95]

Hi there new to this forum. Im type 1 diabetic and 22 years old.
Ive been trying to get the pump for years and always refused. But as of last week ive been trialing the freestyle libre Sensors and i love it and im improving. Does anyone know any cheaper alternatives for the sensors cos 57 pound for 2 weeks is pricey. Is the dexcom cheaper or anything similar.
Also if anyone has the pump how did you do it. What levels were yy hbca1 etc...
And is this a step closer ?

Thankyou peeps. Also feel free to add me as a friend. Be noce to speak to people going through the same as me.

 

[slip]

The libre sensors come in just under £50 if you tick the VAT relief box which you're entitled to do being T1! and theres always a free delivery code flying around the internet/facebook pages if you look for it - or theres trick of leaving some sensors in your shopping basket over night/24hrs and they'll email you a code (not done that for a while so can't confirm 100% it still works) - but every little bit helps!

 

[noblehead]

Ive been trying to get the pump for years and always refused.

Have a look at the following from INPUT to see if your eligible, it lists the NICE criteria for pump funding and also the ABCD recommendations, INPUT also offer support & advice to people like yourself so do contact them if you choose:

http://www.inputdiabetes.org.uk/alt-insulin-pumps/is-it-provided-by-the-nhs/

 

[Scott-C]

Is the dexcom cheaper or anything similar.

Hi, tc, welcome to the club!

Dexcom is more expensive, although there are ways of tweaking it by restarting the sensor after a week so you get a longer run out of the sensor which can bring the price down to similar to libre, but only really if you're using it long term.

There's a sticky thread here on pricing:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cgm-gm-price-comparison.75106/

Remember that with libre you're not tied into a contract like a mobile where you're stitched into paying £x per month. Although it's £100 per month if you use it all the time, there's a lot of people who just buy a sensor now and then and get by with strips alone between sensors. Just checking in with a two week libre run every couple of months instead of all the time can still be very useful.

Abbott, who make it, are negotiating to try to get it on the NHS, but no-one knows when or if that'll happen. I think some European countries already have but I've not been following the details.

 

[catapillar]

If you are struggling to access a pump do visit input as suggested by @noblehead . Have a good look around the input website - they have lots of good information on criteria to meet to be eligible for a pump. Have you been given a reason why you have been refused the pump? Was it your consultant refusing, was it clinical reasons, or financial ones?

A dexcom probably works out more expensive than libre, not cheaper. Think the medtronic guardian is another alternative, but again it won't be cheaper.

A free trial with a libre doesn't suggest anything about a pump being one step closer. The libre doesn't have anything to do with access to a pump. You are getting a free trial as a marketing push from Abbott, so you get hooked on it it decide to regularly buy going forward. It's nothing to do with your care team at hospital getting you the libre.