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Started Freestyle Libre today

CondorX

Well-Known Member
Messages
241
Location
Midlands, UK
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Having managed to purchase some sensors and a reader, and also having a compatible smart phone on which I have downloaded the app and software on my laptop.......I have taken the plunge and started the first sensor today. I am hoping I will get insights into how my glucose levels are behaving and learn a LOT more about Taming the Carb Monster!!
Will update as I go along in case it helps other Type 2s in particular, as well.
 
I'm two days along that journey. I'm finding the readings not lining up with my freestlye lite.
 
Great, I will start using mine on Tuesday when I get my new phone. Watching with interest.
 
Yes, please do give feedback. I may yet at some point buy one.
 
ert said:
I'm two days along that journey. I'm finding the readings not lining up with my freestlye lite.
Click to expand...

I aim to test alongside the Libre just to see how the readings line up. The Libre readings I understand are a bit behind blood glucose readings. I will post up how I go. Will start some readings tonight as a beginning. Will also compare the Reader 's readings to my smartphone, an iPhone 7 Plus and see if there is any difference.

Anyone wanting to use a Reader and a Phone - remember to activate the sensor on the Reader first, not the phone or you won't be able to use the Reader for that sensor.

The sensor was painless to install but I find myself "guarding" my arm a bit. I also checked there were no freckles or moles under the sensor pad area as they can apparently get inflamed and bleed and we wouldn't want them messing up an expensive sensor .....
 
Just wanted to add, for those who might not know this......The Libre Reader is also a glucometer and uses the same strips as the Freestyle Optimum glucometer........ I was sent a box of strips with a sensor I ordered so will try them out at some stage as well as see how they compare with my Accuchek Mobile.
 
I'd be amazedif there was ever a difference between the reader and the phone. It's all digital. Can't be different. Now if you were using s non Abbott app then there would/could be differences as the algorithms are all proprietary.
 
barrym said:
I'd be amazedif there was ever a difference between the reader and the phone. It's all digital. Can't be different. Now if you were using s non Abbott app then there would/could be differences as the algorithms are all proprietary.
Click to expand...
I read somewhere about some people claiming a difference - it's not much extra trouble to wave the phone over it, will do a test for a while and see.

Funny thing is....just done it with both and there IS a difference - phone says 5.0, Reader 5.7
I do think the Reader is more accurate on this occasion as the glucometer reading on my Accuchek Mobile was 6.1.......as BG is about 15-20 min ahead of the Libre, this seems within the norm as expected. The phone app isn't. But apparently it can take a while for these sensors to start giving more accurate readings. I only started it 2 hours ago.
 
CondorX said:
I aim to test alongside the Libre just to see how the readings line up. The Libre readings I understand are a bit behind blood glucose readings.
Click to expand...

I've been using libre for about three years.

Figuring out the reasons why there are differences between what libre says and what the meter says are very useful for using it in day to day life.

The article at the link below throws a lot of light on this. It helped me a lot when I started using it. It discusses the difference between blood glucose and interstitial fluid glucose, when you can expect them to be the same or similar, when you can expect them to be different etc.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2903977/
 
ert said:
I'm two days along that journey. I'm finding the readings not lining up with my freestlye lite.
Click to expand...
Hey, I have also heard of people having this issue too. I fine mine is accurate 90% of the time - the only time when it is off (perhaps by 3 or so) is when I am very high/low and it is changing quickly - perhaps I am just one of the lucky ones!
 
I’m on day 4 of my first one also using an iphone 7 and an accuchek mobile. Another thread running with my observations.

My sensor even when allowing for a delay constantly reads higher than blood. It has reached over a 2mmol difference but typically around the 1to 1.5 mmol. That’s in the 5-7 range in bloods making a 6-9 ish on the sensor. So theoretically shouldn’t be quick so big but hey the patterns are still useful.
 

I think it's a great idea to be able to compare different experiences amongst those of us trying them....

Just done two more readings, phone and reader, and the phone seems to be an average 0.6 below the Reader on the few readings I have done. Useful to know the trends of phone and Reader - I had heard the Reader gave different readings, although don't quite know why!
 
Do note that the sensors can all differ from one another, so whilst one may always be 1 below what it is, another may be 1 above, and another may be within 0.2 etc
 
Rokaab said:
Do note that the sensors can all differ from one another, so whilst one may always be 1 below what it is, another may be 1 above, and another may be within 0.2 etc
Click to expand...

I wonder if it is the sensors that differ or exactly where the needle and sensor end up in the interstitial / subcutaneous tissue.....
 
HSSS said:
Something technical and mathsy like algorithms and code i suspect
Click to expand...
Mathsy stuff: I've modelled my three data points with a quadratic (4 data points and ANOVA didn't improve the model). The libre was higher by 4 points in the higher range 10-14 mmol, 2 points in the mid-range 6-8, and 1.5 points in the lower range. I have an equation which is more accurate than the Glimp which seems to subtract 1.1 from every reading.
 
I wouldn't think Abbott would have different algorithms in the two devices, so my only thought is that you are getting two consecutive readings, ie 15 mins apart. Unlikely I'd have thought. Weird. Been using FSL for 2 years, and never noticed a difference. Seldom check now. Just comparison between blood and sensor on day one for sanity check.
 
Well into Day 1 proper now - at 5am the Reader scanned 4.9 and the App 4.1.........my FBG about an hour later was 5.1 which all seemed reasonably consistent to yesterday. BUT when I scanned with Reader and Phone at the same time as doing the FBG on the Accuchek Mobile, there was a big discrepancy - the Reader at 6.7 and phone at 6.1!!! No breakfast yet at that stage.
Waiting to check my 2 hour post prandial with the Accuchek now. The reader is now down to 5.7 though.
All very interesting. Now I wish I also had one of those teccie thingys that send automatic sensor readings!!!! Must confess to always having liked technology, though.......
 
My Libre monitor appears more consistent than my Glimp scanner. The Libre has stayed 2 points above my Freestyle lite in the mid-range where my Glimp was 0.4 -1.1 points below my Libre in two different readings in the mid-range 6-8. The Glimp is calculating a 7 moving average while the Libre is averaging a lot more. The Glimp may be taking the lowest reading from the 7 moving average.
 
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