Type 2 hypo on Freestyle libre 2 plus?

[Rosie9876]

My doctor sends me Freestyle libre, so I use it, but irregularly. Practice nurse attaches it. On Saturday, I had an appointment to get it attached, but I felt so unwell I couldn't even walk the 5 minutes to the surgery, took a cab, hoping they'd also see me about it. They wouldn't. Took a cab home, collapsed in bed for the entire day without activating CGM which I did when I got up.

Then this morning (Monday), I woke at 5 a.m. to find l'd been at around 2.9 the entire time I was asleep. I get that the Libre is inaccurate, but I'd never been this low for this long. I ate all the carbs I could find and went to bed when glucose started shooting up. I woke up at 10 and it's low again, around 3.1.

Should I worry, or is the Libre that inaccurate? I'm on Metformin and dapagliflozin so didn't think hypos are a threat. There's an urgency because I'm due to go abroad tomorrow. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[EllieM]

Hi @Rosie9876 do you have a glucose monitor that you could use to check the libre results? Are you feeling "unwell" now?

 

[Rosie9876]

Somehow I was never able to extract blood, so no, I don't have a monitor. Otherwise obviously I would compare. When I was in hospital, they did finger prick testing. My Libre was between same and 2 points lower. I don't feel great, but nothing like the catastrophe on Saturday when I was too unstable to take a step.

 

[grantg]

Somehow I was never able to extract blood, so no, I don't have a monitor. Otherwise obviously I would compare. When I was in hospital, they did finger prick testing. My Libre was between same and 2 points lower. I don't feel great, but nothing like the catastrophe on Saturday when I was too unstable to take a step.

it might of been the hospital used a wider fingerprick lancet (smaller numbered gauge). might be worth asking next time you see dr / dsn to ask for a pack of 5 30g / 28g / 26g / 23g and 21g. see which one works best for you. 21g can be a little sore you'd want to use the highest numbered gauge needle that allows enough of droplet. When work out which suits yourself best get that gauge. depth may assist too. start with lowered number on the pen then increase depth 1-2 each time.

You could also ask for your hospistal notes just the lancet that they used then get those if worked for the staff at hospistal should work for you at home

ps libre recently has always said lower results than fingerpricking pretty much 99% of the time at least. there has been an odd occassion where libre has read higher.

 

[Rosie9876]

it might of been the hospital used a wider fingerprick lancet (smaller numbered gauge). might be worth asking next time you see dr / dsn to ask for a pack of 5 30g / 28g / 26g / 23g and 21g. see which one works best for you. 21g can be a little sore you'd want to use the highest numbered gauge needle that allows enough of droplet. When work out which suits yourself best get that gauge. depth may assist too. start with lowered number on the pen then increase depth 1-2 each time.

You could also ask for your hospistal notes just the lancet that they used then get those if worked for the staff at hospistal should work for you at home

ps libre recently has always said lower results than fingerpricking pretty much 99% of the time at least. there has been an odd occassion where libre has read higher.

Thank you, I will check on whether another fingerprick lancet makes a difference. I have to say, though, that one of the nurses was as hopeless as I am at getting sufficient blood, so it could be I'm just inept.

I've learned that the Libre generally gives lower results, but if and how much lower is unpredictable. But as Libre know this, it is remiss of them to set the target range at 3.9 to 10 mmol/L, same as fingerprick range. Before I realised it, it gave me a false sense of security that I wasn't going above 10 often, and never above 13. Now this 2 point something range has to be scary when one is sleeping, especially as I don't feel well

Really I find it only useful for following the spikes. Are any other CGMs more accurate?

 

[Marikev]

CGM’s are often unreliable for the first 24 hours of being started up, and they can also give a false low if you are sleeping or resting on the side of the body to which they are attached. called compression low.
Also not everything is diabetes related.
Is there any way you can get a blood glucose test done, at a pharmacy maybe or a walk in surgery somewhere.

 

[grantg]

Thank you, I will check on whether another fingerprick lancet makes a difference. I have to say, though, that one of the nurses was as hopeless as I am at getting sufficient blood, so it could be I'm just inept.

I've learned that the Libre generally gives lower results. Now this 2 point something range has to be scary when one is sleeping, especially as I don't feel well

Really I find it only useful for following the spikes. Are any other CGMs more accurate

Libre can also equally show higher results.

For me tends to show lower. I've been given 2 target ranges ... One daytime one night time. 4mmol difference. Scary seeing likes of following when out and about driving in a bit so I'll need fingeprick two more times currently sitting in car waiting a wee while before test... Then will have to test yet again 45mins later to ensure still above 5 (for 45mins)... 5 to drive urgh at least the weather's awesome

 

[grantg]

Oh some cgms can be calibrated to do so would require several successful finger pricks. The libre range don't appear to have that functionality inbuilt. There is EverSense range of cgms which lasts a lot longer than most others upto a year! Those need several calibrations alongside small operation to have it inserted done under local anaesthetic reviews for those seem great don't think NHS would cover gl