Why is Libre1 so inaccurate?

[becca59]

The title to this thread is very interesting. To be honest I haven’t found this to be the case. The odd one is out, but if out miles I have had them replaced. Generally the bloods match the meter. I had my strips reduced from 200 a month to 100. Which I thought more than fair. I don’t generally order every month as sometimes I don’t use hardly any at all. They are mainly used on the first day when I am checking its accuracy and the last when it often seems to be more out. If I am shown being really high, will also test before taking a correction. I certainly don’t test before general meals. Lows I trust the Libre as I can usually feel them anyway. My HBA1C has gone down every year I have been wearing it and now sits at 45 which it certainly didn’t with blood tests alone. So yes I trust the readings.

Regarding reordering items. I do on line. It is written in stone the dates that you can reorder. It is either status issued or not. The one thing that is not monthly being the Libre. I had to point out to them that two sensors would last 28 days not 30/31. And insulin obviously can always be ordered.

 

[Ushthetaff]

Hey, I been using freestyle libre 1 for a year now and I haven't been doing glucose blood test, I was solely relying on libre so I wasn't double checking with glucose blood test. However, last 3 sensors were inaccurate as hell. This happened 5 min ago. I am just lying in bed browsing internet, and I feel like I have hypo, but my sensor shows 6.5mmol so I was like, hmmm maybe I am wrong. 10min later i check, it is 6.3mmol, so I suppose it is going down (slowly), but it haven't reached danger zone. But out of curiosity I checked from blood, and it showed 3.2mmol. I quickly treated my hypo. I know sensors are 15min behind, but it wouldn't go as low as 3.2mmol in 15min. My last 2 sensors were this inaccurate, and this is my third one which is inaccurate. I apply them in the right place, back of my upper arm and I think I haven't had problems before with inaccuracy. I called the support to get one replaced, they said they would send new one. Then second one was faulty but I didn't call them cuz they would think I am a scammer that tried to get free sensors. And now the third sensor I have on me, is also faulty. The other time I check, it shows rising glucose and currently is at 15,7mmol, and I check blood, and it says it's only 11.2mmol and it started falling. Before I haven't been testing with blood so I don't know if my old sensors were inaccurate. Just recently I started experience inaccuracies. I don't wanna call them every 2 weeks with faulty sensors. At first I was happy to have freestyle libre so I could manage my diabetes better, but now when I look at this. This is so dangerously inaccurate, I consider going back to blood test glucose.

And before, sometimes I wake up from blood glucose at 11mmol (from sensor), but then I check with strips, and it shows 7mmol. So. I am confused. It is 3rd sensor in a row to be so inaccurate. But I repeat, I haven't been testing with sensor and strips before, just recently decided to test both methods to check inconsistency.

Mod edit.

I do sympathise, but one thing I will say is don’t Feel as if your a scammer asking for free sensors , I had three faulty sensors within 3 days of each other . When I phoned Abbott they asked for a fault code which is found on the reader , they sent 3 replacements no probs .

 

[PenguinMum]

As a T2 I decided to try a Libre for the first time at the end of last year because I was in a phase of sleeping badly (having bad nightmares) and having higher than desired FBGs in the morning. Sure enough it demonstrated a line of peaks and troughs all night. I ordered a second one to use when I had my first Covid jab in February. I had no illness or anything from the jab but because I still finger prick when using a Libre this one was so unreliable it was next to useless. It jumped from being 3 points or more higher to being the same lower. I stupidly bought another which is in the cupboard in preparation for the second jab in May. I would only use it for trends in special circumstances. I wish now I had bought a Libre 2! Feel so much for you T1 folk who really need it.

 

[ROE100]

The Libre (1) didn't work for me. Constantly calling them then going through all the test/questions then we will send you one please send that one back. So I took sensor off and applied a new one for 24 hours and activated it so was always missing a day.

I did have a long chat with a supervisor at Libre about the constant variances to finger (constantly 2 lower than finger - e.g. it says 4 on libre (also looked at graph/arrow suggesting a horizontal line) suggesting I may need to small snack but check finger first, I often was in the 6's so no snack required). She advised me to stop using it, enquired why bascially told sometimes it doesn't work for everyone.

I did find it good usually for trends so did get something from them. But the major issue is HCP would just review the Libre data and not the notes I had written. I alway felt it was a waste of money for the NHS as I was still using the same number of test strips as before but the information for the HCP was incorrectly giving the wrong information so didn't really help me! and even though I was told my number of test strips wouldn't reduce 250 per 4 weeks I sensed at some point it would as others have expressed here and didn't want the battle you are now experiancing.

I know you do this online but can't at the moment but can you call to ask for a special order and explain you are having issues with the Libre and want to do some more testing due the variances in the readings.

 

[Fairygodmother]

After some time I noticed my allowance for repeat prescriptions for strips is limited. I will contact my GP to increase it. Because since my libre is not accurate. I will get back to daily bg test. And in my case is similar to yours. I am using accu check, and on average they want me to do 1 test a day. Which is way too low as of now.

I’ve had the BG test cartridge (Accuchek Mobile) reduced to one a month too. The cost to the NHS of the double spend on test kit with strips/cartridges as well as sensors is, I believe, what lies behind this policy.
Using an app or device that enables calibration has helped me improve the accuracy of readings from Libre 1. I can’t afford to self fund Dexcom.

 

[sleepster]

I find the libre 1 to be fairly accurate for me, but I haven't had an hba1c since starting the libres so not sure how accurate the libre estimate is. I can get 4 libres a month on prescription and the GP never reduced my test strip allowance, so I could still get 300 strips a month, obviously I have no need for 4 libres and 300 strips though so just order when I need to. I was never told to dose or not dose from the libre reading, but I double check when necessary (hypos and highs) and do some blood tests from time to time to check accuracy.

 

[StewM]

Yeah, for me, the Libre was hideously inaccurate for the first six months and then suddenly "clicked" about six months and started being largely accurate. The main "problem" I have is that whenever I go up or downstairs I get a false spike, which the Libre refuses to believe was false and tries to "rationalise" with its graphs.

I do find the discussion around Test Strips interesting. When I was initially put on Libre nothing changed. However, about a year later all of a sudden my GP decided I need fewer strips and not only reduced my prescription but also added a maximum allowance to my Test Strips which I was only made aware of when I ordered "too many".

However, when this got to a head and I explained to the surgery they were essentially forcing me to buy Test Strips to meet the guidelines set by my Diabetic Consultant, they relented and I haven't had any issues since. Though, I've also had fewer inaccurate sensors, which has dramatically reduced how many strips I required.

 

[corbanwolf]

Thank you all for the replies. Just a little update. I called my gp and was on the phone with my doctor. He sent prescription for mobile cassette (my test strips, cassette rocher), but when I asked if my allowance for test strips could be increased. He said no because they are too expensive and I should request them every 3 months. A bit weird, but, I guess. Anyway, I can always buy them on ebay or something

 

[StewM]

Thank you all for the replies. Just a little update. I called my gp and was on the phone with my doctor. He sent prescription for mobile cassette (my test strips, cassette rocher), but when I asked if my allowance for test strips could be increased. He said no because they are too expensive and I should request them every 3 months. A bit weird, but, I guess. Anyway, I can always buy them on ebay or something

If there's another local practice it might be worth your while switching. I know it's hassle, but probably less of a hassle than paying for repeated prescriptions. No guarantees obviously. But there is a chance it could save you some cash.