Hi new to forum not to diabetes - Libre question

[Justmai]

hi I’m a type 1.5 seen consultant today and she wants me to get a FreeStyle Libre as I have pins and needles in both hands due to both ms and carpel tunnel, and have to wear splints, so infind doing blood sugars 4 times a day really hard but my blood sugars are really high at the moment, recent change of insulin, and falling for infections going around at mo.
They are applying for funding to get me one but in the meantime she said I should buy one, if I can manage to get a sensor do I need the receiver or can I use the my iPad or iPhone and do I need a transmitter or is the sensor a transmitter
Sorry for questions but I’m really concerned right now my sugars this morning were 17.5 I don’t know the other value, I need to get them back to normal ASAP, as I have an op coming up, in 2 weeks

 

[Ljc]

Hello @Justmai , welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you’re not well, it really messes with our glucose levels doesn’t it.
TBH what with your BGs being high and having an OP soon I think you should contact your diabetes team tomorrow as it’s likely your insulin units need adjusting upwards

What insulin’s are you on.

I hope the funding for the Libre is approved for you soon. I believe with their app you can use iPhone . At mo due to supply problems Abbott are only suppling people with sensors who are already signed up with their webshop, though you can register with them and they will notify you when you can buy products, I am not sure if it’s the same if you order by phone.

I love my Libre all the extra info has helped my control enormously, you can scan as many times as you want to.
However their are some downsides,
If you drive The DVLA does not accept the Libre or CGM results, you have to do fingerpricks before you drive and every two hours whilst driving.

You shouldn’t use them to treat a hypo, as you are likely to overshoot as the fluid they test lags at least 10 minutes behind a blood sample, the results are lees accurate when levels are changing rapidly and when BG is high or low.

For some unknown reason , their are people who they just don’t seem to work very well for as the readings are always way out.

 

[nonethewiser]

They are applying for funding to get me one but in the meantime she said I should buy one, if I can manage to get a sensor do I need the receiver or can I use the my iPad or iPhone and do I need a transmitter or is the sensor a transmitter

You have to have the Libre reader to activate the sensor, after that you can use a compatible phone to read the sensor provided it has NFC installed.

Have a look at apps such as Glimp Xdrip.

 

[Justmai]

Hello @Justmai , welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you’re not well, it really messes with our glucose levels doesn’t it.
TBH what with your BGs being high and having an OP soon I think you should contact your diabetes team tomorrow as it’s likely your insulin units need adjusting upwards

What insulin’s are you on.

I hope the funding for the Libre is approved for you soon. I believe with their app you can use iPhone . At mo due to supply problems Abbott are only suppling people with sensors who are already signed up with their webshop, though you can register with them and they will notify you when you can buy products, I am not sure if it’s the same if you order by phone.

I love my Libre all the extra info has helped my control enormously, you can scan as many times as you want to.
However their are some downsides,
If you drive The DVLA does not accept the Libre or CGM results, you have to do fingerpricks before you drive and every two hours whilst driving.

You shouldn’t use them to treat a hypo, as you are likely to overshoot as the fluid they test lags at least 10 minutes behind a blood sample, the results are lees accurate when levels are changing rapidly and when BG is high or low.

For some unknown reason , their are people who they just don’t seem to work very well for as the readings are always way out.

I saw my team yesterday, they don’t want to adjust my insulin very much until they have 4 weeks of readings 4 times a day which I’m having trouble doing hence need to getblibrecssap.
I don’t drive so thatvshiukdnt be an issue for me, they have increased my long acting but not my short acting on apidra and tresiba

Hello @Justmai , welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear you’re not well, it really messes with our glucose levels doesn’t it.
TBH what with your BGs being high and having an OP soon I think you should contact your diabetes team tomorrow as it’s likely your insulin units need adjusting upwards

What insulin’s are you on.

I hope the funding for the Libre is approved for you soon. I believe with their app you can use iPhone . At mo due to supply problems Abbott are only suppling people with sensors who are already signed up with their webshop, though you can register with them and they will notify you when you can buy products, I am not sure if it’s the same if you order by phone.

I love my Libre all the extra info has helped my control enormously, you can scan as many times as you want to.
However their are some downsides,
If you drive The DVLA does not accept the Libre or CGM results, you have to do fingerpricks before you drive and every two hours whilst driving.

You shouldn’t use them to treat a hypo, as you are likely to overshoot as the fluid they test lags at least 10 minutes behind a blood sample, the results are lees accurate when levels are changing rapidly and when BG is high or low.

For some unknown reason , their are people who they just don’t seem to work very well for as the readings are always way out.

i saw my team yesterday they do not want to increase insulin until the have 4 solid readings of 4 times a day hence the need to get libre ASAP, I just don’t know where to get kit from, apparently I need to buy it first as funding coukd take a while. They increased my long acting slightly which is the strongest version of trsiba, my short acting they won’t touch which is apidra. The trsiba is fairly new for me only been on it 6 weeks or so.
I don’t drive so that’s not an issue for me. I will have to give Abbott’s a ring and see if I can get hold of a kit if I explain my situation wonder if they will help?

 

[Robin]

Hello, @Justmai. I’m not sure you do need a reader to use the Libre now, I think you may be able to use it directly with your phone.Someone on here will probably come along to confirm that, otherwise if you phone Abbot,they will tell you. You can buy sensors at some pharmacies.Most will have to order it in, but it only takes a day. It has been reported here before that Asda sell them the cheapest. (Superdrug used to be cheaper, but I noticed another thread on here the other day saying they’d gone up to £49.99) You need to tell the pharmacy that you are diabetic, and then they won’t charge the VAT on top of that.

 

[Ljc]

Here’s a link to Abbott who make and sell the libr3 system

https://www.freestylelibre.co.uk/libre/ if you phone their customer service department ( they don’t seem to be good at replying to emails). It’s in the second red box near the bottom of the page
I too am reasonably sure you don’t need to buy the reader to use this system.
For a long time now, as I said in my earlier post Abbott are restricting sensors to people who are already registered with there webshop but I do not know if this applies to phone orders.

If it turns out that You don’t need the reader to activate the sensor, but abbot can’t sell you them over the phone to you due to the supply problems then Some chemists used to sell the sensors so it may well be worth phoning or going in when passing to ask the pharmacist. I’d start with Superdrug first.

When you spoke to your diabetes team yesterday I assume they were aware you’re due to have an operation soon.
I am also assuming that as you’re on a new insulin your on fixed doses of apidra, if so were you given any idea of the amount of carbohydrates you could eat per meal .

Apologies for all the questions, it’s just your answers will help us give the right advise.

 

[Justmai]

I live in the sticks only chemist I have is boots and I know they will have to order then in. They never have anything in including my insulin

 

[mikeyB]

You have to have the Libre reader to activate the sensor, after that you can use a compatible phone to read the sensor provided it has NFC installed.

Have a look at apps such as Glimp Xdrip.

I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure you can activate the sensor with the Libre App on the phone, which you can download from the App Store via the Abbott website, for Android or iOS. There is no need for any other app.

 

[Justmai]

that's what abbotts told me just need a sensor an use my phone with it no need for their reader i think the first version you needed the reader first before being able to use phone but not now

Although no sensors to be had around my way at all. i am just waiting to hear if my sister managed to get me one from asda near her this morning apparently they were due some in last night or today. refusing to pay internet price on something I'm not sure a) work or b) inflated price c) not suitable for my skin

 

[Justmai]

Here’s a link to Abbott who make and sell the libr3 system

https://www.freestylelibre.co.uk/libre/ if you phone their customer service department ( they don’t seem to be good at replying to emails). It’s in the second red box near the bottom of the page
I too am reasonably sure you don’t need to buy the reader to use this system.
For a long time now, as I said in my earlier post Abbott are restricting sensors to people who are already registered with there webshop but I do not know if this applies to phone orders.

If it turns out that You don’t need the reader to activate the sensor, but abbot can’t sell you them over the phone to you due to the supply problems then Some chemists used to sell the sensors so it may well be worth phoning or going in when passing to ask the pharmacist. I’d start with Superdrug first.

When you spoke to your diabetes team yesterday I assume they were aware you’re due to have an operation soon.
I am also assuming that as you’re on a new insulin your on fixed doses of apidra, if so were you given any idea of the amount of carbohydrates you could eat per meal .

Apologies for all the questions, it’s just your answers will help us give the right advise.

I try to stick to low carbs anyway as I know things like bread. pasta etc make it worse
but no they didn't tell me just trying to get my sugars down which I've been trying to do for months. not eating at all seems to be the only thing that helps but obviously that's not an option