2 faulty sensors in a row

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So my last 2 sensors have stopped working 4 days before they were due to end. The first starting showing lower and lower readings that weren't consistent with fingerprick results. The app on my phone just suddenly said the sensor has ended. I managed to get a replacement sent out.

The 2nd sensor which just stopped working today didn't stop quite like the first. I noticed the readings on average about 1.5 to 2 mmol above fingerprick readings. I managed this fine. This morning it just wouldn't scan. No error messages just refused to scan. I tried out the libre reader aswell and nothing registered. Getting replacement sent out for this too.

Has anyone else experienced this ? I've been thinking all day there is something wrong with my arms rather than the sensors
 
Yes, I have had 11 or 12 out of 18 sensors fail, the majority ending over varying days of it's wear period, after 2 years of success with Libre 1 I know it's nothing to do with me, there were 2 batches reported a lot (I can't remember the Serial Numbers though as I got thoroughly fed up of it)
xx
 
@Kaylz thanks. That is woeful luck. You wonder if and when the libre 3 is made available will it be much better
 
At my next consultation with the consultant I’ll be telling her I’ll be changing to Dexcom from using the Libre, so that she will be able to see my efforts online as she does now. The record difference with my last sensor one day was me being told by the sensor that I was 5.1 when a BG test showed 18.2. And there was me thinking I’d finally cracked this pasta bolus business. It did get back to usual the next day, so I have no idea why that happened. And no, it wasn’t compression. The same thing happened in reverse. Happily trundling on through the afternoon between 6 and 5, I suddenly became a bit muddle headed and sweaty, the BG test showing 3.1.

As is usual, Libre are sending a replacement, but it’s the first time I’ve had such dangerous differences. The current sensor is within 0.5 to 1 point different, as is usual. Indeed, as is usual if you use different fingers for BG tests. Nothing is perfect.

I do now get the Libre sensors on prescription- the consultant insisted. I doubt I’ll get Dexcom kit on prescription, but the cost doesn’t bother me.
 
@mikeyB wow. That would really annoy me. Sorry to hear that was happening. It can be very frustrating to think something is working well only to find the libre is playing up. My first few sensors always give readings about 3 higher than fingerprick. This latest one is about 1 to 1.5 higher but sometimes 3. Have been trying to get my levels to stay steady overnight recently and the sensor readings say between 7 and 8, thinking then 6.5 actual. May need to test in the middle of the night to confirm.

So the dexcom isn't available through the NHS ? I had thought about saying to them the libre is bit unreliable. Plus it doesn't help that they send out free postage stickers that according to the post office aren't accepted anymore. I'd like them to get the sensors to try weed out the faults.
 
jazzchicken said:
So the dexcom isn't available through the NHS ?
Click to expand...
It is to some at the moment but the criteria is far stricter than the Libre criteria although NICE guidelines are set to change I think next year which should allow the option of Dexcom for Type 1's xx
 
Kaylz said:
Yes, I have had 11 or 12 out of 18 sensors fail, the majority ending over varying days of it's wear period, after 2 years of success with Libre 1 I know it's nothing to do with me, there were 2 batches reported a lot (I can't remember the Serial Numbers though as I got thoroughly fed up of it)
xx
Click to expand...
Hi, I've joined to check there's not a condition in me stopping sensors working. Last 4 have stopped working, with last 2 only lasting a few hours! I've got 3 being sent by Abbott's but now means strip testing until they arrive.
 
Really sorry to read about the problems other posters have experienced with Libre 2.

I wanted to add a comment for maybe a bit of balance as I feel this thread may put off new Libre users
.I have been using Libre 2 for the last year and experienced no issues
I don't know what makes some people more susceptible but please remember, for the majority, Libre is fit for purpose. So don't be put off trying it.

I mean no offense to the posters who have experienced problem after problem with it and wish I could offer some words of wisdom.
 
Carolyniswell said:
Hi, I've joined to check there's not a condition in me stopping sensors working. Last 4 have stopped working, with last 2 only lasting a few hours! I've got 3 being sent by Abbott's but now means strip testing until they arrive.
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I've now had as of yesterday 15 replacements out of 21 sensors, after 2 successful years on L1 I know it isn't anything I'm doing and there are many people reporting the same issues so I think it's more likely to be a fault at their end, yes I've already tested 4 times today and on hands that are scalded, blistered and very dry it's a pain
 
helli said:
I mean no offense to the posters who have experienced problem after problem with it and wish I could offer some words of wisdom
Click to expand...
Some of us have used L1 successfully though so there must be faulty batches kicking about xx
 
helli said:
Really sorry to read about the problems other posters have experienced with Libre 2.

I wanted to add a comment for maybe a bit of balance as I feel this thread may put off new Libre users
.I have been using Libre 2 for the last year and experienced no issues
I don't know what makes some people more susceptible but please remember, for the majority, Libre is fit for purpose. So don't be put off trying it.

I mean no offense to the posters who have experienced problem after problem with it and wish I could offer some words of wisdom.
Click to expand...
I've used L2 with no problems for 9 months and prior to that L1 for 2yrs + with minimal issues so it's highly unusual for me to have the last 4 sensors fail after varying periods of time. My daughters' had no symptom Covid over Christmas so I was wondering if there was a link with sensors not working and the virus? ‍♀️
 
I belong to an FB Libre group and whilst a lot of people seemed to be having awful problems with L1 I was one who rarely had a problem. No skin reaction, only about 2 replaced over several years. I went onto L2 midsummer last... so far (touch wood!) only had one sensor that was reading 3 above and was replaced. All the others have been very accurate. Am I just lucky?

What I will say is that the L2 has allowed me to tighten control amazingly. I've avoided most hypos by being warned which has allowed me to fend them off.
 
Carolyniswell said:
Hi, I've joined to check there's not a condition in me stopping sensors working. Last 4 have stopped working, with last 2 only lasting a few hours! I've got 3 being sent by Abbott's but now means strip testing until they arrive.
Click to expand...
Hi,

I’ve been having major issues with libre 2 sensors as well but not with them ending early, more just with the readings themselves.

I replaced my sensor on Friday night and the new sensor I had was reading so low all night it was off the graph! Regular finger pricks confirmed that I was within target and all was well though.

Then couldn’t get a single reading above 3.8. and it put my average BG for yesterday at 3.9 which is complete rubbish! I got fed up with it so changed it to the sensor I’m currently wearing. I’ve been wearing it over 24 hours now and while it’s definitely better than the previous one, it’s definitely not working as well as they typically do. It keeps overshooting when my levels drop after a meal once the insulin kicks in, putting me into the dreaded ‘red zone’ every time and underestimating the rise after meals as well.

As a result of these dodgy sensors my time in range is displaying 9% hypo which is complete rubbish - the reality is probably only 1-2%. Overall not too happy but can’t do much about it except get in touch with Abbott and keep on doing finger pricks.

So although the issues we’ve had are different just be assured that it’s most likely nothing to do with you as I’m sure lots of people on here have had issues with libre sensors at least at some point.
 
@sg295 are you giving your sensors time to “bed in” before activating?
You mention your current one was better after 24 hours but your previous one you had for a couple of days.
I definitely find the first 48 hours after inserting a sensor it seems to give off completely random numbers. Therefore, I give my body a couple of days to familiarise itself with the foreign object in my arm before I activate it and it seems happier from the start.
We are all different and some people find the sensor are good from the first hour. Others need that bedding in time.

In addition, if you know you are not hypo as much as Libre is telling you but you are happy with the readings at higher numbers, I would not stress. No one should be judging you based on what Libre says. And that includes yourself.
Remember, many of us started with finger pricking four times a day (and many still do). We had little idea what was happening between finger pricks unless we felt “off”. And, nearly 20 years later, I have no complications due to diabetes.
 
Over the couple of years I've used the sensors I've had a number fail on me.Some while they've been in use for a number of days but also some when activated after application.
A new one was put on last night and started both on the phone app and the Libre Reader (I have both running primarily for sense of mind in case either the phone or reader decide to stop working at some point !).
After the 60 minutes "warm up" period I scanned using both but on both a "System is unable to produce a reading,please rescan in 10 minutes" message was received,,,after 15 minutes scanned again,same message on the reader however the phone app read "the sensor has finished,please apply a new sensor" or words to that effect.Not seen that happen before !
 
parsley said:
Over the couple of years I've used the sensors I've had a number fail on me.Some while they've been in use for a number of days but also some when activated after application.
A new one was put on last night and started both on the phone app and the Libre Reader (I have both running primarily for sense of mind in case either the phone or reader decide to stop working at some point !).
After the 60 minutes "warm up" period I scanned using both but on both a "System is unable to produce a reading,please rescan in 10 minutes" message was received,,,after 15 minutes scanned again,same message on the reader however the phone app read "the sensor has finished,please apply a new sensor" or words to that effect.Not seen that happen before !
Click to expand...
You are not alone. Just read my eperience in the '

Libre 2 problems - Er3,373​

forum (16/03/22).
 
helli said:
Really sorry to read about the problems other posters have experienced with Libre 2.

I wanted to add a comment for maybe a bit of balance as I feel this thread may put off new Libre users
.I have been using Libre 2 for the last year and experienced no issues
I don't know what makes some people more susceptible but please remember, for the majority, Libre is fit for purpose. So don't be put off trying it.

I mean no offense to the posters who have experienced problem after problem with it and wish I could offer some words of wisdom.
Click to expand...
I think Libre 2 sensors have a quality control issue. As of maybe 6 to 8 months ago. Whilst, as you say negative comments may put new users off, I'd say it's better to know the majority experience and be ready for any trouble. I am quite astonished at Abbotts inability to manufacture reliable sensors, failure rates are way too high and yet NHS continunes with them. The final burden rests on the shoulders of the patient to contact Abbott, report the problem, hope they have a sensor left to replace the faulty one and wait for Abbott to send a replacement. This simply should not be happening.....at all!
 
Pattidevans said:
I belong to an FB Libre group and whilst a lot of people seemed to be having awful problems with L1 I was one who rarely had a problem. No skin reaction, only about 2 replaced over several years. I went onto L2 midsummer last... so far (touch wood!) only had one sensor that was reading 3 above and was replaced. All the others have been very accurate. Am I just lucky?

What I will say is that the L2 has allowed me to tighten control amazingly. I've avoided most hypos by being warned which has allowed me to fend them off.
Click to expand...
Yes, you'tre lucky! I've replied to someone else within this thread but to summarise, I believe Abbott have a quality control issue with many more sensors frequently failing than I can recall from perhaps a year ago. We don't get told all the backroom stuff but I would suspect a change in component supply at the point of manaufacture has changed the reliability of the sensors we are given.
Great news that you have even better control, that's just brilliant 😱)
 
AndyV1 said:
I think Libre 2 sensors have a quality control issue. As of maybe 6 to 8 months ago. Whilst, as you say negative comments may put new users off, I'd say it's better to know the majority experience and be ready for any trouble. I am quite astonished at Abbotts inability to manufacture reliable sensors, failure rates are way too high and yet NHS continunes with them. The final burden rests on the shoulders of the patient to contact Abbott, report the problem, hope they have a sensor left to replace the faulty one and wait for Abbott to send a replacement. This simply should not be happening.....at all!
Click to expand...
As I have stated multiple times, I have no problems with Libre 2 and been using it for more than a year.
I believe it is a person/sensor incompatibility issue because some people have many problems yet the silent majority have none or very few.
In my experience, there are no quality control issues. It doesn’t happen for me. I have no burden to contact Abbott and a near zero failure rate (I don’t remember any failures at all but there may have been one early last year).
 
I wonder can the libre only work properly when within a certain range or very stable levels. Since starting on the sensor last July 4 have failed for me. I follow all instructions. A faulty sensor can cause me to over correct with carbs or insulin, my latest sensor for example won't register anything above 10 mmol yet a finger prick will reveal im 13 mmol, so I've probably been hitting higher peaks without realising until now, so I haven't been taking any action to fix this . Then it also says I'm much higher than iam sometimes, showing 5 mmol but I'm as low as 2.8 with finger prick( the high or low readings never show on graph) If I could get a different sensor through the NHS I would. Have had way too many problems. Some weeks my levels look great then terrible with the same routine and now I wonder has the libre just been giving me the wrong readings. How much is the company doing to minimise these issues. Probably not alot. Sure they'll replace a sensor easy enough but do they care about the minority that constantly have issues, apparently not. I even put in a query about these issues and haven't heard anything back.
 
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