74 hba1c - wont let me see a consultant

[rebrascora]

What I do with Libre is wait until my levels have been pretty stable for at least an hour with no more than a few tenths movement and no meals recently eaten to change that and then do a finger prick so see how they compare. The problem with Libre is that it reads interstitial fluid rather than blood and that lags behind blood when levels are changing by about 10-15 mins. If levels are changing rapidly then you can expect Libre to be out by quite a bit, so it is important to do this calibration check when levels are pretty static. Once I have done 2 or 3 calibration checks like this and got reasonably consistent results usually where Libre is reading 1-2mmol lower than a finger prick, then I am happy to accept most of the readings it gives me and calculate my insulin doses from that....Obviously you don't have a bolus insulin so you are really just tracking your readings to see how food and Levemir are working. I usually find that the discrepancy will be reasonably constant throughout the life of the sensor.

2 other things to know about Libre.... For some people they are less accurate for the first couple of days due to the tissue surrounding the filament reacting to a foreign body being inserted into it. I don't have too much of a problem with that but it can pay to apply it a day or 2 before you activate it to let the site react to the filament and then settle down.
The other thing is that if you lie on the arm with the sensor on during your sleep, it can cause what is known as a compression low, so it can signal a hypo when you actually aren't. Always a good idea to double check any hypos or high readings it alarms you to with a finger prick before treating, unless you feel really hypo and always check with a finger prick 15 mins after treating a hypo because the Libre will usually suggest that your levels have dropped further due to the time lag, when the BG level can be showing a recovery. Always trust a BG reading over Libre as long as you are sure your fingers are clean of any contamination.

 

[Inka]

I don’t think you’d mentioned the growth hormone before? I know that for children taking growth hormone increases their risk of Type 2 diabetes. How long have you been taking it?

 

[helli]

The problem with Libre is that it reads interstitial fluid rather than blood and that lags behind blood when levels are changing by about 10-15 mins

Libre 2 extrapolates the current trend line so most oft eh time the delay has been accounted for.
However, this is a problem when the trend changes such as when taking a bolus insulin shot or when eating. The extrapolated/predicted value will follow the trend 15 minutes ago and be further out.
As you say, the best time to calibrate is when levels are stable. This does not have to be stable for as long as an hour but it is useful if you have not bolused or eaten (or exercised) recently. I find just before going to bed is the best time.
(I also calibrate first thing in the morning but levels are only stable at this time if you are able to manage Dawn Phenomenon which is easier on a pump.)