Basal rate tests with the Libre and BG monitor

[SB2015]

Well is started with very good intentions. A meal with carefully calculated carbs, although with some indecision about the carrots and other veg. Well I got that wrong and a hypo has put paid to my first overnight basal rate test. However at least they are easy to do with the Libre, although there was quite a difference between the Libre and my test kit. Libre was reading 4.2 and my meter was on 3.4, which matched how I felt, so not a problem.

I suspect that when I get round to doing the overnight I will be looking more at the pattern of readings on the Libre rather than the values, but then that is what will tell me which rates to change.

I have also realised that some of you thought that the sensor took 48 hours to settle so perhaps I should wait until tomorrow anyway.

 

[Sally71]

The Libre almost never shows exactly the same as your test kit - the closest we've had is 0.1 apart, although usually it's 1-2mmol different. Partly for the same reason that if you do two finger pricks together you almost never get the same answer, partly because they are reading different things. You are quite right, it's the trends and graph that really matter with the Libre. Good luck with your basal test tomorrow!

 

[SB2015]

Thanks Sally. Do you download your data from the reader? I am thinking that if it is possible to print them I can take them to my forthcoming DSN appointment.

I am not sure whether the team here support the use of the Libre but I thought it would be good to show them why I am worried about spikes, in contributing to development of long term problems, even if my pre meal readings look fine.

 

[Sally71]

No haven't done that yet, haven't even got round to downloading the software in fact! It must be nice to see the graphs on a larger scale actually, let me know how you get on please 🙂

 

[AndBreathe]

The data downloading is very simple and with a "spot check" every 15 minutes, it plots a decent enough graph as we sleep.

I have had sensors run very close to finger prick testing and some just, frankly, do their own thing but, with decent backup data. as provided by finger prick testing and so on, Abbott are usually very helpful. And, yes. The graphs, curves, peaks and troughs are the wonderful thing about the Libre.

I'm sure my nurse would have a dickie fit if she knew where I run at night, but as I'm fine on it all, she'll never know, any more than I would never know without my Libre friend. I would LOVE my OH to wear one for a a two week cycle, just to see what goes on in a little, wiry, fit guy who plays golf every day, but, frankly, he'd rather stick pins in his own eyes. Where'a the support in that, eh? 😉

 

[DeusXM]

With basal testing, it's actually not that important that Libre is accurate, it just needs to be consistently inaccurate. The absolute simplest way to basal test overnight with a Libre is scan when you go to bed and scan when you wake up. If on the preview graph you see a pretty much straight line all through the night, your basal's accurate. If it constantly goes down, you're taking too much. If it constantly goes up, you're taking too little. If it yo-yos all over the place, then things get a little more complicated...

 

[Robin]

With basal testing, it's actually not that important that Libre is accurate, it just needs to be consistently inaccurate. The absolute simplest way to basal test overnight with a Libre is scan when you go to bed and scan when you wake up. If on the preview graph you see a pretty much straight line all through the night, your basal's accurate. If it constantly goes down, you're taking too much. If it constantly goes up, you're taking too little. If it yo-yos all over the place, then things get a little more complicated...

Mine sometimes yoyos overnight, and I worked out it was because I was lying on the sensor at various times during the night.

 

[SB2015]

My BG yo yoed last night, and that leads me to a question.

When doing the basal rate check before by finger prick tests I went back two hours from where the BG wobbled to make any changes. Does the same apply to the interstitial readings from the Libre? I shan't make changes yet as I had hypoed before bed so the results might not be completely reliable. I have also realised that I am still running an increased basal rate profile post op, which might have accounted for the hypo late this morning as well.

The joys of Diabetes, but we have a lot of additional help available to us now.

 

[Sally71]

That's what I do, the Libre is supposed to be adjusted so that there is only about a 5 min lag behind a blood test. So far it seems to be working out ok.