Hello all, forgive me please as I expect this has already been discussed elsewhere but do you think it’s worth doing the Libre 2 CGM free trial for T2’s just to get a good overall insight into how bloods are when not finger prick testing. OH needs to test every two hours whilst driving and finds it difficult to do so. Just thinking 14 days would give us some useful background info. Thank you.
There is in my opinion a clear benefit from trying Libre 2 and indeed for someone struggling as well as driving regularly, your OH, Libre 2 could be very beneficial as a longer term aid
Two fairly clear immediate benefits:
1. Just knowing what is going on with one's BG day by day and even hour by hour. BUT this can become addictive, obsessive and misleading someone to thinking they are in doomsday scenario! I'll come back to this.
2. By watching what any one meal or food type does to one's BG can be invaluable. We each can manage different food with varying degrees of effect on our BG; so knowing how a specific food or type of meal works, can only be helpful. BUT, a lesser caveat, Diabetes is complicated and one's BG is affected by a very long list of factors, other than any food we eat or medications taken. So take note of a single result but try to confirm that result from more than a single experiment under different circumstances!
About Doomsday potential.
Libre 2 from the outset is measuring one's interstitial BG, which lags actual BG by up to 15 mins. The manufacturers have built in a degree of adjustment for that lag within the algorithm that converts a sensor output into a reading on a screen. So one's perception of the lag is visually reduced and can be between 2-3 minutes - WHEN the trend arrow is horizontal and one's BG is not in a period of change (ie steady state). So this can confuse the unknowing by seeing a different Libre reading from a finger prick reading. This is normal.
That difference might be indicating higher or lower than actual; luck of the draw how that can affect any one person. Usually that difference is accentuated when BG is higher (not always) and for some (eg myself) the interstitial Libre reading VERY RARELY matches actual; I invariably start 2 or 3 mmol/L high and over the fortnight it can drift even higher. Today I'm almost 6 pts high and this is now, for me, essentially unworkable - I can't trust what I'm seeing at all.
Libre provides trend arrows which I find are very reliable, indicating when my BG is rising or falling. I lean on those trend arrows a lot and usually look at that before the actual number.
One's BG is frequently changing and it can be easy to "overthink" what one is seeing. Sometimes one needs to stay calm, make mental note and then wait to see where it goes in the next 15, or more minutes. There is a real risk of information overload. One scan of Libre is just one snapshot of a regularly changing screen.
Finally when Libre is near hypo readings this MUST be independently checked by a finger prick and treatment according to that actual BG reading. Also when above 10, but being high has little immediate risk; different concern.
Freestyle provide a series of simple videos and I recommend you and your OH watch those before fitting or starting your trial Libre .
Good luck.
www.freestyle.abbott
