DVLA medical appointment

[Busdriver60]

Good evening, I hope everything is fine and dandy. I had a DVLA medical appointment with a diabetes doctor this morning. I was asked about my medications, my Libre sensor and my BG readings. After about 20 minutes, the doctor was quite happy and told me, I should get my PVC licence in about 2 weeks! Although, I haven't got it back yet, I'm absolutely thrilled, I will be able to go back to work quite soon.
Even better, there is an employer who already wants to employ me as a school minibus driver. It will only be a part time job, but I'm more than happy with it, as they will pay me £300 pw.
I have one question for anyone who is able to answer it. Is the Dexcom (or a third) sensor a better device than Libre sensor for the low BG alarm?
My Libre device cannot be set above 5.6 to alert me, which is very frustrating.
Can anyone shed some light on this please? Thanks....

 

[Proud to be erratic]

Calling @Flutterby, I understand from a different thread that you use Dexcom One+. Can you please clarify what the upper lower limit is of the Dexcom One+ CGM?

But, @Busdriver60, even if the answer is favourable to you, you will need to check your phone is also compatible with the Dexcom One+. You should be able to find that out from Dexcom's website. Or you will need a Receiver (Dexcom's equivalent to Abbott's Reader). Finger's crossed!

 

[goodybags]

Hi @Busdriver60 thats great news regarding the opportunity to RTW behind the wheel for you

whilst the Libra app itself can’t be set to warn of a low at the level that would accommodate your needs
my suggestion is another app might help that you can run (on your phone alongside Libra app)
there are some that may help
with that in mind @Busdriver60, do you use android or IPhone? If android I can tell you how I use GlucoDataHandler or Gluroo (I don’t use Gluroo so much TBH as like GDH)
on my Samsung phone, there are similar apps that can run on the iPhone, infact I can use Gluroo on both my android phone & iPad

 

[Wendal]

Hi Paul.Cant help you re advice re alarms but just so pleased that you have been able to return to work and congratulations.
I know how much it means to you and your wife so really well done.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Glad your appointment went well , and really pleased with your news @Busdriver60

Hope you can find a way to get a CGM alarm setting that suits you better.

I used the Dexcom G6 for 4 years, but can’t remember what the upper low-alert limit was. I suspect the manual may be available online, which would have it in there somewhere?

 

[Busdriver60]

Hi Paul.Cant help you re advice re alarms but just so pleased that you have been able to return to work and congratulations.
I know how much it means to you and your wife so really well done.

Thanks Wendal. Yes, It means so much to me.
And thanks for the info.

 

[JJay]

From a quick Google (AI response):

"The Dexcom ONE+ allows users to customize low blood glucose alerts, and the upper limit for these alerts can be set between 3.3 and 8.3 mmol/L. The default setting for a low alert is 3.9 mmol/L, but this can be adjusted to better suit individual needs"

 

[Proud to be erratic]

Thank you @JJay. So @Busdriver60 that upper limit of 8.3 for low alerts is way better than your Libre upper limit of 5.6. You should still check your phone is compatible.

 

[Busdriver60]

Thank you @JJay. So @Busdriver60 that upper limit of 8.3 for low alerts is way better than your Libre upper limit of 5.6. You should still check your phone is compatible.

Thanks Proud to be erratic, I will reset it now.

 

[Busdriver60]

Hi @Busdriver60 thats great news regarding the opportunity to RTW behind the wheel for you

whilst the Libra app itself can’t be set to warn of a low at the level that would accommodate your needs
my suggestion is another app might help that you can run (on your phone alongside Libra app)
there are some that may help
with that in mind @Busdriver60, do you use android or IPhone? If android I can tell you how I use GlucoDataHandler or Gluroo (I don’t use Gluroo so much TBH as like GDH)
on my Samsung phone, there are similar apps that can run on the iPhone, infact I can use Gluroo on both my android phone & iPad

Thanks for the info goodybags, proud to be erratic has kindly advised to stick with my Libre.

 

[Busdriver60]

From a quick Google (AI response):

"The Dexcom ONE+ allows users to customize low blood glucose alerts, and the upper limit for these alerts can be set between 3.3 and 8.3 mmol/L. The default setting for a low alert is 3.9 mmol/L, but this can be adjusted to better suit individual needs"

Thanks JJay for the advice and information, it's much appreciated.

 

[Lucyr]

Thanks Proud to be erratic, I will reset it now.

What are you resetting? If you’re wanting to change from libre to Dexcom you’d need to get your prescription changed, it’s not something you can reset on your phone

 

[GracefulAng]

Actually, I think that the low BG alert is 5.6 (on Libre 2) should be sufficient, to allow my husband time to park his minibus safely, check his BG and treat himself if needed. All he needed was to remember to set the alarm on at all times.

 

[Lucyr]

Actually, I think that the low BG alert is 5.6 (on Libre 2) should be sufficient, to allow my husband time to park his minibus safely, check his BG and treat himself if needed. All he needed was to remember to set the alarm on at all times.

@Busdriver60 specifically said 5.6 isn’t high enough, as it’s his diabetes it’s his choice to switch cgm to allow a higher low alarm as explained in this thread

My Libre device cannot be set above 5.6 to alert me, which is very frustrating.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

Thanks Proud to be erratic, I will reset it now.

Thanks for the info goodybags, proud to be erratic has kindly advised to stick with my Libre.

Now I'm confused.
Firstly, @Busdriver60, I haven't advised you to stick with Libre. In my (non-medical) opinion and after seeing how quickly you can tumble "through" your current highest possible low setting of 5.6 into low 4s I do think that 5.6 does not give you a good safety net. I thought when you asked the question yesterday about alternative CGMs that you were following up on that possibility - and looking for a possible alternative. I can't imagine how you interpreted my responses here to conclude that I was advising you to stick with Libre.

Actually, I think that the low BG alert is 5.6 (on Libre 2) should be sufficient, to allow my husband time to park his minibus safely, check his BG and treat himself if needed. All he needed was to remember to set the alarm on at all times.

I'm really sorry to contradict you @GracefulAng, but stopping arbitrarily, but quickly, to deal with a low alarm, can be deceptively difficult, even in a car - never mind a minibus with passengers. On a motorway it is nigh on impossible. Also, despite having the sensor and app on a phone the law forbids anyone from handling a phone while driving; even looking to check what the alarm is telling you. My android phone sleeps when I'm not handling it, so I am not legally allowed to touch it to wake it up and find out what it might be telling me. What I do in my car, on my own is one thing; but in a minibus or coach .... absolutely not wise or legal!

Add to that, the advice is to finger prick to verify how real or severe a low alert might be before treating, unless one is actually feeling the hypo symptoms and signals. [Under that circumstance treat immediately.] So time can be easily lost in that rigmarole and by then any driver experiencing a rapid fall should not be in such a status and certainly not behind a steering wheel. Solution: have a higher low threshold than 5.6; get an increased usable breathing space to find somewhere to park safely, investigate and treat - ideally with keys out of the ignition and (for the duration) not the responsible driver behind a steering wheel. Also, if then further time while low is needed, parked up, to recover above 5.0, including a possible mandatory 45 minute wait before driving on - this can all be managed without undue panic.

It might not read this way, but I am on Paul's side! I very much want him to get back in his comfort zone, behind a steering wheel. There is tech and ways to improve that tech, to ease this conundrum. When driving, I have my phone navigating me from Satnav, even when I know exactly where I am. My phone does not sleep when Satnav is displaying a route and my CGM will display a reading on top of the route screen, if an alarm indicates a warning: so the sound and display give me potential alert time. There may well be other apps that enhance the Libre output to stop a phone from sleeping. Having my low alert set at 6.5 rather than 5.6 makes everything that bit easier and provide a more measured response.

 

[Busdriver60]

Apologies proud to be erratic, I misunderstood you. I just got a confused with your advice.