First 14 days with the Freestyle Libre

[khskel]

Various musings and observations on the first 14 days with a libre.


Reliability: The first two sensors I received were duff but were replaced without quibble, the third one fell off after 4 days.

I've used surgical tape on my current sensor just to protect the edges whilst pulling tops on and off and have had no problems.

Comfort: To be honest I don't even notice it's there and applying it was totally pain free.


Accuracy: Generally OK but as has been noted by others it tends to read high at the top and low at the bottom end of the range.


Warning!: Be very careful correcting for low/high BG levels based on libre readings. Last week I had a too low to read

when I was only mildly hypo with a finger test reading of 3.8 and this morning I had a spike post breakfast of 9.6 against a

finger test of 6.7


Usefulness: Very good for identifying patterns in your levels. I'm currently working on sorting my evening regime out based on

information from the libre and basal testing is much easier because you get the graphical display based on your scans and the

automatic readings at 15 minute intervals. More convenient than finger testing when you are out and about.


Conclusion: Does it replace finger testing? No, not even Abbott claim this. You still have to finger test to meet DVLA

guidelines. Finger testing still required still required for hypo treatment and potential corrections for highs.


Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Matt Cycle]

Agree with what you've said and it's the same sort of conclusions I've reached. It's interesting that you had two duff sensors as I believe this is another issue that lets the Libre down.

I've been using it intermittently for a good part of this year but I think one of the issues is the quality of the items themselves. On my very first sensor the needle didn’t retract with the applicator and remained sticking out of the sensor. A few months later I then had an issue with the reader/meter in that it wouldn’t recognise the strips. After inserting and removing a strip several times it would then sometimes work. (I had this very same issue on my Abbott Optium Neo meter which uses the same strips suggesting to me it’s a design or quality issue). I recently had a problem with a sensor reading higher than the strips, not just a bit higher but 4, 5 or more mmol/l higher. A few weeks ago a sensor stopped with about 5 days left. I gave the event log readings to Abbott and they sent a replacement as they have with each of the problems so far. Yes, the customer service is excellent but I think it’s the quality of the products themselves that seems to be an issue. On the replacement reader they sent the page up arrow doesn’t work properly. I tried the reader test in settings and on the touchscreen test part with the 12 boxes number 2 only works if you put your finger on it for several seconds! On the test it says to contact customer services if it’s not working properly! This is on a reader less than 3 months old.

As I’m not using Libre sensors on anything like a regular basis I think it’s a poor return to have this number of problems. I used to use Roche meters and over a good number of years never had any problems at all. When my 6 month old Neo packed up I got my old Accuchek Nano out of a drawer, I’d last used it about 6 years ago but put some batteries in and it worked perfectly. It had had a far harder and longer life than the Abbott meters. Swiss design and quality from Roche maybe? Although I would imagine all meters are made in China.

 

[khskel]

Agree with what you've said and it's the same sort of conclusions I've reached. It's interesting that you had two duff sensors as I believe this is another issue that lets the Libre down.

I've been using it intermittently for a good part of this year but I think one of the issues is the quality of the items themselves. On my very first sensor the needle didn’t retract with the applicator and remained sticking out of the sensor. A few months later I then had an issue with the reader/meter in that it wouldn’t recognise the strips. After inserting and removing a strip several times it would then sometimes work. (I had this very same issue on my Abbott Optium Neo meter which uses the same strips suggesting to me it’s a design or quality issue). I recently had a problem with a sensor reading higher than the strips, not just a bit higher but 4, 5 or more mmol/l higher. A few weeks ago a sensor stopped with about 5 days left. I gave the event log readings to Abbott and they sent a replacement as they have with each of the problems so far. Yes, the customer service is excellent but I think it’s the quality of the products themselves that seems to be an issue. On the replacement reader they sent the page up arrow doesn’t work properly. I tried the reader test in settings and on the touchscreen test part with the 12 boxes number 2 only works if you put your finger on it for several seconds! On the test it says to contact customer services if it’s not working properly! This is on a reader less than 3 months old.

As I’m not using Libre sensors on anything like a regular basis I think it’s a poor return to have this number of problems. I used to use Roche meters and over a good number of years never had any problems at all. When my 6 month old Neo packed up I got my old Accuchek Nano out of a drawer, I’d last used it about 6 years ago but put some batteries in and it worked perfectly. It had had a far harder and longer life than the Abbott meters. Swiss design and quality from Roche maybe? Although I would imagine all meters are made in China.

I'm on the optium neo too and I've had two replaced due to not recognising the strips. If they got the quality/reliabilty of the sensors sorted and didn't have to replace so many perhaps they could sell them for less?

 

[Matt Cycle]

I'm on the optium neo too and I've had two replaced due to not recognising the strips. If they got the quality/reliabilty of the sensors sorted and didn't have to replace so many perhaps they could sell them for less?

You're probably right. I'd be very interested to hear how many people who use the Libre on a regular basis have never had to have a sensor or reader replaced.

 

[Stitch147]

My first 14 days of using the libre comes to an end tomorrow evening. I've been intrigued with my night time patterns. Going to be printing everything off tomorrow and compare with finger prick etc. No problem with my first sensor at all. Forgot it was there most of the time.

 

[Robin]

You're probably right. I'd be very interested to hear how many people who use the Libre on a regular basis have never had to have a sensor or reader replaced.

I'm on approximately my 8th sensor, and not had a problem with any of them or my reader. (Having said that I've now tempted fate for the one I'm about to put in over Christmas!) The only hassle I've had was a few weeks ago when my order went astray; my account said it had been delivered, which it hadn't, but when I rang them, they said it had been returned to their warehouse. It took two weeks and three phone calls before they replaced them.

 

[mikeyB]

Just a comment - I must be the luckiest man on Earth. I've not had a single problem with either sensors or the reader. I've never had either a sensor or reader replaced. And that's in about 8 months unbroken use. The limitations of the Libre, of course, are always there. It does recognise hypos, but doesn't respond to any correction for about 15-20 minutes, so I always revert to fingerpricks to monitor that. That's a limitation of any interstitial measurement of BG. They're all different anyway - a fingerprick test is usually different to a venous blood test taken at the same time, so any home system is a 'best estimate' of what is really happening, but that's good enough for good control.

I don't understand why I am so lucky with the kit. Going by comments on this forum I must be statistically unique. Is that likely, Matt? Don't think so.

 

[Sally71]

We've been very lucky so far also - have been using the system since February and have only had one sensor which failed completely, which was replaced free of charge. Another fell off after only a couple of days, but that was because my daughter bashed her arm on a door so not a manufacturing fault. I don't find the accuracy to be a major issue either, yes it's usually high at the high end and low at the low end, but if you know that you can work around it. We always do finger pricks to work out boluses, I would never consider the Libre to be a replacement for blood tests, just an extra tool in the armoury which gives you some extra information that finger pricks alone can't (the up and down arrows alone make it worth it in my opinion!).

 

[SB2015]

I too have been fortunate and although a couple fell out, and were replaced, I now take precautions and tape over them. Well worth the cost for all the information that I get from it, and especially on holidays and unplanned activity. A lot less hypos as I tend to head them off with very little effort, no finger prick just a swipe. As it tends to read lower when I am low and higher when I am high, Like Sally I would always confirm with a fingerprick before treating a hypo or correcting a high

 

[CosmicHedgehog]

I agree with your conclusions. Although 1 more thing for me would be if you are a bit dehydrated it tends to read higher, easily fixed with a pint of water 😉 I have been using it on and off since it was released to the public. I have only had 3 duff sensors 1 wouldn't read at all and the other 2 were so off in the numbers department it was pointless wearing it. and 1 i accidently knocked off on a door frame (so not really a duff) Abbott are pretty good with replacements and i have never had a problem with the customer service, although i have heard if you ask for lots of replacements they get a bit funny. For me it has been great, it showed me what i needed to know about what was going on with my blood sugar overnight. I looked into getting a dexcom, but i decided to stick with the libre. More affordable and because i now know i go low at a certain time of night i was able to adjust my overnight basal on my pump and fixed the problem so no need for an alarm. 🙂 Brilliant piece of kit!