Free libre + trial

[gail2]

It’s likely all relevant to Gail interpreting her graphs without being stressed about it. If she sees the same graph she might then get stressed about having to change her breakfast as that’s a set routine

No way will. I change my normal breakfast im hooked on my 2 slices of wm toast with marmite it spikes me a bit but I can live with that

 

[gail2]

-had a call from a very nice lady E from Abbots who rang me to ask if I had any questions, poor lady as I had done a list of them to ask her. Was on phone about 40mins she was very good indeed and said it wood be despatched from the warehouse today.
Libra site just said it would be despatched and that wood be it. Have read a lot on site about the libra dropping off and wonder if that happens a lot to people Does it happen with the abbots sensor much. Don't know if many people use abbots on here. Am interested in feedback on both
Have to admit due to customer service and prices im leaning towards the abbots sensor. I know both can have a reader but my phone is compatible with both sensors.
Am open to any feedback on both of them please
Thanks in advance
Gail1

 

[Lucyr]

No way will. I change my normal breakfast im hooked on my 2 slices of wm toast with marmite it spikes me a bit but I can live with that

This is exactly what I mean about the libre being stressful. You might not want to see how high your marmite on two toast spikes you, because there’s nothing you can do about it so that might be stressful for you. It might mean that you feel bad about eating it when it’s a breakfast you like and keenly want to stick to.

 

[Pam123]

-had a call from a very nice lady E from Abbots who rang me to ask if I had any questions, poor lady as I had done a list of them to ask her. Was on phone about 40mins she was very good indeed and said it wood be despatched from the warehouse today.
Libra site just said it would be despatched and that wood be it. Have read a lot on site about the libra dropping off and wonder if that happens a lot to people Does it happen with the abbots sensor much. Don't know if many people use abbots on here. Am interested in feedback on both
Have to admit due to customer service and prices im leaning towards the abbots sensor. I know both can have a reader but my phone is compatible with both sensors.
Am open to any feedback on both of them please
Thanks in advance
Gail1

Abbot are very good, I have been using there CGM now as a type 2 on insulin for almost 2 years, I have had a few drop off and fail but never had a problem getting a replacement, the newer ones have been more accurate for me and last a day longer 15 days, I have trailed Dexom as well and I prefer the Libre. It has helped me discover what food spikes me, on the whole for me I wouldn’t be without it.

 

[silentsquirrel]

-had a call from a very nice lady E from Abbots who rang me to ask if I had any questions, poor lady as I had done a list of them to ask her. Was on phone about 40mins she was very good indeed and said it wood be despatched from the warehouse today.
Libra site just said it would be despatched and that wood be it. Have read a lot on site about the libra dropping off and wonder if that happens a lot to people Does it happen with the abbots sensor much. Don't know if many people use abbots on here. Am interested in feedback on both
Have to admit due to customer service and prices im leaning towards the abbots sensor. I know both can have a reader but my phone is compatible with both sensors.
Am open to any feedback on both of them please
Thanks in advance
Gail1

I think you are confusing Abbotts and Dexcom again? Libre is Abbotts. Was the phone call from Dexcom?

 

[grovesy]

I have crossed fingers not had one fall off in a number of years.

 

[helli]

Libra site just said it would be despatched and that wood be it. Have read a lot on site about the libra dropping off and wonder if that happens a lot to people Does it happen with the abbots sensor much. Don't know if many people use abbots on here. Am interested in feedback on both

Some people struggle to keep their sensors attached but others (like me and @grovesy) probably have "limpet skin" where it is a struggle to remove anything.

For me, there are a few things to consider
- Preparation. Make sure the area is clean and oil-free. This means not using moisturiser or any moisturising shower gel before you attach the sensor. Abbott used to include an alcohol wipe with their sensors but to save money, they stopped providing them. However, I rarely used then and really dislike adding more single use items to the huge landfill. I have a bottle of surgical spirit which I use occasionally with a cloth when I know my arm is sweaty or something when I need to apply a new sensor.
- Position. OK this is where I fell down a couple of times at the start because I forgot that the sensors don't bend but arms (especially the muscly part) do. Once I got in the habit of making sure my sensor was placed on a flat part of my arm that did not flex as I moved, my sensors stopped peeling off over time.
- Awareness. Some people seem to knock their sensors off when they bump into door posts. As I have no trouble getting through a door without touching the door frame, this was never an issue for me. However, bras are the arch-nemesis of sensors. I had to retrain myself on how to put on and take off a bra without pulling off a sensor. It only happened a couple of times at the start. But both bras (or any other clothing you pull over your arm) and door frames (or anything else you may be prone to knock into) highlight the need to be aware of your sensor so you don't put it at risk. It is surprising how easy it is for a new way of doing something (e.g. dressing) becomes second nature.

I also wondered whether you are confusing Dexcom and Libre.
Abbott manufacture Libre. Dexcom manufactures Dexcom.

 

[gail2]

I think you are confusing Abbotts and Dexcom again? Libre is Abbotts. Was the phone call from Dexcom?

Whoops yes ur fight sorry AS u can tell I have a lot to learn

 

[gail2]

Blimey Abbotts we're quick off the mark. I got my libre plus 2 sensor this morning it came in a ruddy big box for such a small unit. Am waiting till the dexcom comes as well then will try both (separately of course). Keep reading other threads about the plus 2 and it mentions them dropping off a lot hope that does not happen still wot is to be is to be. The dexcom is a lot cheaper to buy the sensors still we will see wot happens
Gail

 

[mashedupmatt]

The Dexcom One+ sensors do appear cheaper but they only last 10 days rather than the 15 for a Libre 2+ so it works out about the same over the course of a month - good luck with your trial(s) and let us know how you get on 🙂

 

[helli]

Blimey Abbotts we're quick off the mark. I got my libre plus 2 sensor this morning it came in a ruddy big box for such a small unit.

That'll be the applicator. It is big and a lot of wasted plastic. But we can't be ecowarriors all the time.

Keep reading other threads about the plus 2 and it mentions them dropping off a lot hope that does not happen still wot is to be is to be.

See my comments above about sensors dropping off - I can honestly say that I have not lost one for years.
Like most things diabetes, we are all different. But we are human and we are more likely to complain if something goes wrong and stay quiet if things are ok.
And, if it does fall off before the 15 days is up, Abbott are very good at replacing them so it doesn't cost you. In fact, it could save you money: if the sensor falls off on day 10, for example, you will get a replacement for another 15 days.

 

[Lucyr]

That'll be the applicator. It is big and a lot of wasted plastic. But we can't be ecowarriors all the time.

No they literally come in a big box, with a small sensor box rattling around the bottom. I’d say you could easily fit 8-10 sensor boxes in the box they dispatch them in. And if you order two replacements at once they still come separately in two big boxes

 

[SimonV]

I keep mine on by wrapping a 2 inch adhesive bandage round my arm, works a treat

On another note how accurate is the estimated HBA1C reading ?

ANd if I'm spending 60% and over of my time in the green range, is that ok or not enough ?

 

[rebrascora]

I keep mine on by wrapping a 2 inch adhesive bandage round my arm, works a treat

On another note how accurate is the estimated HBA1C reading ?

ANd if I'm spending 60% and over of my time in the green range, is that ok or not enough ?

Many of us find the Libre prediction of HbA1c slightly lower (some considerably lower0 than the actual result, although a few find it predicts higher. At the end of the day, it is only based on the last 2 weeks of data whereas HbA1c is based on roughly the last 3 months so it depends whether your current results with the Libre are a reflection of consistent management over the past 3 months or if your use of the Libre has improved you results during the 15 days of use compared to the previous 75 days..

I find Libre consistently reads slightly lower than finger pricks, so again that can factor in to giving a lower HbA1c prediction.

Are you using insulin? The target for those of us using insulin is 70% Time in Range which is set at 3.9-10mmols. So it depends what you have your green zone set at but those are the standard factory set parameters. Some people alter them if they are not using insulin and pregnant women have a tighter target range too. If you are not using insulin then I would be aiming quite a bit higher than 70% but it depends on your starting point. ie how recently you were diagnosed and your most recent HbA1c result. Obviously it takes time to develop good diabetes management so you can't expect to hit targets straight away or indeed ever for some people for a variety of reasons, but 60% is a very good start.and a bit of fine tuning should help you to achieve 70%.

 

[Ade_essex]

I'm only on my second sensor, so by no means a seasoned user, but I've found that this second one reads a fair bit lower than the first. The first had me at 100 per cent in the normal range; this second one has me down as 22 per cent of the time in the low range (.9). Random finger pricks show me as about a half to one percentage point higher than this so I'm just putting this down to different batches and slight variability of placement on my arm.

[Edit, that less than sign above seems to have come out as a heart. No idea how that happened!]

 

[helli]

I'm only on my second sensor, so by no means a seasoned user, but I've found that this second one reads a fair bit lower than the first. The first had me at 100 per cent in the normal range; this second one has me down as 22 per cent of the time in the low range (.9). Random finger pricks show me as about a half to one percentage point higher than this so I'm just putting this down to different batches and slight variability of placement on my arm.

Could those low range readings be due to compression lows where you have laid on the arm with the sensor?
Compression lows are often mentioned on the forum but rarely seem to be mentioned by the manufacturer or DSN.
Basically, when pressure is applied to a sensor (e.g. lying on the arm with the sensor in bed), it cuts off the flow of interstitial fluid (the stuff a CGM measures to calculate a BG), is blocked from the filament so it provides a false low reading.

 

[Ade_essex]

Could those low range readings be due to compression lows where you have laid on the arm with the sensor?
Compression lows are often mentioned on the forum but rarely seem to be mentioned by the manufacturer or DSN.
Basically, when pressure is applied to a sensor (e.g. lying on the arm with the sensor in bed), it cuts off the flow of interstitial fluid (the stuff a CGM measures to calculate a BG), is blocked from the filament so it provides a false low reading.

Not sure. This is a screen grab of my day so far. Yes, most of the time in the low range was at night, but I do seem to be bouncing along the bottom of the range most of the day.

 

[helli]

Not sure. This is a screen grab of my day so far. Yes, most of the time in the low range was at night, but I do seem to be bouncing along the bottom of the range most of the day. View attachment 36742

Without finger pricks tests at that time, it is difficult to know but, apart from maybe the one at around 1:30am, to me, they do not look like classic compression low dips (sudden drops and sudden bounce backs).
Remember, unless you are treating you diabetes with insulin, a hypo is considered anything below 3.5. Those of us on insulin are given an extra 0.5 mmol/l to react.
It is not unusual for someone without insulin to have a BG in the high 3s.
My non-diabetic partner achieved 2.8 mmol/l during a tough cycle ride.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

@Ade-essex, while I fully agree that fps provide a degree of independent corroboration on those low readings during the night - chances are you did not wake during those low moments to take those fps.

However, from the graph they look fleeting and personally I would interpret them as of little consequence. However, since you are using CGM one thing that I found Libre very good for was the many reports available to the user quickly from the app; I use Dexcom and can also access multiple reports but these are time consuming to access, buried deep somewhere. Your reports include daily graphs and I suggest you look back over a few (or more) 24 hr periods to see if:
1. You get similar trends of low blips.
2. To see whether most nights are hovering around the 3.9 zone.

Also your Libre provides you with Time in Range data. If there is no, or barely any, Time below Range then that would also reassure me it's of little consequence. If sleeping through minor lows did bother me I'd probably drop into a routine of a small bedtime treat, such as a small chocolate biscuit - c.6 gms of carbs. This would be just to nudge myself up and the fat in the chocolate to slow the digestion for steady release through the night.

Incidentally, with Libre Reports and during the night time fasting period, it can be a great opportunity to experiment and find out how your body is now managing snacks, without most of the daytime distractions from the liver releasing glucose, etc. This isn't foolproof, since as we sleep our brain is hard at work doing it's housekeeping, including triggering dreams and (hopefully not) nightmares which can stimulate adrenaline (= more glucose!). But repeat graphs reveal trends and these stand up to scrutiny in their own right. This observation could apply to anyone applying for a free Libre or Dexcom as a Trial.

 

[JJay]

Many of us find the Libre prediction of HbA1c slightly lower (some considerably lower0 than the actual result, although a few find it predicts higher. At the end of the day, it is only based on the last 2 weeks of data whereas HbA1c is based on roughly the last 3 months so it depends whether your current results with the Libre are a reflection of consistent management over the past 3 months or if your use of the Libre has improved you results during the 15 days of use compared to the previous 75 days..

Libre’s HbA1c prediction is based on 90 days’ data - well mine is, anyway!