Freestyle Libra…How do you wear yours?

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wardy1703

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Type 2
Hey, apologies if this has been asked..Newbie here!

I only started wearing my libra 2 weeks ago and I’m already on my second and already feel my current one coming loose.

I have quite a manual job so I’m not sure if under my arm where I was told is the right place for me.

I’ve brought patches to try and help but if I’m honest they haven’t helped at all.

Wear do you wear yours? Am I missing a trick that helps keep it secure? Any tips are very much appreciated, Thankyou ❤️
 
I make sure I don’t put it above a muscle that will be constantly flexing, or where I know my bag strap will catch it. I always spend a little while choosing the placement carefully. After I’ve inserted it, I carefully go round gently pressing it with my finger so that way I know it’s firmly stuck.

I never shower close to inserting a new Libre. Ideally I leave it 24 hrs so it can ‘settle’. I also make sure to prepare the skin properly prior to insertion.

You can get straps to put over them (@rebrascora has one) but I find the above keeps mine on firmly. It also depends on your skin type too, I think, ie they stick better to drier skin rather than oily/moisturised skin.
 
I use a strap to keep mine in place, it works really well
 
wardy1703 said:
Hey, apologies if this has been asked..Newbie here!

I only started wearing my libra 2 weeks ago and I’m already on my second and already feel my current one coming loose.

I have quite a manual job so I’m not sure if under my arm where I was told is the right place for me.

I’ve brought patches to try and help but if I’m honest they haven’t helped at all.

Wear do you wear yours? Am I missing a trick that helps keep it secure? Any tips are very much appreciated, Thankyou ❤️
Click to expand...
I wear it on my arm, as reccomended. If I wore it elsewhere I’d have to fingerprick before driving as there’s no guarantee it would be covered by the DVLA if I wasn’t wearing it according to abbot guidance.
 
Yes, I wear an arm strap with mine, because I work outdoors and with animals a lot and it is all too easy for a sweaty horse to scrub their bridled face against my arm or catch it as I reach into a feed bin or of course the worst danger... sports bra straps! If I catch it now, the strap gets pinged but the sensor stays secure and I still have to grimace as I prise it off on day 14. It also acts as a reminder of which arm the sensor is on so that I don't forget and try to scrub it off with my exfoliating gloves in the shower. The one I have is a 3D printed open watch face design which fits perfectly over the sensor with an adjustable elastic strap holding it secure but not too tight.... Too much tension and the sensor will suffer from a permanent compression low. I got mine off ebay and they come in a whole range of neutral and bold colours, for those who want to be discrete or loud and proud! I have only lost one sensor since I started using the arm strap 2 years ago and that was when a pruned plum tree branch spiked me right underneath it when I was barrowing manure underneath the tree. The sensor and strap had no chance and I was very lucky that it didn't pierce the skin to be honest.
Of course proper prep of the site is very important and making sure the skin is clean and dry. I always apply mine after a shower and I use a hair drier to make sure the skin is completely dry. I also give it a count of 60 before I wriggle the applicator free, so that the adhesive has time to bond with my skin. I find that the applicator never lifts off cleanly and snags on the sensor as I try to lift it off, so giving it that 60 seconds and then very carefully wiggling it free and then pressing it all round, putting the strap on and sleeping overnight with it before activating it the next day, gives it the optimum adhesion before it is exposed to the rigors of the day.
 
It sounds like you might perhaps be wearing the sensor a bit too far round your arm and it could be catching on your body whilst you work. Mine is mid upper arm and if I hold my arm up and flex the bicep like a body builder would, I would say that it is in the 5 o'clock position on my right arm or 7 o'clock position on my left arm so slightly to the outside in each case in that position.
 
Did once use tubular bandage, now find adhesive sticks solid so don't bother now, worn sensors on chest before & had great results, not recommended by Abbott so they won't replace it if any issues.
 
wardy1703 said:
Hey, apologies if this has been asked..Newbie here!

I only started wearing my libra 2 weeks ago and I’m already on my second and already feel my current one coming loose.

I have quite a manual job so I’m not sure if under my arm where I was told is the right place for me.

I’ve brought patches to try and help but if I’m honest they haven’t helped at all.

Wear do you wear yours? Am I missing a trick that helps keep it secure? Any tips are very much appreciated, Thankyou ❤️
Click to expand...
As Rebrascora/Barbara says, first thing is to make sure the place you're applying the new sensor is completely clean and dry; it's easy to forget and apply the sensor when the skin's still a bit damp.

If that's not the problem: At one of my diabetes education sessions, they gave out some patches made of something called Rocktape. I googled it later; it's used by athletes and sportspeople to deal with injuries. When one of my sensors started coming off after just a few days, I used one of these patches, and it was great; survived lots of hot baths, yet wasn't too painful to remove when it was time for a new sensor.

The samples they gave us were from Funky Pumpers, Rocktape cut out with a hole in the middle-- https://www.funkypumpers.com/shop/rockadex/rockadex-patches-and-stickers/circle-libre-patch/ -- but I'm not sure the hole is actually necessary; if the scanning works through clothes, surely it would work through tape?

PS Barbara will laugh: one of the ones I was given is in fact, according to the backing paper, made of "Rocktape Equine" ... Bet that one will work even better!
 
@Spathiphyllum The hole in the sensor is to allow the skin under the sensor to "breath" I believe rather than to allow transmission of data, although obviously it's main purpose is to facilitate the applicator needle to pass through the sensor and carry the filament into your arm.
 
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