Freestyle Libre 2 Reader

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New-journey

New-journey

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Hi all, wanting to see if anyone has had problems with their reader?
Mine was getting error messages and eventually stopped working, and said there was no active sensor though there was one. I got a new reader and the same thing has happened, I have gone through two sensors in 4 days. I am now sending the new reader back. It is not the sensors which are faulty as I get a message saying the reader is not working.

I am so frustrated and maybe it's time to start using my phone. I resisted this as I sometimes go into prisons where I can take my reader but not my phone, and I am not sure how easy it is to use a phone.
If you are using a iphone as your reader, can you reassure me it is easy?

Thanks.
 
New-journey said:
Hi all, wanting to see if anyone has had problems with their reader?
Mine was getting error messages and eventually stopped working, and said there was no active sensor though there was one. I got a new reader and the same thing has happened, I have gone through two sensors in 4 days. I am now sending the new reader back. It is not the sensors which are faulty as I get a message saying the reader is not working.

I am so frustrated and maybe it's time to start using my phone. I resisted this as I sometimes go into prisons where I can take my reader but not my phone, and I am not sure how easy it is to use a phone.
If you are using a iphone as your reader, can you reassure me it is easy?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I’m using a Libre 2 reader, I've had the same one for about two years, and touch wood, it functions as it should. I’m resisting using my phone, because I quite often slip my reader into a small pocket to go out into the garden, and leave my phone on the kitchen table!
 
Robin said:
I’m using a Libre 2 reader, I've had the same one for about two years, and touch wood, it functions as it should. I’m resisting using my phone, because I quite often slip my reader into a small pocket to go out into the garden, and leave my phone on the kitchen table!
Click to expand...
Yes, I am similar!! I did not want to use my phone. I often have my phone in another room at night.
 
I recently lost my reader and had to use a phone until I got a replacement sorted. I absolutely hated using the phone app and despite a successful update to full CGM I have gone back to using a reader full time and I am much happier that way. Not had any problems with any of the readers I have had (Libre 1 or the 2 x Libre 2s I have used so far and I would only go back to the phone app as a very last resort.
I was really surprised how much my diabetes management suffered just because I was so frustrated with the phone app and how clumsy it was. Of course it didn't help that I had to swap phones from a Motorola on Android (incompatible with LibreLink) to a second hand iphone that I had bought as a standby option and firstly I absolutely hate changing phones and secondly I really dislike the iphone, so that all may have influenced my LibreLink experience but I am probably more happy now with the reader than I was before having tired the app. and TIR is back up to low 90s%.

Real shame that you have had problems with 2 readers. Makes you wonder if there is something (maybe environmental even) causing the issue, rather that it specifically being a fault on the sensors. Just wondering if overhead power lines or security scanners at prisons or some other factor could interfere with them with regular exposure.
 
rebrascora said:
I recently lost my reader and had to use a phone until I got a replacement sorted. I absolutely hated using the phone app and despite a successful update to full CGM I have gone back to using a reader full time and I am much happier that way. Not had any problems with any of the readers I have had (Libre 1 or the 2 x Libre 2s I have used so far and I would only go back to the phone app as a very last resort.
I was really surprised how much my diabetes management suffered just because I was so frustrated with the phone app and how clumsy it was. Of course it didn't help that I had to swap phones from a Motorola on Android (incompatible with LibreLink) to a second hand iphone that I had bought as a standby option and firstly I absolutely hate changing phones and secondly I really dislike the iphone, so that all may have influenced my LibreLink experience but I am probably more happy now with the reader than I was before having tired the app. and TIR is back up to low 90s%.

Real shame that you have had problems with 2 readers. Makes you wonder if there is something (maybe environmental even) causing the issue, rather that it specifically being a fault on the sensors. Just wondering if overhead power lines or security scanners at prisons or some other factor could interfere with them with regular exposure.
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Thanks for sharing with me Barbara. So interesting and I think I would be happier with just my reader too. I am glad you got it worked out and ended up just being able to use your reader.

That is a interesting point, maybe there is a local environment reason. I wonder how I can find out!
 
I am now using my phone and have some very basic questions. If my new reader comes, can I use reader for my current sensor? And if I start a new sensor with a reader can I also use my phone? Thanks!

I do not like using my phone but it's been less than 24 hours. maybe I will get used to it!
 
New-journey said:
I am now using my phone and have some very basic questions. If my new reader comes, can I use reader for my current sensor? And if I start a new sensor with a reader can I also use my phone? Thanks!

I do not like using my phone but it's been less than 24 hours. maybe I will get used to it!
Click to expand...
Like you I thought maybe I would get used to it and it was just that it was new and different. I gave it 3.5 weeks including a week after the transfer to full CGM..... which was a slight improvement..... but it was such a relief to go back to the reader in the end. I did continue with the app on the phone for a few days afterwards, but I haven't bothered for a week now and won't ever again unless something happens to the reader. It is an emergency back up only as far as I am concerned.

If you start a sensor with the phone then you can't use a reader on that sensor. If you start the sensor with a reader, you can add the phone at any time but the alarms will all be on the reader. I actually had a spare reader when I lost mine but I was only a few days into a new sensor and wouldn't waste it, so I fired up the phone. I was away from home at a show with the horses when the changeover happened and I forgot to take my reader, with thinking about all the other stuff I needed so the next sensor got started with the phone too and in some respects I am pleased that I can say I gave it a decently long and fair trial especially with the change to full CGM a week later. It cured me of any curiosity I might have had about CGM and made me appreciate the reader more.

No idea how you might determine if there is some external factor or you have just been extremely unlucky. I very much doubt Abbott would give you feedback if you returned the defunkt ones. I have not read of anyone else having such issues with the reader and was just trying to think outside the box. Fingers crossed the new one is fine..... Oh and good luch with the phone. I hope you get oin with it much better than I did. The novelty of rtCGM is interesting.
 
@rebrascora as a dedicated app user, I am intrigued by your dislike of it.
Would you mind satisfying my curiosity and explaining what your issue was?
I have no intention of trying to persuade you otherwise but more of an understanding will make me more sympathetic to others' phone issues.
 
I prefer using the reader too. I just whip it out and Flash! - I have my BG reading. With my phone, I have to key in a PIN, open the app, press the phone up against the sensor, the phone says: "No, do it again", I do it again...you get the idea, it's a faff. And my phone is often elsewhere, not superglued to my hand, and doesn't fit comfortably into a trouser pocket, and it's heavy. That's pretty much why I prefer the reader. :D

Sorry to hear about your problematic reader @New-journey - I hope the new one arrives asap.
 
helli said:
@rebrascora as a dedicated app user, I am intrigued by your dislike of it.
Would you mind satisfying my curiosity and explaining what your issue was?
I have no intention of trying to persuade you otherwise but more of an understanding will make me more sympathetic to others' phone issues.
Click to expand...

Firstly, I found handling the phone really cumbersome, compared to the reader. Secondly there were too many stages involved with the phone (switching the phone on, selecting the app and selecting scan) plus I have been using the reader from the start, so operating it is second nature and I can do it half asleep or when hypo or both without needing to think at all, just instinctive. Plus the phone app took ages to scan and show a reading and I would end up scanning a second time because the first scan looked to have failed because it took so long to display. Scanning and getting a reading on the reader is pretty well instantaneous. I was also getting some signal loss after the CGM update too, all of which I found knocked my confidence in my ability to manage my diabetes well and caused frustration and a reduction in my TIR. All really minor things except for having problems operating the phone and scanning when hypo and particularly nocturnal hypos which a significant factor in knocking my confidence. I am sure a lot of it comes down to use and possibly having to try to get used to a new phone at the same time (Motorola to iphone) but for me there was no advantage to the phone app to offset that. The rtCGM just did not provide any significant benefit and I was getting much more "try again in 10 mins" messages when I get almost none with the reader.

I will say that it surprised me that these mostly very minor issues bothered me or could impact my diabetes management, but they really did. I would wake up in the night to a high or low alarm and occasionally simply not deal with it because I couldn't get my head around operating the app, whereas the reader was just instinctive and I could manage it in the dark and half asleep and be back to sleep in a couple of minutes, even if I needed to inject a correction which I can also manage in the dark.

Libre works absolutely brilliantly for me with the reader (I genuinely love the system) and I very rarely need to double check it with a finger prick for correcting highs or lows, but the phone app was a step back for me that I wasn't prepared to push through for no obvious benefit. Even writing these reasons down, doesn't seem entirely convincing but all I know is that I am even more happy with the reader now, than I was before trying the app!
 
rebrascora said:
Like you I thought maybe I would get used to it and it was just that it was new and different. I gave it 3.5 weeks including a week after the transfer to full CGM..... which was a slight improvement..... but it was such a relief to go back to the reader in the end. I did continue with the app on the phone for a few days afterwards, but I haven't bothered for a week now and won't ever again unless something happens to the reader. It is an emergency back up only as far as I am concerned.

If you start a sensor with the phone then you can't use a reader on that sensor. If you start the sensor with a reader, you can add the phone at any time but the alarms will all be on the reader. I actually had a spare reader when I lost mine but I was only a few days into a new sensor and wouldn't waste it, so I fired up the phone. I was away from home at a show with the horses when the changeover happened and I forgot to take my reader, with thinking about all the other stuff I needed so the next sensor got started with the phone too and in some respects I am pleased that I can say I gave it a decently long and fair trial especially with the change to full CGM a week later. It cured me of any curiosity I might have had about CGM and made me appreciate the reader more.

No idea how you might determine if there is some external factor or you have just been extremely unlucky. I very much doubt Abbott would give you feedback if you returned the defunkt ones. I have not read of anyone else having such issues with the reader and was just trying to think outside the box. Fingers crossed the new one is fine..... Oh and good luch with the phone. I hope you get oin with it much better than I did. The novelty of rtCGM is interesting.
Click to expand...
Thanks for all you have shared. I sometimes feel silly asking questions which are obvious to everyone else!
I still do not like using my phone and missing my reader. I guess when the new one comes, I will try once more.

Well done for persevering and it is good to know what works for us, we are all different.

Thanks so much
 
rebrascora said:
Firstly, I found handling the phone really cumbersome, compared to the reader. Secondly there were too many stages involved with the phone (switching the phone on, selecting the app and selecting scan) plus I have been using the reader from the start, so operating it is second nature and I can do it half asleep or when hypo or both without needing to think at all, just instinctive. Plus the phone app took ages to scan and show a reading and I would end up scanning a second time because the first scan looked to have failed because it took so long to display. Scanning and getting a reading on the reader is pretty well instantaneous. I was also getting some signal loss after the CGM update too, all of which I found knocked my confidence in my ability to manage my diabetes well and caused frustration and a reduction in my TIR. All really minor things except for having problems operating the phone and scanning when hypo and particularly nocturnal hypos which a significant factor in knocking my confidence. I am sure a lot of it comes down to use and possibly having to try to get used to a new phone at the same time (Motorola to iphone) but for me there was no advantage to the phone app to offset that. The rtCGM just did not provide any significant benefit and I was getting much more "try again in 10 mins" messages when I get almost none with the reader.

I will say that it surprised me that these mostly very minor issues bothered me or could impact my diabetes management, but they really did. I would wake up in the night to a high or low alarm and occasionally simply not deal with it because I couldn't get my head around operating the app, whereas the reader was just instinctive and I could manage it in the dark and half asleep and be back to sleep in a couple of minutes, even if I needed to inject a correction which I can also manage in the dark.

Libre works absolutely brilliantly for me with the reader (I genuinely love the system) and I very rarely need to double check it with a finger prick for correcting highs or lows, but the phone app was a step back for me that I wasn't prepared to push through for no obvious benefit. Even writing these reasons down, doesn't seem entirely convincing but all I know is that I am even more happy with the reader now, than I was before trying the app!
Click to expand...
I understand all this. I don't feel so silly now with my resistance to my phone.
 
Bloden said:
I prefer using the reader too. I just whip it out and Flash! - I have my BG reading. With my phone, I have to key in a PIN, open the app, press the phone up against the sensor, the phone says: "No, do it again", I do it again...you get the idea, it's a faff. And my phone is often elsewhere, not superglued to my hand, and doesn't fit comfortably into a trouser pocket, and it's heavy. That's pretty much why I prefer the reader. :D

Sorry to hear about your problematic reader @New-journey - I hope the new one arrives asap.
Click to expand...
Yep, that is me too!

Thanks!
 
Just to give another perspective - my phone has Face ID, so all it takes is, lift phone, touch Libre app which is bang in the centre of my Home Screen, reading is there in front of me! No scanning needed since the update. But each to their own.
 
I actually prefer using my phone because I like to have my phone with me at all times and there is no point me carrying two items of equipment that do the same job. Now with the software update, Libre 2 is a CGM and I just have to look at the screen without scanning to see how I am doing.
 
I’ve got face ID on my phone, but it doesn’t work in the dark! (In fact, annoyingly, it doesn’t work if the light levels are low generally). So it’s much less of a palaver in the night, I don’t even have to open my eyes to grab my reader, press the button, scan, and then I open one eye to read the result.
 
Robin said:
I’ve got face ID on my phone, but it doesn’t work in the dark! (In fact, annoyingly, it doesn’t work if the light levels are low generally). So it’s much less of a palaver in the night, I don’t even have to open my eyes to grab my reader, press the button, scan, and then I open one eye to read the result.
Click to expand...
Oh, that’s odd. I find the light from the phone is enough. Mind you, it has thrown the occasional wobbly when confronted with my “half-asleep scowl” and I need to rearrange my features to match my normally serene appearance!
 
I do not have face recognition but finger print in the middle of the screen will open my phone. My app is always running and usually at the top. If it isn't, it is second nature to bring it to the fore.

The one thing I miss from xDrip is having my current level on the lock screen which made this even easier.

As my pump is controlled via the same app as my CGM, it would be an extra pain carrying a separate reader as I always need my pump controller with me. Again, I could use a PDM (I have a spare one just in case) but that is another thing to carry around and make sure it is charged and ...
 
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