Freestyle libre 2

I

ian br

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hello
Recently started using freestyle libre 2 monitoring system. Just wondering if anyone has used and what thoughts are of it. Seems to get terrible reviews online and some even say it's dangerous, innacurate readings etc leading to false lows or highs and taking wrong course of action. I've decided to use the 15 day free trial to try and see what reactions I have to certain foods and perhaps build up a database of what and what not to eat.
Would be grateful for any feedback
 
Many of us use it and find it fantastic.
However, it does have limitations and many of those who complain about its inaccuracy do not understand them.
Sadly Abbott (and other CGM vendors) do not share these.

H

Thread 'CGM limitations and precautions'

Moderator Note: This helpful reply was copied from another thread as it details some of the commonly experienced limitations of continuous glucose sensors.

MarinaDE said:
My blood sugar has been in perfect range for days now, but although I haven't changed anything, I'm starting to get very short periods of hypos while I sleep and this morning I had a hypo alarm.
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If these are very short periods of lows and occur overnight, they are more likely to be compression lows - when pressure is applied to a sensor, it will report a false low. The reason I say this is more likely to happen at...
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ian br said:
Just wondering if anyone has used and what thoughts are of it.
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Lots of us do. They have known limitations (like compression lows) and now and again one seems to just read much too low (maybe because it never inserted correctly). And it seems not to work well for some people, so it's great that there's at least Dexcom One+ in the same price range.
 
Love my Libre. I’ve tried Dexcom G6, G7 & One+ on free trials and none of them was any more “accurate” than Libre 2.

Unfortunately many users are too hung up on numbers - the value is in trends and the arrows that tell them where they’re headed. Those who say Libre is “dangerous” are not using it properly. Highs, lows and unexpected results should ALWAYS be checked with a finger prick.

For every bad review there are probably dozens of satisfied users - but you’ll never hear from them….
 
Robin said:
I’m another who has always got on well with the Libre. But as others have said, I've never posted that anywhere, whereas if I’d had a problem I probably would have done, so I suspect I’m part of the 'silent majority' of satisfied customers.
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Ain’t that the truth? It’s the same with most things you research. Unhappy folk (me included) will moan when something behaves poorly, very few post with, “yippee, nothing gone wrong today. Again!”
 
I love my Libre2. Never had a problem and very rarely get compression lows. Always have it on the back of my arm. I am now waiting to get the Libre2 + which lasts 15 days and hopefully less scanning. Good luck, whatever you decide on.
 
Dianusia said:
Never had a problem and very rarely get compression lows.
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I've been using them since 2017 or so, self funding and then prescribed from 2019. (Libre then Libre 2 and now Libre 2 plus.) They've all worked fine for me apart from a handful of sensors which failed early or never even started. I presume I could switch over to Dexcom but Libre is working fine.
 
I have been using them since just after they came out. Firstly funding them myself and then on prescription - I find them extraordinarily accurate for me and have rarely had a failure. I have just put a new one on so this morning I did a BG test to see how accurate it is. Libre 2+ 8.4 blood test 8.6 that's the kind of accuracy I expect.

Just had a memory of seeing my consultant not long after I started using them. His verdict was "Very nice, but you'll never get them on prescription. Just think what it would cost us" Now almost every T1 at the clinic is using them and nearly every T1 at the clinic is on a hybrid closed loop system.
 
I'm fairly new with Libre 2 and made the mistake to think they were as accurate lime my blood glucose test strips they are not. For me there is a tolerance of 1.00 unit. Also beware at night the reads can be sporadic as you move your arm or wherever your CGM is located, again do not stress or over worry.

However now that I know this I can carry using Libre as an effective tool, which provides me helpful insights into my BG, when I do go very low, I still revert to the blood test strips to be sure.

The way I see it there are a lot more postlitives than negatives overall.
 
@ian br
I've actually just tested and the results on the 2 devices were very similar
(I spend to much of my day driving so I still finger prick test as per DVLA requirements when driving)

Been using CGM since it was recommended yo me by @PattiEvans on the forum at the time I was having hypos (and was trying to get my medication sorted) which I did thankfully.

OK so for us T2,s maybe CGM isn't as necessary as Insulin Dependent Diabetics (although Im T2 I also take insulin) I hope you get on well with CGM, and it helps you understand best way to manage being Diabetic,
don't forget to also try the DexcomOne+ on their trial
 

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How do you know the blood test strips are right and the libre wrong?
 
I ment to also say, yes to some CGM can if you don't understand the difference between what they are reading and a drip of blood they can look inaccurate sometimes
some people say negative things, I've found at first I had on me, on the wrong part of my arm and in bed wasn't getting correct readings, plus knocked on door frames, but never dislodged

I now wear it on the back of my upper arm,
Ive actually had a few replaced by Abbott, but only one totally failed and abbott sent a replacement without asking to many questions, another one stopped one evening I contacted Abbott they offered to send another which obviously I gratefully accepted, then before I removed it it started and went on to work the full 15 days.
are you self funding ? @ian br
 
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Love, love, love my Libre! Been using them for 4.5 years. Knocked a few off in the early days or caught them and loosened them which caused them to fail early and think I have probably had 2 or 3 faulty ones in that time of pretty well continuous use and Abbott have always been very good about replacing them.

As stated, it is important to understand their limitations and quirks in order to get the best from them but worth every penny when I self funded and so grateful to the NHS to now provide them on prescription.
 
I went to Turkey and the sensor failed and I was gutted that I do not take a replacement, but Abbott replaced it when I came back to the UK.

Also if you look online you can buy these cgm stickers which help to keep it from coming off, the only issue you may have, is to shave your arms first around the area (if you have a lot if hair) as when you take off the sticker off it can be painful, as I witnessed 🙂
 
Hope you get on really well with them @ian br

Let us know how you get on!
 
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