FreeStyle Libre or similar, can anyone suggest the best model for type 2?

[kevinc]

I have type 2 and looking to monitor using a FreeStyle Libre or similar, can anyone suggest the best model for type 2?

 

[helli]

There is not a "best for type 2" or "best for Type 1". There is only a best for you, your body and your requirements.
Libre and Dexcom One are the two cheapest CGMs. Many of us find these are great, others find they are faulty and inaccurate or they fall off.
My recommendation would be to sign up for the Libre 2 trial available from their website and try it out for you.

I also recommend working out why you want a CGM, what you are going to do with the data it provides and whether you need one all the time.
I mention the last bit because they are not cheap - they work out close to £100 per month.

It is also worth becoming aware of the limitations. One of these is that they are designed to be most accurate at "normal" levels. If you are frequently seeing a BG in double figures, you will find any CGM inaccurate for you.

 

[kevinc]

There is not a "best for type 2" or "best for Type 1". There is only a best for you, your body and your requirements.
Libre and Dexcom One are the two cheapest CGMs. Many of us find these are great, others find they are faulty and inaccurate or they fall off.
My recommendation would be to sign up for the Libre 2 trial available from their website and try it out for you.

I also recommend working out why you want a CGM, what you are going to do with the data it provides and whether you need one all the time.
I mention the last bit because they are not cheap - they work out close to £100 per month.

It is also worth becoming aware of the limitations. One of these is that they are designed to be most accurate at "normal" levels. If you are frequently seeing a BG in double figures, you will find any CGM inaccurate for you.

Th

 

[kevinc]

Thanks for the update. I was looking to fine an easier way to track my levels to I can look at the trends

 

[trophywench]

What method(s) do you already use ? Any, or none ?

 

[harbottle]

I used a Libre 2s and found them very useful for trends

 

[kevinc]

What method(s) do you already use ? Any, or none ?

Acute check. Lots of finger pricking.

 

[Leadinglights]

Acute check. Lots of finger pricking.

I hope the lots of finger pricking is giving you useful information to make some changes if it is showing your meals are pushing up blood glucose more than acceptable.
I haven't seen if you have said if you are on any medication for your diabetes but in any event looking for trends, day to day or week to week will tell you if you are on the right track with your diet.

 

[trophywench]

The advantage with the Accu Chek meters is that they come ready to use with Fast Clix finger bodgers which are beyond doubt the kindest to fingers and OK I may have been bodging mine multiple times daily for over 50 years now BUT since you'll know very well you can choose the depth your finger is bodged - mine is still set at 0.5. It has needed to be deeper at times, but not recently. I re-use each of the 6 lancets before turning the cassette of them to the next one, so each cassette lasts about a week. That isn't 100% necessary but just saves the NHS a bit of cash occasionally is all. It's a PITA not knowing what happens overnight but as I have Type 1 and also Libre prescribed, at least we all have some idea what's happening when I'm asleep and at any other random time.

Most important times for yourself at the moment are on waking, then immediately before and 2hrs after all meals and snacks, then again immediately before bed.

Before Libre etc we had no option except to wake up during the night and finger-prick test if we wanted to know what was happening, so I'd leave my meter ready on the bathroom window ledge cos I'd use the loo at the same time - long before I naturally woke to do exactly that!

 

[Proud to be erratic]

Thanks for the update. I was looking to fine an easier way to track my levels to I can look at the trends

In connection with @helli 's comments there are lots of modest differences between Libre 2 and Dexcom One. Two differences that leap out at me are that Lbre 2 allows you to incorporate data about insulin doses and carbs consumed into the app on your phone PLUS any other notes that might be helpful to you. Dexcom One doesn't allow note taking.

Secondly Libre 2 is an all in-one sensor and transmitter which lasts 14 days. Once those 14 days are ended its a discard job and replace with a new sensor. Whereas Dexcom One is a 2 part item - a sensor which lasts only 10 days and a transmitter which lasts 90 days. The significance of this latter difference is that once the Dexcom One transmitter has been started it is counting down its 90 days.

I also recommend working out why you want a CGM, what you are going to do with the data it provides and whether you need one all the time.

So if, as a T2, you wanted to achieve some frugality from having CGM you could realistically have a Libre 2 for 14 days, maximising the opportunity to learn how your body is managing the carbs you are eating. Then have a break - for initially 2 weeks (say) and then start a new sensor to again learn from that new period with different foods and activities etc. Whenever you are not wearing Libre 2 no expense is accruing. But with Dex One from the moment the 2 part unit is started the clock is ticking for the transmitter; the 10 day sensor comes to its natural end and you don't have to fit Dex One sensors in rapid succession - but if you don't the transmitter time is being wasted.

All that said this strategy can only be successful if you and Libre 2 get on OK together. Which was not the case for me. I had 50% Libre 2 failures - all of which were replaced by Abbott - no financial loss but really inconvenient. I also had significant differences between actual BG from finger pricking and Libre 2 readings from interstitial blood and every time a bolus decision was needed I had to finger prick to establish where my BG was. I was eventually prescribed Dex One which was a bit more reliable and readings were closer to actual BG - but I still needed to fp before every bolus decision. I am now self-funding Dex G7, which is a huge improvement in reliability; the basic accuracy is good but G7 can be calibrated to align with actual BG and that is brilliant. G7 is a combined sensor and transmitter, akin to Libre 2, which lasts 10 days. Its warmup time is a maximum of 30 mins but by fitting it before the outgoing sensor has expired and activating it later warmup time is usually only 10 mins.

 

[Lucyr]

@Proud to be erratic wrote out in better words exactly what I would have said. I’d recommend fingerprick if not on insulin, libre2 if on insulin and self funding or not on insulin and want occasional use.