Freestyle Libre v Freestyle 2

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Andy777

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi All
As a newcomer to sensors I was amazed to find that 75% of reviewers on Trustpilot.com rated Freestyle 2 as bad and a further 9% rated it poor. I am using Freestyle Libre Reader (a donated gift) and Freestyle Libre sensors but had intended to upgrade both to the new versions 2. In the light of those reviews, I'm wondering if I should just stick with my present arrangement. I'm happy with my sensor, I don't need alarms, I can see which foods send my bs upwards. I can see that my readings fluctuate in the afternoons. Reviewers are saying that the only differences in censor 2 are the alarms and the resulting lower battery life.
Do any of you prefer the original reader and sensor and if so, why?
cheers,
Andy
 
There are other differences with Libre 2
- the algorithm used to convert interstitial fluid readings (ISRs) to blood glucose (BG). Libre 2 algorithm attempts to take into consideration the 15 minute delay between ISR and BG. It does this by extrapolating the trend to “predict“ the current value
- the Bluetooth signal transmits the BG and the app uses this to determine whether to alarm or not. This signal can be hijacked by unofficial apps such as xDrip which can be used as a CGM without the need for a sensor add on such as a Miaomiao. As well as the convenience of glancing at the Lock Screen of my phone to get my current BG instead of needing to scan the sensor, I am able to use xDrip to calibrate the sensor making it more accurate.

I guess these features are more suited to someone using insulin. For me, this makes Libre 2 a superior version, especially as I do not experience any more sensor failures than I did with Libre 1. As for lower battery life, I don’t recognise this as a problem. The sensor battery has never expired in more than a year of use and Libre 2 zaps no more phone battery than Libre 1 plus Miaomiao.

I cannot make any comment about the reader as I need my phone to control my insulin pump and see no reason to carry additional gadgets around with me.
 
Thank you, Helli

I should have added that both my wife and I are deaf and do not own a smart phone. I was trying to address those who used a reader, not a phone. I remain concerned that 84% of reviewers rated Libre 2 censors poorly.
 
Andy777 said:
Thank you, Helli

I should have added that both my wife and I are deaf and do not own a smart phone. I was trying to address those who used a reader, not a phone. I remain concerned that 84% of reviewers rated Libre 2 censors poorly.
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Far from poor, find device more accurate than 1 version, made switch when 2 became available & not had issues since , mind only use phone app but cant see what difference that would make to reader.
 
It’s probably the case that people who get on fine with the Libre 2 (like me) have never bothered to write a review. I use the reader, and yes, it needs charging more often, but only once every few days instead of once a week. Worth it, for me, to be able to have it alert me that I'm dropping when I'm gardening, so I can have a snack and carry on, instead of waiting til I get hypo symptoms, then have to stop and recover.
 
I am prescribed Libre 2 and use a reader. Haven’t had any problems at all in the five months I’ve been using it. ( Previously self funded its predecessor). No sensors failed at all, reader needs charging more as @Robin mentioned, but for a insulin user the alarms are the winner. If you’re happy with the original Libre and don’t require alarms I would carry on until it’s obsolete.
 
Hi. I have the same concerns as yourself. I find the original great and it works very well for me even as an insulin dependent diabetic. I find it accurate enough to bolus from (calculate insulin doses) even in the middle of the night to do a correction without double checking with a finger prick. I have a lot of confidence in how it works for me. I have pretty good hypo awareness and don't feel I would benefit from the alarms and may find them intrusive..... all alarm systems have erroneous activations and I value my sleep and the sleep of my partner.
I know of several members who have had significant problems with Libre 2 when they didn't with the original model, so I have been apprehensive about getting the upgrade which my consultant sanctioned in June last year but hasn't yet materialized on my prescription. My concerns about the upgrade were such that when I spoke to him last week I asked him to cancel my upgrade and leave me on the original for now. It works well for me and I don't feel that I stand to gain a great deal from the Mark II model and could be one of the unlucky ones who have problems with it. I am pretty sure I would end up disabling the alarms a lot of the time, particularly over night and then probably forget to reinstate them in the morning. I too use the reader and like the long battery life which I know would be affected by the upgrade.

For me the original does a great job and I am sticking with it.
 
It's a bit mixed for me. Libre 2 is generally very accurate for me when I'm not very active (much closer than Libre 1). However I find the algorithm struggles more with exercise. More "scan again in 10 minutes" messages than Libre 1, just when I need them! Also, it takes a while to realise that I've stopped exercising. I've started to ignore the straight down arrow at that point and it usually (but not always!) levels out again.

The alarms are brilliant. I would have been really struggling at work over the last couple of weeks without them.

I have had to contact Abbott about 2 of Libre 2 sensors which were reading much higher than blood glucose. They were so high that the alarms were useless.

So, for me - love the alarms but I've found when they're inaccurate they are really inaccurate.
 
soupdragon said:
Libre 2 is generally very accurate for me when I'm not very active (much closer than Libre 1). However I find the algorithm struggles more with exercise. More "scan again in 10 minutes" messages than Libre 1, just when I need them!
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That matches my experience. Not really a strong reason for not moving to Libre 2 from Libre 1, but slightly irritating.
soupdragon said:
Also, it takes a while to realise that I've stopped exercising.
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Well, you'd expect 15 minutes or so, just because.

I've been using the alarms only intermittently (mostly I just have them turned off) so I'm still not sure how valuable they'll end up being.
 
I have the Libre 2 and have had no issues. Sometimes the hypo warning is out of kilter, but that is probably due to it taking into consideration the 15 minute lag - for example I spoke to my DSN recently about a spate of several hypos over the course of a few days and she said "We only consider a hypo to be a reading below 4", to which I replied "Erm... I know. I keep dropping below 4". Turns out the graph was showing me constantly above 4, but when I told her to check the 'log' she realised the issue.
 
I average about 1 hypo a day according to Libre. My consultant accepts that Libre reads low and that only a very tiny percentage of the hypos it records for me are very low, so he is not worried about the red on my graph and neither am I.
 
I've been on Libre2 since last June. I have had only 1 that was inaccurate - it read about 3mmol higher than finger pricks - and Abbott replaced it. I use my phone and frankly have had far less hypos since I've been on it, because I am able to fend them off with a small snack when the alarm goes off saying I am 4.2. I suspect, as Robin says, those people who find it absolutely fine don't write reviews.

However, @Andy777, if you are deaf and T2 then I doubt you would find any advantage in swapping.
 
Pattidevans said:
However, @Andy777, if you are deaf and T2 then I doubt you would find any advantage in swapping.
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I was wondering about that this evening. District nurse was almost 2 hours late this morning. My wakening bs was 12.6 but had soared to 26.8 (because I ate breakfast) by the time she arrived to give me insulin. The higher dose of insulin sent me into a hypo and my reading had dropped to 2.9 at 19.16 hours, just before dinner. An alarm then would have been very useful but neither of us would be able to hear it. I don't suppose I could have my reader modified to a sonic, vibrating alarm, the same as my alarm clock?

Thank you to all those you replied here. It will certainly help me get to grips with the minor problems that continually turn up. Thank you all.
cheers,
Andy
 
Andy777 said:
District nurse was almost 2 hours late this morning. My wakening bs was 12.6 but had soared to 26.8 (because I ate breakfast) by the time she arrived to give me insulin.
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Do you not dose your own insulin Andy?

It must be very difficult for you to have to rely on others like that.

If your nurse is late again, it sounds like it would be helpful for you to wait until you’ve had your jab before eating?
 
Andy777 said:
I was wondering about that this evening. District nurse was almost 2 hours late this morning. My wakening bs was 12.6 but had soared to 26.8 (because I ate breakfast) by the time she arrived to give me insulin. The higher dose of insulin sent me into a hypo and my reading had dropped to 2.9 at 19.16 hours, just before dinner. An alarm then would have been very useful but neither of us would be able to hear it. I don't suppose I could have my reader modified to a sonic, vibrating alarm, the same as my alarm clock?

Thank you to all those you replied here. It will certainly help me get to grips with the minor problems that continually turn up. Thank you all.
cheers,
Andy
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Andy, when I gave my advice about you not seeing any advantage in changing to Libre 2, it was based on the fact that you were T2. At that point you had not told us that you were on insulin. That changes matters altogether and it seems you would indeed benefit from warnings about hypos. As others have said, the L2 has a vibrate setting, which may well alarm you if it was carried on your person.

Can you tell us what insulin you are taking? I also echo what @everydayupsanddowns says about perhaps delaying your meal until you have had your injection.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Do you not dose your own insulin Andy?

It must be very difficult for you to have to rely on others like that.

If your nurse is late again, it sounds like it would be helpful for you to wait until you’ve had your jab before eating?
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No, my wife has always done that 🙂 but can no longer do it. I'm always starving every morning and cannot wait to start breakfast as soon as my carers have showered and dressed me. Usually I am mid-way through breakfast when the nurse arrives, but yesterday she was very late. Don't forget the carers too are often delayed elsewhere and my wife then sometimes gives me a little snack to eat in bed while I am waiting.
As an administrator, please kindly show me where I can learn to add my notes under my signature to save me having to repeat my details.
This website is a Godsend. Thank you so very much to all the kind members who have offered me much needed, much appreciated, advice.
Will try the vibrator on my reader now. (I have no manual as the reader was donated to me.)
cheers,
Andy
 
If you are hungry and can't wait to eat, would something low carb be possible to tide you over, like an egg or a chunk of cheese which won't spike your levels until you have had your insulin. Going high and then coming skydiving back down makes you feel shocking as well as not being good for your fine blood vessels, so best avoided if at all possible. It is particularly a problem on a morning due to your liver pumping out glucose to give you an energy boost to start the day, so levels will rise even without food but a low carb snack can often stop or reduce that Dawn Phenomenon effect.

You mentioned that you hypoed after the nurse gave you your insulin. Was that because she adjusted your insulin dose for the high reading because you had eaten? Does she take your BG reading from a finger prick or the Libre. The reason I ask is that Libre is less accurate at high levels and will often show you higher than you actually are in the same way as at low levels it usually shows you lower than you are in reality. So if the nurse is using your Libre reading and calculating a correction from that then it is likely to be too much. It is always advisable to do a finger prick in such situations.

As regards putting the Libre on vibrate mode you need to press the button to switch it on and then press it again to get the option of scan or review history. In the top right hand corner of that screen is a cog and if you touch that it comes up with the settings menu. The top option is Sound&Vibration and if you select that you will see an option to turn the vibration on.

As regards signature, if you go to the top of the page and click on your username which is to the right of the Learning Zone tab and next to the search facility. Click on the username itself not the envelope or bell. That will give you a drop down menu where hopefully you will see signature as an option. Click on that and Type whatever you like which is appropriate and then save.

Hope some of the above is helpful to you. Sounds like you are a bit up against it!
 
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