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FREESTYLE LIBRE ??????????

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paul.johnson

paul.johnson

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Has anybody used this finger pricking free device on here ? ive read such weird reports about it, sounds excellent, as no pricking necessary, but a bit hiss and miss with levels . All sounds very expensive if we have to pay £59 every 14 days for the sensors. thanks for your comments
 
Hi Paul

I am 9 days into my first sensor. Yes it is expensive, but I have found it very good for identifying patterns my BG.

The readings in the Libre are a bit out from my Accu Check Combo, but I think that is partly due to the position of my sensor which is too far towards the front rather than right on the back of my upper arm. I also found that they we closer together when I was more hydrated.

I have used it in particular to check overnight basal rates, whilst sleeping through it all. Bliss. It has been easy to check the adjustment as I just download the scans of the next night. There are obviously differences depending on a lot of other factors but I am happy to see the shape of the graph. (It is well worth using the software).

I was also very surprised at the extent of the post meal spikes, and have been pleased to see how these have dropped by working on the timing of my bolus for meals, delivering up to 40 minutes before eating, depending on my BG at the time.

A simple scan also picked up a skanky cannula today, as it showed a sharp rise continuously over two hours.

All in all I will have another go as there is more to find out, and the patterns that show up are helping me sort this out. I also like on the reports the estimate of an HbA1c.
 
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Hi Paul, yes there are a few of us who use one, myself included. I find it excellent for spotting trends, and giving me a fuller picture. I can't afford to use one all the time, but I use it for holidays, and for when I need to review my insulin requirements or check for spikes. (The sensors come down to just under £50 when the VAT is taken off, for which you get the option at the check out when you order). Type 'Libre' into the search box at the top right of this page, and you'll find several threads with all sorts of discussion about it that has cropped up over the past year.
 
I love it. I've got it on right now.

For constant glucose monitoring it's not that expensive. It's the cheapest on the market. I still do my finger checks. I use this to spot patterns. (My tester talks to my pump). And they say you still need to test if you're high or low (especially low).
 
Yes it's great - for all the reasons mentioned above! It doesn't completely rule out finger pricking, but certainly reduces the amount that we do. Much easier when I want to check my daughter in the night, can just swipe instead of faffing about finger pricking. We've found the sensors accurate enough most of the time to be able to trust them, although sometimes it declares her to be hypo when she isn't (she knows if she feels hypo though, if in any doubt we do blood test to check). It's great having the graphs, and just knowing whether your blood sugar is rising or falling is so useful! E.g. One night we were putting daughter to bed, Libre read 6.6 which I would have said great for bedtime, but it also showed that she was dropping fast, not good as she'd probably have been hypo in half an hour! So a preventative jelly baby was taken, with finger prick only we wouldn't have known we needed that and then would have been dealing with a nasty hypo later on.

As far as the cost goes - well yes I suppose we are lucky that we can afford to buy it at the moment, but the bottom line is, if you think that full CGM data would be useful for you, but you can't get it funded on the NHS, then it's by far the cheapest option to fund yourself. Even if you can't afford to fund it all the time, would it be useful sometimes, e.g.for basal testing, holidays, times when unusual things are going on? It really boils down to how useful that information would be for you. I love it, daughter loves being able to scan and not prick fingers most of the time (although we still do about 3 a day for bolusing and to check that sensor is working) and we'd really miss it now if we had to go back to finger pricking only!
 
There's a lot of threads here on the Libre - if you a forum search you'll find a lot of info. I think one of our members was also one of the initial UK Guinea pigs for it too.
 
I've just got mine today early birthday present looks good only thing I'm worried about is it falling off as I sweat loads at night not sure what I can put on it
 
Great thanks got it on feels good went to chemist and all they had was opsite flexigrid or mepore
 
DeusXM said:
There's a lot of threads here on the Libre - if you a forum search you'll find a lot of info. I think one of our members was also one of the initial UK Guinea pigs for it too.
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I believe @Sally71's daughter was one of the people in the child trial, although there was someone else who was one of the initial (adult) testers.
 
Yes we were :D

I think it was @everydayupsanddowns who did the adult trial, think he even blogged about it.
 
Good example of trend spotting. Had a hot cross bun for lunch, and then went for a long walk. You can tell what happened when.....
image.jpeg
 
Why did you dip before lunch, Robin?

What I'm getting at is, if you hadn't dipped, what effect would that have on the spike (cos it wouldn't necessarily be the same shape but higher) AND - what would then have happened with the exercise drop. The spikes and troughs tend to be more pronounced when you aren't dead level (ish LOL) beforehand ?????
 
trophywench said:
Why did you dip before lunch, Robin?

What I'm getting at is, if you hadn't dipped, what effect would that have on the spike (cos it wouldn't necessarily be the same shape but higher) AND - what would then have happened with the exercise drop. The spikes and troughs tend to be more pronounced when you aren't dead level (ish LOL) beforehand ?????
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I dipped because I did my Bolus 40 minutes before lunch, in anticipation of the bun spike! (I thought that would be early enough) Good job Easter only comes round once a year.
I should also have checked my Libre earlier on the walk and eaten a preemptive fruit pastille. Normally a slower release lunch would have carried me through. I got carried away with the scenery, and it was only when I said to my daughter, 'Oh I can hear a ber..ber...kestrel no Kite no, er, Ber.. Buzzard, that she said, Mum, check your BG!
 
LOL - my boss used to say that to me !!

Birds of prey ....... I well remember Michael Bentine (the only Englishman from Peru) dressed as an Arab, discussing with his viewers about the widespread presence of different kinds of them in 'his' part of the world. I recall well that he specifically mentioned a really common one there - apparently, called the Shiite Hawk .........
 
Good grief @Robin, how level were you before lunch??!!! Wish we could do that!!

Although having said that, daughter was fairly level this morning, albeit a bit high. (9-ish). But as we have been in Hypo City half the time recently it was nice for her to be a bit more stable for a change!

Gone far too high this afternoon now though so think I'll have to start putting basal back up again. Grrrr...
 
Sally71 said:
Good grief @Robin, how level were you before lunch??!!! Wish we could do that!!

Although having said that, daughter was fairly level this morning, albeit a bit high. (9-ish). But as we have been in Hypo City half the time recently it was nice for her to be a bit more stable for a change!

Gone far too high this afternoon now though so think I'll have to start putting basal back up again. Grrrr...
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That was a combination of a ferocious Dawn Rise ( unpredictable, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't), with 3 units of insulin and a nearly carb free avocado for breakfast! So more luck than judgement.
 
I wish mine was as level as that as well. 🙄 I seem to remember reading ages ago that the longer you've had it the more difficult it is to control. Or am I clutching at straws to excuse my own incompetence?
 
Matt Cycle said:
I wish mine was as level as that as well. 🙄 I seem to remember reading ages ago that the longer you've had it the more difficult it is to control. Or am I clutching at straws to excuse my own incompetence?
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I must say, at only 9 years in, I may well have a bit of residual pancreatic activity.
 
I just reviewed my graphs since starting using the Libre. They were more level on the first day than on any other, but I know what has caused each dip and lump. Life just gets in the way sometimes and the early delivery is just not possible when out for lunch, home cooking works well until there is an unexpected delay... Good to see that estimated HbA1c is still good thoug. Now I want to see if I can get it a bit lowere with all that I have learnt from the Libre.

Decided to put another sensor in for the next fortnight. I wonder if it is a bit addictive!
I will just have to order Nther for our holidays later in the year.
 
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