Libra sensor dangerously inaccurate.

[everydayupsanddowns]

I was told they need at least 5mm of fat for the filament. When I placed sensors on leaner parts of my arm, I found them very inaccurate and needed replacing. When I found some fat, they were much better

I find that too @helli - my sensors need to have a bit of ‘padding’ to sit in. So for me, the back of arm is reliable, but when I strayed round too far onto the shoulder I had my only failed Simplera to date.

Really sorry you’ve had such a difficult time with the Libre sensor @Tye7 - someone I know always used to say that sensors ‘choose’ their person. You may well find that Dexcom 1 suits you much better.

More recently Libre was found to be accurate enough (for the majority of users) to be involved as part of Hybrid Closed Loop systems. But as you have found Your Diabetes May Vary.

In terms of fingerstick meters, you might find this table of the allowable variation under ISO guidance (copied from the useful links thread). It explains why 2 fingerprick readings close together can give different numbers.

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BG meter accuracy
It can be quite disconcerting for members new to self monitoring of blood glucose to get different results from BG readings taken close together, even when carefully following manufacturers guidance (washing hands etc). All meters for sale in the UK should comply with the following ISO standards 95% of the time, which allows a degree of variation (and 5% of results can read anything at all). If in any doubt, or if a reading doesn’t match how you are feeling, you should check again with a fresh strip.

 

[Satan’s little helper]

@Satan’s little helper - If you are referring to my comment I am not "the" doctor but a proper Dr like many others on the with a PhD in a non medical subject. I make the point to make sure that new comers to the forum are not misled.

The nature of this forum? I was under the impression you were a from your chosen username an HCP. My mistake.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

The readings that I get are always in the very high teens, sensor 18, Blood 6.5.

That is a bit wild. On the other hand that's the kind of situation where you might expect glucose measuring to be a bit out. Your blood chemistry is probably varying with exercise unusually quickly and goodness knows what the interstitial fluid is doing. (Which is annoying since that's the kind of situation where it would be really helpful to be warned about hypos, but that's life.)

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I'm considering it, thank you.

It's worth considering. Some people do find Dexcom works better for them (for whatever reason), though others find Libre works better.

 

[Merluza]

I find that some applications of the sensor tend to underestimate while others are surprisingly dead on compared with finger prick results. This can be a bit difficult, you get used to the fact that the CGM is under then switch to one that is spot one and by the time you've adjusted you are back to the other.

Some of the sensors are duff but mostly I think it's to do with how you have applied it, otherwise known as user error. Put it in the wrong place and you won't get accurate results but there is a mixture of luck and judgement involved in the application.

In general they work well enough but you need to pay attention to how it's performing and act accordingly. I wouldn't want to use one as part of a closed loop system but people do, and do so successfully, so they are not the disaster that the OP suggests.