Libre 2 accuracy issue, possible bad batch?

[Ellie Jones]

I start using the Linre 2 sensors on the 12th of this month, and its the reliability which I remember from using the Libre 1 (self funded) I started using them when they first came out, and well at the time ended up as waste of money, constantly not showing any readings, then either finding that they were unacceptably out by a very large margin.

Fair play, Abbott were very good a replacements, but ended with stress and no usable results.

I'm was hoping that as the hospital is now willing to fund them, that they might actually be much more reliable,

 

[MarkC]

I start using the Linre 2 sensors on the 12th of this month, and its the reliability which I remember from using the Libre 1 (self funded) I started using them when they first came out, and well at the time ended up as waste of money, constantly not showing any readings, then either finding that they were unacceptably out by a very large margin.

Fair play, Abbott were very good a replacements, but ended with stress and no usable results.

I'm was hoping that as the hospital is now willing to fund them, that they might actually be much more reliable,

Hi Ellie, I've had my Libre v1 back on for about half a day now and the sensor readings are starting to align with the BS Check. I suspect they are having issues with the v2 and I will be back onto my GP Monday am to have my prescription reverted back to Libre v1. Hopefully, give it a few months and the teething problems will be sorted.

Ref the self-funding, I paid for the sensor myself for years until, by coincidence, my nurse mentioned they were available on prescription. Maybe worth giving your diabetes team a gentle nudge? Good Luck.

 

[helli]

Looks like another "we are all different" scenario.
I find Libre 2 much more accurate than Libre 1.
However, it takes longer to bed in and stabilise - I would insert L1 2 days before activating; L2 needs 3 days.

 

[Ellie Jones]

Hi Ellie, I've had my Libre v1 back on for about half a day now and the sensor readings are starting to align with the BS Check. I suspect they are having issues with the v2 and I will be back onto my GP Monday am to have my prescription reverted back to Libre v1. Hopefully, give it a few months and the teething problems will be sorted.

Ref the self-funding, I paid for the sensor myself for years until, by coincidence, my nurse mentioned they were available on prescription. Maybe worth giving your diabetes team a gentle nudge? Good Luck.

Thankfully its being funded by the hospital,

My Starter pack arrived today, I wasn't expecting it until late next week, as only ordered it on Tuesday... I opted to use my phone, I thought when they said Starter pack, it would be a couple of sensor but no its 1, going to be fun if it goes belly up very quickly.

Mind you the choice using my own phone was good, with theirs I wouldn't be able to upload any data to the Libreview as I use a Mac and they don't support this platform,

 

[Meowsie’s mum]

Hi, I’m also finding that the libre 2 sensors give false high readings eg 16.9 with an arrow straight up when my capillary blood test is 11.8.
I use the reader ( as iPhone no longer compatible ) and yesterday evening this gave an error 9 stating “ The Reader may not be working properly. Turn off your Reader and try again”.
It’s not working and I can’t use it with the blood testing strips either.
Just waiting now for Abbott’s phone line to open on Monday morning! Feel v frustrated.

 

[Proud to be erratic]

Hello @Meowsie’s mum and welcome to the forum. Although I see from looking back you first posted back in mid 2022 - so my welcome should perhaps be saying welcome back!

You happen to have joined a thread that was last active in July 2021; absolutely nothing wrong with that - just that sometimes people posting 18 months ago move on and Libre 2 has received a lot of comments in different postings and threads in the last 18 months! Some in the General Message board and some in the Pumping and Technology board.

Hi, I’m also finding that the libre 2 sensors give false high readings eg 16.9 with an arrow straight up when my capillary blood test is 11.8.

One of the limitations of Libre 2 is that Abbott tell us to verify readings, by finger pricking, which are outside the recognised range of 3.9 to 10. That said your false high of 16.9 (|up) against actual of 11.8 is clearly ridiculous; particularly when remembering that Libre's interstitial reading should be lagging actual BG. Some of us find that when above 10 Libre gets increasingly adrift of actual - but not that much! In my opinion that sensor is probably unfit for purpose, even without a failed reader.

I use the reader ( as iPhone no longer compatible ) and yesterday evening this gave an error 9 stating “ The Reader may not be working properly. Turn off your Reader and try again”.

I had an error 9 message about 2 months after starting on Libre 2 because my original Reader just gave up. Abbott replaced it quite promptly, but that is of no help or consolation to you this Sunday evening. I imagine as someone who's been T1 for such a long time this is more of an inconvenience than a crisis; again no great consolation for you tonight!

It’s not working and I can’t use it with the blood testing strips either.
Just waiting now for Abbott’s phone line to open on Monday morning!

When you do contact Abbott consider requesting a replacement sensor as well as a replacement Reader. Incidentally, you can report faults online to Abbott - but that still won't get this sorted before tomorrow.

Feel v frustrateId.

I fully understand that frustration. My trust in Libre is marred by my own high failure rate.

I'm wondering if you have already come across various postings, in different places, about the "Limitations of Freestyle Libre 2"? Perhaps you are already an experienced Libre user and progressed from the original Libre to Libre 2; if new(ish) to Libre let us know and I can send you a link to those limitations. They aren't official from Abbott - just observations made by forum members and compiled accordingly, in some ways recognition of realities that Abbott don't tell us!

 

[Meowsie’s mum]

Thanks for all this info Proud to be erratic.
I’m never really sure which forum to post on when there’s more than one on the same subject! Still new to this posting game.
I would be interested in finding out other peoples experiences of libre.
I had very few problems with the original sensor and reader just irritating that my phone was suddenly not able to scan the sensor after a year of doing so.
I do believe that Abbott need to invest some of their profits into sorting out these problems and upgrading their present systems before they release the freestyle 3.

 

[Mike88]

Currently experiencing L2 inaccuracy issue of up to 40% out cf finger prick, particularly at the lower end. I am being careful to do a finger prick test first & scan L2 10-15 minutes later to take the lag between CBG & ISF into account. The product specification for both L2 & finger prick meters is to be within 15%, so when comparing to each other there is a potential tolerance of up to 17.25%. At up to 40% under true readings the alarm is often going off telling me I am having a hypo, when I'm not. I contacted Abbott who advised to swap the sensor & they will send a replacement. This has not resolved the issue. I have been using L2 for about a year. I did a lot of parallel finger pricks to validate the sensors worked & they were usually within about 5%, so I reduced second checks. The recent increase in L2 hypo alarms made me think & delve deeper again. My concern is that Abbott have adjusted their algorithm in response to the recent recall, when a batch of sensors was found to be reading too high, but have swung the pendulum a little too far. Of course only Abbott or the MHRA will have enough visibility to know this. Has anyone else just started to have this problem?

Wrt the other points in this discussion: I find if I put a new sensor on after a shower & also prep the area with an alcohol swab & let then skin dry, they stick on for the duration. I usually put my new sensors on in the morning, have 2 sensors in place for the day & then when my older one expires, that evening, the new one has 'soaked' & is ready to go. Some have fallen off but mostly on a hot, humid summers day following a run. One sensor has failed, it would not read. Error message read 'Scanning error. Try again in 10 minutes', which happens sometimes. This happened for half an hour so I called Abbott & they advised to swap & they would replace.

If anyone has direct experience of using both L2 & L3, it would be great to hear how they compare, especially accuracy. Likewise, if anyone has first hand experience of a G7 plus L2/3.

Best of luck.

 

[stuart.grier]

Hi. I have used Libre Style 1 and 2 sensors. I was transferred to the Libre2 sensors, i thought they were good. How wrong I was!. The Libre2 sensors fail whereas the Libre1 did not. With 5 days left, the reader says it cannot detect the sensor. This is an annoyance.

But, i doubt the accuracy. I did a scan, the Libre said the BM was 5.4, but a finger prick said my BM was 2.4. The 10% accuracy is rubbish. A 10% difference either way would give a reading between 4.8 and 6.

I have just done another comparison:

Finger prick - 8.9
Libre2 - 15.7

With just the Libre2, i could have done a correction doze, and sent me to a hypo. No thanks!

I am going to stay with the finger prick testing until Abbott sort these devices out

 

[stuart.grier]

Hello @Meowsie’s mum and welcome to the forum. Although I see from looking back you first posted back in mid 2022 - so my welcome should perhaps be saying welcome back!

You happen to have joined a thread that was last active in July 2021; absolutely nothing wrong with that - just that sometimes people posting 18 months ago move on and Libre 2 has received a lot of comments in different postings and threads in the last 18 months! Some in the General Message board and some in the Pumping and Technology board.

One of the limitations of Libre 2 is that Abbott tell us to verify readings, by finger pricking, which are outside the recognised range of 3.9 to 10. That said your false high of 16.9 (|up) against actual of 11.8 is clearly ridiculous; particularly when remembering that Libre's interstitial reading should be lagging actual BG. Some of us find that when above 10 Libre gets increasingly adrift of actual - but not that much! In my opinion that sensor is probably unfit for purpose, even without a failed reader.

I had an error 9 message about 2 months after starting on Libre 2 because my original Reader just gave up. Abbott replaced it quite promptly, but that is of no help or consolation to you this Sunday evening. I imagine as someone who's been T1 for such a long time this is more of an inconvenience than a crisis; again no great consolation for you tonight!

When you do contact Abbott consider requesting a replacement sensor as well as a replacement Reader. Incidentally, you can report faults online to Abbott - but that still won't get this sorted before tomorrow.

I fully understand that frustration. My trust in Libre is marred by my own high failure rate.

I'm wondering if you have already come across various postings, in different places, about the "Limitations of Freestyle Libre 2"? Perhaps you are already an experienced Libre user and progressed from the original Libre to Libre 2; if new(ish) to Libre let us know and I can send you a link to those limitations. They aren't official from Abbott - just observations made by forum members and compiled accordingly, in some ways recognition of realities that Abbott don't tell us!

Hi

I am a Libre2 user, for almost 1 year, and before that a Libre1 user. I have had multiple failures "cannot detect sensor" with 5 or 6 days left. The Libre1 never did this. Also the +/- 10% is rubbish too on the Libre2. I have contacted Abbott numerous tines, and received replacement sensors.


I have list faith in the Libre2, and returning to finger-prick testing.


Cheers.

 

[VICTOR HILL]

yes only the odd rogue one say s i was 14.3 then finger blood check was 4.3 done twice just to double check on the accurate scale possible ten percent but normal range very good and reassuring at night and day time as like today cutting hedges in very hot weather helps me to reduce basil rates by up to 40 % for maybe a 2 /3 period
new item on LOW BLOOD SUGARS MAY BE LINKED LOW BLOOD PRESSURE ref an item on tv the other morning do you what I can relate to that theory well keep safe and well
last hbac1 7.2
not bad kidney tranplant 2006 lymphoma 2 years ago kemp to deal with that but all good VIC INSULIN 66 YEARS