Libre 2 problems - Er3,373

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rob Oldfield

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi all,

Just to flag something up that I can't see posted anywhere. I've had a Libre 1 prescribed for me for the past few years and have found it very good and reliable with rare failures, but following recent visit to the consultant that's been updated to Libre 2. I've been having lots of problems with them - they work fine for a while but then cut out with error saying "Please try again in 10 minutes" (error happening whether reading with the dedicated reader, or a phone. Error code is Er3,373). After a while - 10 minutes, an hour or so - it wakes up again. I've just reported my fourth one out of four used so far to Abbott and they're sending a replacement.

Querying it with the guy on the phone he said that they'd introduced an update and it wasn't going as well as they'd hoped. A manager is supposed to be giving me another call back later today.
 
Call with manager now complete. I did get the manager herself to acknowledge that they have a reliability issue (4 fails out of 4 and counting) but seems that, from a corporate perspective, they're only happy to say that they look at each sensor that comes back to them. As the call was recorded I did suggest that she pass it back to her managers and pointed out that I'd be feeding back the lack of reliability to my diabetes team.
 
Reading social media, forums, etc. there certainly seems to be more problems with Libre 2 than Libre 1. There again, more people are using it and it is not human nature/of any interest to post "I've been using this device for 6 months and never had a problem."
I know some people like @Kaylz has experienced a catalog of failures with Libre 2,
On the other hand (or should I say "arm"?), I have been using Libre 2 for nearly a year and not had any issues.

I have no idea what we are doing differently. I wish I knew and could share some helpful tips (or local water?) with those who have been less fortunate than I.
 
Had trouble with libre 1 not long after starting it, was on older version of software & once reader was updated issue went away, guess not all updates are perfect.

Tbh not had any issues with libre 2 much like helli, hard to fathom out why some people do & others dont, one of lifes mystery's.
 
That error seems to be related to rapidly changing glucose levels. I've had a run of bad sensors which all seemed to be from the same batch, and when I say run I was on to Abbott customer care every week for 8 weeks. Thankfully they seem to have been sorted and the last 4 sensors I've had are working well with only slight deviations from actual blood tests with my Contour One.
 
That doesn't match what I've seen.... the issue coming up where sugar level was fairly static. Having said that where it has started happening and the sensor has come back to life I've also seen reported figures going up and down steeply when it doesn't make sense for that to be happening. Hence I'd be a bit worried that reported rapid changes are actually a symptom of the problem rather than the cause.

For info, I did also ask my support team about this and it does appear that, as long as issues are reported to Abbott, then it's them who pay for the dodgy sensors rather than the NHS.
 
With Libre1 I had the (373) error rarely and at this time I have only recognized it by a whole in the Libreview daily profile. At this time I was guessing that there was a kind of exceptional memory-miss.

Since I have change to Libre2 I have learned that these gaps in the libreview daily are correlated to an (373) error.

But what have drastically increased in the numbers and length of these (373) failures.

I am reaching around 90% sensor-failure rates and I am only changing a sensor if the (373) failure takes longer then 2.5h. Every sensor may have 4-10 (373) failures (30mn - 2.h) before reaching these extreme long (373) failures.

Probably as I am taking 40-60 sensor reading's per day I am running more often into the (373)failures than others. Abott is replacing my failed sensor's without any problems. But I really dislike the unrealiability of the Libre2 sensor and I am hoping for that the Libre3 sensor will be available soon in UK for type1's (NHS).
 
Last edited:
Rob Oldfield said:
Hi all,

Just to flag something up that I can't see posted anywhere. I've had a Libre 1 prescribed for me for the past few years and have found it very good and reliable with rare failures, but following recent visit to the consultant that's been updated to Libre 2. I've been having lots of problems with them - they work fine for a while but then cut out with error saying "Please try again in 10 minutes" (error happening whether reading with the dedicated reader, or a phone. Error code is Er3,373). After a while - 10 minutes, an hour or so - it wakes up again. I've just reported my fourth one out of four used so far to Abbott and they're sending a replacement.

Querying it with the guy on the phone he said that they'd introduced an update and it wasn't going as well as they'd hoped. A manager is supposed to be giving me another call back later today.
Click to expand...
Hi Rob I also had the Libre 1 for just a month then given the Libre 2. When I questioned this was told that the Libre 2 would be better!! I don't think so. I had readings that were 5, 9, 28, 32 etc all over the place. My 'expert' diabetic nurse then said to do a finger test as well at the same time as the Libre 5/6 times a day. Then doing that some readings were different by 7 or 8 units, so which reading do you trust to know what insulin to give? I rang my expert, was too busy and will call me three weeks time! I am now not using the Libre at all, too confusing!!
 
Sirch said:
Hi Rob I also had the Libre 1 for just a month then given the Libre 2. When I questioned this was told that the Libre 2 would be better!! I don't think so. I had readings that were 5, 9, 28, 32 etc all over the place. My 'expert' diabetic nurse then said to do a finger test as well at the same time as the Libre 5/6 times a day. Then doing that some readings were different by 7 or 8 units, so which reading do you trust to know what insulin to give? I rang my expert, was too busy and will call me three weeks time! I am now not using the Libre at all, too confusing!!
Click to expand...
You need to report this to Abbott customer care. They'll replace the faulty sensor
 
Ah. Libre sensors are notoriously unreliable when your BG is either a. changing very quickly b. rather high and c. rather low. They are frequently unreliable immediately after insertion.

To get round the latter, most of us insert a new one before the old one expires but do not activate it till the next day!

Re the first two - always check with a fingerprick if you don't think you're that low/that high.

In any event, if the sensor is not accurate, straight on the phone to Abbott - they ask questions about what's recorded on the reader, they talk you through where to find things so no worries about that.

Finally have you downloaded Libreview so that your clinic can view the results the Libre shows? - they should send you a Link to click to do that.
 
AaronH83 said:
You need to report this to Abbott customer care. They'll replace the faulty sensor
Click to expand...
Thanks I have done so many times now... it is linked to my Diabetic professional who can see it, whom I have told that the reading between the Libre sensor and finger tests are so different by at least 5 or more units that I am not now using the Libre. I was doing finger and Libre test 5/6 times a day, being told that neither were accurate! Which doesn't bode well, it seemed to work out before all this technology was in play. If they must have it why on earth can't they get it right, it is 21st century is it not, if they cannot do it now, then it will not happen in my life time for sure.....a disgrace!
 
Oh - have you really never had a run of boxes and boxes of meter strips that haven't worked properly and given you utterly rubbish results? No meter is guaranteed 100% accurate, they only have to be within 15%.

Bearing in mind we aren't perfect ourselves, perhaps it's unreasonable to expect anything man made to be perfect!
 
Sirch said:
Thanks I have done so many times now... it is linked to my Diabetic professional who can see it, whom I have told that the reading between the Libre sensor and finger tests are so different by at least 5 or more units that I am not now using the Libre. I was doing finger and Libre test 5/6 times a day, being told that neither were accurate! Which doesn't bode well, it seemed to work out before all this technology was in play. If they must have it why on earth can't they get it right, it is 21st century is it not, if they cannot do it now, then it will not happen in my life time for sure.....a disgrace!
Click to expand...
My Libre sensors are almost always within 1mmol of a finger prick as long as I double check them when my levels are nice and stable. When levels are changing rapidly then Libre may well be significantly out compared to a finger prick. as it tries to predict where your reading will be 15mins into the future in order to match it up with BG levels..... Libre measures interstitial fluid rather than blood and there is about 15 mins delay between the two, so the algorithm extrapolates the previous readings to try to predict what the new reading will be in 15 mins. If your levels are changing very rapidly or if you do something to suddenly change things.... ie eat hypo treatment, the algorithm doesn't know that, so continues to predict levels dropping (or rising) when a finger prick will show the actual result.
Many of us were required to do a course/Libre Academy training before we were allowed Libre on prescription and you learn all these quirks from there and how to interpret things or when to double check readings.
Yes, there have been some sensors which have been defective and the Libre 2 seems to be less reliable that the original model which I use, but I have absolute confidence in the readings mine give me to the point that I even do corrections before bed without double checking. I do 2-3 random checks in the first couple of days when I start a new sensor to see how it is performing and after that I mostly just double check hypos although sometimes I don't even need to do that.

It is an amazing bit of kit and really lifechanging for me and I am incredibly grateful to get it on prescription.
I had one sensor about 5 months ago that was a bit more than 2 mmols out and was replaced by Abbott. Prior to that I had occasional problems catching them on things and dislodging them but I invested in an arm strap and not had any problems since then. I have specifically asked to stay with the Original model rather than upgrade to Libre 2 because it works so well for me and Libre 2 has been less reliable for some people.
 
Rob Oldfield said:
Hi all,

Just to flag something up that I can't see posted anywhere. I've had a Libre 1 prescribed for me for the past few years and have found it very good and reliable with rare failures, but following recent visit to the consultant that's been updated to Libre 2. I've been having lots of problems with them - they work fine for a while but then cut out with error saying "Please try again in 10 minutes" (error happening whether reading with the dedicated reader, or a phone. Error code is Er3,373). After a while - 10 minutes, an hour or so - it wakes up again. I've just reported my fourth one out of four used so far to Abbott and they're sending a replacement.

Querying it with the guy on the phone he said that they'd introduced an update and it wasn't going as well as they'd hoped. A manager is supposed to be giving me another call back later today.
Click to expand...
I started on them about 3 weeks ago, had three fall off but every one has come up with that error message more than once.
Whilst on the subject, any deals on a decent plaster cover, glue, basically anything that keeps them on please?
P.S. Joined the page literally ten minutes ago
 
Edgey72 said:
I started on them about 3 weeks ago, had three fall off but every one has come up with that error message more than once.
Whilst on the subject, any deals on a decent plaster cover, glue, basically anything that keeps them on please?
P.S. Joined the page literally ten minutes ago
Click to expand...

Hi Edgey and welcome to the forum. I've not had an issue with them falling off so no advice from me re ways to keep them attached. You might be best posting a fresh question as that might get more reponses.

All the best
 
Edgey72 said:
I started on them about 3 weeks ago, had three fall off but every one has come up with that error message more than once.
Whilst on the subject, any deals on a decent plaster cover, glue, basically anything that keeps them on please?
P.S. Joined the page literally ten minutes ago
Click to expand...
Hi and welcome to the forum.

I bought a 3D printed arm strap off ebay and that works really well for me and was money (£8.95) very well spent. It is just an elastic strap with a plastic watch face which fits over the Libre. They come in a range of colours. I've not lost one since and that was about 8 months ago but mine never "fell off", I just caught them on stuff.... sports bra straps are the worst, but also kept forgetting which arm it was on and giving it a good scrub in a hot shower which lifted an edge before I realised. The strap acts as a visual reminder as well as giving extra protection. It also seems to improve the adhesion to my arm as they are like limpets to remove after 14 days since I started using the strap.

Site preparation is really important though and if yours are "falling off" rather than being caught on things and pulled off then it would suggest you need better skin prep. Ensuring the site is clean and very dry before you apply it. I have dry skin so I also exfoliate and if you have hairy arms it might be a good idea to shave the area. I then give it a blast with the hair drier to ensure it is completely dry before application. The warmth from the hair drier also improves adhesion. I also hold the applicator firmly against my arm for about 60 seconds before I wriggle it free, as I find the applicators snag a bit rather than lift off cleanly and that snagging could easily lift the sensor a bit before it has had time to stick securely and cause the filament to kink, so holding it firmly in place for 60 seconds on warmed dry skin really helps.

Anyway, those would be my top tips for improving adhesion. Hope you reported the problem and Abbott replaced them for you. The NHS should not be funding sensors that have failed for whatever reason.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top