Libre 2 Trial

[nonethewiser]

Well my 2 week trial is up. After a bit of fence sitting and not fully trusting it I have really come around to the idea and actually can see a lot of benefit in the data I was getting, so decided I would like to continue it. I guess I still have trust issues with the readings, and still tend to back them up with finger prick tests, but I'm trying to only do that when necessary i.e. when my readings are very high or low. Talked to my DSN and they are putting me on a 6 month trial, as over the last couple of weeks I couldn't see the impact exercise was having on my levels due to me visiting an osteopath to help fix a neck injury I've been carrying for a couple of years, but now I'm ready to start regular exercise again so am really looking forward to seeing the results through the Libre, and the impact exercise has.

Nice one, great device so informative.

 

[CivicFreak]

I'm delighted for you that your 2 weeks trial gave you an awareness of the benefit and that your DSN is extending your trial for a further 6 months.

There are some limitations with Libre and I deliberately didn't push these to you previously, but given your forthcoming 6 months with Libre you may find the detail below informative and useful.

I captured these from @helli on 23 Dec 21 (who replied to you at #3 in this thread) and I just added a couple of nuances/comments from that capture:

"My advice would be to be fully aware of the limitations of libre.

- it may be less accurate for the first couple of days. Many of us insert it 48 hours before activating.
- it is calibrated to be accurate for “normal“ readings (between 4 and 10mmol/l). Therefore, always check with a finger prick test before correcting treating a hypo or correcting a high.
- Libre does not read blood sugars, which finger pricking does. It reads interstitial fluid which is behind blood sugars: claimed by Abbott as 2.1 mins for children and 2.4 mins for adults, more usually c.5mins and up to 15 mins. Libre 2 extrapolates the current trend to predict the last 15 minutes. This is fantastic most of the time. However, if the trend changes, it can over shoot. This is especially important when treating a hypo - always check your hypo has finished with a finger prick and treat again if still low; Libre will lag and could undershoot, saying you are still low even when recovery is happening - so trust your finger prick result.
- sometimes a rapid change confuses the sensor algorithm and it stalls, giving a Sensor Error message code 373; try again in 10 mins.
- some Libre sensors are faulty. If you have a sensor which is always off by a couple of mmol/l or reports a fault, report it to Abbott by phone (or e-mail). They will probably replace it and may ask you to return the faulty sensor so don’t throw it away.
- if your sensor falls off, Abbott have been known to replace the sensor if the adhesive is poor for your skin. There are several suggestions in this forum for improving adhesion or protecting the sensor.

Once you have got used to Libre, you can look to do things like:
- look for trends which suggest you need to pre-bolus earlier or later.
- look for trends which may suggest your basal isn't lasting between doses.
- see what happens overnight (do you experience Dawn Phenomenon or Foot on the Floor syndrome?).
- see what happens with exercise and general activity.
- you can use the phone app of LibreLink; or register and go to the LibreView website for more detailed analysis and reports.

If you are tech minded, you may want to consider converting Libre 2 to a CGM so you don’t need to scan it. There are a number of options for this depending upon your phone, whether your diabetes team are checking your readings online and how techy you are. But they are not official and written by techies for techies." NB Diabox is written by a diabetic techie for diabetics.

Good luck.

Thanks for all of the advice that's really useful stuff! Yes I did find that the first few days it was less accurate as it was "bedding in" I think this contributed to my initial lack of trust, but as the days went on I found myself less reliant on the finger prick, and tried to some extent to wean myself off them, and only use them when my Libre readings were outside of "normal" range. Really like the level on information you get from it, particularly seeing what happens to my levels overnight so I can determine whether I need to adjust my background insulin or not. I'm still relatively new and very much still learning with type 1 diabetes in general, having originally been diagnosed in 2017 as type 2, only to then be re-diagnosed as type 1 in 2020 after a few complications. After a rocky start and trust issues, I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can achieve with the Libre 🙂

Weirdly I was also a bit concerned about what having what I thought was a needle (I now know it's a flexible filament thanks to @everydayupsanddowns) stuck in my arm for 2 weeks might do to me - will it be rejected? Will it be painful? Will my skin be ok under the sensor when I can't clean it for 2 weeks? Of course these concerns were all irrational, but I'm not used to having something permanently stuck to my skin 🙂

 

[CivicFreak]

Nice one, great device so informative.

Yes it is. Took me a while to trust it, but the last few days before the sensor expired I really got to see the benefits. Looking forward to see what I can achieve over the next 6 months 🙂

 

[Proud to be erratic]

Thanks for all of the advice that's really useful stuff! Yes I did find that the first few days it was less accurate as it was "bedding in" I think this contributed to my initial lack of trust, but as the days went on I found myself less reliant on the finger prick, and tried to some extent to wean myself off them, and only use them when my Libre readings were outside of "normal" range. Really like the level on information you get from it, particularly seeing what happens to my levels overnight so I can determine whether I need to adjust my background insulin or not. I'm still relatively new and very much still learning with type 1 diabetes in general, having originally been diagnosed in 2017 as type 2, only to then be re-diagnosed as type 1 in 2020 after a few complications. After a rocky start and trust issues, I'm really looking forward to seeing what I can achieve with the Libre 🙂

As a matter of curiosity are you using the reader or a smart phone for scanning. If a phone are you on android or ios?

 

[CivicFreak]

As a matter of curiosity are you using the reader or a smart phone for scanning. If a phone are you on android or ios?

I'm using an Android phone. I have a Galaxy S21 Ultra so it's a fairly recent phone, running Android 12. Works perfectly.

 

[Paul Goldie]

Thanks all for your suggestions and advice!

I got my replacement sensor from Abbott a few days ago and decided to order a 3D printed band from Amazon, which has helped massively. Been wearing the sensor since Tuesday and with the band it is staying put.

Liking it so far, it's definitely less intrusive than finger pricking, although I am finding it difficult to "trust" the readings I get from it. Like others, I have generally found it to be accurate when sugar levels are "normal", but I have also seen big differences between the readings I get from the libre and my BG meter but for the most part it does seem close enough, and the that is available in the LibreLink app is really comprehensive. I've got another 10 days before the sensor runs out and my trial ends, but that should give me plenty of time to experiment and see if it really is for me. Right now I'm on the fence. It definitely has benefits, but it needs to gain my trust a little more 🙂

Hi CivicFreak, do you have the link for the 3D printed band you purchased from Amazon please?

many thanks

Paul

 

[CivicFreak]

Hi CivicFreak, do you have the link for the 3D printed band you purchased from Amazon please?

many thanks

Paul

Not a problem 🙂

This is the one I use:

Freestyle Libre 1/2 Sensor Armband Holder Black Protects Your Sensor : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care

Freestyle Libre 1/2 Sensor Armband Holder Black Protects Your Sensor : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care

www.amazon.co.uk

I now have 2 of them, so that when I've showered I still have a dry one for bed. I really like them. They fit well and are easily adjustable. If you aren't keen on these I there are other ones that may be more suitable for you. Plus, I understand you can get patches if you don't want a band but I've never tried those as yet.

Be mindful that if you get one of these, because it puts pressure on the outer edge of the sensor you may get what's known as "compression lows", where the reading is artificially lower than the actual glucose level, due to the pressure restricting the flow of fluid. I haven't experienced this myself, but I'm careful to keep it tight enough to stay in place, but loose enough that it doesn't actually press on the sensor. Definitely been worth the money for me. I don't shower without it, and I don't go to bed without it.

 

[Paul Goldie]

Not a problem 🙂

This is the one I use:

Freestyle Libre 1/2 Sensor Armband Holder Black Protects Your Sensor : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care

Freestyle Libre 1/2 Sensor Armband Holder Black Protects Your Sensor : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care

www.amazon.co.uk

I now have 2 of them, so that when I've showered I still have a dry one for bed. I really like them. They fit well and are easily adjustable. If you aren't keen on these I there are other ones that may be more suitable for you. Plus, I understand you can get patches if you don't want a band but I've never tried those as yet.

Be mindful that if you get one of these, because it puts pressure on the outer edge of the sensor you may get what's known as "compression lows", where the reading is artificially lower than the actual glucose level, due to the pressure restricting the flow of fluid. I haven't experienced this myself, but I'm careful to keep it tight enough to stay in place, but loose enough that it doesn't actually press on the sensor. Definitely been worth the money for me. I don't shower without it, and I don't go to bed without it.

Perfect. Thank you.

 

[rebrascora]

@Paul Goldie I got my 3D printed armband off ebay. Available in a large range of colour combinations for the elastic and the rim. Like @CivicFreak it has been well worth the money and particularly using it in the shower as that was one of the problem times for me. I haven't had a Libre loss since using it and my Libre gets exposed to quite rough treatment working with driving horses.... scrubbing sweaty bridled faces against humans is one of their favourite pastimes when they get back from a drive! 🙄 My strap gets pinged quite often but Libre stays in place. 🙂

 

[CivicFreak]

@Paul Goldie I got my 3D printed armband off ebay. Available in a large range of colour combinations for the elastic and the rim. Like @CivicFreak it has been well worth the money and particularly using it in the shower as that was one of the problem times for me. I haven't had a Libre loss since using it and my Libre gets exposed to quite rough treatment working with driving horses.... scrubbing sweaty bridled faces against humans is one of their favourite pastimes when they get back from a drive! 🙄 My strap gets pinged quite often but Libre stays in place. 🙂

I think those bands I linked to also have different colours, but I chose black for both of them - boring I know 🙂

As with you, I haven't lost a sensor since using my bands. I used to use the bands pretty much 24/7 when I first started wearing them but recently I've found I really only need them in the shower or when in bed. Sometimes I wear them when I'm exercising but that depends on the type of exercise I'm doing.

They have proven their worth though, as they have been pulled and knocked a few times and if I wasn't wearing them then it would have been the sensor itself that was getting pulled, which would likely result in the thing being pulled off my arm.