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Libre 3 Sensor
- Thread starter MC0424
- Start date
Bruce Stephens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
That's interesting. They don't usually comment, especially so directly. Also odd since they only recently introduced Libre 2+. Perhaps "soon" means a couple of years, which wouldn't be surprising.
Yes I was surprised how open they were about it. The libre 2 plus is taking over the libre 2 but they said the libre 3 is good and more accurate. It is also a smaller sensor to the libre 2. About a size of a pound coin.
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi Matt. I believe the Libre 3 is considered better than Libre 2 or 2+ but I think it is only available on prescription in certain circumstances as it is more expensive, so to pair with a pump for a closed loop system for instance. Is your son going to be or currently using a pump that the Libre 3 will pair with? Otherwise the Libre 2+ is, I believe, going to be gradually replacing the Libre 2 for most of us who currently use Libre 2 and should be a straight swap, when they are ready for the full transfer of current Libre 2 patients onto Libre 2+.
Are you thinking of self funding the Libre 3 for your son or has it been offered by your clinic?
I believe it needs to be specially funded from a budget beyond what GPs can prescribe, so specific funding has to be applied for by the consultant, in a simi;ar way to pumps are funded unless they are running some sort of trial of the Libre 3 within your clinic. I may be wrong about that, but that was the impression I got.
Is it perhaps the smaller size of it that appeals to your son? I know teenagers can be particularly self conscious, so can understand them wanting their diabetes to be as minimally visible as possible.
Are you thinking of self funding the Libre 3 for your son or has it been offered by your clinic?
I believe it needs to be specially funded from a budget beyond what GPs can prescribe, so specific funding has to be applied for by the consultant, in a simi;ar way to pumps are funded unless they are running some sort of trial of the Libre 3 within your clinic. I may be wrong about that, but that was the impression I got.
Is it perhaps the smaller size of it that appeals to your son? I know teenagers can be particularly self conscious, so can understand them wanting their diabetes to be as minimally visible as possible.
Yes the smaller size does appeal to my son, he doesn't use the insulin pump though so maybe he won't be able to get the funding through his GP. We'll ask the question. It's more accurate the libre 3 which appeals to me more as a parent as sometimes his libre 2 reading are miles apart from his blood prick.
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I think people are mostly finding the Libre 2+ more accurate than Libre 2 and it is something the GP can prescribe whereas I don't think the GP will be able to prescribe Libre 3 without it being authorised by the clinic.
It is however important to understand that there will always be discrepancies between CGM and finger pricks and at certain times that will be significantly adrift for a number of reasons, particularly if your levels are very variable. The more stable your levels are, the more relaible the Libre results will be. Times when it will be most different from finger pricks are above 10 and below 4 and when levels are changing fast, particularly when they are changing direction ie when levels are dropping fast and then you take a hypo treatment. Libre will generally continue to show your levels dropping for a further 15 mins after fast acting carbs have been taken to deal with or prevent a hypo, whereas a finger prick will usually show them rising at the 15 min post treatment point and it will often take Libre 30 mins to catch on that things have changed and come back to reading nearer a finger prick result and similarly when levels are rising sharply from the carbs in a meal and then the insulin that was injected before the meal, starts to kick in and turn things around but Libre doesn't catch on that the insulin is bringing levels down until about 30 mins later. At other times, if it is within 2mmols of a finger prick then that is reasonable considering that they are both allowed a 15% error margin. If it is consistently more than 2mmols out from a finger prick when levels are in range then you can report it to Abbott and they will usually replace it, but if this is a persistent problem then perhaps Dexcom One Plus might suit your son's body chemistry better and your GP should be able to prescribe that as an alternative to Libre 2.
It is however important to understand that there will always be discrepancies between CGM and finger pricks and at certain times that will be significantly adrift for a number of reasons, particularly if your levels are very variable. The more stable your levels are, the more relaible the Libre results will be. Times when it will be most different from finger pricks are above 10 and below 4 and when levels are changing fast, particularly when they are changing direction ie when levels are dropping fast and then you take a hypo treatment. Libre will generally continue to show your levels dropping for a further 15 mins after fast acting carbs have been taken to deal with or prevent a hypo, whereas a finger prick will usually show them rising at the 15 min post treatment point and it will often take Libre 30 mins to catch on that things have changed and come back to reading nearer a finger prick result and similarly when levels are rising sharply from the carbs in a meal and then the insulin that was injected before the meal, starts to kick in and turn things around but Libre doesn't catch on that the insulin is bringing levels down until about 30 mins later. At other times, if it is within 2mmols of a finger prick then that is reasonable considering that they are both allowed a 15% error margin. If it is consistently more than 2mmols out from a finger prick when levels are in range then you can report it to Abbott and they will usually replace it, but if this is a persistent problem then perhaps Dexcom One Plus might suit your son's body chemistry better and your GP should be able to prescribe that as an alternative to Libre 2.