Libre Freestyle Free Trial

[AnnSebastian]

My posts about Libre have been based on my own personal experience. I was lucky in that I ordered the free trial without checking if my phone could use the app and fortunately it could.

A few people have posted about other apps that can be paired with the sensor. I’m not sure how to start researching this myself.

Is there anyone who knows more than I do about this that can post links/ apps that can be used with the sensor as well as or even instead of the LibreLink app?

If there are any ‘instead of’ options maybe that could solve the problem of needing an expensive compatible phone?

@harbottle
You seem to be someone who might be able to add to this?
Can you help?

 

[AnnSebastian]

My posts about Libre have been based on my own personal experience. I was lucky in that I ordered the free trial without checking if my phone could use the app and fortunately it could.

A few people have posted about other apps that can be paired with the sensor. I’m not sure how to start researching this myself.

Is there anyone who knows more than I do about this that can post links/ apps that can be used with the sensor as well as or even instead of the LibreLink app?

If there are any ‘instead of’ options maybe that could solve the problem of needing an expensive compatible phone?

@Gil @harbottle
About ‘spikes’
I had one ‘dud’ sensor that just went haywire - from 7 to 16 and back in no time.

But I’ve had others that are working that go up and down really quickly. I’ve sometimes spent time recording every single thing that could affect BG.

Just one example - occasional protein bars work well for me. But I tried a ‘natural’ higher protein bar before I slept one night - maybe healthier but not the same thing at all. My BG was much higher overnight - and the spike I sometimes see in the mornings went through the roof. At other times, when I’ve eaten even small amounts of ordinary bread a similar thing has happened. So details seem to make quite a difference.

My current project is to find a low carb bread replacement. I hadn’t planned to go full keto, but it’s starting to look like the best option.

 

[Kaylz]

Turn Libre 2 into CGM would be a good google search term to start with

All of the 3rd party apps could be used "instead of" but Abbott then wouldnt have to replace a sensor if it were faulty as you hadn't been using the approved official app, so no not solving any problems and then you could be left £50 out of pocket

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

If there are any ‘instead of’ options maybe that could solve the problem of needing an expensive compatible phone?

You can purchase a reader for £50 which I think would be cheaper than a phone?

In my experience the readers have a bigger NFC ‘reach’ than my iPhone so you don’t have to be as precise finding the sense during each scan.

The upload to LibreLink doesn’t happen automatically when you use a reader. To share results with your Dr you need to connect the reader to your computer and use a Libre app to generate reports, download PDFs etc

 

[Robin]

You can purchase a reader for £50 which I think would be cheaper than a phone?

In my experience the readers have a bigger NFC ‘reach’ than my iPhone so you don’t have to be as precise finding the sense during each scan.

The upload to LibreLink doesn’t happen automatically when you use a reader. To share results with your Dr you need to connect the reader to your computer and use a Libre app to generate reports, download PDFs etc

I think the problem is, you can’t order a Reader in the first instance. They claim stock shortage, but I wonder if it’s just because they don’t want to have to hand out loads for the free trial. If you’ve got a reader for the original Libre, you can swap it for a new Libre 2 reader if you upgrade, so they obviously have some available, but you can’t just buy one from the site at present.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

but you can’t just buy one from the site at present.

Ah thanks @Robin

I didn’t know there was a reader supply issue at the moment. Glad I swapped mine when I did then!

 

[AnnSebastian]

Ah thanks @Robin

I didn’t know there was a reader supply issue at the moment. Glad I swapped mine when I did then!

But it would be a preferred option if anyone out there knows of an alternative way to use the Libre Free Trial - without a more expensive phone / one that is compatible with the LibreLink app

I’ve googled and seen a few possibilities - but I don’t know enough about it to decide if there is a viable alternative that I could share with others.

 

[AnnSebastian]

But it would be a preferred option if anyone out there knows of an alternative way to use the Libre Free Trial - without a more expensive phone / one that is compatible with the LibreLink app

I’ve googled and seen a few possibilities - but I don’t know enough about it to decide if there is a viable alternative that I could share with others.

Libre Freestyle Free Trial

Personally, I wouldn’t be promoting any option that involved spending money at all. If there are online alternatives out there - innovative responses from enthusiastic app creators, which I’m sure there must be - then if anyone knows more than me - please just share?

And now that I know that there are quite a few ‘CGM’ or similar competing providers out there looking for customers - it would be good to know if any other options for ‘free trials’?

 

[AnnSebastian]

On a different forum I would post articles showing the current cutthroat competition between global companies to lead the market in Diabetes technology. But it would probably be deleted - so I won’t.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Glad I swapped mine when I did then!

I think they're still swapping older meters, just not selling them.

 

[AnnSebastian]

That’s good that your using the sensor. That is fairly far out but that should settle down and be more accurate

This will probably only make sense to someone with T2 who has tried the LibreFreestyle trial and/ or is using it temporarily or long-term to radically reduce their A1C

But I’m so happy with this!!!!

My ‘readings’ at the start regularly included ‘spikes’ of 16 plus.

 

[rebrascora]

Congrats! You had what @helli refers to as a "Unicorn Day"
Us Type 1s can achieve them too (although a little more tricky hence the name) and certainly appreciate and prize them, so we can understand you being happy and wanting to share.

 

[Loobyloo]

Well its arrived and on my arm. Scanning fine on my phone. Now to try exercise, different foods etc and make the most of info i can gain. I am most interested to see how i am throughout the night.

 

[gll]

Congrats! You had what @helli refers to as a "Unicorn Day"
Us Type 1s can achieve them too (although a little more tricky hence the name) and certainly appreciate and prize them, so we can understand you being happy and wanting to share.

Is there such a thing as an "anti unicorn day"?
(2 spot check fingerpricks both within 0.5)

 

[rebrascora]

Is there such a thing as an "anti unicorn day"?
(2 spot check fingerpricks both within 0.5)
View attachment 20034

Considering how low carb you are eating I really think that you need to be pushing your GP/nurse for insulin and Type 1 testing or a referral to a specialist clinic. I can't see what more you can do to reduce those high levels, short or running a marathon every day.

 

[AnnSebastian]

Well its arrived and on my arm. Scanning fine on my phone. Now to try exercise, different foods etc and make the most of info i can gain. I am most interested to see how i am throughout the night.

Good luck. Hopefully you will be more diligent than me. The more data you add via ‘notes’ the more you will have to use to evaluate. And the more frequently you scan the more you will be able to work out what does what. One thing that messed me up a bit was the ‘notes’ option. To make it really easy to read - best not to make more than one notes that uses the same time slot. Meaning separate notes by at at least one minute - so they get listed as separate entries. (I hope that makes sense. )

 

[Ianhat]

I did the free trial and loved it but couldn't afford the 100 every month luckily my diabetes nurse got me them on prescription and I have to say it's a total game changer I was only diagnosed 7 months ago with type 1 without the libre I was 51% in range and avg 10.4 now after only 6 weeks I'm in range 70-80% with an average of 8.9 I'm hoping to improve on that over the next couple of months but still can't stop the spikes after meals.
I'm due a review on the 23 Feb my nurse has said to mention a more rapid acting insulin than the novarapid I'm on now

 

[rebrascora]

but still can't stop the spikes after meals.

Prebolusing is usually the key to stopping the spikes. How long do you prebolus?
I used to need 75mins with Novo(not so)Rapid at breakfast time and half an hour the rest of the day. Now I use Fiasp which is a bit quicker, but still need 45 mins head start for it at breakfast most days and about 15-20mins for lunch or dinner. I tend to jab my Fiasp for breakfast before I get out of bed and then potter on getting washed and dressed and make my breakfast and get a coffee and keep scanning my Libre until I see the insulin starting to bring my levels down and then eat when I am mid 5s. 45mins is excessive so don't try that yourself as you might hypo but give it 5 mins extra each day from what you currently do and find the best timing for you.

 

[AnnSebastian]

I did the free trial and loved it but couldn't afford the 100 every month luckily my diabetes nurse got me them on prescription and I have to say it's a total game changer I was only diagnosed 7 months ago with type 1 without the libre I was 51% in range and avg 10.4 now after only 6 weeks I'm in range 70-80% with an average of 8.9 I'm hoping to improve on that over the next couple of months but still can't stop the spikes after meals.
I'm due a review on the 23 Feb my nurse has said to mention a more rapid acting insulin than the novarapid I'm on now

I’m relatively new to this forum. I logged in to check out other peoples’ experience of LibreFreestyle.

I hadn’t realised before how big a difference there was between Diabetes T1 and T2. I’m T2. From what I can see, NHS is now giving Libre on prescription to most people with T1. For me, I’m using LibreFreestyle temporarily, but the bigger issue is about accessing LibreFreestyle on prescription via NHS for T2

 

[Ianhat]

Prebolusing is usually the key to stopping the spikes. How long do you prebolus?
I used to need 75mins with Novo(not so)Rapid at breakfast time and half an hour the rest of the day. Now I use Fiasp which is a bit quicker, but still need 45 mins head start for it at breakfast most days and about 15-20mins for lunch or dinner. I tend to jab my Fiasp for breakfast before I get out of bed and then potter on getting washed and dressed and make my breakfast and get a coffee and keep scanning my Libre until I see the insulin starting to bring my levels down and then eat when I am mid 5s. 45mins is excessive so don't try that yourself as you might hypo but give it 5 mins extra each day from what you currently do and find the best timing for you.

I prebolus 20-30 mins before a meal I'm abit apprehensive doing it earlier as my sugars started going down before I'd eaten lol