Libre or Finger Prick for carb counting

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digihat

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Good Morning Everyone 🙂

Just a quick question when doing carb counting for meals is it better to use CGM or finger prick for planning rapid insulin? I understand that they both read different things and and can be a difference between them which varies quite abit at times. Like libre might say 12 and finger prick 10 as example which would alter how much insulin i would take including adjustment depending which i used.

Just wondered what other people do? 🙂

Thanks

Digihat
 
Think it depends on how trustworthy people find the libre people have different experiences on it. I'm not in the libre but am in dexcom one sometimes I will go of that other times I might feel the need to double check. I would say if you are ever in doubt check with a figer prick.

It also worth mentioning two different meters could also show 10 and 12. As meters have a allowance of 15% if your blood sugar is actually 11 your meter could show between 9.4 and 12.6
 
I found the Libre could be a fair bit out and that was underlined when I got the Dexcom G7. The G7 is amazingly accurate and I bolus using its reading almost always. With the Libre, I’d fingerprick first.
 
It depends what the Libre says.
As have often been mentioned, CGMs are designed to be most accurate at "normal" levels which are typically up to about 8 or 9mmol/l. So, if LIbre reports my BG is in double figures, I will check with a finger prick. Whereas, if they are 5 or 6, I will take the Libre reading.
 
I just use my Libre 2 reading for everything and just check with finger prick if I think the reading is showing something strange e.g very high or very low readings.
 
I am very confident to calculate doses based on my Libre readings all the time. Libre is very reliable for me. There are a very few occasions when I need to double check it with a finger prick but sometimes just 2 or 3 times a fortnight, usually when it says I am a bit lower than I feel. Libre tends fairly consistently to read about 1mmol below a finger prick result for me on my Caresens Duo, but I aim to keep my levels between 3.9 and 10 on my Libre but if in reality, that is 4.9 and 11, I am not going to lose any sleep over it.
 
I have to use the companion BG meter/bolus calculator/pump remote control if I want that calculation to take IOB (insulin on board) properly into consideration - and I do. There is no way whasoever of entering a BG result from anywhere else on earth, to then do the calculations, with this old technology.

Of course if I can do basic calculations with mental arithmetic but what would be the point in that unless I'm in a tearing hurry and can't see why I would be these days. If I do that, I only have to take more time sorting it properly in a few hours time, so far pref to do it when it should be done.
 
Thanks for the advice tips everyone I do trust the libre mostly just sometimes I see a huge gap and it makes me question it. I do have a hard time getting enough blood out for fingers prick but get there eventually

Thanks for mentioning about the 15% @rayray119 hasn't been mentioned to me before. I'm just over a month into all this will have a chat with DSN on Tuesday as due for next follow up after DKA few things to discuss!
 
digihat said:
Thanks for the advice tips everyone I do trust the libre mostly just sometimes I see a huge gap and it makes me question it. I do have a hard time getting enough blood out for fingers prick but get there eventually
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What meter is that use some require larger samples that others.
 
rayray119 said:
What meter is that use some require larger samples that others.
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Gluco men aero GK was using another for awhile as it always errored with my blood at the start. Ideally want to keep with it as it does ketones as well 🙂
 
digihat said:
Gluco men aero GK was using another for awhile as it always errored with my blood at the start. Ideally want to keep with it as it does ketones as well 🙂
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Ah yeah I've had that as my very first meter and I really didn't get one with as you have to bring the blood to strip and my dypraxa made that very fiddlely. Other meters let you bring the strip to the blood and some of these meters do also do ketones it might be worth asking your hospital.

You don't have to awser this question but what is your heath boead I can see if i can find any documentation about meters they presricse)
 
rayray119 said:
Ah yeah I've had that as my very first meter and I really didn't get one with as you have to bring the blood to strip and my dypraxa made that very fiddlely. Other meters let you bring the strip to the blood and some of these meters do also do ketones it might be worth asking your hospital.

You don't have to awser this question but what is your heath boead I can see if i can find any documentation about meters they presricse)
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Yeah they tried 3 of the same machine and were really baffled why it wouldn't work said they never seen that before ha put it down to my blood being too watery at the time. Yeah going to mention it on Tuesday I can use it just abit fiddly for me.

Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS trust I believe is the full name
 
digihat said:
Yeah they tried 3 of the same machine and were really baffled why it wouldn't work said they never seen that before ha put it down to my blood being too watery at the time. Yeah going to mention it on Tuesday I can use it just abit fiddly for me.

Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS trust I believe is the full name
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Oh sorry I didn't mean your hospital I meant the heathborad as in the local area but I now I know it's in Bradford I might be able to find something.
 
Hello, the libre for me is pretty close to my meter. (Taking onto account it can be a fraction ahead of the meter.) even when higher than the alleged inaccuracies above 10? (I have my meter with me too.)
The only thing the Libre is slow on Is recovering from a hypo, which is where I need my intact hypo awareness & my meter. I normally set my app on snooze for 40 minutes or I can be bothered by my phone.
 
rayray119 said:
Oh sorry I didn't mean your hospital I meant the heathborad as in the local area but I now I know it's in Bradford I might be able to find something.
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"Medicines information :: West Yorkshire Health & Care Partnership" https://www.wypartnership.co.uk/our...nd-care-information/medicines-and-prescribing

@digihat at the top of this page there's a document stating what meters your ccg recommend presricing(I Believe this is your ccg anyway). It might be worth a look a research
 
People always imagine that they need a lot more blood than they actually do, most monitors need no more than a drop the size of a pin head and the important thing is to get the drop sucked into the reservoir in the strip not on top.
 
Leadinglights said:
People always imagine that they need a lot more blood than they actually do, most monitors need no more than a drop the size of a pin head and the important thing is to get the drop sucked into the reservoir in the strip not on top.
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I think what @digihat was saying is that they had trouble with meter. I've had that meter before and it is very fiddlely it might not be the size of the blood drop just the way it requires you to use it.
 
rayray119 said:
Ah yeah I've had that as my very first meter and I really didn't get one with as you have to bring the blood to strip and my dypraxa made that very fiddlely. Other meters let you bring the strip to the blood and some of these meters do also do ketones it might be worth asking your hospital.

You don't have to awser this question but what is your heath boead I can see if i can find any documentation about meters they presricse)
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Oh no it wasn't the areo gk I had it was areo 2k but it might use the sand strips
 
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