New libre sensor giving really inaccurate readings!

[sg295]

Hi all!

Changed my libre sensor last night and for the entire night is said I was having a hypo.

Wasn’t particularly surprised as it usually does this when it’s new. However, this normally improves when I’m awake but this time it hasn’t.

Woke up and scanned it this morning as it says 2.9! This simply can’t be accurate, if I was at 2.9 I know I’d feel absolutely dreadful as I’m very hypo sensitive whereas I feel fine and I usually wake-up with roughly the same level each day unless I do something differently the night before (usually around high 5s - low 6s each day, with sometimes it being just a bit higher or a bit lower).

Will this sort itself out or is the sensor faulty and I should get a replacement?

Thank you!

 

[Lily123]

Maybe lesve it another day because it might just need a bit longer to settle. If the readings don’t sort themselves out within 2 days then I would call it a faulty sensor and phone the Abbott Careline for a replacement

 

[PattiEvans]

Have you done an actual blood test to ascertain how far out the Libre is? If you call abbott they will want the blood test results.

 

[sg295]

Maybe lesve it another day because it might just need a bit longer to settle. If the readings don’t sort themselves out within 2 days then I would call it a faulty sensor and phone the Abbott Careline for a replacement

Hi, that’s great thank you for that!

Just really strange as it normally improves during the day time!

I will give it a little longer and see, thank you 🙂

 

[sg295]

Have you done an actual blood test to ascertain how far out the Libre is? If you call abbott they will want the blood test results.

Hi, thanks for your message, I haven’t yet but I will.

I reckon it’s got to be around 3mmol out though as I know that my waking levels are (usually!) very predictable.

 

[rebrascora]

It sounds like you are not double checking these low readings aith a finger prick which is an important habit to form, rather than just right them off as wrong and if you are going to report the sensor to Abbott as faulty they need finger prick readings to corroborate it.

Do you apply the sensor a couple of days before activating? If not, try that as some individuals' bodies respond to an alien object being fired into their tissue more actively than others, so giving it longer to settle down after application than the standard 60 mins (ie 48hrs) can help.

Thirdly, if you lie on the sensor or compress the tissue around the filament in some other way, it will react by reading low. This is called a compression low which will resolve after the pressure is released, so that is something else to consider but clearly in this case it is unlikely if it is still reading low when you are up and about.

My gut feeling is that you need to apply it sooner to give it a longer bedding in time before activating it.

 

[sg295]

It sounds like you are not double checking these low readings aith a finger prick which is an important habit to form, rather than just right them off as wrong and if you are going to report the sensor to Abbott as faulty they need finger prick readings to corroborate it.

Do you apply the sensor a couple of days before activating? If not, try that as some individuals' bodies respond to an alien object being fired into their tissue more actively than others, so giving it longer to settle down after application than the standard 60 mins (ie 48hrs) can help.

Thirdly, if you lie on the sensor or compress the tissue around the filament in some other way, it will react by reading low. This is called a compression low which will resolve after the pressure is released, so that is something else to consider but clearly in this case it is unlikely if it is still reading low when you are up and about.

My gut feeling is that you need to apply it sooner to give it a longer bedding in time before activating it.

Hi, thank you for your message.

I meant to apply the sensor beforehand but didn’t manage to so I will remember to do that next time as it sounds like that will be helpful!

Looking at my graph, it looks like there were some compression lows as there was a constant red line staying completely level. However it’s just strange that it’s still reading too low now as it does normally correct itself when I wake up.

I’ll leave it a bit to see if it improves and do some finger pricks to double check and if it’s still not improving I’ll contact Abbott. Thank you 🙂

 

[rebrascora]

I wonder if you have lain on the sensor all night, if the compression has caused the filament to kink slightly. Definitely give it a bit longer and perhaps try to place it somewhere on your arm where you are less likely to lie on it next time. Just half an inch further one way or another can make quite a difference.
I have learned to sleep with my Libre arm elbow on my other hand which just raises it up off the bed enough not to compress it. I find it really surprising how you can teach your mind to incorporate particular instructions for when you are asleep or even semi asleep. It's similar to you knowing where the edge of the bed is so that you don't roll out.

 

[sg295]

I wonder if you have lain on the sensor all night, if the compression has caused the filament to kink slightly. Definitely give it a bit longer and perhaps try to place it somewhere on your arm where you are less likely to lie on it next time. Just half an inch further one way or another can make quite a difference.
I have learned to sleep with my Libre arm elbow on my other hand which just raises it up off the bed enough not to compress it. I find it really surprising how you can teach your mind to incorporate particular instructions for when you are asleep or even semi asleep. It's similar to you knowing where the edge of the bed is so that you don't roll out.

Hi,

That’s true, hadn’t thought of that.

I will try a slightly different placement next time. Readings have come up slightly but only to 3.8 now so still saying I’m too low.

I usually sleep on my front, meaning the backs of my arms don’t touch the bed at all, but I think I’m quite fidgety in my sleep and move about a lot so I may well lie on it at points!

 

[PattiEvans]

@

I will try a slightly different placement next time. Readings have come up slightly but only to 3.8 now so still saying I’m too low.

@sg295 but what do your blood tests say? You could easily be losing hypo awareness at that level. If it is indeed the Libre that's reading low you will need evidence in the form of a blood test result to give to Abbott or they won't replace it.

 

[sg295]

@

@sg295 but what do your blood tests say? You could easily be losing hypo awareness at that level.

Hi,

Finger pricks are coming back in the low 6s as I expected.

Of course I’m not sure what they were doing during the night while I was asleep but I have only had 2 instances of a night time hypo so far (they’re very rare for me) and with my levels being where I would expect them this morning it doesn’t make much sense.

 

[PattiEvans]

In that case if fingerpricks are that far out it does look like the sensor is reading low, so if it were me I would ring Abbott without waiting. We all have a tendency to want to over-explain when we get on the phone to them I think, so I'd not tell them night time lows are unusual for you, just tell them the Libre doesn't accord with finger pricks but is reading 3 mmol out.

 

[sg295]

In that case if fingerpricks are that far out it does look like the sensor is reading low, so if it were me I would ring Abbott without waiting. We all have a tendency to want to over-explain when we get on the phone to them I think, so I'd not tell them night time lows are unusual for you, just tell them the Libre doesn't accord with finger pricks but is reading 3 mmol out.

Ok that’s great, thank you very much!

 

[sg295]

Decided to bite the bullet and remove the sensor in the end - the readings were getting more ridiculous!

I noticed when I removed it though it was much more painful than normal and I had a rather large bruise underneath where the sensor was! The sensor also looked like it was sort of ‘blocked’ in a way so maybe that explains it!

I must admit, when I applied it last night, it bled a lot! I’ve experience some bleeding after applying a new one before but this was another level so might potentially explain the strange readings.

Thanks all for your help 🙂

 

[SB2015]

It sounds like you have sorted out a reason for the readings being so far out.
glad to hear that you are doing Bgs to check the levels. This is especially important if you are getting low readings, and as othershave said Abbott will require BGs to check the performance of the sensor against.

if have some bleeders with sensors. Sometimes it stops quickly and on occasions these prove to be weirdly more accurate. Other times they just give bonkers readings.
Abbott have always been good at replacing inaccurate sensors

Let us know how you get on.