New - possible hypoglycemia - FreeStyle Libre 2 Users

[jefner]

Hello all, new here. I am 62, post meno around 10yrs, have under active thryoid for several years and also Hashimoto's autoimmune. My T3 thyroid levels are not yet optimal but I have for a long time now, moreso the last year, what I feel are hypoglycaemic episodes.I am a mangled mess tbh with poss adrenal issues. I have a very long history of anxiety/panic/agoraphobia until my GP put me on an AD some years back and it pretty much saved my life and my anxiety issues completely disappeared for a few years until I hit perimenopause, thyroid issues and then back in 2015 it came back with a vengeance and has never left me since and I have been battling trying to find the root cause which has still abated me for all these years.
spent a long time learning about my hashimoto's etc and how it can affect so much of the body including stabilising sugar levels. Had to change my diet completely and go gluten free for starters which helped get my high antibodies down so my diet is pretty much what I grew up on, meat and veggies

Anyway I decided to purchase a Libre 2 to monitor my levels for a couple of weeks. Put it on last night around 7pm, loaded the app and waited for the 1hr to scan. 10mins before it was due to activate I started to feel the hypo symptoms come on. I usually have my evening meal at around 8pm but because the clocks went back I suppose my body thought my meals were an hour behind so my NOW 8pm evening meal will be 9pm as my body as concerned.
That then prompted me to make my dinner which was just cold chicken and steamed veggies. Whilst making it I was still experiencing hypo symptoms and then I was at that point able to scan the device and immediately I got a low reading of around 3.5mmol which pretty much confirmed my symptoms and frightened the life out of me tbh. About 15 mins after my meal my levels went up to around 7 but then the hours after that kept constantly erratic yoyo'ing between low 4's and mid to high 3's and when I went to bed around 2am it read the same. I couldn't put my phone down last night and obsessed over my readings which when I saw was a litle low off went my irrational thoughts and anxiety. I then hit the fridge to nibble on some protein and a couple of grapes but still it remained a little low after.

Then later that night I found some posts on a Reddit forum from other users saying that they didn't think it was accurate and compared their readings to a finger prick and the Libre seemed to keep giving off lower readings. Then I read that it needs at least 12-24hrs after activating to acclimate and generally improves after the first day.
I put my phone inside my bedside cabinet drawer and it kept waking me up around 9am this morning constantly alerting me to low levels from the graph but I usually don't get up until around 11am (trying to get my sleep patterns more in order - long story behind that), so I ignored and nodded off until i got up this morning around 10.30 and immediately looked at the reader and it was in the low 4's.

With the waking anxiety every damn day I can't face eating for at least a couple of hours but aware that my waking levels might be low I try and have a couple of mouthfuls of chicken or a bit of cheese as I read protein was better in stabilised low blood sugar levels, so I manage that before I can face my breakfast say an hour later which I literally have to force down because I am just not hungry.

I went to bed last night with eased anxiety after reading how the device needs time to settle so wasn't overly worried (eventually). As I write it may have settled a bit now as my readings for the last hour or so have been in the 4's and 5's.
Adrenals also play a huge part and I wonder if after all the stress over the years it has buggered up my adrenals. I did couple of 4 point saliva tests back in 2016 which monitor your levels through the day up to bedtime and at that time my morning one was elevated threefold but another I did some time later levelled out a bit better but I haven't done one for a few years now as my morning blood levels, which are included on my thyroid panel have been in range, although some have said a little low, but obviously doesn't give a clear picture of what my levels are doing through the day up until bedtime when they should be at their lowest. I am wondering whether it would be prudent to do another one. I kinda monitor my own health these days after learning so much as when I approach my GP about stuff she auto put's it down to my poor mental health over the years and never looks outside the box so to speak

Would like to hear from people with similiar experiences and if they use the Libre 2 and how they get on with it as far as reliability. Would it be beneficial for me to buy a finger prick pack of some sort just as a back up for accuracy purposes and which one would be the best, there are so many on Amazon and reviews vary?

 

[Chelseagirl]

T2 on insulin here, I also self fund a Dexcom One+. What I can say is always, always, always back up your CGM reading with a finger prick reading, so it’s vital you get a testing kit asap. Contour are pretty good and the test strips are reasonable too. Check out eBay too as some sell on there as well as the online pharmacies and Amazon. The CGMs are always a little dodgy for the first 24 hours, and if you lie on it when you’re asleep it will give yo what is known as a “compression low”, which needs checking before treating.

 

[jefner]

T2 on insulin here, I also self fund a Dexcom One+. What I can say is always, always, always back up your CGM reading with a finger prick reading, so it’s vital you get a testing kit asap. Contour are pretty good and the test strips are reasonable too. Check out eBay too as some sell on there as well as the online pharmacies and Amazon. The CGMs are always a little dodgy for the first 24 hours, and if you lie on it when you’re asleep it will give yo what is known as a “compression low”, which needs checking before treating.

hi chelsea, thank you for much for replying so quickly. I do tend to sleep on my left side so purposely put the sensor on my right arm lol. Had a quick look on Amazon and as I am completely new to this I have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to buy and something very easy to use as I am a bit of a dumbo with new stuff. I wondered whether you could have a quick look and link me please, would greatly appreciate it

 

[Leadinglights]

Hello all, new here. I am 62, post meno around 10yrs, have under active thryoid for several years and also Hashimoto's autoimmune. My T3 thyroid levels are not yet optimal but I have for a long time now, moreso the last year, what I feel are hypoglycaemic episodes.I am a mangled mess tbh with poss adrenal issues. I have a very long history of anxiety/panic/agoraphobia until my GP put me on an AD some years back and it pretty much saved my life and my anxiety issues completely disappeared for a few years until I hit perimenopause, thyroid issues and then back in 2015 it came back with a vengeance and has never left me since and I have been battling trying to find the root cause which has still abated me for all these years.
spent a long time learning about my hashimoto's etc and how it can affect so much of the body including stabilising sugar levels. Had to change my diet completely and go gluten free for starters which helped get my high antibodies down so my diet is pretty much what I grew up on, meat and veggies

Anyway I decided to purchase a Libre 2 to monitor my levels for a couple of weeks. Put it on last night around 7pm, loaded the app and waited for the 1hr to scan. 10mins before it was due to activate I started to feel the hypo symptoms come on. I usually have my evening meal at around 8pm but because the clocks went back I suppose my body thought my meals were an hour behind so my NOW 8pm evening meal will be 9pm as my body as concerned.
That then prompted me to make my dinner which was just cold chicken and steamed veggies. Whilst making it I was still experiencing hypo symptoms and then I was at that point able to scan the device and immediately I got a low reading of around 3.5mmol which pretty much confirmed my symptoms and frightened the life out of me tbh. About 15 mins after my meal my levels went up to around 7 but then the hours after that kept constantly erratic yoyo'ing between low 4's and mid to high 3's and when I went to bed around 2am it read the same. I couldn't put my phone down last night and obsessed over my readings which when I saw was a litle low off went my irrational thoughts and anxiety. I then hit the fridge to nibble on some protein and a couple of grapes but still it remained a little low after.

Then later that night I found some posts on a Reddit forum from other users saying that they didn't think it was accurate and compared their readings to a finger prick and the Libre seemed to keep giving off lower readings. Then I read that it needs at least 12-24hrs after activating to acclimate and generally improves after the first day.
I put my phone inside my bedside cabinet drawer and it kept waking me up around 9am this morning constantly alerting me to low levels from the graph but I usually don't get up until around 11am (trying to get my sleep patterns more in order - long story behind that), so I ignored and nodded off until i got up this morning around 10.30 and immediately looked at the reader and it was in the low 4's.

With the waking anxiety every damn day I can't face eating for at least a couple of hours but aware that my waking levels might be low I try and have a couple of mouthfuls of chicken or a bit of cheese as I read protein was better in stabilised low blood sugar levels, so I manage that before I can face my breakfast say an hour later which I literally have to force down because I am just not hungry.

I went to bed last night with eased anxiety after reading how the device needs time to settle so wasn't overly worried (eventually). As I write it may have settled a bit now as my readings for the last hour or so have been in the 4's and 5's.
Adrenals also play a huge part and I wonder if after all the stress over the years it has buggered up my adrenals. I did couple of 4 point saliva tests back in 2016 which monitor your levels through the day up to bedtime and at that time my morning one was elevated threefold but another I did some time later levelled out a bit better but I haven't done one for a few years now as my morning blood levels, which are included on my thyroid panel have been in range, although some have said a little low, but obviously doesn't give a clear picture of what my levels are doing through the day up until bedtime when they should be at their lowest. I am wondering whether it would be prudent to do another one. I kinda monitor my own health these days after learning so much as when I approach my GP about stuff she auto put's it down to my poor mental health over the years and never looks outside the box so to speak

Would like to hear from people with similiar experiences and if they use the Libre 2 and how they get on with it as far as reliability. Would it be beneficial for me to buy a finger prick pack of some sort just as a back up for accuracy purposes and which one would be the best, there are so many on Amazon and reviews vary?

You have put yourself down as pre-diabetic so did you have an HbA1C blood test to confirm that, if you what was the result.
It is unusual for someone unless they are on particular medication that could cause low blood glucose to get into hypo territory as the liver will release glucose to bring up your level.
You may be unnecessarily having too few carbohydrates if your levels are getting too low. When they are and you are feeling wobbly then a fast acting treatment like a jelly baby or full sugar coke or orange juice rather than protein or something fatty like cheese.
The Libre is not as reliable when levels are low and should be checked with a finger prick. It sounds as if the Libre is more hinderance than help at the moment and causing more anxiety.

 

[jefner]

You have put yourself down as pre-diabetic so did you have an HbA1C blood test to confirm that, if you what was the result.
It is unusual for someone unless they are on particular medication that could cause low blood glucose to get into hypo territory as the liver will release glucose to bring up your level.
You may be unnecessarily having too few carbohydrates if your levels are getting too low. When they are and you are feeling wobbly then a fast acting treatment like a jelly baby or full sugar coke or orange juice rather than protein or something fatty like cheese.
The Libre is not as reliable when levels are low and should be checked with a finger prick. It sounds as if the Libre is more hinderance than help at the moment and causing more anxiety.

sorry , not understanding what you mean by "putting myself down as a pre-diabetic".... oh hang on I see what you mean just spotted it under my name. Do I need to change that?
Only caused me more anxiety last night because I am on new territory and only found out very late last night that it needs time to settle before giving more accurate readings so that calmed me down. I have ordered a HbA1C test kit from the Diabetes site on Monday, just waiting for them to despatch it to me. Last time I had it checked via my GP when she did a full panel was December 22 and results were https://prnt.sc/MPzz_D9qj_uJ. Chelsea replied and recommended a Contour kit but being new to all this I really have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to buy that would be simple for me to use
doesn't help either having low stomach acid which is common with Hashimoto's and also common to be depleted in vits and minerals which I have to supplement certain ones

 

[Leadinglights]

sorry , not understanding what you mean by "putting myself down as a pre-diabetic".
Only caused me more anxiety last night because I am on new territory and only found out very late last night that it needs time to settle before giving more accurate readings so that calmed me down. I have ordered a HbA1C test kit from the Diabetes site on Monday, just waiting for them to despatch it to me. Last time I had it checked via my GP when she did a full panel was December 22 and results were https://prnt.sc/MPzz_D9qj_uJ. Chelsea replied and recommended a Contour kit but being new to all this I really have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to buy that would be simple for me to use

Under you avatar it says 'At risk of diabetes' sometimes referred to as prediabetic which is given as a diagnosis if your HbA1C is between 42 and 47mmol/mol which would be from a blood test taken from a sample from your arm and sent to the lab. The result on the url you posted looks like your result is 37mmol/mol so Normal.

 

[rebrascora]

Some people have had issues with the SinoCare and Kinetic giving false low readings if you don't get enough blood on the test strip so I would avoid those. The 3 that are commonly recommended here on the forum for those self funding are the Spirit Tee2, the Gluco Navii and one of the Contour ones but can't remember which one. It is the one with the cheapest test strips as some of the Contour meters take very expensive test strips. Hopefully someone will step in and say which one, but certainly the Gluco Navii and Spirit Tee2 have both proved very reliable and economical to use for people on the forum self funding for many years.

 

[jefner]

Under you avatar it says 'At risk of diabetes' sometimes referred to as prediabetic which is given as a diagnosis if your HbA1C is between 42 and 47mmol/mol which would be from a blood test taken from a sample from your arm and sent to the lab. The result on the url you posted looks like your result is 37mmol/mol so Normal.

as I said with the autoimmune condition I have everything can be out of balance and adrenals play a huge part. Cortisol triggers release of glucose and also helps control blood sugar but anxiety and stress can hinder so much of everything which has been a huge problem for me since 2015 when my literally crashed and the anxiety came back so severe and has never left me. that was also the time I found out I had Hashi's and probably feeling extremely ill due to my antibodies being 4 ...4,000 which is mega high. Thankfully over time I have managed to get them right down to normal now but once you have the disease you have it for life

 

[jefner]

Some people have had issues with the SinoCare and Kinetic giving false low readings if you don't get enough blood on the test strip so I would avoid those. The 3 that are commonly recommended here on the forum for those self funding are the Spirit Tee2, the Gluco Navii and one of the Contour ones but can't remember which one. It is the one with the cheapest test strips as some of the Contour meters take very expensive test strips. Hopefully someone will step in and say which one, but certainly the Gluco Navii and Spirit Tee2 have both proved very reliable and economical to use for people on the forum self funding for many years.

this one? https://www.amazon.co.uk/GlucoNavii...1730293429&sprefix=gluco+navii+,aps,96&sr=8-6

 

[jefner]

Under you avatar it says 'At risk of diabetes' sometimes referred to as prediabetic which is given as a diagnosis if your HbA1C is between 42 and 47mmol/mol which would be from a blood test taken from a sample from your arm and sent to the lab. The result on the url you posted looks like your result is 37mmol/mol so Normal.

would this one be ok to trial with the Libre? https://www.amazon.co.uk/GlucoNavii...1730293429&sprefix=gluco+navii+,aps,96&sr=8-6

 

[rebrascora]

I should also have said, "Hello and welcome!"

If you are not on medication that lowers Blood Glucose (BG) levels then occasional levels below 4 are not unusual for non diabetic people and the liver can release glycose from it's stores to rebalance things. The only reason why those of us on insulin or glucose lowering medication like Gliclazide treat below 4 as "hypo" is to preserve our "hypo awareness" and because the medication we use can be more powerful than the liver can respond to, so potentially we could lose consciousness because we have essentially overdosed on insulin. A real hypo is more properly considered to be below 3.5.
Hypoglycaemia is not a symptom of diabetes, it is effectively a symptom of overdosing on diabetes medication, albeit unintentional overdose in most cases because balancing BG levels with insulin is a fine balance.

So in your situation I would not worry too much about lows below 4, but it does sound like your diet may be overly restrictive and eating meat and cheese when your levels are a bit low will not help for several hours because it takes them that long to get broken down and release some glucose. Hopefully a reliable BG meter will give you some reassurance but if you don't have diabetes or have been told that you are at risk of diabetes then I do wonder if you are making your anxiety worse by testing. Libre certainly is not reliable in this situation particularly at low and very high levels when it is least accurate and is clearly adding to your concerns. I have been using Libre for over 4 years and it generally reads about 1mmol lower than a finger prick for me at low levels.

 

[jefner]

I should also have said, "Hello and welcome!"

If you are not on medication that lowers Blood Glucose (BG) levels then occasional levels below 4 are not unusual for non diabetic people and the liver can release glycose from it's stores to rebalance things. The only reason why those of us on insulin or glucose lowering medication like Gliclazide treat below 4 as "hypo" is to preserve our "hypo awareness" and because the medication we use can be more powerful than the liver can respond to, so potentially we could lose consciousness because we have essentially overdosed on insulin. A real hypo is more properly considered to be below 3.5.
Hypoglycaemia is not a symptom of diabetes, it is effectively a symptom of overdosing on diabetes medication, albeit unintentional overdose in most cases because balancing BG levels with insulin is a fine balance.

So in your situation I would not worry too much about lows below 4, but it does sound like your diet may be overly restrictive and eating meat and cheese when your levels are a bit low will not help for several hours because it takes them that long to get broken down and release some glucose. Hopefully a reliable BG meter will give you some reassurance but if you don't have diabetes or have been told that you are at risk of diabetes then I do wonder if you are making your anxiety worse by testing. Libre certainly is not reliable in this situation particularly at low and very high levels when it is least accurate and is clearly adding to your concerns. I have been using Libre for over 4 years and it generally reads about 1mmol lower than a finger prick for me at low levels.

as I said with the autoimmune condition I have everything can be out of balance and adrenals play a huge part. Cortisol triggers release of glucose and also helps control blood sugar but anxiety and stress can hinder so much of everything which has been a huge problem for me since 2015 when my literally crashed and the anxiety came back so severe and has never left me. that was also the time I found out I had Hashi's and probably feeling extremely ill due to my antibodies being 34 ...4,000 which is mega high. Thankfully over time I have managed to get them right down to normal now but once you have the disease you have it for life and unfortunately it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack for root causes of things and trying to balance everything. I gave up testing so much a few years ago when I got really obsessed and fixated because I wanted to find the root cause of why the anxiety came back so bad and hasn't left me since but I think I have a lot of hormone balance issues, everything is tied together. Only recently thought about testing sugar levels because of the hypo symptoms feeling more prominent this year. Once I had something to eat the symptoms eased off a little so it's worth checking for me, but it is also recommended to have a high protein, high good fat diet because they help to stabilise your blood sugars longer but obviously from posts on here, if I have an episode then I need to reach for something more fast acting like orange juice or some honey?
How come you are still using the Libre then if you find it doesn't give you accurate results?
Had a couple of recommendations on what to buy but what would you recommend I can use alongside the Libre for a couple of weeks?

 

[helli]

How come you are still using the Libre then if you find it doesn't give you accurate results?

For many of us, it is not about Libre being inaccurate. It has limitations. Once these are understood, Libre is fantastic.

Had a couple of recommendations on what to buy but what would you recommend I can use alongside the Libre for a couple of weeks?

The Libre puts no restrictions on which finger prick meter to use.
The thing to remember is that the most expensive part of a meter is the test strips. So when considering the cost, you need to include the cost of the strips.
@rebrascora has suggested the most common meters for people who self fund.

The other thing to bear in mind is why are you measuring your BG?
Is it to give you peace of mind with regards to hypos? As @rebrascora mentioned, the numbers you are seeing on your Libre are not considered to be hypos. However, they may be lower than your body is used to.
Is it to understand the impact of exercise and different foods on your BG? In this case the recommendation is to make a note of your BG jut before your first bite and 2 hours later. If you second measurement is 2mmol/l or more higher than your first, your body has not been able to tolerate the carbohydrates in your meal.

 

[rebrascora]

Once I had something to eat the symptoms eased off a little so it's worth checking for me, but it is also recommended to have a high protein, high good fat diet because they help to stabilise your blood sugars longer but obviously from posts on here,

That is almost certainly a psychological response rather than a physiological one if you ate protein and fat to treat your hypo symptoms, because there are no carbs in meat and cheese and the protein and fat in them takes many hours to be converted to glucose and release it into your blood stream. These are potentially good foods for someone with high BG levels associated with Type 2 diabetes to eat, but totally unsuitable for treating dangerously low BG assuming it is a genuine hypo. If it is a false hypo, one where you feel like your levels are low/hypo but not actually hypo then if eating something like meat or cheese makes you feel better, then no problem. Maybe it could simply be hunger because you are restricting your diet too much, rather than hypo symptoms.

Yes, that Gluco Navii link is one of those people use but I would shop around for deals on extra pots of test strips as you should be able to get some for about £10. The kit usually only comes with 10 test strips and you may spoil some of those before you get the hang of testing. I certainly wasted a few when I started testing.

How come you are still using the Libre then if you find it doesn't give you accurate results?

I absolutely love Libre and it has revolutionised my diabetes management, but I understand all it's limitations and quirks and how my body responds to it in different situations and I know when to double check with finger pricks and when it will be unreliable and when it will be close enough to give me good results. I base all my insulin doses off the information it gives me which demonstrates not so much trust in it's data, but trust in my understanding and interpretation of it's data because I have so much experience of using it. I scan it an average of 35 times a day, every day for 4.5 years, so I am pretty confident about knowing when it is reliable and when I need to get a second and overriding opinion from my BG meter with a finger prick..... and when to double check that finger prick result for that matter as you can get the odd rogue result due to a dodgy test strip or contamination on your fingers and even dehydration will have an impact on BG readings and Libre readings, so lots and lots of things to take into consideration before you panic about any particular result.

 

[Inka]

Welcome @jefner 🙂 I find that sometimes the symptoms of anxiety can mimic a hypo. Consider that fact, along with the inaccuracy of the Libre, especially in the first 24-48hrs, and also that people without diabetes, like you, have blood sugars of 3.5 and that’s normal and nothing to panic about 🙂

If you have anxiety, I think the Libre will make that worse. You’ve done the right thing and had an HbA1C done and it’s normal (not diabetic). Perhaps you just need to look at your diet and add in a few more carbs, some snacks, or whatever so your body has enough to function.

 

[jefner]

For many of us, it is not about Libre being inaccurate. It has limitations. Once these are understood, Libre is fantastic.

The Libre puts no restrictions on which finger prick meter to use.
The thing to remember is that the most expensive part of a meter is the test strips. So when considering the cost, you need to include the cost of the strips.
@rebrascora has suggested the most common meters for people who self fund.

The other thing to bear in mind is why are you measuring your BG?
Is it to give you peace of mind with regards to hypos? As @rebrascora mentioned, the numbers you are seeing on your Libre are not considered to be hypos. However, they may be lower than your body is used to.
Is it to understand the impact of exercise and different foods on your BG? In this case the recommendation is to make a note of your BG jut before your first bite and 2 hours later. If you second measurement is 2mmol/l or more higher than your first, your body has not been able to tolerate the carbohydrates in your meal.

it is to give me piece of mind mainly because of the autoimmune condition I have which impacts a lot of different things in the body including difficulty in stabilising BSG. Because of the hypo episodes I have I want to cross that off the list of many things that need attention, if my levels are in fact ok. I suppose I should be eating more but the nausea I get with anxiety, I eat a lot less than I did a few years ago but try and nibble on something every couple of hours or so which can be difficult as I split dose a certain thyroid med 3 times a day so have to leave a gap before I can eat something. It's all a damn juggling act tbh

 

[jefner]

Welcome @jefner 🙂 I find that sometimes the symptoms of anxiety can mimic a hypo. Consider that fact, along with the inaccuracy of the Libre, especially in the first 24-48hrs, and also that people without diabetes, like you, have blood sugars of 3.5 and that’s normal and nothing to panic about 🙂

If you have anxiety, I think the Libre will make that worse. You’ve done the right thing and had an HbA1C done and it’s normal (not diabetic). Perhaps you just need to look at your diet and add in a few more carbs, some snacks, or whatever so your body has enough to function.

anxiety can be a contributory factor on levels I read and I have had it continious now, day in and day out since 2015 and thank you for the reassurance about levels of 3.5 being normal for some. As I said because the Libre is totally new to me and I was getting such low readings for several hours, it wasn't until I was sat on the sofa late last night reading up on Reddit posts and how it has to settle for at least 12-24hrs which somewhat alleviated my heightened anxiety about it.
I have ordered a HbA1C test kit from the Diabetes site because I haven't had it tested since December 22 when the levels showed normal but things can change so, for peace of mind, it's a worthwhile test for me. Just wish they would hurry up and post the damn thing to me so I can get it done

 

[jefner]

Yes, that Gluco Navii link is one of those people use but I would shop around for deals on extra pots of test strips as you should be able to get some for about £10. The kit usually only comes with 10 test strips and you may spoil some of those before you get the hang of testing. I certainly wasted a few when I started testing.
Will any strips do or do I need to find compatible ones for the Navii. As I said I am completely new to all this so have very little understanding. what about these? https://www.amazon.co.uk/50-Compati...efix=blood+sugar+testing+strips,aps,79&sr=8-8

 

[Leadinglights]

anxiety can be a contributory factor on levels I read and I have had it continious now, day in and day out since 2015 and thank you for the reassurance about levels of 3.5 being normal for some. As I said because the Libre is totally new to me and I was getting such low readings for several hours, it wasn't until I was sat on the sofa late last night reading up on Reddit posts and how it has to settle for at least 12-24hrs which somewhat alleviated my heightened anxiety about it.
I have ordered a HbA1C test kit from the Diabetes site because I haven't had it tested since December 22 when the levels showed normal but things can change so, for peace of mind, it's a worthwhile test for me. Just wish they would hurry up and post the damn thing to me so I can get it done

OK that is quite a while ago and as you say things can change. Don't forget the test kit you will get will be doing the test from a finger prick sample which is from capillary blood and will not be quite as accurate as one done by your GP from a venous blood sample but I think somebody had one done by Boots recently and found it was a reasonable match to the official one.
HbA1C tests are not particularly accurate if you have anaemia, but that hopefully does not apply to you.
These tests done independently don't get added to your medical record which can be a disadvantage so you could ask your GP for one.

 

[rebrascora]

Is there any reason why you can't get an HbA1c done through the NHS? It is a very standard test and if your issues with your Thyroid/Hashimoto's can impact your BG levels then it seems reasonable to request it.
I would like to add that I really sympathise with you having anxiety. Many of us here on the forum have experience of it and I have struggled with it for more than 20 years. Have you asked about changing your medication? I started on Amitriptyline last year and that is really helping me, but it takes time to build up to a dose that works. Exercise is also important to help with anxiety and mental health. I try to walk as much as possible rather than take the car but I have also started using the staircase in my house and setting myself goals of so many ascents and descents on the trot which takes just 10-15 mins. It is really good exercise for your heart, lungs and legs and doesn't cost anything provided that you have a house with a staircase and are able to walk up and down it and it doesn't matter if it is cold, wet or dark outside which are easy excuses to prevent me from leaving the house and avoid exercise. You can put some favourite music on whilst you do it.
I appreciate that Hashimoto's may slow you down and there will be days when you struggle to do anything, but every little bit helps with exercise.