To return/not to return to flash gm/cgm

[HalfpipMarathon]

I haven't posted for a while.

After finishing 14 days on Libre 2 in early December the plan was to try Dexcom One on the back of the arm. However I changed my mind and decided to have a break from tracking my blood glucose.

Has anyone who is type 2 not on insulin and self funds ever taken a break from self funding due to cost. Have they found it hard to return or think about returning to using a a flash gm or cgm after a break?

Part of me wants to either use the final Dexcom One sensor or try Libre2 and the other part feels liberated by not using either. Feel the initial enthusiasm has long gone.

 

[bulkbiker]

What precisely are you hoping to discover by monitoring?

I used finger pricks often in the early days to see exactly which kinds of food I should be avoiding (mainly anything with carbohydrates).

Nowadays I still test but usually do a fasting in the morning and then a before bed at night to make sure I'm not spiking.
Finger prick sticks are far cheaper of course.

I'm a bit of a data nerd so like to keep an eye on what's going on with my bloods.

 

[HalfpipMarathon]

What precisely are you hoping to discover by monitoring?

I used finger pricks often in the early days to see exactly which kinds of food I should be avoiding (mainly anything with carbohydrates).

Nowadays I still test but usually do a fasting in the morning and then a before bed at night to make sure I'm not spiking.
Finger prick sticks are far cheaper of course.

I'm a bit of a data nerd so like to keep an eye on what's going on with my bloods.

Sometime ago a Dr said if I didn't reduce my HbA1c I might end up on insulin. This scared me. My HbA1c did reduce then I started finger pricking before using Libre 2. My last HbA1c had reduced and I feel this was because I was keeping an eye on my time in range which is my main goal.

 

[bulkbiker]

Sometime ago a Dr said if I didn't reduce my HbA1c I might end up on insulin. This scared me. My HbA1c did reduce then I started finger pricking before using Libre 2. My last HbA1c had reduced and I feel this was because I was keeping an eye on my time in range which is my main goal.

And how did you reduce your HbA1c levels?
Dietary changes or something else?

The threat of insulin is often used by doctors and DN's to shock patients into doing something post diagnosis.
I just changed what I ate completely and went on an ultra low carb diet.
7 years later I'm still in remission and far lighter than I was with a load of other health problems gone too.
No insulin or any other medication.

 

[HalfpipMarathon]

And how did you reduce your HbA1c levels?
Dietary changes or something else?

The threat of insulin is often used by doctors and DN's to shock patients into doing something post diagnosis.
I just changed what I ate completely and went on an ultra low carb diet.
7 years later I'm still in remission and far lighter than I was with a load of other health problems gone too.
No insulin or any other medication.

I exercised (lost 3 stones) ate when I was hungry and then tried to choose low carb whenever possible.

 

[bulkbiker]

I exercised (lost 3 stones) ate when I was hungry and then tried to choose low carb whenever possible.

Sounds great.. so if you are still eating low enough carb to keep your HbA1c in a range you are happy with and continue to do so you might be able to have some time away from monitoring...

If your early enthusiasm for getting healthier is going I find thoughts of going blind or having toes and feet amputated are a very helpful motivator?

 

[Lucyr]

I haven't posted for a while.

After finishing 14 days on Libre 2 in early December the plan was to try Dexcom One on the back of the arm. However I changed my mind and decided to have a break from tracking my blood glucose.

Has anyone who is type 2 not on insulin and self funds ever taken a break from self funding due to cost. Have they found it hard to return or think about returning to using a a flash gm or cgm after a break?

Part of me wants to either use the final Dexcom One sensor or try Libre2 and the other part feels liberated by not using either. Feel the initial enthusiasm has long gone.

I’m self funding but only one per month, and I am on MDI insulin.

I did use dexcom one but the transmitter only lasts for a fixed period so I couldn’t reduce the costs with breaks.

If you aren’t using insulin I can’t see that it would be worth the cost of continuing. What action are you taking based on the results? Could you not get the same outcomes with fingerpricking or with intensive meal testing over the duration of one sensor?

 

[HalfpipMarathon]

I’m self funding but only one per month, and I am on MDI insulin.

I did use dexcom one but the transmitter only lasts for a fixed period so I couldn’t reduce the costs with breaks.

If you aren’t using insulin I can’t see that it would be worth the cost of continuing. What action are you taking based on the results? Could you not get the same outcomes with fingerpricking or with intensive meal testing over the duration of one sensor?

I don't eat much these days but when I do eat I try and choose low carb whenever possible. I used the time in range feature to try and stay in range. This was a big help in reducing my HbA1c. I chose initially to use Libre 2 as find finger pricking inconvenient especially on the move.

However the point of my post was to find out if people who self fund, especially type 2 not on insulin like myself, found it difficult to return to using a Libre 2 (fgm) or cgm (Dexcom One) after a break; just a general query.

 

[Lucyr]

I don't eat much these days but when I do eat I try and choose low carb whenever possible. I used the time in range feature to try and stay in range. This was a big help in reducing my HbA1c. I chose initially to use Libre 2 as find finger pricking inconvenient especially on the move.

However the point of my post was to find out if people who self fund, especially type 2 not on insulin like myself, found it difficult to return to using a Libre 2 (fgm) or cgm (Dexcom One) after a break; just a general query.

If you already eat low carb, what further diet changes would you only make if you had the additional data from a sensor, and wouldn’t make without the sensor.

If the answer is none, then that’s the answer to what benefit you’d get.

T2 not on insulin don’t usually self fund sensors because fingerpricks are generally sufficient, so I don’t think you’ll get many responses if you’re only accepting replies from that group of people.

 

[HalfpipMarathon]

If you already eat low carb, what further diet changes would you only make if you had the additional data from a sensor, and wouldn’t make without the sensor.

If the answer is none, then that’s the answer to what benefit you’d get.

T2 not on insulin don’t usually self fund sensors because fingerpricks are generally sufficient, so I don’t think you’ll get many responses if you’re only accepting replies from that group of people.

I try and eat low carb but not always possible. Yes finger pricking maybe sufficient for some.

I was curious about how difficult it was returning to using a Libre 2 or Dexcom One after a break especially if self funding however it is obvious that I was wasting my time.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I was curious about how difficult it was returning to using a Libre 2 or Dexcom One after a break especially if self funding however it is obvious that I was wasting my time.

I think it's going to be inevitably personal. Practically it'll be easier with Libre 2 (you just buy a sensor and use it, whereas Dexcom One needs a transmitter too).

I'm skeptical of the benefit you'll get from it, though as I've said repeatedly I can imagine a benefit for using a sensor once in a while (just so you and your healthcare team can see if there's some obvious patterns that would be helpful to see, for example I could imagine someone might often go high over night or in the afternoon or something, and maybe changing the appropriate meal might help that). But that would be (I'm imagining) a couple of times a year. And (maybe) if you're on holiday and eating food you don't normally eat: using a sensor might be nice then rather than test strips.