Type 2 Using Lingo sensor by Abbott

I

Ivy45

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Pronouns
She/Her
Hi all new here, Was diagnosed type 2 last year advised to lose weight to control the diabetes. Although I tried start of the year just lost motivation, but in my mind not having any tools to guide I thought I had reduced my sugar/carb intake. To my horror my annual review this year showed I was 3kg more than last year, my home scales were still showing me one stone below the surgery scales! My GP refuses to advise on mounjaro due to them "not knowing enough" about it.

Anyway as my mum is prescribed libre 2 I started looking into how I can monitor my blood glucose and found Lingo, made by Abbott, same company that makes the Libre sensors. I have just finished 2 weeks. A supply for one month of the CGM sensor is about £100.....I just ordered my second months sensors. For me personally trying to stay in range has drastically reduced my carb/sugar intake. For the last year after diagnosis I have been left alone without any support from my surgery hence paying privately to find ways to control the diabetes.

Was wondering what other people use to monitor their glucose if they are not on medication?! X
 
Welcome @Ivy45

I am curious why you chose the Lingo package rather than the Libre.
The Libre 2+ starter pack contains 2 sensors which each last 15 days and costs £86 (excluding VAT but you should be VAT exempt due to your diabetes).
You can also get a free Libre trial from their website.

I appreciate the apps are different and you may prefer the extra information provided by the Lingo app.
 
helli said:
Welcome @Ivy45

I am curious why you chose the Lingo package rather than the Libre.
The Libre 2+ starter pack contains 2 sensors which each last 15 days and costs £86 (excluding VAT but you should be VAT exempt due to your diabetes).
You can also get a free Libre trial from their website.

I appreciate the apps are different and you may prefer the extra information provided by the Lingo app.
Click to expand...
Oh I thought the Libre 2 was only available through a GP or diabetic team prescribing it. I will look into it when my next sensors are due. I'm not bothered about the fancy interfaces on the app, lingo is aesthetically nice to use and look at but has missing features that the Libre App has like low/high alerts. For me the prime use is to monitor and alter my diet as a first step to lose this weight. I have come to terms it's going to be a lifelong condition.

I also didn't know I'd be VAT exempt being diabetic. I appreciate your reply, Thank you.
 
I thought the Lingo was brought out mainly for the US market, where the libre 2 is only available via a prescription.Are you based in the U.K., @Ivy45 ?
 
Many of us use a home testing blood glucose monitor which uses a finger prick blood sample. The monitor costs about £15-£20 and test strips about £8-10 for 50 strips. Initially people will test fairly frequently to establish what meals they can tolerate and thereafter maybe in the morning or if feeling unwell. So in the long run is a much cheaper option and better to spend the money on good quality suitable foods.
Diet is the most important thing to address and finding a way which suits you, is enjoyable and sustainable for life so it becomes a new way of eating.
This link may give you some ideas for a way forward. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
Robin said:
I thought the Lingo was brought out mainly for the US market, where the libre 2 is only available via a prescription.Are you based in the U.K., @Ivy45 ?
Click to expand...
Yes I ordered it directly from Abbott in the UK. I didn't know it existed until it came up on a TikTok, out of all places. It is marketed as a health monitor and not a medical device to help improve your health by making conscious changes, but does exactly the same thing the Libre does as my mum wears a Libre 2 in terms of continuous glucose monitoring.
 
Many of us self funded the Libre before we managed to get it prescribed, so yes, it is definitely available to buy without prescription.
 
I have just started using the Dexcom one+ which I’m happy with.
Self funding it as our dr won’t give anything out.
It has all the low high alerts each monitor does 10 days then gives a 12 hour grace period to change it.
I get mine direct from Dexcom monthly costs £79 + 3.99 p@p delivered by DPD.
 
Ivy45 said:
Hi all new here, Was diagnosed type 2 last year advised to lose weight to control the diabetes. Although I tried start of the year just lost motivation, but in my mind not having any tools to guide I thought I had reduced my sugar/carb intake. To my horror my annual review this year showed I was 3kg more than last year, my home scales were still showing me one stone below the surgery scales! My GP refuses to advise on mounjaro due to them "not knowing enough" about it.

Anyway as my mum is prescribed libre 2 I started looking into how I can monitor my blood glucose and found Lingo, made by Abbott, same company that makes the Libre sensors. I have just finished 2 weeks. A supply for one month of the CGM sensor is about £100.....I just ordered my second months sensors. For me personally trying to stay in range has drastically reduced my carb/sugar intake. For the last year after diagnosis I have been left alone without any support from my surgery hence paying privately to find ways to control the diabetes.

Was wondering what other people use to monitor their glucose if they are not on medication?! X
Click to expand...
I use a manual bg tester with lancets and test strips. Prescribed because I take gliclazide and it can cause hypos. Find it helps with adjusting diet to keep carbs at a level that reduces my bg alongside regular exercise
 
Firstly I say TRY get a FREE Libra 2
they offer a 14 day FREE TRIAL to us Diabetics also Dexcom offer you the DexcomOne+ on their 10 day free (pay P&P @4.99) if in the future yo7 end up self funding
I did a bit of research
the dexcom is fractionally cheaper as they actually do a 90 day supply (re occurring subscription cancelable at any time) for £229 plus £4.95 delivery for ten sensors

I appreciate you having already got a relationship with Abbott
as you’ve bought the lingo you might not qualify for their FREE trial
but worth a try, if you can’t order on line
just request a call back via their website even

as others have said the Lingo is basically the same as the Libra2plus
but without the high / low alerts in the app

and the libra also has the facility if you grant it to HCP’s to see what’s going on with you (if you ever wanted to)

The link for a Libra2Plus is here:
www.freestyle.abbott

Sampling | Diabetes Care | Abbott

Claim your 15 day free sensor if you have diabetes and have not tried the FreeStyle Libre 2 plus sensor before
www.freestyle.abbott www.freestyle.abbott

and for the Dexcom it’s:

Dexcom ONE+ Sensor | Dexcom UK Online Store

The Dexcom ONE+ sensors measure glucose levels for 10 days and come with a pre-loaded auto-applicator.
uk.store.dexcom.com uk.store.dexcom.com
NOTE
with both companies be sure to tick the box on registration to declare you are Diabetic and then all future orders are VAT exempt
 
goodybags said:
as others have said the Lingo is basically the same as the Libra2plus
Click to expand...
I think it may be the Libre 2 (without the "+") because the website says the Lingo sensor lasts for 14 days where as the Libre 2+ lasts for that all important extra day.
 
Leadinglights said:
Many of us use a home testing blood glucose monitor which uses a finger prick blood sample. The monitor costs about £15-£20 and test strips about £8-10 for 50 strips. Initially people will test fairly frequently to establish what meals they can tolerate and thereafter maybe in the morning or if feeling unwell. So in the long run is a much cheaper option and better to spend the money on good quality suitable foods.
Diet is the most important thing to address and finding a way which suits you, is enjoyable and sustainable for life so it becomes a new way of eating.
This link may give you some ideas for a way forward. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Click to expand...
I'm sure that's a better way to spend money for many people with diabetes. CGMs are great for those of us who use insulin and want to know what's happening overnight because there's a real chance that that'll show something unexpected (or because we want alarms if we're going low or high).

I'm sure for people on most other diabetes medication there's much less value to be had from 24h monitoring, and you could get most of that with test strips and (maybe) a sensor now and again.
 
Bruce Stephens said:
I'm sure that's a better way to spend money for many people with diabetes. CGMs are great for those of us who use insulin and want to know what's happening overnight because there's a real chance that that'll show something unexpected (or because we want alarms if we're going low or high).

I'm sure for people on most other diabetes medication there's much less value to be had from 24h monitoring, and you could get most of that with test strips and (maybe) a sensor now and again.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure whether you are agreeing or disagreeing with what I said but they are invaluable for those taking insulin whether Type 1 or 2 or any other but if not people often seem to over react to the information that it gives them.
 
hi @Ivy45 and welcome to the the forum , are you taking any medication or is it diet control ? , personally i find the finger prick method a lot cheaper than purchasing a libra to monitor glucose levels in the long run alot cheaper, ive thought of buying one before but it has to be a long term commitment that i cannot afford id much rather spend the extra pennys on good organic food where possible ' so i find checking my levels during the day 5 or 6 times with finger pricks more than enough for me to make any changes . For me I've seen some great results from just looking at my diet creating a daily account of what i eat etc.
This has helped me to tweak my meals to almost pre diabetic levels I'm taking metformin 1 a day but I'm hopeful in my next review this might even stop fingers crossed .Somethings that have helped me is having a good daily routine ,i don't eat anything after 6pm no snacks nothing and my breakfast starts at 10 am , i keep my diet to getting as many whole foods as i can in a day , i find cooking everything from scratch helps me more than anything and reading labels '
Anyway good luck on your journey !!
 
You can keep a really good record just with using a glucose monitor and finger pricker i use the accuchek fastclik one i use this accuchek one and i use the mysugar app for it to log everything from weight, exersize , carbs , bloods and so much more .Ibuy the test strips for £10 for 50 at my chemist .
1729688212094.png
 
Ivy45 said:
lingo is aesthetically nice to use and look at but has missing features that the Libre App has like low/high alerts
Click to expand...
Unless you’re on medication that can cause hypos I wouldn’t set the low alarm and unless you’re on medication you can adjust eg rapid acting insulin I wouldn’t set the high alarm. If you can’t actually do anything in the moment then there’s no point increasing the chance of diabetes burnout by setting alarms.

I’d also suggest you’re better saving your money, not using cgm and instead invest the money in something else eg use that £100 a month for a couple pots of test strips, some good food you might not otherwise afford, a swimming session or whatever your choice of exercise is, that sort of thing.

Don’t get me wrong CGM is good, but unless you’re on medication where you can regularly adjust the doses I just think it’s more information than you’re going to be able to act on.
 
CoolShot44 said:
hi @Ivy45 and welcome to the the forum , are you taking any medication or is it diet control ? , personally i find the finger prick method a lot cheaper than purchasing a libra to monitor glucose levels in the long run alot cheaper, ive thought of buying one before but it has to be a long term commitment that i cannot afford id much rather spend the extra pennys on good organic food where possible ' so i find checking my levels during the day 5 or 6 times with finger pricks more than enough for me to make any changes . For me I've seen some great results from just looking at my diet creating a daily account of what i eat etc.
This has helped me to tweak my meals to almost pre diabetic levels I'm taking metformin 1 a day but I'm hopeful in my next review this might even stop fingers crossed .Somethings that have helped me is having a good daily routine ,i don't eat anything after 6pm no snacks nothing and my breakfast starts at 10 am , i keep my diet to getting as many whole foods as i can in a day , i find cooking everything from scratch helps me more than anything and reading labels '
Anyway good luck on your journey !!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I am diet only, and the sensor gives me a good indication of how bad my diet really was, you know those moments of "well one mint rocky biscuit bar won't hurt" spiked my level so high it was off the radar on the Lingo app, but bearing in mind the app maximum is about 11.5 !

Finger pricking is cost effective but the thought of doing it through the day gives me anxiety, and as useful as the sensors are, the most accurate reading will always be a finger prick. Considering all that and the cost of these sensors my aim is to have the sensor as an aid to form better habits, reduce the weight (20kg) and go from there.

Well done for changing your habits and I am similar, not eating after 8 and my breakfast is at 1pm the following day. At 45 I'm looking back thinking I was pre-diabetic for so long and feel so ignorant that I didn't act sooner, delusional that I thought it won't happen yet at the diagnosis I sat crying while the nurse held my hand. X
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top