AIBU as a Type 1 Diabetic, to be baffled the seemingly sudden influx of non diabetics using CGM's...?

[OSAP]

If your pancreas works, you don't need one.

Blood glucose isn't exclusively influenced by the food you eat so 'personalised nutrition plans' 'metabolic trackers' etc etc are a, usually expensive, gimmick.

Nobody seemed too fussed about their 'blood glucose' when it involved finger pricks, but the Freestyle Libre now seems to have become a must have accessory for the 'worried well' who now seem to need to know what their blood sugar is doing, all while not really understanding what most of it means.

Not disagreeing with the current fad of CGM use but diabetics aren't the only people with medical conditions which impact blood sugars and so benefit from this technology. I suffer regular hypoglycemic episodes, carry a glucogon kit which has had to be used on me numerous times but I'm not diabetic. I used dexcom for several years for it's trend functionality (I rarely go above 6mmol). I've personally gone back to finger pricks but that's personal preference.

Couldn't agree more OP. Makes me roll my eyes at people willingly taking on this thing that I, as a Type 1 diabetic, find the most enormous hassle. I wonder if many of them know how to use it properly anyway? I remember seeing an article with a woman worried about her "glucose levels plunging overnight" and thought she should investigate the possibility that it's a compression low. Also, they're not very accurate if you aren't well-hydrated.

Let's not also forget the glucose goddess causing people to want to see what's going on

In all transparency I'm a type 2 who self funds due to real and unexpected struggles managing my blood sugar since undergoing an unrelated surgery (wild swings in hba1c since) and trying to avoid having to going on to insulin if I can.

Medication tweaks cause me issues for literally months and I need to advocate for myself with medical professionals that seem stuck in their view of 'this is what should happen' (but can't see that it is dependent on the individual and sometimes doesn't follow the 'normal' pattern)

It's really useful to see what causes the big spikes, and the 3am lows and I am getting a lot of valuable information about what MY body does (and before anyone goes off on 'you don't know what you're looking at' yes I do, and I finger prick as well but its much better to see the full pattern during periods where I can't eg during sleep, exercise, work etc)

Not true actually - you are insulin resistant with PCOS whether or not you have diabetes

I've wondered the exact same thing OP. I'm really not sure how CGM can help
You loose weight. Surely you know that if you eat certain things your blood sugar will spike.

Sorry but you’re being unreasonable just in using the phrase ‘worried well’. So condescending. As a society we are sinking under the weight of metabolic diseases, life expectancy is going down for many, and the government hides behind ‘personal responsibility’ rather than actually dealing with the structural causes. Then when people do actually invest in their health along comes some eyerolling miser to call them the worried well. Give your head a shake.

If people want to measure their blood sugar and they have the means to pay for it then it’s got sweet FA to do with you really.

You can return broken sensors without talking to a person (Libre ones) if you use their online form. They’ll send you a new one and an envelope to post the old one back in. No humans interacted with - my favourite!

https://www.freestyle.abbott/uk-en/support/sensor-support-form.html

I was given mine as I’m type 2 but am on insulin

I have Type 1 and I totally agree. It pisses me off and it’s so annoying to read people’s drivel about their results. “OMIGOD! Just ate two slices of toast and my blood sugar went up to 6.1!!” So bloody ridiculous!

And yes some people do cosplay being diabetic. They have ‘low blood sugar’ - except they don’t. They have a spot on their finger/stiff toe/feel a bit tired and they’re all full of how they’ve probably got diabetes 🙄

A while ago, a Type 1 friend had a supply issue with the Libre. This was put down to people without diabetes buying them.

Nobody without diabetes needs one. They not toys, they’re medical devices. And Zoe is crap.

this
(mother of type 1 diabetic )

There was a doctor on TV the other day talking about the libre things for non diabetics. He rolled his eyes when asked about them and said " ah yes,the sticky white patch of the idiot". They are totally unnecessary for non diabetics. My son has type 1 as does my brother. They need them. Zoe people do not. I am very impressed that you can get someone to spend over £200 on something they have no need of. My friend has one and is verging on obsessed with it. Apparently the weight is just falling off. That'll be because you've had someone take £200 out of your wallet sweetie.

@Toddlerteaplease if a CGM made you lose weight, I’d be stick thin!

It’s a clumsy and obvious marketing angle right there; we are pretending this is all about health but really it’s high tech Weight Watchers!

To be fair, it was the T1s that developed the kit for an open-access artificial pancreas pump; they took risks with the tech way before any of the big companies thought about it.
Start-ups have also been invaulable in diabetes pumps, which were amazingly personalised, but driven out by big boys with 'basic' pumps

@YoongiMarryMe thanks for that. Maybe it’s changed recently as previously I’ve had to phone up about replacements.

Total BS OP. The Zoë thing is to make people think about how their diet affects them and to try to educate people on how to avoid type 2 diabetes.
Given that the number of people at risk of developing type 2 is increasing, surely allowing people who actually care about their health is a good thing? Especially since they are paying for iThe Zoë App is only a study for a short period of time, and not a permanent solution. It’s not as if everyone is being encouraged to use them as a permanent “worried well” badge.
As for those who want to use the Libre 2 to help them with type 2 - if they are paying for them, I don’t see what the problem is. You aren’t special just because you’re type 1, and if it helps type 2 it will save an awful lot of money for the NHS…

Yanbu OP

It's a totally unnecessary gimmick and these companies are laughing all the way to the bank at the people that have fallen for it. It minimises what Type 1 have to deal with.

It reminds me of those who declare they have ADHD etc..after watching a random Tik Tok video. It's like a need to draw attention to yourself.

I was thinking about this yesterday strangely enough. Might be a v stupid question but what’s the draw with these items? If I wanted to see my BMs I can just use the trusty old glucose monitor with lancet? So it’s literally just a marketing gimmick?

If people want to measure their blood sugar and they have the means to pay for it then it’s got sweet FA to do with you really

With the caveat that it's totally unnecessary use by people without diabete doesn't cause even a temporary supply problem for those who use it as a genuine medical device.

If you can't agree to that then you have zero understanding of how important the company is to type 1s

I was diagnosed type 2 and I used the free offer to get a CGM.

I found out, that for me, bananas spike my blood sugar.

I know all food does, and that fruit has quite a lot of sugar but finding out bananas are worse than biscuits for me was an eye opener.

I used it as a short term tool and since then my A1C is 35/36 and I am losing weight.

OP

I sort of agree with you, if you have no symptoms and are a healthy weight then it's a gimmick and you might as well superglue a plastic counter to your arm.

I don't need to use one but I found it a useful short term tool.

So many ppl worrying about going up to 9 mmol after eating chips or whatever, with absolutely no context at all

Tbf, if your post-prandial blood glucose is 9, you probably are a type 2 diabetic, or at least pre-diabetic. That definitely isn’t a normal reading - should be under 7.8.

Agree with everything you’ve said though.

T2 and I use libre every 3 months or so. It keeps me accountable for my food decisions. I use a lancet and contour next during times without a libre. If it weren't for the expense I'd like to have a libre permanently.

It' brilliant marketing to get worried well to spend their money

I agree.

I also think there is a narrative now by some that getting diabetes or cancer is 100% in your control which is obviously BS. Yes a healthy lifestyle is great but it’s not a guarantee that you will be free from all disease.

Yabu but just because it's not only type ones who use them or need them. My own df is an insulin dependent type 2 and has a cgm. But beyond diabetics and maybe some other medical issues I don't see the need for using them really and would worry it would cause a supply issue like with the ozempic.

@OSAP but if it helps people lose weight, that helps their overall health, so why are you so angry about it?

yes, other things affect your readings, but if it incentivises people to eat better & exercise more- (& they can afford it) then what's the problem??

you probably think I'm not a 'real' diabetic as I'm a T2 but it's real for me.

I have been looking into a CGM & it was one of the reasons I just upgraded my phone (couldn't use them on my old one).

im testing a lot of things again now and im like a fucking pin cushion. I can only test on one hand & it's so sore. I'm not in an area where we get free test strips so they cost a fair bit, so it's not zero cost v CGM costs.

im not sure which one to get though

No evidence that it’s causing supply issues. If it ever did, that’s on the supplier and the government to manage, not the consumer.

This false narrative of one group of people depriving another who are more worthy is everywhere in healthcare at the moment and it’s insipid. You see it with testosterone and trans, diabetes and ozempic, migrants and everything. If you want to know why everything is creaking, look at how brexit, covid, Ukraine etc have affected global shipping and supply lines, instead of blaming Tracey down the road for watching a TikTok.

I'm T2 and am have had to accept that I just can't eat carbs these days (am 53). I often buy a Libre sensor and use it for 2 weeks to work out what I can get away with eating especially vegetables. It's a really useful tool for me and I can share the results with my diabetic nurse. I'd love one all the time as I've got horribly thick skin on my hands and really struggle with fingerprick testing.

My last hba1c was 50, and after using the sensors managed to get it down to 43.