Freestyle Libre tracker

[2020mission]

My husband has type 1 and had his annual check up (over the phone) this week. The doctor wants him to go on the Freestyle Libre tracker but from what it seems, these are only recommended for people who're having trouble managing their blood sugar? They also don't seem to eliminate the need to test blood with finger pricks 🤔

Has anyone got any experience of using them and do they actually add any benefit? The fact that it is stuck in your skin and will be a bit of a nuisance when exercising, sleeping, showering... it all seems like hassle.

I’ve just started on it now! I love it!
It can give you an estimated HBA1C and so much data and massively reduce the amount of finger pricks you need. You only need to finger prick if you are hypo or if your symptoms don’t match your readings. I don’t find it a hassle but then I am on a pump which whilst tubeless is still bigger than the libre.

You can also scan it with your phone so you don’t need to carry the bs monitor 24/7 and also the libre 2 is coming out soon which will automatically alarm if you have a hypo which is just amazing!

Also - don’t feel it when sleeping, hasn’t bothered me when running, and when showering, just wait for a few hours after you first put it on.

Thanks for replying @Trisolaris. That would be handy having the alarm in the new version! I think it's just a bit of a shock because he's not had a pump or anything - just the insulin pens and he doesn't even carry his blood glucose monitor around. He only takes it if we're going on an overnight stay but otherwise he just has a sugar boost of he starts to feel low when we are out, as he can tell.

Yes I can understand that. What I struggled with most before going on my pump was the idea of having something permanently attached to me and visible so I do get it. The way to think of it is that it’s a piece of amazing new tech that could substantially increase his control because he will be able to make small adjustments based on continuous blood sugar monitoring. This can really improve how you feel long term and give you much better control even if you don’t have ‘bad’ numbers you get better numbers. It isn’t a judgment on your partner and his management of his condition, it’s just that the tech is now better.

He will need to be in the right headspace for it though and the truth is he might not be there yet if he generally doesn’t particularly monitor his condition that much? Part of the condition of the libre is that you need to check a minimum of 8 times a day.

Yes @Trisolaris I do think he might not be ready for it 😬 I have always wondered why he doesn't test more but it's not for me to control as it's his body. I think it's partly him trying to live his life as normal as possible and because except for the odd hypos he doesn't really have any trouble. He tends to only test once or twice a day and only extra if he feels low. That's why I'm here to try and find out what anyone else is feeling and has experienced. All I can do is feed back to him what I've heard and how it could benefit and let him make the decision.

On the other side, how much does it hurt to put on and take off? He doesn't seem bothered injecting and pricking his fingers so I doubt that is a deciding factor anyway...

DP was sceptical but loves it now. No real need for him for prick tests unless he's low as the libre can be a little slow. Using it has allowed him to understand what happens with his levels and bring his average down which he is really pleased with. Having the sensor in place is a faff but outweighed by the benefit of what's happened to his health.

DH funded it as soon as it came out, then got it from the nhs about 12 months ago, it's brought his Hbac down 2 since we started using it. If your DH is driving legally he has to test his blood every few hours.

@notapizzaeater he doesn't drive as we live in the city centre, so not to worry! Thanks for sharing your DH experience with it. Good to hear it's all positive so far.

Two people who have them, my DH and Theresa May!
They are now approved for driving and he loves his. He's a real geek and downloads all his data to the computer, he uses his phone now to scan it instead of the original scanner (you need a geeky extra bit of kit from Poland apparently), he's on the forum (not sure if it's a FB group or a separate forum, I tune out at this point) all the time.
As a PP, he doesn't do a finger prick as a regular thing.

@drspouse my OH a geek too, we have the fancy watch that monitors it all the t8me. DH wouldn't be without it now tbh.

Oh yes, he has the watch too.

I have one. My control was good before, but even better now. Rarely need to finger prick, it is more convenient, and removes a lot of guesswork. I don't really notice it getting in the way tbh.

I have one, had it for almost 2 years now, and definitely recommend it. My hba1c is so much better now. You can use your phone if it's an iPhone 7 or higher I believe, not sure on android though. My Mum uses one too (complete technophobe) and even she gets on well with it.

My DH uses them, he goes through phases of finding them particularly useful. He self funds so doesn’t want to pay out to use them all the time. He would never want a pump, but is happy with the libre and most of the time forgets it’s there.

He used his phone to scan it, the data is useful on the rare occasion he actually sees anyone about his diabetes. He finds it particularly useful when we’re on holiday or he’s travelling with work. If he’s in meetings all day he can keep an eye on his blood sugar without turning into a big deal.

They’re not just for those who struggle, generally you only need to finger prick if you feel off, the reading isn’t matching how you’re feeling etc. I pricked as normal for the first two weeks to see how it compared for my own peace of mind.

To be honest if he is only testing once or twice a day its unlikely he is managing his condition well. How does he calculate insulin needed when eating if he isn’t testing?

I’m a rugby player, I have had it ripped out once during a game, but it was almost due a change and I do find if I’m particularly sweaty it doesn’t stay completely stuck for long enough. When that happens I just stick a bandage over it and it still works perfectly fine.

I had good control and steady levels before, but as I can now look back and monitor my levels throughout exercise or a game I can be more accurate.

DH has some tape and a swim top for swimming which helps.

My DH has used it for almost a year now (he got one to try 'for occasional use' as we thought it would be handy for holidays etc) and it's a game changer. His control was good before, but his HBA1C prediction has been steadily decreasing all year - it will be interesting to see what the real reading is when he has his annual check up in Feb.

The ability to check levels often and easily makes so much difference. It saves arguments (when I think he's going low, and he didn't agree, for example) because he can check instantly. Also the fact it gives you an arrow to tell you which direction it's going in.

He checked readings with a finger prick alongside it when he first had it, and it was very accurate. I can't remember the last time he used the finger test.

He's had no problems with the sensor coming off.

Unfortunately he can't get it on the NHS because his control is too good. It's not cheap, but worth it in my view.

I've been using the Libre for about two years now, 1st year self funding. It's not just for diabetics who have 'poor control' Its for diabetics who want to see trends, like tech, and want an easier way of checking your blood sugar. I couldn't live without mine now. The only time i now finger prick is if my blood sugar is low as it's not as accurate and for 1st 12 hours or so putting on a new sensor as it can take a while to catch up with what your sugars are. I can see my time in target, estimated hba1c, my hospital team can access my libre data remotely. It's so easy to just scan and check. I think it's important to not to become obsessed and scan too much or focus on the arrows too much though. I've only had a couple of issues in 2 years- 1 fell off a day early and 1 i ripped off by accident. Otherwise stick fine, been to the gym, swimming, showers etc. if they start lifting a bit i just stick a dressing over. The only thing i haven't done is tried a two week holiday in the sun swimming everyday, i usually finger prick for those. I'm currently 18 weeks pregnant and having the Libre and having to keep my control so tight has been a god send. Managed to get my Hba1c to 36 (5.4) so pre diabetic levels which i'm chuffed with. If you can afford to buy/get on prescription I would deff give it a go!

My husband has the Dexcom G6 which he loves. I can't remember the last time I saw him fingerprick, and its so convenient. All this new technology for T1D is amazing!

I have found the Libre life-changing. The fact that you can see what's been happening for the last 8 hours and whether you're currently going up, down or stable makes it much easier to adjust insulin appropriately. On the rare occasions I've had to revert to finger pricks, I find myself staring at the monitor, thinking "5.4? What good is that to me? Are my sugars going up, down or sideways?"