I tried both the 7 day and the 10 day (when it came out) FS Libre. In my limited experience with it, I found them to be wildly off with +50 point swings and definitely had a hard time keeping up with my sugars at the time. In fairness I had wild swings up and down at the time which I was finally able to mitigate with the Dexcom and XDrip (alarms do actually help sometimes). Hydration can be an issue, and normally I would assume that was the problem with the FS Libre, but I am no more hydrated on the Dexcom and I donāt get those crazy swings. I would be very gun shy about bolusing from a FS Libre reading, and I very much value the alarms as annoying as they are.
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Hi! By using a smartphone or a smartwatch with the app Xdrip+ and miaomiao transmitter you can easily calibrate the sensor and also have warnings all day long.
I am using it 2 years now fully satisfied!!
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Ahhh Okayyyā¦ I have been using 14 day Libre sensors for about a year. My Diabetes Educator wanted me on Dexcom CGM as she feels it is more accurate and likes the alarm system, but it is silly expensive even with insurance. I have enjoyed the convenience of the Libre sensor but recently realized I was probably relying on it more then I should. Iāve taken a break for about a month and gone back to finger sticking. (Itās actually been nice to be able to wash my arms without being careful with the sensor!) I feel this break has reminded me the importance of finger sticking and when I go back to using the sensors Iāll be a better āprickerā.
In my experience with the 14 day Libre system I too have noticed sleeping on them can give odd numbers for a bit as well. My last A1c was slightly higher; 6.2 from 6.1 which Iām sure isnāt a big difference but I thought I was going to be more like 5.9 due to my readings.
I live in lovely but hot/humid weather and am very active, hiking and swimming. I have had them fall off prematurely, and one stopped working, but Abbott has always sent me replacements. Iāve found their customer service to be helpful. Iāve tried using the patches over the sensor but they kind of bug me.
The last couple of sensors Iāve removed left a bump where the needle thing went into my skin. They are gone now so Iām thinking itās just temporary irritation.
I didnāt get the up/down arrows often - even when I thought I should. When I did, I found them to be pretty accurate.
Overall I really like using the system and I plan to go back to it soon. I agree with you daisymae that itās a good idea to always finger stick before a bolus decision and I will definitely check my blood more often to verify the numbers.
Cheers
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Itās possible the Eversense might be less expensive for you with insurance.
Iāve never heard of that. Is it another CGM?
Yes, itās an implanted 90 sensor with rechargeable BT transmitter. There are several threads here with user experiences. They also had a bridge program which might still be around? The Bridge program was like $99 OOP for the first 90 days plus office visit fees for implant.
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I tried the Eversense using their discount Bridge program. Overall I thought it was great considering the big picture of what I was looking for. Itās not for everybody, though. The cons might overwhelm the pros for many people, so read up on it before you spend money on it. The specific feature I liked was the high and low BG alerts are received by buzzing on your arm even when your phone is turned off or out of range.
Sorry to report they stopped the Bridge program a while backā¦not aware of any discounts for cash payers these days. The company has had success getting more insurance companies to cover it though. Best way to check if you can get it is through the Senseonics web site.
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I just looked on the Eversense website, the Bridge program is still active, and the are implant discounts available for some
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Thank you for your help. Thanks to you and FUDiabetes there are more options out there than I realized.
Cheers
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