Since switching to the FreeStyle Libre 14-day sensors 10 months ago, I have had 7 sensors fail prematurely. I used the 10-day sensors for about 10 months prior to switching to 14-day sensors. I never had any sensor failures with the 10-day ones. Although Abbott replaces them each time, it takes about 30 mins on the phone with them, and my medicare provider will only ship 2 sensors every 25 days, so I am often without my CGM. Has anyone else had this issue with the Freestyle Libre? Are other brands more reliable? Thank you.
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I’m sorry you’ve had that experience. I’m in Canada nad have been using the FreeStyle Libre for six months without a single sensor failure. I do occasionally get an error when I scan the sensor to try again later, but when I try 10 minutes or so later, it always works.
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I had that exact same problem winter 2018(Maine 30°, then 50°, then 10°, etc.) And it affected 10 and 14 day sensors equally. I used eversense for 6 months because of their bridge program and the libre us 14 day no longer working with blucon and miaomiao bs, however, I discovered flex fix tape on this forum somewhere and it has helped tremendously… I also now have the miaomiao2 under the flex fix tape and will change it and recharge the miaomiao2 after 7 days just to be safe, but the flex flux tape us key.
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I also tried nor bot latex(horrible), skin tac(still fell off), and mastisol(messy, helped with edges, but not effective), iv3000 is very similar to flex flix tape, but is a little big and more for pumps, which I am not a fan of
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Thanks. Are you happy with the Eversense? Has it been reliable? Apparently it is now medicare approved, and the bridge program seems to take the sting out of the switch. Does the flex tape irritate your skin? The tape and the transmitter seem to be the
big drawbacks.
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I was very happy with the eversense and probably would have stayed with it if my insurance company (cigna) covered it, however, after they told me not to pay for the insertion because the nurse practitioner did not receive prior authorization, they denied it due to the experimental nonsense. The sensor removal heals a lot slower though (2 weeks) than the insertion (1 week) so a sensor change usually means sleeping on your back for at least a week, and I often sleep on my side. The app was useless, however there are ways to make it work with xdrip which was the 1st thing I did. I don’t think it will be popular until the 6 month software is approved, or the 1 year…half the Dexcom users on this forum will stretch their 7 or 10 day Dexcom sensors to 90 days, so the extra scars don’t make sense for them…but I miss being able to remove it whenever I wanted, the Bluetooth always worked, recharging during the shower was nice, and the 1 day adhesive had no issues at all, and I never used anything extra…no skin tac, mastisol, tapes, grips, etc…for the libre, the flex tape rarely irritates…oddly enough, if I notice it at all, I’m often low or high, but its still rare…the smaller footprint of the miaomiao2 probably helps too.
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If the issue is the sensor falling off, then I’ve had good luck with RockTape H2O. It’s a bit stretchy, waterproof, and I don’t react to it. It also peels off very easily without leaving residue behind. I also like Opsite Flexi Fix tape, but have recently started reacting to it.
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Thanks Jen. I do lose a sensor now and then, but my big problem is electronic failure of the sensor. Sometimes they fail before the 14 says
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… before the 14 days have expired, and sometimes they won’t even start up. Thanks again
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Thanks Roger
I’m curious… are you starting with the neo Glucometer meter or the libre link app? The app says you can start the sensor with it, but I don’t trust it…its the only time I use the libre reader
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Hi Roger
I only use the Libre meter to start my sensors.
Chris
Would you know if the 10-day sensors work with the just Librelink app vs buying a reader? (In the US if that makes a difference).
Beth
They claim the libre link app will start the sensors, however, they did not start my 10 day sensors, and I had trouble with the miaomiao2 and 14 day sensor until I started it with the reader…in the us abbot will usually give you 1 reader for free, but only one. Since it was free from Abbot, and since I don’t want to wait 1 hour to see if the link app works, then wait another hour after the reader starts it, I haven’t tested it recently, but a few months ago only the reader started for me
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Its interesting that this topic is a year old, but it seems the problem still exists.
I have been using the freestyle 14 day sensor for about 6 mths back in June but I have had at-least 4 failures.
I do wish that Abbott Labs would improve the quality of the product along with expressing the product development status along with streamlining the failure replacement process.
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I have converted to the Freestyle Libre six months ago, after using Dexcom for years. This was due to my personal health insurance coverage.
The good is the size of the sensors and the adhesive used to attach them. The bad news is that I have only had one sensor of nine provide good readings for fourteen days. They are usually low compared to my OneTouch Verio, but representative of my blood glucose for the first four or five days. I have then recorded readings up to 80 mg/dL lower than the OneTouch Verio readings before they request me to replace the sensor. Freestyle is currently providing me with four replacement sensors.
So, I agree and hope that Abbott’s newer products such as the Libre 2 or Libre 3 are providing improved accuracy.
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Found this site doing a search on the Freestyle Libre sensor issues. I used the original LIbre sensor for 2.5 years and started using the Libre 2 two months ago hoping for better reliability. I probably had at least 1 in 5 sensors fail prematurely. As of today, the sensor I just applied 3 days ago is now telling me “reading is unavailable and to check again in 10 mins”. I’ve now gotten 6 of these error messages in a row. I’ve sent emails to Abbott regarding the issues I’ve had, but just get a polite PFO response. My pharmacy and diabetes hospital seen to be totally unaware of any issues. Personally, I’d like to drop the sensor, but there aren’t any good options.
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I just stumbled upon this thread. I’ve been using freestyle libre sensors for about six years with no problems, however, I receive the freestyle libre two in Spain now with social security, I’ve had to send back five in the last batch and now another is showing me the exact error you talk about above…try again in ten minutes. I’ve had three tell me my sugars are low when they were actually high when using glucose strips which is very dangerous. And although I do receive replacements, two to three replacements have been faulty too. I think it’s definitely a production issue, because it appears that with a few of mine, the needle hasn’t even penetrated and readings are false. I have had no problems at all until this year, so if anyone else has noticed the same, I’m in Spain so it may be different, but I’d love to know because it’s worrying to receive readings that are so far off. 
And there must be many more that are problematic. Before this I absolutely loved them but now I’m concerned.
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My husband has been using FreeStyle Libre 2 for the last 12 months. In the beginning it was great, but 3 of the last 4 sensors fail it start. The last 2 one day apart.
Our issue:
In mid-August a sensor fell off, we had a spare so we started a new one and after the 60 minute count down it tells us to “Start New Sensor” again. As you know this can not be done. We called Abbott and they sent a replacement but will not overnight one so he was without for 5 days.
The next one worked fine.
2 days ago the 14 days ended and he started a new one again. After 60 minutes, it tells us to “Start New Sensor”. Called Abbott and they are sending a replacement.
Yesterday we started the only one we had left, again after 60 minutes, it tells us to “Start New Sensor”. Again called Abbott and they are sending a replacement.
The error code is Er3,365,C.
We have no idea why this keeps happening. We use the FreeStyle Libre reader - could it be bad? Abbott says no and there is no update for it.
We are at a loss of what to do…
Any ideas?
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At the beginning of using the new Libre2 sensors I had two failures that wouldn’t start right away, used the 14 day and had no issues. I know I had a few Libre2 work but I was also still using 14 day ones a lot. Then all of a sudden bam one after another failure of the Libre2 . Sure they sent me new ones, but it’s a hassle to deal with. In my case 4 bad in a row and I was without the sensors for swimming that I use them for.
By the fifth one, which was a replacement sent by them, it made no sense and it dawned on me it’s got to be the reader. They were still just going to send me another sensor replacement, I had to ask can I get a reader replacement. Now I am staring at the new reader and waiting for a Libre2 to try it on. So I don’t really know if it’s the answer. But nothing else makes sense.
So just outright ask them for a reader, I’m thinking it’s got to be the reader. They just kept asking for the IOS version on it and wanted to keep sending me sensors. In my case I’d put on a 14 day and have no issues with it, different reader. I was told by them the actual sensors for the 14 day and the Libre2 are supposedly the same…I don’t know if that’s true. But when I told them the 14 day worked fine and the Libre2 were not they still said nothing about replacing the reader.
Sensors are only $37 at Costco, I believe at GoodRx they are cheap too. I pay for them as I have my insurance cover my Dexcom supplies. But you might get another prescription for somewhere else so you pick one up as a back up so you won’t be without, as long as they work…get a new reader first and see!
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