Hello everyone. I’ve spent about a year using dexcom G6 with the VDISC study. It was good, but now I’m back using freestyle libre 2. I’m using the Android app with my phone instead of the receiver as previously.
It’s working good so far, but I’m wondering how to convert it to a real-time CGM… The periodic NFC scans of the sensor make no sense to me when the sensor is sending Bluetooth signals to the phone in the background. Also a calibration function might be handy at times.
What’s a good way to do that? I have a nightscout account and xdrip on my phone, previously I had nightscout as a follower of the dexcom app.
Personally, I don’t have much experience with this, but recently I heard about the Diabox app from other diabetics who have good experiences with that app. I myself tested the app only once with a sensor that was about to expire (approx. 1 day left). That seemed to work well. The alarms worked despite having started the sensor with the Libre 2 reader. That does break the bluetooth connection with the reader or official Libre app though, so be careful if you decide to try it. Diabox also has more options to customize alarms than the Libre 2 app.
Diabox is not in official app stores, so you’ll have to find it at Bubblan.org.
And of course do note that Diabox has a disclaimer urging everyone not to use the app for medical decisions, for what it’s worth…
Yes, you can use Libre 2 sensors without a transmitter. Only Bluetooth is required. In the app that’s the option Libre2 EU BLE Direct or Libre2 CA/US/Sense BLE Direct, depending where you live. I think the app also needed permission to use location, then it should be able to receive BG values directly.
The app does have an option for transmitters, but that’s probably mainly used by people wearing Libre 1 sensors.
borenkool is not in the us, and yes you will need a bubble rechargeable piece very similar to the miaomiao (which stopped working with Android 10,11,12 etc)…i tried it for a little while, using diabox to send readings to nightscout, then nightwatch, but you need cell/wifi at all times and there is a slight delay in readings…might want to try Dexcom through the pharmacy with a prior authorization from your dr. if possible, and you may need to switch to the us 14 day sensors…not sure if libre2 works with the bubble… unfortunately it will not work with xdrip(tried and failed in 2021) in the u.s., many countries in Europe are protected by the 90s personal data agreement which is why the us sensors are different and need more complicated work arounds… i was also receiving a lot of incorrect lows…actual was 150 or 120, diabox read 70, 60, etc, hba1c ended up a little higher than normal, but calibrations and updated algorithms may have improved
Really? So sorry for spreading misinformation if that’s true. As I understood it, US Libre 2 sensors should work with the Android app. There’s talk about development and testing of CA and US sensors on their Telegram channel about a year ago: DiaBox – Telegram and the release notes posted there suggest that the feature was added in August 2021.
I am not from the USA, but I have exchanged an EU FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor for US FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor and Juggluco does work with US FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors since then (You still have the start the sensor with Abbott’s Libre 2 app or Freestyle reader).
Juggluco makes Bluetooth contact with the sensor and shows your current glucose value, without the need to scan.
It completely relies on the calibration algorithm of Abbotts Libre2 app and doesn’t allow the user to change glucose values.
There are sometimes large differences between the sensor readings and finger pricks, but I don’t believe that you can just add or subtract somewhat from the readings and from then on they will fit the finger picks. In my experience they are not consistently higher or lower than the finger pick values. I also have the habit of making finger pricks when I don’t trust the sensor readings, which are not the right ones for calibration.
@Jane17 , thanks! That’s very generous. I don’t think I’ll need it just yet, I’m going to try the libre 2 with the methods suggested above. If that doesn’t work, maybe I’ll take you up on that.
i agree with jka that for some reason, the readings on jugglucco will not be correct…maybe look into the us 14 day and blucon(buy 100 Sony cr2032 packs)and Ambrosio app…i verified it will not work with xdrip, but the app might work for you…diabox claimed to have started on 3/22 to make the us libre2 work, but not yet…
FYI, Diabox doesn’t indicate very clearly that it has successfully connected to the sensor. After scanning the sensor, a tiny countdown timer in the corner of the middle square will appear to indicate when the app will receive a new BG value via Bluethooth. It may take some time before the timer appears.
That message seems to be about making their Bubble transmitter work with US Libre 2 sensors, not the direct bluetooth connection without transmitter.
Here’s a message from February which suggests that direct connection should work already: Telegram: Contact @Bubblanswe
ill try to test a us libre2…i can check its readings against the dexcom g6…unfortunately, about a year ago my a1c went up about a full point due to false lows on the libre/diabox/bubble…also went through a lot of test strips, but it’d be nice to have an alternative before the libre 3 comes here…whenever that is
Just some info. For me the Libre2 accuracy doesn’t seem to be any different than the Libre 14 day. I switched back to the Libre 14 day from the LIbre 2 to wear with my Dexcom. The Libre still reads about 20 points under what I am at, but it does have a tendency to sometimes be more accurate at the lower numbers. But I compare the two often enough and I always calibrate my Dexcom to be within 5 points of accuracy at my normal ranges.
I’m not sure how accurate the information is, but I had a rash of Libre 2’s not start up. So when I called Abbot I insisted they replace them with Libre 14 days. Lol…I had to be insistent because that is not their policy and I called the LIbre 2 sensor a piece of junk and I wanted LIbre 14 day sensors. The supervisor said it’s the same sensor just different programming. So maybe the programming is different, but the sensor might be the same. But the Libre 3 is supposed to be totally different, smaller for one.
i agree with jka that for some reason, the readings on jugglucco will not be correct
I said that? What does that mean “will not be correct”? You tried Juggluco?
After some time Juggluco gives exactly the same value as scanning with Abbott’s Libre 2 app. These values are not corrected when they disagree with finger prick values. Afterwards you can easily do that, but I doubt that you effectively predict the disparity between finger prick and sensor measurement.
i have tried juggluco, but still prefer diabox since you can send readings to nightscout or at least nightwatch and have some alarms, its just difficult to stop using xdrip with all the alarms, predicted values, watchfaces with the date on them, ability to snooze high or low alarms, etc
In the middle the night the glucose reading can now and then get low, evoking an alarm, and go up again when I come out of my bed, but during the day during exercise the sensor glucose readings are often too high. I don’t believe that just adding or subtracting would make the sensor more accurate (In the past, I have sometimes lowered the glucose level upon which the low glucose alarm goes off). I don’t have a high Hba1c, but maybe that is because for me the sensor readings are too high.
Outside the US, nearly all CGM apps for Freestyle Libre 2 sensors are based on Librelink 2.3.0 which gives somewhat lower readings than Librelink 2.4.2-2.7.1 on which Juggluco is based. At certain moments, adding 4 mg/dL (0.2 mmol/L) to the values of Librelink 2.3.0 gives the readings of Librelink 2.5.3.