Libre questions

Tips, Tech & Gear C/GM
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Just a few questions on Libre. I have never used it.

From what I can tell, it does allow you to share your BG with family, the same as Dexcom. Is that right?

Any major differences between Libre and Dexcom?

Is it compatible with any pumps?

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I don’t use Libre, but I got an email a while back announcing that the t:slim X2 pump can now pair with Libre for Control IQ. FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus Sensor & t:slim X2 Compatibility | Tandem Diabetes Care

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Resurrecting this thread! I’m seriously considering switching from the Dexcom G7 to the Freestyle Libre 2 Plus (currently the only Libre version compatible with my Tandem pump). I have my next endo appointment in late June, so I’m researching for now.

Here’s info I’m considering. Is there anything I’ve missed?

Libre 2 Plus pros:

Libre 2 Plus cons:

  • Only Freestyle Libre version that currently works with t:slim X2 pump.
  • 1 hour warmup period.
  • Less customizable app and alerts? (ETA My brother switched from Libre to Dexcom because he disliked the app…)
  • ETA: Cannot be calibrated.
  • ETA: Mixed reviews on customer service. Sometimes it’s fine, sometimes it’s horrible.

Dexcom G7 pros:

  • Android App has relatively customizable alerts.
  • 30 minute warmup period.
  • ETA: Can be calibrated.

Dexcom G7 cons:

  • Readings update every 5 minutes.
  • One sensor lasts 10 days.
  • First 12-24 hours on a new sensor can be really erratic and inaccurate in my experience.
  • Dexcom customer service is notoriously not great…
  • Android app has constantly been dropping 2-3 readings per hour (which really means my phone is showing 75% of my readings, even though my pump picks up 100%).
  • Android app Media Volume vs. Notification Volume setting is seriously driving me crazy. I’ve submitted product support queries to Dexcom about it and they haven’t replied.
  • Not the preferred CGM brand through my insurance plan. I’m currently paying $213.96 for a 3-month supply. (The only reason I didn’t try Libre first was t:slim X2 compatibility.)

Here are some questions I still have. Thanks in advance!

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I chatted with a couple folks and got mixed opinions.

  • Negative: My brother switched from Libre to Dexcom about a year and a half ago. His experience with Abbott/Freestyle Libre customer service was “a nightmare.” He says it was hard to get replacements. He’s liked Dexcom much better.
  • Neutral: My coworker has been using the Libre for about a year now. She’s found the online replacement forms just fine. One time they asked a follow up question (just like Dexcom sometimes does), but they haven’t denied any of her requests.

My coworker says she needs an overpatch! Her very first night with the Libre it ended up stuck to her pillow instead of her arm. :joy: She’s active and moves around a lot while she sleeps, so it’s essential. On the flipside, her father also uses the Libre but he’s not very active and doesn’t toss and turn at night, and he’s been fine without the overpatch.

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@RachelMaraii I use both, I always wear a Dexcom G6, but also a Libre 14 day or Libre 2 a lot for swimming. The 14 day and the 2 are scanned and I put the reader in a waterproof pouch and take it out in the ocean with me.

The LIbre patches have never caused irritation, but neither has the Dexcom. My Omnipods do. I have a lot of adhesive allergies.

The LIbre stays on better on me. My husband has used one and we have to use Skin Tac to make it stay. The LIbre are “popped” off easier by hitting a doorframe or the car seat etc. The Dexcom I use Skin Tac and an overpatch and touch it up with more Skin Tac. But I am wearing my Dexcoms 20-40 days because I restart them. But even not wearing them longer I had trouble on day 2 originally with the Dexcom wanting to come off.

The LIbre can’t be calibrated which is the reason a Dexcom is better. You are stuck with how off a Libre is. Sometimes it’s 10 points, sometimes it’s 30 off depending on the sensor. It’s one reason I wear the Dexcom, I can calibrate it when it needs it. But it can’t read when I’m in the water, hence both.

I like LIbre ap on the phone better than Dexcom ap or clarity on the phone. It tells you a lot more.

Customer service really varies with Abbot/Libre. Sometimes they go in streaks of being nice and sometimes they are a nightmare. They were especially horrible when they first came out. Then they got better, but you really can’t tell what you are going to get in the way of customer service! I never have had trouble getting replacements, but sometimes you have to jump through a few hoops, but most of the time it’s easy. They do have a form online that’s great!

I’ve not had the Libre 2 plus or the G7. I won’t switch until I have to. I had a LIbre just fine before the Dexcom. Interesting enough friends in the UK prefer the LIbre over a Dexcom that doesn’t calibrate because without the calibration it is more accurate. A lot of them had LIbre’s way before Dexcom One (no calibration) became available to them. But some paid for regular Dexcoms themselves so they could have it. The Dexcom is better because of it’s calibration which in the long run can make it pretty accurate.

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Same for me. I don’t understand it! I can wear a Dex for 10+ days and not feel anything, but less than 3 days with the pods and they start to itch. It doesn’t make sense. :man_shrugging:

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Thank you so much for all these details, Marie! They’re super helpful!

I had no idea about this!! :open_mouth: Tandem confirms – but I would never have realized if you didn’t mention it. Calibrating Your FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus Sensor

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I had a visit with a nurse who does Tandem pump and CGM training today. Adding to the list:

Libre 2 Plus pros:

  • The nurse is also T1D, and she’s had blistering allergies to the G6 and G7 adhesive like me. So far she says the Libre has been much better for many of her patients with skin sensitivities.
  • The nurse says she generally hears a lot more complaints about the G7. :sweat_smile:

Libre 2 Plus cons:

  • Apparently you can’t use any other Abbott Libre apps if you are using the Libre 2 Plus with the t:slim X2 pump, just the Tandem app. No Access to t:slim X2 Pump Data Through LibreView As far as I can tell, that means no sharing numbers with my husband like through Dexcom Share.

Libre 3 Plus and Tandem Mobi bonus info??

  • The nurse says she’s expecting the Libre 3 Plus to be compatible with the t:slim X2 in the next few months. Tandem will need to roll out a software update for it, but it sounds like it’s been approved for use. She’s a t:slim X2 user and is planning to switch to the Libre 3 Plus once available.
  • The nurse also said that the Tandem Mobi should be compatible with the Libre products soon!
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I’m back again, still uncertain… :joy:

This podcast episode has really been helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlATVkrxS1M

Libre pros:

  • More accurate than Dexcom at higher BG levels.

Libre cons:

  • Less accurate than Dexcom at lower BG levels.
  • Issues with lots of false urgent low alerts.
  • Again, can’t customize alerts like you can with Dexcom.
  • Again, can’t customize graphs like you can with Dexcom.

The false low issue is a huge con for me. I’m prepping to maybe get pregnant in the next couple years, and especially for the lower and tighter BG range needed during pregnancy, I really don’t want to be dealing with false low alerts.

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Thanks for the reference. I don’t tend to listen to podcasts regularly, but I subscribed to Think Like a Pancreas. It was very personable, doesn’t seem to kowtow to manufacturer solutions (e.g. user reports show don’t make a difference and only resulted from how/where something was tested, similar to off-label use), and reports on personal experience. I was somewhat surprised by the Byram ad about half way thru, but understand the need for sponsorship to reduce costs of production.

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I got fed up with Dexcom failures and got several sensors with the huge leaps either up or down that triggered alarms. My endo provided a kit with two Libre 3+ samples and I tried one.

The sample reported my glucose level 20 points or more below finger sticks. No way to calibrate it. The app took 25% of my phone battery, probably because the sensor reports every minute instead of every five like the Dexcom. I didn’t feel that I needed a reading every minute. The app doesn’t let you customize alarms to use music instead of beeps. And you can’t turn off or turn down the 55 alarm at all, any way, no matter what even if you close the app. So it woke me at night and went off in the day and upset my wife.

The adhesive did not cause me an allergic reaction. The Dexcom G6 adhesive did, but the G7 does not.

I ran the Libre parallel with a Dexcom G7. I thought the Libre lagged a little when my sugar trend turned around, but the trend lines looked pretty much the same except the Libre sample was usually lower.

My more recent G7’s manufactured in 2025 have been much better. If that continues I will stay with Dexcom. But I am not looking forward to the 15 day version, when they say 26% are expected to fail before the 15 day period ends. That’s a lot of overhead getting replacements. At least I confirmed that the LIbre adhesive is ok for me.

Thanks for this thread, @rachelmaraii. It says a lot about the Libre.

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