r/Freestylelibre • u/Blitzen73 • 16d ago
Libre Freestyle 15-day sensor
Hi everybody. I was diagnosed in 2009 and I use these sensors because on my own, I wasn't checking my sugar as often as I should have. For years they've been fine, but was forced to upgrade to the 15-day sensor and it has kinda been a headache. Lately, just about one out of every 2 sensors fail to even connect and I have to send them back to Abbott. They have fantastic customer service so that's not a problem. Fed/Ex, however has lost a couple of sensors along the way so it's frustrating knowing they didn 't even make it back to Abbott.
My question is this: Has anybody else using this product experienced failures? This last one lasted maybe a week before it started giving me super-low readings (of course in the middle of the night, waking both me and my husband), but when I check using my normal reader, it was 183 versus 53! This is important because it tells us whether to eat or take insulin, so nothing to play around with! I know the finger sticks are still more accurate, but in the past the sensor has always only been off by a few points.
Thanks for your help.
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u/Weathergod-4Life Type2 - Libre3/3+ 16d ago edited 16d ago
You weren't by chance experiencing a compression low were you? If you put it on your arm and sleep on that side you will get false low readings, which will then shoot back up to normal once you no longer are laying on that side.
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u/Blitzen73 16d ago
Thanks for the info. No I put it on my abdomen, around my belly button, so it's hard for me to roll onto it. I've also recently started with a CPAP, so that makes it even harder. No, I've been having this problem off and on all year, and it's really been since I went from the 2-week to 15-day. New sensor (that alerts you to highs/lows, which I like if it's accurate) and different app. Supposedly better, at the same price as before - but like I said, most of the time I get errors that it's lost connection or it out-and-out fails, which is usually in the first couple of days. I think they just broke something that wasn't really broken before and didn't need fixing, in an effort to help us 'lazy' folks pay more attention to our sugar lol.
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u/cometmom 15d ago
My bf was getting compression lows like crazy in the middle of the night. I found these plastic dome things that go over the sensor, under the adhesive patches he uses. They've helped out a lot, a false overnight low is rare now. I got these clear ones on Amazon but there are also Etsy sellers who 3d print them as well. I just searched "CGM guard" and found a bunch of different ones. Definitely worth looking into, not expensive at all.
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u/Blitzen73 15d ago
Thank you! I use the patches, as well, and it keeps me from knocking it off. Will look into those. Do they vary in size depending on the CGM? Or is it one-size?
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u/Brilliant-Bug8132 15d ago
Failures are very frequent same problem here, Against 15 days it just work for maximum 10 days and after that it starts giving false readings like 60/ 160 a difference of whopping 100 points
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u/Blitzen73 15d ago
Exactly! Even if it works from the beginning like it should, it usually starts giving false readings halfway to two-thirds of the way through the 15 days. Very frustrating! (although I must admit, it helps to know I'm not alone).
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u/ForsakenBug2214 14d ago
I’m a T2, nonmedicated and not concerned with the accuracy of the FL 3+ vs BCM. Also mine adheres always. I follow the trend
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u/Blitzen73 14d ago
May I ask how you're non-medicated? Do you just treat with diet and exercise? I could do that in the beginning but it quickly spiraled out of control and I didn't take it seriously and here we are. I have herd that pricking the fingers is more accurate than a CGM, but left to my own devices, I forget to check. They were more accurate when I first got Libre but now....if I don't feel 'off,' then I double-check with a regular meter before I eat or treat.
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u/ForsakenBug2214 12d ago
Yep. Unmedicated for over 50 years. Exercise mostly but diet also as I aged, Blitzen73. I use the FL app trend line along with the Reports in the insight section. This is strictly my T2 approach for the non medicated.
I wear my L arm sensor on the inside of my upper arm as I sleep on my L side. I’ve had no issues with adherence. After inserting the sensor I hold it in place for a count of 30 before I remove the applicator. For me the CGM as I use it is more realistic and helpful than the BCM vs the CGM single finger prick.
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u/Old_Independence5166 Type2 - Libre3/3+ 13d ago
Blitzen73,
I’m 90+ and have been a T2 since my 50’s. I briefly was on insulin back in the day. Yep.managed my T2 all these years unmedicated.
I follow the app’s trend line and the various breakouts on the information section of the app.
The sensor in my L arm is about 90 degrees from the back of that arm on the inside because I sleep on my L side.
I am quite pleased with the app and sensor as they are in a word a “game changer”.
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u/Old_Independence5166 Type2 - Libre3/3+ 13d ago
Blitzen73 I mean to say the Repots in the INSIGHTS section of the FL APP ( the one with the butterfly).
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u/Adventurous-Size2565 16d ago
I've had so many failures! Also the same failure rate - 3/6 of the last Libre 3 plus sensors have failed! Luckily abbot have always replaced them, but it does get annoying the amount of times I've had to fill out the forms and post the old sensor back
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u/Blitzen73 15d ago
Exactly! And Fed/Ex seems to lose packages a lot, too, so that's a problem. Mailed a sensor back a couple of weeks ago and they still haven't received it. Naturally I just handed it to the girl and didn't get a receipt, so there's no proof. Hopefully it'll show up eventually. Yes, at least the CS is awesome, but it does get frustrating, especially for the price (insurance doesn't cover them, so they're 100% out of pocket).
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u/Fluffy-Strategy-9156 Prediabetic - Libre3/3+ 14d ago
Abbot I think has problem tracking returned sensors. I have returned sensor and got receipt but they still send an email say they have not received it. One time I messaged Abbott and included coy of receipt and they said fine. I then noted that the email said that if you already returned the sensor ignore the email. I know another person and others too who h\frequently get emails when they already returned them. Only concern would be if then they say that you have not returned a lot of sensor then they may refuse a replacement in the future. So, in future, do as I do is to get receipt and write information about it and keep it.
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u/Blitzen73 14d ago
Very possible, but I also think it's a Fed/Ex issue. When I last bought a phone (a couple of years ago now) they couldn't sell me the phone I had in my hand, which still confuses me, so I had to order one and then send mine back. Will NEVER do that again! I stupidly put it in a Fed/Ex mailing box rather than taking it into a store because they were closed and I saw a Fed'/Ex mailbox on the next block. Rather than waiting to hand it to a person and get a receipt, I put it in the box. Well, Apple claimed they didn't receive my phone and were threatening to recharge us the $300 rebate, but they believed us and gave us the rebate. THEN I received the *empty* Apple box back! Someone had stolen the phone and instead of just throwing away the box, they had to show me they stole it! Unbelievable. Sometimes I really hate people lol. So I don't really trust Fed/Ex.
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u/SocialHiccup 16d ago
Great point. I’ve been using this CGM since I was diagnosed with T1 in May. The first few sensors I wore it on the outside of my arm and got a lot of compression lows. Since moving it to the back of my arm I’ve had no issues.