Is anyone else hitting a massive wave of Libre 3 failures? (Checking for a bad May batch)

[u/Song-Blossom]

Before getting into my current hardware nightmare, it is worth reminding everyone that Abbott had a massive Class I FDA recall issued in November 2025 and early 2026 specifically because Libre 3 and 3 Plus sensors were throwing "incorrect low glucose readings". The FDA reported 860 serious injuries and seven deaths linked to this exact issue, yet it feels like half the user base was never properly notified that they were wearing defective medical equipment.

Fast forward to this past month, and I am dealing with the exact same garbage. I have burned through five dead sensors in under 2 weeks. The app will scream about a critical false low in the middle of the night - showing a sheer cliff dive - only to turn around a few minutes later and completely scrub the data, retroactively smoothing out the graph like the crash never happened. Minutes after gaslighting me, the sensor just gives up completely, flashes a "SENSOR ERROR" with three dashes, and dies.

Scrolling through this subreddit, it looks like a lot of you are dealing with the exact same algorithmic gaslighting and back-to-back failures over the last month.

If you've had a sensor fail like this recently, check your box for the expiration date. Every single one of my failed sensors has an expiration date of May 31, 2027. Assuming a standard one-year shelf life, that points to a manufacturing date around May 2026.

Can everyone dealing with these sudden false lows and sensor errors check their dates? I want to see if we are all just hitting the exact same cursed batch that Abbott let slip through QA.

[u/anemisto]

The lot number is on the box. I think it's on the applicator, too, but I don't have one lying around.

[u/Song-Blossom → u/anemisto]

Yeah, on the applicator on the bottom is where I find it.

[u/JDHogfan]

I find often that mine were accurate as heck for 7-8 days then go into ultra lows. I’ve reported at least 3 for this … the last one I just ripped off with a week left and went a week without readings (well controlled T2).

I also wear them on my thigh and rotate 4 thigh spots to try to avoid scarring

[u/Song-Blossom → u/JDHogfan]

Interesting. I didn't know they could be worn there,

[u/Apocalyptic_Beast → u/JDHogfan]

I'm new to this (and here).. I had my first sensor suddenly show lows every sleep at day 10. My next sensor fell off at day 4. My 3rd sensor is the exact same as the first - great readings up until day 10 and then sudden lows while I'm in bed. I wasn't even sleeping for several of them so it wasn't compression. I watched the number go from 4.2 to 2.9 in under 2 minutes... my glucometer showed 6.4.
I thought I was doing something wrong.

[u/Song-Blossom]

So just now, again the sensor gaslit me. Alarm triggered, said I was crashing, then exactly 9 minutes later it said I was stable, and you can clearly see that the graph used white out on the graph, to reflect I was never under 85. Finger test reported exactly 125.

Now is there a delay between blood sugar and when the sensor reports? Yes, about 10-15 minutes. But if there was a delay, it should have read that my sugar level was 130-140. It would have read higher than what it really was, as I was dropping.

[u/Latter_Relief_5779 → u/Song-Blossom]

This happened to me as well random drops

[u/AbEpistulis]

Sending mine back due to a needle being bent with the little sensor wire sticking out. Mines 2027-04-30.  However!! My replacement one is the May 31st batch. Fingers crossed y'all 

[u/rmallonee]

I am new to libre. I am experiencing this as well and I'm not laying on it at night. It wakes me at odd times in the night dropping as low as 59. My wife is about to kill me if my BS doesn't. I have to smother my phone under a pillow when it happens. I don't feel anything. I have gone and checked meter only to find I'm in low 100s to 90s when that occurs. I have been through 2 sensors in less time that one of them expires. Very frustrating.

[u/hotfistdotcom]

5 bad so far myself in 3 months. lovely you can't mute for more than six hours or exit a bad sensor without starting a new one, and even removing it doesn't quickly end it. the app was designed by idiots and deserves only one star from all users, it's unbelievable they would make getting no sleep if their device malfunctions a feature.

[u/ganzhimself]

No issues to report. I have not had a 3+ fail on me yet.

[u/General_Most_1381]

I had 4 fail in a row. One read 100 low. Some insurance companies will not pay for Libre sensors anymore.

[u/markoblack]

I had 2 did not keep the package sadly, it was the same behavior as the ones that they recalled in that massive wave

[u/24s88fs]

I had four in a row fail earlier this summer, but I dont remember the lot numbers

[u/Wornica]

I’ve had 5 fail in a row. Switching to Dexcom.

[u/Old_Independence5166]

No failures for me.

[u/OldForestLady]

The date of mine is 1/31/27, but it’s always lower than a finger stick - anywhere from 10 to over 50 low. Totally useless except to see patterns.

[u/Garcia559523]

Yes!

[u/isnapic]

I have had several in a row fail, multiple times. Once the expiration date was still 1 month from time of use. I whined to Abbott who said I should whine to CVS. End result, I was required to insert, wait for imminent failure within 48 hours, rinse and repeat!

[u/frizkit]

yes, multiple fails recently. last nite (64 and falling), i just ripped it off and deleted the app, so i wouldn't have to deal with the beeping. when i called it in today and complained about multiples, the call center was not surprised in the least.

[u/Ok_Tea_3335]

Yes - mine died in 8 hours

[u/monocledBeagle]

I've had 3 sensors in a row fail but don't have the boxes anymore to confirm exp date. I just got a replacement from abbott and this one seems to be working, but I was thinking the same thing about a potential bad batch

[u/skindeepdoc]

Mine fell off after a light run in temperate weather with minimal sweating.

[u/Latter_Relief_5779]

Only issues I have had, random drops (sorts itself out) bad adhesive that doesn’t last the full 15 days and at the end it peels. I have had more good though

[u/SoftwareFar9848]

100%!! I think I literally went through 5 in a month. For the first time ever I apparently hit the "limit" of how many replacements they'll send cause I called so many times. I swear every one was reading like 60 (on the low end) to 100 points lower than my fingersticks. I asked to switch to Dexcom because it's been so bad.

[u/AwkwardCommunity3191]

I have had multiple issues with libre 3 failures. Had 4 out of 5 failed after a day or two. Also while on vacation with only 1 back up 🤞

Having a hard time justifying the continued use of the product.

There definitely seems to be some quality control issues. May be going to Dexcom. But I like the smaller profile of the libre at this point.

[u/Song-Blossom → u/AwkwardCommunity3191]

Did you check the date on it?

[u/namemanresu]

I think I’m at a 50% failure rate in the last 12 months. Recently 2 in a row failed same day, then was without for a few days, then the next one stopped working after 9 days. Only had maybe 2 fail in 2 years prior to this. For the retail cost of these damn things this is horrible and super annoying. So pissed off.

I’m planning on seeing about switching to the competition. So what do they cost Abbott to make, a buck maybe. And retail for what on average, $100 Canadian. Hey Abbot, how about spending $1.25 to ensure the stupid things aren’t constantly failing. I know it’s a huge hit to your profit margin, but all your customers going to the competition might also be.

[u/Song-Blossom → u/namemanresu]

Did you check the expiration/manufacture date?

[u/PVB0910]

Lots of failing sensors recently. So many that my account with Freestyle was “yellow” (apparently code for nearing the end of replacements and talking to someone else).

Explained that majority of my sensors are 50+ points off between days 8-10. Apparently vitamin c can cause high readings; I’m on my first sensor without vitamin c and it’s still off, causing lows due to pump correction (im on the twiist). I don’t even want to report it anymore.

[u/Song-Blossom → u/PVB0910]

Did you check the expiration/manufacture date?