Is The Freestyle Libre Waterproof
Itâs not waterproof. Itâs water resistant for up to one meter for around 30 minutes. However, FreeStyle Libre Abbot has stated that âintense activities whereby a user is continually moving or repeatedly in and out of the water, may reduce the sensor wear timeâ.
What this basically means is, itâs not ideal for jumping in and out of the pool/sea and waterparks arenât ideal .
My only suggestion is that you tape it down extremely well with medical tape, or something similar to try and keep it down.
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How To Cover Freestyle Libre Sensor
This is most definitely in our wheelhouse here at Not Just a Patch. Firstly, in my experience, I 100% need to protect my Libre. Guaranteed it comes loose by day 14 without a doubt. A full coverage patch for Libre is useful and will prevent sensor loss which can be costly. Especially when exercising, in particular swimming and yoga. A question that comes up regularly is can I cover the hole in the Libre. There is some confusion around this one. NJaP Patches are made of cotton, the same as your clothing. For this reason, there is no problem covering the Libre with NJaP. In reality, there is really very little issue with covering the hole and of the thousands of people wearing NJaP theres never been any problems.
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Step 1 Choose The Site
Apply sensors only on the back of your upper arm. Avoid areas with scars, moles, stretch marks or lumps.
Select an area of skin that generally stays flat during your normal daily activities .
Choose a site that is at least 2.5 cm away from an insulin injection site.
To prevent discomfort or skin irritation, you should select a different site other than the one most recently used.
Does It Have A Needle
It does have a rather scary looking needle. The needle houses the filament that is inserted in the skin. The needle is the delivery mechanism for the filament. It gets the filament into the skin and then the needle comes out, leaving the filament left behind. It may look scary but in truth 95% of the time there is no pain.
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Freestyle Libre Cgm Guide 202: What To Know
The FreeStyle Libre is a continuous glucose monitoring system that doesnt require a blood sample from a finger stick. Its manufactured by Abbott, a company that produces other diabetes-related products, nutritional beverages, and baby formula.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the FreeStyle Libre in 2017 for adults only. Since then, newer versions of the monitor have been produced for adults and children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
What Is The Freestyle Libre 2
The Freestyle Libre 2 system is basically all the awesome features you love about the original Freestyle Libre but with extras.
Itâs still operated by scanning your blood sugar and showing those blood sugars on either your mobile, smartwatch or the blood scanner that comes with it.
It eliminates the need for painful finger pricks and can even scan through clothing, but the bonus is NOW it can give you optional alarms so that it will alarm you if your blood glucose is too high or too low.
So, you can set your blood sugars within a range youâre comfortable with, and if you deviate from that number, the system will alarm you ahead of time, which will give you a chance to avoid the potential highs and lows.
For example, I set my low barrier to 4.2, so it will alarm me when I hit this number, so I can take sugar to avoid going low, and I set my high barrier to 7.8, to avoid going super high.
The Freestyle Libre 2 sensor will also give you indications on a graph of whether youâre likely to go higher or lower, just like it did on the original Freestyle Libre.
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Loved The App In The Former Version
This is crazy! The old sensors are discontinued, so I had to get the new one. I thought the problems I read in the other reviews were probably not going to be an issue because my sugar is pretty stable. No hi-low alarms for me well I hate to say that alarm still goes off randomly and at the most inopportune times! I was in a meeting and got a little too far away from my phone. By the time I got to get into the app and stop it, the alarm had gone off 4 times! And when I use the word alarm, I mean it. It is very loud, ear-piercing and startling, not just annoying. Thats great if its saving somebodys life, but utterly ridiculous for me at this point. That being said, in setting you can shut off the alarm for when your Bluetooth cannot connect, like when youre too far from your phone. So I did that, but it still alarms sometimes for no good reason. No trouble with my sugar, and no identifiable reason for an alarm. !_!Problem is, Im stuck. At least for the month, since I already paid for two new sensors. And one more thing, this one is reading consistently higher than the other one did, and I have not changed my very strict diet. I know its not accurate enough to make treatment decisions based on this sensor, but its still disturbing. Well see what my next blood test says. In the meantime I just keep using this sensor and hope it doesnt startle me into having a wreck while driving. RANT OVER
Is There An Iphone App For Freestyle Libre 2
The FreeStyle LibreLink app, now approved by the FDA, enables users to hold their iPhone near their FreeStyle Libre or FreeStyle Libre 14 Day sensor to instantly capture and view their real-time glucose levels, assess their eight-hour glucose history, and see a directional arrow indicating how their glucose is changing
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Is The Freestyle Libre 2 A Cgm
Just like the original Freestyle Libre, the Freestyle Libre 2 is more of a CGM, than the first.
A CGM is constantly monitoring your blood sugar and will give you alarms if you are going high or low, which the Freestyle Libre 2 now offers, but the difference being, there isnât a constant number on a screen where you can see your blood glucose value.
For example, with Dexcom, you just need to look at your phone, monitor, or even a smartwatch to see your blood sugar, whereas with the Libre you will need to scan.
But, the Freestyle Libre 3 has been developed and it is apparently going to be able to speak to insulin pumps and help make decisions of your blood sugar based on that- so thatâs pretty exciting!
So the Freestyle Libre is still branded as a flash glucose monitoring system, not a CGM as such.
Why You Still Need Some Finger Prick Checks
You may need to do a finger prick check, for example, if what youre feeling doesnt match what your blood sugar reading says. Or if youre treating a hypo, you may want to do one to get the most accurate result.
With some CGMs, you may also need the result of a finger prick check every day to reset your device.
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Ready To Free Yourself From The Hassles Of Routine Fingerpricks1
Here are few simple steps to assist you in the process of applying your FreeStyle Libre sensor and some handy tips to help your sensor stick. Please refer to the FreeStyle Libre system User Manual for complete instructions.
1. A finger prick test using a blood glucose meter is required during times of rapidly changing glucose levels when interstitial fluid glucose levels may not accurately reflect blood glucose levels or if hypoglycaemia or impending hypoglycaemia is reported by the system or when symptoms do not match the system readings.
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Why Do People With Diabetes Need To Monitor Their Glucose Levels
For people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, monitoring blood glucose levels is extremely important. By monitoring your blood glucose regularly, youre able to see the effects that certain foods, medicines or exercises have on your body. Your doctor will tell you what your target blood sugar range should be, so youll be able to check for levels that are too high or too low. Youll need to keep a record of these results with devices like the FreeStyle Libre 2, youll often be able to save your results easily on your phone. This information will help your doctor make important decisions with you about your diabetes care plan, such as changes to your medication or changes to your diet. These decisions will help to prevent serious diabetes complications such as blindness, heart attack or amputation.
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Its Easy To Keep Your Sensor In Place With A Little Extra Care
BUMPING INTO OBJECTS
Use extra care while moving through your day. Avoid bumping or catching your sensor on doorframes, car doors, furniture, people, pets and other hard objects.
TOUCHING THE SENSOR ADHESIVE
Avoid touching, pushing or pulling on the sensor. Also do not touch, scratch, or pull on the adhesive around the sensor, even if the adhesive has begun to peel. Ask children and loved ones to do the same.
GETTING DRESSED
Use extra care to avoid hitting or catching the sensor on clothing while getting dressed.
SHOWERING/BATHING
The sensor is water resistant but use extra care when cleansing around the sensor and when toweling off so that you do not catch or pull off the sensor. Do NOT take your Sensor deeper than 1 metre or immerse it longer than 30 minutes in water.
TIGHT CLOTHING
Avoid tight clothing on your arms while wearing the sensor. Tight clothing around your arms may pull off the sensor.
CONTACT SPORTS
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Pros And Cons Of Using A Flash Glucose Monitor Or Cgm
Diabetes technology is a wonderful thing, but it certainly isnt for everyone.
Some people feel uneasy about getting lots of data, and for some people it gives them more confidence. Weve got more information to help you work through these different feelings about using diabetes tech. And you can always call our helpline to ask questions or just to talk it through.
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Advantages of Flash and CGM |
Disadvantages of Flash and CGM |
|---|---|
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You dont need to do so many finger-prick checks and you can set alarms if your blood sugar goes too low or too high . |
Its not always as accurate as doing a finger prick check and it can take a while to get used to using the technology |
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You can see trends, like when your sugar levels are starting to rise or drop, so you can take action earlier. |
You can get overloaded with data, which can confuse or worry some people. |
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You can get your sugar levels in your target range more often as you have more information about when youre high and low. |
You may find wearing the sensor irritating, you might not like the look of it, or showing people that you have diabetes. |
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You can see what your levels are like at times when you dont normally test, like during the night . |
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Your glucose levels can be shared with your diabetes team, so they can review and adjust your diabetes management. It also means that the information can be shared easily during virtual appointments. |
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Upgrading To The Freestyle Libre 2
If youve been using the original FreeStyle Libre and you want to upgrade to the FreeStyle Libre 2, its very easy to do so. Simply order your FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors and choose which device youd like to receive alarms on: your mobile phone or your reader. If you prefer to use a reader, go to the Reader Replacement Portal and complete an online request form. Request validation by entering your current FreeStyle Libre readers serial number – your new replacement reader will be delivered directly to you and theres no need to send your current reader back.
How Does The Freestyle Libre 2 Work
The Freestyle Libre 2 works exactly as the Freestyle Libre one but with a few extra benefits.
The main one being that you can set optional alarms.
I really like that these alarms are optional and you can switch them off when wanted because one of the drawbacks
I had with the Dexcom sensor was simply that I found the alarms overwhelming, especially if I was having a bad day with diabetes, it just wouldnât stop going off and I felt like I was failing, so itâs nice to have the option.
The Freestyle Libre 2 boasts even more accuracy than the first, which is always a bonus, and it can be used for up to 14 days.
I know some sensors in the USA were only 10 days, but as far as Iâm aware, the Freestyle Libre two is a 14-day sensor across the board.
So, in the most basic form, the Freestyle Libre 2 works by a 1-second scan of a sensor that you attach your arm , although some people choose to wear it on their legs or stomach, however, I donât think the Abbot Libre team can guarantee the same levels of accuracy in those spots.
If you enable alarms, then the Freestyle Libre 2 system is constantly checking your blood sugar every minute, to see if it needs to indicate an alarm would work.
Personally, Iâve always used the back of my arms, but if youâre worried about it knocking off, you can keep it in place with patches, and the guys at Not Just a Patch do a hell of a range to suit all styles.
You cannot use your OLD handset with the Freestyle Libre 2.
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Cost Of Buying A Freestyle Libre
The cost of Freestyle Libre or Freestyle Libre 2 sensors are around £50 every 2 weeks. If you have a compatible smartphone you can just and use your phone to scan the sensor to see the readings. But if you dont, you can buy a small device called a reader, for around £50 and this is a one-off purchase. Speak to your healthcare professional about where you can buy a reader from they can be available direct from the manufacturer , from a pharmacy or online but this can change.
Where Is The Freestyle Libre 3 Available
The FreeStyle Libre 3 launched initially in Germany, with limited availability in the Netherlands. In March 2022, Abbott announced that the FreeStyle Libre 3 would be made available in the UK via the NHS Supply Chain Framework. It appears that the NHS will cover this CGM for everyone with type 1 diabetes and people with type 2 diabetes who are at risk for severe hypoglycemia or who have “unstable blood sugar.”
On May 31st, the FDA cleared the Freestyle Libre 3 in the US for people with diabetes ages 4 and up. According to their latest press release, Abbott intends to make the new CGM available at participating pharmacies later in 2022.
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Getting Insurance For Your Cgm Or Freestyle Libre
Like all types of tech, looking after it and things like making sure the batteries are charged is important. Because electronic devices are expensive, you may wonder whether to get insurance to cover it in case you lose or break it. Before taking our separate insurance, its worth seeing if you can have it as a named item on your household insurance. This might be a cheaper and simpler option.
Cgms Used By The Nhs Or To Buy
The Freestyle Libre 3 is a CGM which is available on the NHS but not yet available to buy.
These are some of the other CGMs available:
Dexcom One licensed for those aged two and over
Dexcom G6 licensed for those aged two and over
Dexcom G5 licensed for those aged two and over
Glucomenday licensed for those aged six and over
Guardiam Connect no age restriction
Some CGMs work with insulin pumps – see information on these integrated systems.
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Accuracy And Tolerability Of Alternative Sites For Flash Glucose Monitor Sensor Placement
Previous research into alternative sites to place a flash glucose monitoring sensor have suggested that the upper thigh may be appropriate whilst, unlike with other continuous glucose monitoring sensors, the abdomen may perform poorly. The present study evaluated two other sites: the lower back and the upper chest .
The accuracy of the FreeStyle Libre sensors at these locations were compared with the standard upper arm location over 14 days of usual wear, as well as, on day 3, during experimental conditions when blood glucose levels are expected to change rapidly: during a meal, during exercise and with lowering skin temperature. Twenty adults with type 1 diabetes participated in the study and wore the three sensors simultaneously.
The results of the free-living part of the study showed that the sensors were acceptable in terms of accuracy, with 98% of readings within zones A and B of the Clarke error grid compared with the upper arm location. However, only 65% and 74% of readings in the back and chest locations, respectively, were in the clinically accurate zone A compared with the arm location. In general, the back and chest recorded higher glucose levels in euglycaemic and hyperglycaemic conditions.
to read the study in full.
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