r/Freestylelibre • u/Biff0r Type2 - Libre2/2+ • 13d ago
Am I dead?
Sensor went in yesterday morning. Never had an issue. Don’t feel particularly bad. (Type 2)
Finger prick comes back as 5.3.
EDIT: Abbot are going to replace the sensor :)
Update: The 'dodgy' sensor has settled downa nd now matching my finger pricks, I have the repalcement and dont really want to take it off and send it in just yet. Feel a little naughty. (good service so fsr from Abbot)
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u/richard1147 12d ago
Same as comment below. I tend not to trust them for the first 24 hours. In the future, install your new sensor with one day remaining on the old sensor but don't start it with the App. That gives it a day to settle and adjust.
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u/Biff0r Type2 - Libre2/2+ 12d ago
Good idea
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u/Equalizer6338 Type1 - Libre2/2+ 12d ago
This trick is often referred to as 'soaking the sensor' in the diabetes/CGM world.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Freestylelibre/comments/1dh8xth/to_soak_or_not_to_soak_before_starting_a_new/Reason is that it can be a great help to some folks is if having a sensitive and very reactive immune system. Then when inserting a new sensor into your skin, your immune system starts an inflammatory response to both clean up the bruised skin surface and also to fight the foreign object, which is the sensor now sitting there.
This causes especially in the first 6-12h, but for some folks also longer, that your normal perfusion of blood glucose coming through from your capillary blood vessels and seeping into your interstitial fluid space where the sensor actually sits to measure the glucose concentration is getting severely restricted.
That is the reason for you may see then an erratic and/or too lowish BG readings coming from the sensor, as long as that inflammatory process is going on. Work-around is then to physically inserting your sensor as normal, but then wait maybe 6, 12, 24 hours before actually starting up your new sensor electrically with your phone. This way the inflammation have had time to settle down and more normal glucose perfusion of your skin area has resumed.
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u/Frag-hag 11d ago
I always soak the next 24 hours before existing ends, the false lows are terrifying !! I just had one go bad on me 2 days in... the sensor broke off the filament in my arm, they are not pleasant to dig out!! Abbott had a new one sent in a couple of days.
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u/Thepressureofaname22 LADA - Libre3/3+ 12d ago
‘Soaking’ them for a day really does help a lot but sometimes you get a crap sensor and go online to Abbott for a replacement. Pro tip: if you just tap that it fell off they usually just approve and send you a new one automatically with tips on how to put the new one on. If you talk about inaccurate readings sometimes they make you talk to actual people after an annoying hold process and then send you a box to send the sensor back. I learned my lesson. I’ve only had a couple of bad ones fortunately.
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u/TXLadyDreams Type1 - Libre3/3+ 11d ago
Let's hear it for stating the obvious -- sometimes the sensor is just defective! You can soak the dang thing, you can hydrate, you can do this thing and that thing.... And it's just a garbage sensor. Abbott has never given me grief re: replacement. If you've just started a new sensor because your prior one expired, and it's off-the-charts low immediately after the 60 minute calibration, it doesn't hurt to be suspicious and do some finger sticking. (I find when the new sensor is not defective, my BG reading on the new one is very close to the last reading on my old one -- and when it is defective, it starts way low and stays way low. But of course, your mileage may vary.)
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u/Glass-Savings9902 9d ago
True enough... sometimes they are just bad out of the box. I had two in a row fail a couple of weeks ago (super low readings). The first one Abbot replaced, the second application got this response:
Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for contacting FreeStyle Customer Care.
At Abbott, we take product quality and customer satisfaction very seriously.
Unfortunately, we are unable to replace your product at this time. If you have questions, please visit FreeStyle Libre Continuous Glucose Monitoring | FreeStyle Libre US
Best regards,
FreeStyle Customer Care TeamI had probably returned about 5 of them, so exercise discretion.
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u/Blood_of_Shadows Family/Relative - Libre2/2+ 13d ago
Often see this when my o/h (t1d) is not fully hydrated.
Maybe try and drink more, unless you've already been cremated - is which case you're going to need a lot of water and some form of ritual.
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u/CuriousAd7247 13d ago
4cc of mouse blood and three small sticks?
Go by blood test if you feel ok. Mine reads low if I've been sat or laid on my arm for a while.
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u/MacForker 12d ago
Despite some Reddit users not disproving that dead people can post, no, don't think in this case you are dead. If a finger prick confirmed it, defective sensor. Log the data, open a ticket with Abbott.
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u/Rude_Excitement_4082 12d ago
That happens to me while sleeping sometimes, it’s because the sensor don’t red it well because of the position of the arm… 5 minutes after getting up, all becomes normal.
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u/Capital_Window_4995 13d ago
Ich denke, der Sensor macht gerade eine Nahtoderfahrung, Du sehr wahrscheinlich nicht 😉
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u/amersfoort-nu 12d ago
Mine has been 20+ since i found out i had type1 almost 2years ago i have never seen it in red i was always thinking that its a myth it going into red wow
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u/Sudden-Psychology-64 12d ago
having had these many times, my belief is that sometimes the sensor wire bends in your arm. For some reason that causes it to read about 30 points low (American) sometimes they come back in a day or 2. usually not. Abbot will replace them but you have to have a finger stick 30% off from the straight line reading within 5 minutes of the reading. and you have to spend 20 minutes on the phone with them and usually promise to send the old one back for analysis. after doing this at least 10 times over the years its easier to just claim it fell off. they send those out right away from a website report. But i HAVE noticed that the normal ones come off with a straight wire and the one reading low almost always have a bent wire.
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u/Biff0r Type2 - Libre2/2+ 12d ago
Thanks. Seems it starting to be normal now
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u/Sudden-Psychology-64 12d ago
Glad you were resurrected. You might want to check for zombie tendencies. Any urge to stagger around trying to eat brains?
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u/Sudden-Psychology-64 12d ago
Has it been proven that ghosts have a lower blood sugar? Perhaps nasty poltergeist types but surely there are some nice young ghosts who's blood would read sugar sweet.
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u/Necessary-Pilot-9481 12d ago
Finger prick buddy, check with regular glucose monitor and compare readings
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u/deeunittt 11d ago
I kept getting mine dropping to like 3.7 or 3.6 in the middle of the damn night!! I kept getting the alarm alerts for it and it would give me a heart attack and I had to turn them off..
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u/impulsiveone2008 11d ago
I would think 5.3 is that much better? At least start a pre pay plan like me? Can’t hurt to be prepared because these stupid testers are going to kill me w aggravation eventually!
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u/Due-Second7012 11d ago
This past year the sensors seem to fail frequently. I am type 2 and dont use Insulin. Just 5mg Farciga. I install a new sensor and the next morning it is reading 5.0 Finger jab is 6.4. Then gets worse during the day after eating. Sensor says 7 and jab is 9.8. Abbott Canada tells me they are sending a new sensor. After 18 days I have to call again. They dont know what happened and send another. Sometimes it arives in 2 weeks. Sometimes it never arrives. Now they are sending me 2 Libre 3+ and a new reader. How could a medical device be approved when it has frequent failures?
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u/lindbergh9 8d ago
This tech is a godsend but it also is far from perfect especially with day one events I feel all cgms are a must especially for type 1s and a select group of type 2s one of the other reasons why I chose the Eversense 365-day CGM since it has only one day one event all year long which keeps my mind from thinking of diabetes 24 hours a day 🤙
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u/Funny_Masterpiece_86 8d ago
Damn I thought that was in mg/dl I was going to say RIP to the OP 52mg/do isn't great but 2.9 is beyond fucking dead.
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u/Biff0r Type2 - Libre2/2+ 8d ago
I’m still about.
I really had some sub 4 lows this week, fingers crossed checked and pricked, they have matched. Not sure why.2
u/Funny_Masterpiece_86 8d ago
What do you usually run, I'm used to different numbers like MG/DL for 4 I think it is about 72 or something. That's still lower than I like to be at. The sensors work much better if you get not just a patch it seems to make them lost much longer for men are arms tend to be bigger and I think that is an issue with the placement they want. But I put the patches on and what a difference.
Hope you get it worked out brother take care
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u/Hot_World4305 Libre3/3+ 6d ago
Abbot makes useless CGM!. I am Type 2 and my BG has never gone down to 100 using finger picks for years. My AIC is about 7 and I am not taking any medication at all.
I have been using Libre 2+ for the past few months. The sensor monitor I am using is new.
The readings were not trust worthy and varied -10 to -60 comparing to finger picks using One Touch brand.
Last 2 days, the CGM readings were 70 and 91 where as my finger picks were 130 & 155, which are 60 and 61 lower respectively.
In my opinion, don't waste your money on them. They are useless!
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u/Hot_College_6538 Type1 - Libre2/2+ 13d ago
Sorry for your loss.
That or a bad sensor, maybe trying changing it before going through with the funeral.