New member from Arizona

242 Views 15 Replies 4 Participants Last post by etherea, 17 d ago

Tonopah

Discussion Starter · 27 d ago

I live in central Arizona. My father was an insulin dependent diabetic for 50 years and was very disciplined in controlling his disease. I am now 75 years old and my A1c has reached 6.5 and I sure wish I could loose maybe 20 pounds as I think that would help. I do finger sticks pretty frequently and was down at 59 recently and I sure did feel that. That's when I thought a CGM might be helpful.

I ordered the Freestyle Libre 3 on the internet without a prescription needed and have been trying it out. Placement is on the back on my left arm and it is staying in place just fine. But the readings! The Freestyle Libre 3 consistently gives me readings that are very high compared with finger stick. This morning my glucose was 134 on the Libre 3 whereas it was 104 on finger stick -- and that is typical. Not sure if that is just the way it is or if something is wrong with the sensor or whatever but it is a little disappointing.

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itissteve

· #2 · 27 d ago

Hi, Tonopah! Welcome to our community!

I was just out in Scottsdale a couple of weeks ago. Big change from Minnesota though the weather was weird and it generally was warmer in Minnesota that week. 🤔

I don't know if you've seen this thread, but it's another person who's seeing some unexpected readings from their Libre 3. I think we have a couple of other Libre 3 users who visit the forum periodically; maybe they can weigh in on their experiences.

It is disappointing that all the gadgetry and the expense don't get you more accurate results than a finger stick. I'm assuming you've taken this up with your medical care team? Not sure what they can do about it directly but if other Libre 3 users in the practice are reporting weird numbers, maybe they can escalate the matter.

I hope you stick around to see if our other Libre users have any suggestions. In the meantime, there's plenty to look at around here. I hope you find some good stuff.

Tonopah

Discussion Starter · #3 · 27 d ago

itissteve: I have an appointment with my GP on June 8 to decide if I really do have type 2 and if I will be put on Metformin. In anticipation of that appointment, I got the idea to secure two Libre 3 sensors as the site I went to did not require a prescription. I figure the Libre 3 data might be helpful to both me and to my doc. My guess is that the doc will put me on Metformin and will also prescribe a CGM for me if I want it. I like everything about the Libre 3 except the readings seem consistently 20 points or more higher than my needle sticks. Maybe it is just this particular sensor and the second one (which I will use once this one runs out) might be better. We'll see. At least the continuous readings seem to be helping me to focus on my blood sugar rather than ignoring it!

Reactions: 2

mbuster

· #4 · 27 d ago

Hi Tonopah, welcome to the forum. Congrats on taking a proactive approach to monitor your BG.

I've read that there is a little time delay between a BG reading taken from a finger stick (blood) and it showing up in a CGM (interstitial fluid). I would think random checks would give random differences and not consistent ones, especially if checked after meal times when BG changes would be more active.

I'm not saying it is, but have you considered the possibility that maybe your BG monitor could be reading low, an A1c indicates an average BG of 140 mg/dL. One way to check would be have a fasting BG tested at your doctors office or a nearby clinic or blood test lab near you and test yourself with your meter and check your Libre reading immediately after the lab blood sample is taken. The lab meters are supposed to be a little more accurate than the home use ones. That would be good info to know, especially if you needed to communicate with Libre customer service.

I'm sure many here would be interested in what you find out.

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Reactions: 1

Tonopah

Discussion Starter · #5 · 27 d ago

It did not occur to me that maybe by finger stick monitor might be faulty. I use Accu-Chek Guide Me and maybe I should swap that out for a new one. I may try that first. Thanks.

Reactions: 1

Tonopah

Discussion Starter · #6 · 26 d ago

I tried a new Accu-Chek Guide Me monitor with fresh batteries and properly synched to MySugr. The finger stick reading was 123 and the Libre 3 reading was 129. This is the first time the readings were not different by 20 points or more. Progress!

Reactions: 2

itissteve

· #7 · 26 d ago

An exact match will be a true coinky-dink. But they should be closer than your readings were. Glad that's working better.

Tonopah

Discussion Starter · #8 · 22 d ago

I was in the hospital yesterday for a scheduled eye surgery. The nurse checked my blood glucose prior to surgery and I mentioned that I have a CGM. She said that finger stick measurements are so so and she would rely on what the CGM says more. That surprised me. At the time, the finger stick and CGM were close but I cannot now remember the numbers. The idea that data from a CGM is more reliable than a finger stick (her opinion) did intrigue me though.

itissteve

· #9 · 22 d ago

I think that's the ideal. I don't know as that's very often what I see and hear from people using them. On the other hand, the nurse probably sees many many patients who are not very compliant with finger sticking.

Tonopah

Discussion Starter · #10 · 19 d ago

Are finger stick monitors and strips pretty much all the same or are there ones that are preferred?

itissteve

· #11 · 19 d ago

Tonopah said:
Are finger stick monitors and strips pretty much all the same or are there ones that are preferred?

They're all required to be within 15% of the true reading, so from that perspective they're the same. Pretty much every brand has more-precise and less-precise models but the cost of the meter has nothing to do with it and sometimes the "Acme SuperPrecise" is really precise in one test and just average in the next one.

But people will prefer different brands and models based on things like size, whether the meter can talk to their phone for recording readings/graphs, or whether that particular brand/model is covered by their insurance. I chose mine mostly because the strips are cheap (I self-fund). All kinds of reasons.

Maybe others here will chime in on their reasons for picking the meter they use.

Tonopah

Discussion Starter · #12 · 19 d ago

I am still on my first Libre 3 sensor and I use Accu-Chek Guide Me with a connection to MySugr for finger stick readings. I continue to see quite a difference between the blood readings (consistently lower) and the interstitial readings (consistently higher, often by 20 points but it varies). I will be swapping out my first Libre 3 for another one in 4 days.

I purchased all of this on my own but I will see my GP in about 3 weeks. My guess is that he will diagnose diabetes type 2 at that time and he may want to put me on medication.

I have benefited from the Libre 3 data as a learning experience and now have a much better handle on my diet. I can so easily see what foods spike my blood glucose and I am learning from that.

I am not wild to go on meds if I do not really have to. But I am interested in having him prescribe a CGM for me so that I can use insurance. It would seem that the Libre 3 and the Dexcom G7 are the popular ones at this time and I will go with whatever my doc suggests, I guess.

The LibreView application on my computer provides a ton of data and I like it but don't really understand all of it. It is showing a Glucose Management Indicator of 6.7% and a glucose variability of 19%. I assume that the GMI is A1c.

I recognize that my diabetes issue may be quite minor compared to others but I am still concerned and want to make the best CGM choice and life style changes that will be best for me.

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itissteve

· #13 · 19 d ago

Tonopah said:
I will see my GP in about 3 weeks. My guess is that he will diagnose diabetes type 2 at that time and he may want to put me on medication.

[snip]

I am not wild to go on meds if I do not really have to.

Many of us here manage our blood glucose levels exclusively with diet and exercise. No meds at all. It requires cutting back considerably on carbohydrates (grains, starchy vegetables, most fruits, "thin" dairy, refined sugar/honey). And tbf some people just can't do it. But if the doctor does diagnose T2 you might ask for 2-3 months to try a low-carb eating plan first (lots of information on it on this site and others we link to).

Tonopah

Discussion Starter · #14 · 19 d ago

Thank you for the suggestions. I am new to all of this but am learning as I go. I will cease posting in this "new guy" thread and try to put future posts in a more appropriate location.

Reactions: 2

mbuster

· #15 · 18 d ago

itissteve said:
They're all required to be within 15% of the true reading, so from that perspective they're the same. Pretty much every brand has more-precise and less-precise models but the cost of the meter has nothing to do with it and sometimes the "Acme SuperPrecise" is really precise in one test and just average in the next one.

But people will prefer different brands and models based on things like size, whether the meter can talk to their phone for recording readings/graphs, or whether that particular brand/model is covered by their insurance. I chose mine mostly because the strips are cheap (I self-fund). All kinds of reasons.

Maybe others here will chime in on their reasons for picking the meter they use.

I use the One Touch Verio Flex because my insurance changed and the One Touch strips was what the new coverage paid for. I chose that particular meter because it would bluetooth readings to my phone. I was using the Contour USB and the Contour Next One before then. I've had no problem with any of the three and readings on all are very close to the readings when my doctor's office draws blood. I just wish the Flex was backlit.

etherea

· #16 · 17 d ago

I missed your earlier introduction! I just want to say welcome and look forward to seeing more posts from you.

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