Hello, I have been wearing the Libre 2 sensor for around 6 days now and was wondering if anyone knew if it was possible to get the actual numbers that were read by the reader itself (not the numbers that were read when you scanned yourself)? All I see for my overnight readings is a graph, but the data points in the graph where I didn’t scan myself are not easy to determine exactly since you cannot zoom in on the graph. The log book only has the numbers that were taken when I scanned myself. I don’t have an iPhone, so I cannot use an app. thanks!
Hi @krit138 . To be honest I haven’t tried this since I have an iPhone, but you might be able to download Freestyle software on your home computer and use a USB cable to transfer your data to get a closer view.
Hi wadawabbit! I have an Android, so I know the app isn’t ready for that yet. I never even turn my computer at home on anymore and my operating system (I think I kept it at Windows 7 because I didn’t like 10) might not work with the LibreView program. I have a new MAC in my office at work, so maybe I could do it there OR I do have a tablet that I might be able to use. I will have to try that. thanks (once again) for the advice!
I have another question for you:) I know you use your phone instead of the reader, but do you know if the reader still works if it is in your purse? It says it works up to 20 feet if “unobstructed”, but they didn’t define “unobstructed” specifically. Right now I keep the reader in my lab coat pocket when at work, but outside of work, I just carry it around in my hand (which is ridiculous). thanks!
I don’t keep my receiver in my purse - it would be too hard to get to when I need it. Instead I keep it in a Vera Bradley ID case with a lanyard so I can wear it around my neck; and if I wear cargo pants I’ll tuck it into a pocket. Both work well.
I will have to look up the Vera Bradley ID case. thanks for the info!
Here are some pics. I should have taken one of the case some so you could get a good view - if I get a chance I’ll dig it out and add one. It’s a near perfect fit!
thank you wadawabbit!
That’s the downside to the Libre. Because it’s a Flash Glucose Monitor or Intermittently Scanned Continuous Glucose Monitor, you can only see your blood sugar and trend arrow when you scan with the reader. The Libreview website does give you a larger view of the graphs, but the graphs themselves aren’t much more detailed than they are on the reader. You’ll still be estimating your actual blood sugar. If you want to see your numbers all the time you need a Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitor like Medtronic or Dexcom.
Have you set your target range for the Libre 2? That’s really all I need to know for overnight. As long as the line is within the blue band on the graph, I’m happy because I know that it was somewhere between 70 and 180 overnight. I don’t really feel I need to nitpick over whether my blood sugar was 110 or 120 at any given moment, for example. If it goes over or under the blue band then I know I need to adjust my bedtime and/or dinnertime insulin doses. Again, it doesn’t matter too much to me how far over or under it went, just that it did.
You can set your target range to be as wide or as narrow as you think appropriate, so let’s say you do want to make sure your blood sugar was 110 all night long, you could set your target range to 105-115 and then see where the line falls in relation to the blue band. If it overlaps the blue band, then you know you were about 110 all night long.
You can make use of the alarms in the same way. I have mine set to go off at 85 and 300, so I know that if I didn’t hear an alarm overnight then my blood sugar stayed between 85 and 300 all night long. As with the target range, you can set the alarms to whatever numbers you think appropriate, but be prepared to lose a little sleep if you set them too close to your target range. So again let’s say you’re aiming for 110, I would’t set the alarms to 100 and 120. I’d be up all night if I did that.
Regarding your question about how to carry the reader around: I keep mine in a pocket while at work and in the front pouch of my backpack when I’m out (like, grocery shopping or something). I’ve also forgotten to take the reader into my bedroom when I’ve gone to bed a few times and I could still hear the alarm going off in the living room. So I wouldn’t worry too much about obstruction. It’s a blue-tooth device, right? So it’s going to struggle in the same kinds of places as your phone. I’m thinking big, concrete and steel buildings with really thick walls. If you’re in a cinder block, underground bunker and your reader’s in the next room over, it might not work quite right.
@wadawabbit I used to use a Vera Bradley cross body bag to carry my test kit: glucometer, test strips, tissue, lancet pen, lancets, insulin, syringes, inject-ease, calculator, glucose logs, pen, and my copy of Calorie King. It was crazy how perfectly everything fit. Like it was designed just for me!
I’ll bet Vera had no idea how creatively her products would be used!
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Hi bsteingard, I have set my target range and my low and high alarms. I have definitely been losing a lot of sleep with alarms, so I may have to change those (I set my high to 180 and my low to 65 and last night I was going low most of the night and some of the nights before, I was going high; still adjusting Levemir). Thank you for the advice!
I believe that the professional software for providers may retrieve more readings but only if you scan every few hours, was going to try but I don’t think that the additional glandularity of data is better than the algorithm that provides the predictive arrow indications
Hi Lavallek K, I scan a lot during the day, but only scan at night if I receive an alarm. I will just work with what it does do.
On another note, I am finding that my number rises drastically right after I step out of the shower in the morning and evening, but I don’t think that number is correct (said I was 177 right after a short shower when I was 108 right before). I did check my number yesterday evening (after a shower) with the Libre 2 and then the strip and they were very different (180 with Libre 2 and 138 with strip). Anyone else have that issue? thanks!
Yes…dexcom and libre both are higher after a shower for me. I ignore them for at least 30 minutes after a shower.
Thanks Grumpy:) I will have to let the manufacturer know (they called me last night to get feedback, but I was unable to answer the call). They are probably already aware of the issue, but it seems to me that if they are aware, they should share it with their customers.
This is complete brainstorming on my part but - I always heard diabetics should avoid saunas - or use them with great caution - because the heat can drive blood sugar down (I knew a woman who would take a hot shower to help lower her numbers). I don’t know if you take cold showers but I wonder if the converse could be true - that the cold drives the number up for some reason?
Another possibility - I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately, often waking around 2 or 3am, unable to get back to sleep, and not resting well if I do. Even if I do wake with decent numbers they may increase while I’m taking a shower - even a nice hot one. I’m trying to finagle a good bolus before I get in but because my sleep is unpredictable it’s really luck of the draw as to how well it will work.
Needless to say I’m going to see my doctor to try to figure out what’s going on as sleep can affect the levels.
BTW, suspecting my thyroid level might be the culprit I got blood drawn a couple of weeks ago and am still waiting for results - I suspect labs are backed up with COVID testing. I have an endo visit in Tuesday, had this land drawn on Monday, and am doubtful whether they will be back. You might want to allow extra time to get results.
I actually take just warm showers. I told the manufacturer of the sensor about the number jumping after a shower (they called for feedback) and they are sending me a free sensor (wasn’t neccessary, but was nice of them) and they asked me to send back the one I have been wearing so they could look into the matter. Maybe they will get some data and then work on fixing it. I am concerned if high humidity will cause sensor issues since I live in Florida and the summers are ridiculously humid (never need saunas around here because it feels like you are in one when you just step outside!)