# Freestyle libre issues?



## 69RJB (Apr 9, 2020)

Hi, i have been using the freestyle libre for about 2 years. Recently, i have noticed issues with sensors. They quite often throw up a fault message “reading not available. Try again in 10 minutes” or just show gaps in the graph of readings. I am self-financing so it is beginning to grate a little. Abbott were quite good at replacing dodgy sensors. However, I started one on Friday 3rd april. Yesterday, at 0907, it showed an error message on the reader  (Er3,373,B) and my mobile (373). I sent an email to Abbott, and left the sensor attached. I received a response at 1340 asking for all the usual details. This was provided. Although the sensor did start to read again. Overnight, the sensor failed to read at 0148. I sent another message to Abbot this morning.

I have had a response - Please be kindly informed, this message appears during the events of rapidly changing glucose level. On those occasions, sensor might not be able to catch the precise value. Therefore, it provides with the message "Sensor Error, Please try to scan again in 10 minutes". It may as well cause small gaps in your graph.

 
not sure the above would be seen as small gaps?
Is anyone else noticing any issues with sensors or reading them? At £40 a sensor, it is starting to irritate that they are not collecting the data. Nothing has changed physiologically.


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## mikeyB (Apr 9, 2020)

Although I have seen that message, I've never seen a graph like that. You might like to send that picture to Abbott to ask their opinion. And I've been using the sensors more or less since they started.


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## 69RJB (Apr 9, 2020)

Mike,
many thanks. It would be good if you could talk to technical enquires when you call them, but it just sounds like someone reading from a preprepared script. 
cheers
Rich


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## 69RJB (Apr 9, 2020)

Email and copy of image sent to Abbott....fingerscrossed.


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## Bruce Stephens (Apr 9, 2020)

mikeyB said:


> Although I have seen that message, I've never seen a graph like that.



Me neither. Most of the time when I see the message it is because my BG is changing quickly for some reason. I think a couple of years ago I used to see the occasional surprising gap over night, and of course once or twice there was a gap because I didn't scan quite in time. I've not seen a graph anything like yours, though.


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## 69RJB (Apr 9, 2020)

Thank you. it‘s nice to know that others think there could be an issue.


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## SB2015 (Apr 9, 2020)

Welcome to the forum @68RJB  
I have been using the sensors for about three years now, initially self funding.
As you have said Abbott have always been good replacing faulty sensors.

I do get gaps if
- I lie on the sensor at night sometimes
- my levels are changing rapidly when exercising sometimes.
- I have made a mistake in carbs and dropping too fast.

However I have never had a graph like yours.


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## Bexlee (Apr 9, 2020)

Hi @69RJB very odd graph. Is the graph the same appearance on your phone? If not it could be the reader?

Perhaps it’s not inserted properly into your arm maybe you’ve caught it or laid on it and it’s moved so can’t get a reading consistently.


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## 69RJB (Apr 9, 2020)

Yep. Same on phone. I always use both in case one fails. Waiting for Abbott to reply.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Apr 10, 2020)

69RJB said:


> Hi, i have been using the freestyle libre for about 2 years. Recently, i have noticed issues with sensors. They quite often throw up a fault message “reading not available. Try again in 10 minutes” or just show gaps in the graph of readings. I am self-financing so it is beginning to grate a little. Abbott were quite good at replacing dodgy sensors. However, I started one on Friday 3rd april. Yesterday, at 0907, it showed an error message on the reader  (Er3,373,B) and my mobile (373). I sent an email to Abbott, and left the sensor attached. I received a response at 1340 asking for all the usual details. This was provided. Although the sensor did start to read again. Overnight, the sensor failed to read at 0148. I sent another message to Abbot this morning.
> 
> I have had a response - Please be kindly informed, this message appears during the events of rapidly changing glucose level. On those occasions, sensor might not be able to catch the precise value. Therefore, it provides with the message "Sensor Error, Please try to scan again in 10 minutes". It may as well cause small gaps in your graph.
> 
> ...



I have seen gaps in graph, but not to that extent. Like all sensors, the Libre has an expected amount of glucose variation that it sees as ‘likely’. And it is possible for interstitial glucose to ’wobble’ more extremely than that expected variability (eg if you’ve had a big glucose spike and have rage bolused a huge correction causing a big drop).

But your graph is showing repeated gaps, which looks more like intermittent signal feed from the sensor itself.

Hooe you get a positive response from Abbott. 

Are you wearing on the back of arm? Are you rotating sensor sites? Following all the insertion suggestions? Keeping well hydrated?


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## 69RJB (Apr 10, 2020)

yep, wearing on back of arm, rotating, keeping well hydrated etc.
Good news earlier, I have had a positive response from Abbott after the initial brush off.
Many thanks for all your comments


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