The Freestyle Libre has changed many diabetics’ lives around the world, including mine, and I’m forever grateful that this product was produced. BUT, now there is an even better version on the market: The Freestyle Libre 2! It’s the Freestyle Libre one but better and in this post, I’m going to take you through everything you need to know about the Freestyle Libre 2 sensor including my own personal opinions on the product. So let’s get started. 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. It’s still operated by scanning your GlycoMode Blood Sugar Review 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 you’re 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 you’re likely to go higher or lower, just like it did on the original Freestyle Libre. 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 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 wouldn’t stop going off and I felt like I was failing, so it’s 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 GlycoMode Blood Sugar Review up to 14 days. I know some sensors in the USA were only 10 days, but as far as I’m 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 (the back of your arm), although some people choose to wear it on their legs or stomach, however, I don’t 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 (this is done in the background without you being aware, like how a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) would work.
Personally, I’ve always used the back of my arms, but if you’re 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 will need to obtain a new handset that allows alarms. You can use your app, as it will update once you scan your new Freestyle Libre 2 sensor. How much does the Freestyle Libre 2 cost? Since there are varying prices across the globe, I’m going to give the ones I have access to. UK: The Starter pack will give you two sensors for £96.58 Excl. VAT, but you can also get a starter pack that includes the NEW reader, which is £133.29 Exclu. VAT and a single sensor will cost £48.29 Excl VAT. Check out full price details on the Freestyle Libre website. USA: Most privately insured patients pay between $10 and $75 per month for FreeStyle Libre 2 or FreeStyle Libre 14 day sensors, you can find out more about filing your prescription via this source.
Canada: Roughly CAD $97.00 per sensor, based on what I could find on the internet. If anyone else has details of the pricing structure in other countries, then please drop a comment below and I will add them to this post. Is the Freestyle Libre 2 available in the UK? Yes, it’s available for purchase and use in the UK. Is the Freestyle Libre 2 available on the NHS? Yes, the Freestyle Libre 2 is available on the NHS, as that’s how I get it funded. BUT, if you want to know whether you can change to the Freestyle Libre 2, if you’re already receiving the first one on prescription, then give your doctor a call. Is the Freestyle Libre 2 available in the USA? Yes, the Freestyle Libre 2 is now available in most US pharmacies, and it’s covered by Medicare (who meet eligibility criteria). Is the Freestyle Libre 2 sensor waterproof? The Freestyle Libre 2 has the same waterproof abilities as the first one.