I was diagnosed with LADA last March. I take one 0.5 mg tablet of Prandin, one 100 mg tablet of Januvia and one 500 mg tablet of Metformin every morning. I take another 500 mg. tablet of Metformin with dinner and 5, 6 or 7 units (depending on my bedtime bg number) of Basaglar before bed. I have been testing my blood glucose levels for the last seven days before every meal and two hours and four hours after. I am not happy with some of the numbers (ranging from fasting bg of 101 to 215 two hours after breakfast.) I want to buy a continuous glucose monitor so I can increase my awareness of what is going on in my body. I am not eligible through Medicare. Does anyone have an opinion on the FreeStyle Libre 14-day CGM? I know I can’t afford the Dexcom. Thanks for any guidance you might be able to provide.
Maureen
The Libre 2 14 day is now available, so be sure to check pharmacy has available. It may also cost more, but has more features.
Primary new feature is alerts, although still need to scan for values.
Goodrx or other discounts may be available.
I use the Libre and find it to be great. I’d recommend you try it, wholeheartedly. I’ve tried the dexcom as well and actually like the Libre 14 day much better. For what you’re describing, I think it would be very instructive. The newer one, with optional alarms, is coming - but for what you describe the current version would work well too. Good luck!
I was told by Abbott the new Libre 2 sensors will be the same cost. At Costco that cost should still be the $37 per sensor and you can download a free ap on your phone.The new Libre though is still waiting for the free ap release and it’s possible the reader isn’t quite available yet. (even though the sensors are lol)
The Libre or any CGM is eye opening for what your blood sugars do, but it sounds like you need a fast acting insulin now to deal with the spikes after meals. You will end up needing more and more insulin as time goes on and you stop making it. I suggest you get a script for a fast acting one and start the learning process of using it.
I used the Libre before a Dexcom and loved it, it taught me a lot, I still use it on my diabetic dog now!
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. I have been unhappy with the guidance from my endocrinologist, who thinks it’s fine that I lost 15 pounds around diagnosis time about 17 months ago. I can’t eat enough food to gain any weight without getting high numbers and I am 5’8” and weigh 110 pounds. I look like a scarecrow. I was thinking it was an insoluble dilemma until you mentioned fast-acting insulin. I have an appointment with the doctor very soon and I will definitely bring that up. Thanks again.
Thank you very much, Hugh. I am glad to know others like it. I know I have a lot to learn so certainly appreciate the advice available from people like you.
@mowo. The losing weight is a sure sign you are not getting enough insulin. What happens is you cannibalize your body to try to get fuel to function because you don’t have enough insulin to actually utilize the food you eat.
I would be pretty insistent about wanting a fast acting insulin, most LADA’s need it within 3 years and you will need it eventually anyways.
That makes perfect sense. I will be armed with a lot more knowledge for this doctor’s appointment.
Thank you again.
Here is a good article on Libre 2.
Its clear you need a new “2” scanner device, which will be labeled Libre 2. But not clear if there are Libre 2 specific sensors, that would be labeled Libre 2 14 day. Or if existing Libre 14 day sensors could be read with new reader, and also invoke new features (alarms, etc).
I hope you are able to find a new endocrinologist. Sounds like you need help. I don’t get why you are being treated with pills?? I do not have type 1 . Good luck,I have been asking everyone to get Medicare to cover the Libre for a Type 2, very little response. Elected officials or ADA. Will keep trying. Good luck. Nancy50
I’ve tried many CGMs and I find the Libre to be the least intrusive ( both in physical profile and alarms). Compared to others, this one needs you to prompt it to get the reading (as opposed to getting a reading continuously sent to the pump). The other upside is that it doesn’t need calibrating. (It can be a bit off but the pattern is more helpful than the number).
The only downside I found is how irritant the adhesive is. This might seem like a minor issue but in my case it caused so much inflammation I thought I had cellulitis. Every time I used it have to use topical creams (antibiotics and steroids) after and even then I end up with longlasting post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (dark scar). It lasts months to clear up. That’s why I exclusively use it on my thighs now (despite warnings).
Give it a go I say. It’ll help you see how you’re trending and troubleshoot your numbers.
Because I was diagnosed with LADA, not type one, and the doc said she would treat it like type 2. But it never really worked as well as I would have liked and I never gained any weight. Now it seems like my numbers are creeping up despite the oral meds and the Basaglar before bed. I think it’s time for a change and I will be seeking one at my next doctor visit.
Thank you for your concern. I know I have a lot to learn.
Thank you very much. I will read it.
Thank you. I appreciate your help.
I admit I have been lurking. I was diagnosed at age 67 by my PCP as type 2. I lost weight and did not respond well to type 2 treatment. I went to a CDE, she did the appropriate blood tests and determined I was type 1. I’m on Medicare and it makes a big difference in benefits. I qualify for a CGM. I have been using the Libre for 1 1/2 years. Last summer one fell off. I called Abbott’s 800 number and they sent a replacement. It runs on average about 20 points low for me. But it has helped me avoid extreme lows and highs. I like being able to check lots when we walk, our main form of exercise. I know I can drop 50 on our neighborhood walk. I charge the reader when I change sensors. I have never had a problem with the reader, no matter how many times a day I test. I consider it an indicator not gospel, just another tool in the toolbox. BTW I gained the weight back when I started insulin only. I managed to keep a few extra pounds off.
@mowo LADA is a type 1. There is no official recognition of being LADA as a separate disease. It is just a tagline of explanation of getting it when you are older and it’s slower developing. So it’s more of a description of sorts, but it is not different in any ways from being a type 1.
50% of type 1’s are diagnosed after the age of 30. 35% are misdiagnosed as a type 2 at first. That’s because LADA/type 1’s make some insulin for a while until they stop completely. Sometimes it takes a few years, but it can take up to 8 years even for that process to complete.
So oral medications can help LADA/type 1’s at the beginning to control BG levels but you will always end up needing insulin, usually within 3 years of diagnosis. As time progresses you will need to take more and more insulin as your body stops making as much.
Usually we take a basal insulin to compensate for the glucose our liver makes all day. A basal is solely for that reason. Then we take a bolus for what we eat. Both of those need to increase over time as we progressively stop making insulin.
What do you eat ?
I was diagnosed with LADA at 78 and put on metformin and long lasting insulin. Within a year short acting was added. I was lucky my first Endo was smart enough to realize that even at my age type1 was a real possibility based on previous A1C #
I use Libre and it may cost less through medical supply house rather than a pharmacy and insurance may cover it that way (durable medical equipment). My LADA was diagnosed about the same time as you after I started using a CGM. My GP assumed I was Type 2 but I already needed long term insulin. When I started the insulin shots my husband insisted I get a CGM and probably saved my life. Losing weight means you are not getting enough insulin and you are going to need to start the long term shots. With some people it does not work as long as it is supposed to so I take it twice a day. When you get a CGM look on the website there is “skin protector” they recommends which makes a big difference on how well adheres and stays on. LADA takes longer to get to being insulin dependent but once you are there you are just same as a “typical” type 1. Once you start on insulin you may have what is referred to as a “Honeymoon phase”. You can look it up but, basically some of your insulin producing cells get their 2nd wind for a short while and your insulin requirements go way down. However, once it ends you are probably going to need mealtime insulin as well as the long term real quickly.
I love the Freestyle Libre 14 CGM. Only $65.41 for a month’s supply of 2 sensors at my Walgreens, and the new Libre2 will cost the same, which is great news!
Make sure you have your doc write the prescription for a “28 day supply of 2 sensors”, with 12 refills.