Libre3 insulin system

Milosmom · December 8

Greetings - My husband is 81 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's as well as vascular dementia about 5 years ago. He has very brittle diabetes and has just been upgraded from the Libre2 to the Libre3, which is different in many ways. The sensors look like little buttons and have a small part that goes under his skin. He's probably somewhere in the moderate stage, and is losing his ability to speak. This morning he got up early and used up all the sensors trying to get a reading (they cost about $100 and last 2 weeks before changing to a new one.) I would love to hear about anyone's experience; the endocrinologist is resisting going back to the old finger-stick system. Thank you so much.

jgreen · December 8

Hi @Milosmom

No experience in this particular scenario; but like we do with keys to the car, firearms, and other dangerous or safety items, you might want to hide these expensive parts. Tell DH that this new equipment needs both of you to learn together. I’d even hide his meds so he doesn’t try to self medicate.

Welcome! Sorry you have to be here yet glad you found us. Everyone is so supportive.

Take care

Quilting brings calm · December 8

I would lock up the sensors. You be the one to retrieve one and place it on him. Then use the enclosed tape to help hold it on. even extra masking or other type of tape over that to keep him from being able to remove it My spouse uses Dexcom 7 monitors. It takes up to 30 minutes once placed/paired for the readings to begin. I imagine the Libre3 is similar. Finger sticks could be done during that time. You can buy a cheap meter and test strips without a prescription.

H1235 · December 9

I can’t speak to the specific device he is using, but what you are describing doesn’t surprise me. My mom went through bunches of filters for her hearing aides, but she struggled with the hearing aides so much that she barely used them. There was never a need for replacement filters. Learning something new is very very difficult for a person with dementia. As others have said it’s time to keep the sensors where he can’t get to them if that is at all an option. Maybe make an excuse why they are put away. (You just got more and haven’t had a chance to put them in the drawer where he keeps them.) If you tell him he is wasting them it will probably not go well.

sandwichone123 · December 9

My dh was in Stage 5 when he could no longer use his fairly new monitoring system. It just wasn't something he could manage any more.

SDianeL · December 9

my DH tried the sensors and they didn’t work. He kept pulling them out of his arm or bending them. Tell the Endocrinologist that they are not working and demand they do something else. We went back to finger sticks. I also gave him insulin shots and they were never a problem. When he went to Memory Care they did not use the sensors for the reasons I listed above. Endocrinologists do NOT understand dementia. They wanted to put my DH on Ozempic and I said no due to potential side effects. Later, my husbands blood sugar could no longer be controlled with meds and insulin due to the area of his brain affected by Alzheimer’s.

midge333 · December 9

My DW had juvenile diabetes (type 1) and was on an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor. From about stage 4 on, I had to manage everything: attaching the devices, managing the pump, managing the highs & lows. When she went into MC, she went back to intermittent BS checks and 5 shots a day. You may have educate his endocrinologist.

aconite · December 9

My DH uses the Libre3+ system. We started with the Libre2 when he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's. We went to the CGM device since it would show the history of his blood sugar readings. I could check his readings by looking at his phone or, once I installed the LibreLinkUp app, by looking at my phone. When he was upgraded to the Libre3 system, it was a difficult learning curve for him to realize that he could just look at his phone instead of scanning the sensor as he had to do with the Libre2. I have always applied his sensors so he would not try to apply them on his own. But I have needed to conceal his insulin pens in the fridge and eventually take over handing them to him - otherwise he either would not inject any or he would double dose - especially his long term overnight dose.

I like the idea that the CGM has alarms that let me know if hhis blood sugar is low or going high. I don't know if he would recognize that he was going low as he once did. He often says he feels his head is fuzzy - but I think that's his way of describing a confused feeling since does not correlate with low blood sugar. And since he sometimes doesn't finish the meal that would need the insulin dose he has injected prior to the meal, the warnings of low blood sugar are increasingly important.

As a side note, his blood sugar readings helped me to determine that he probably had a UTI. After a long night of him feeling the need to urinate every 10 to 15 minuteminutes, the next day his high blood sugar alarm went off even though he wasn't eating. I could see a graph of his elevated blood sugars which let me know he was ill. No fever or pain,

Libre3 insulin system

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