Abdul who has had type 2 diabetes since 1999, started using the Freestyle Libre 2 Plus in Spring 2025 and previously trialled the FreeStyle Libre 3.
FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors were phased out in the UK at the end of August 2025, meaning that people living with diabetes who use the sensors need to transition to using FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus sensors. Find out more in our news article.
Benefits
I no longer live in constant fear of having a hypo which previously restricted my daily activities. Since using the Libre, I’ve been able to do long walks again, which I enjoy. The technology gives me independence.
I have a hypo phobia. But with the Libre, there are high and low sugar alarms. In the event of a hypo, the alarm comes on to allow me to treat the change in my glucose levels
As a volunteer with Diabetes UK, I raise awareness of type 2 diabetes. I might be running a stall or doing a TV or radio interview or giving a talk at a mosque or a temple. In each situation, I’m much calmer now. Before using the Libre, I’d be panicking, and I’d have kept finger pricking and eating in case I had a hypo. But now I don’t have to do that as I can check my glucose levels constantly.
I can also get an idea of what my HbA1c is. I can’t say my glucose levels are always great but they’re reasonable.
It’s also helpful to see how different foods raise my glucose levels – and at what speed.
Limitations
There can be a random loss of Bluetooth signal. Sometimes, it may only be gone for less than 30 minutes but can sometimes be lost for a couple of hours. If the signal is lost and I’m going out, I would do a finger-prick test. And I can cope with that.
The Libre 3 sensor is easier to use as it’s one unit and ready to use. Libre 2 Plus sensor and applicator has a disk holder and an applicator which you need to set up which is more hassle compared with the Libre 3.
When I was trialling the Libre 3, the sensor never came off. That might be because it’s smaller. I’ve had one or two mishaps with the Libre 2 Plus sensor coming off, particularly in hot weather and it can cause me skin irritation unlike the Libre 3.
What led to you using tech?
I have a fear of hypos which started when I was initially put on insulin after I was diagnosed and my hypo symptoms are quite severe. I was put back on insulin in 2021, alongside metformin and dapagliflozin.
In 2024, I joined a clinical trial by Leicester University Hospital for the FreeStyle Libre 3. I was on it for eight months and I was amazed by how it worked, and the confidence it gave me.
I could set the low glucose alarm to a higher reading than advised and then if the alarm went off, I’d know I didn’t have a hypo but could in the next few minutes and it made me calmer. My average blood sugar levels (HbA1c) were also much better.
After the trial, at my request, Leicester University Hospital sent a letter to my GP showing how much more under control my sugar levels were on the Libre. But I had to fight tooth and nail over several months to get it funded. It started with my diabetes specialist nurse, then my GP, Integrated Diabetes Services (Milton Keynes) (and finally the Integrated Care Board (ICB). They said I didn’t fit the criteria and they didn’t have the funding.
Frustrated, I told them I could no longer cope with my hypo phobia, then eventually funding was approved from somewhere and I was prescribed the Libre 2 Plus.
