Pacemaker Club: Anyone with Diabetes and using Abbott, FreeStyle Libre 2 continuous glucose monitor?

Anyone with Diabetes and using Abbott, FreeStyle Libre 2 continuous glucose monitor?

by Gemita
2023-11-03 12:05:03
Interferences
998 views
2 comments

Hello, does anyone use the Abbott, FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor to monitor their glucose levels? Have you had any difficulties using it with your pacemaker?

Last night I changed my husband’s 14 day sensor, placing it on his left upper arm for the first time (at his request). My iPhone/FreeStyle App couldn't scan the new sensor and kept telling me to replace it. Eventually I had to remove the faulty sensor and to place a new one back onto the right arm where it immediately picked up a signal and started working again.

It seems the FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor when placed on the left arm, closer to the pacemaker, was causing a problem. I checked Abbott’s website and it does in fact state “Performance of the FreeStyle Libre system when used with other implanted medical devices, such as pacemakers, has not been evaluated".

I am going to continue to use the sensor but to keep it well away from my husband’s pacemaker and hope that it will continue to work properly. I see a member posted in July asking about this sensor and any interference and I attach the link. Thank you mags99 (and Piglet).

Abbott is sending a replacement sensor. They asked me to return the “faulty” one for testing. I may call their technical department to try to find out more and how reliable the glucose readings are likely to be? Does anyone have any information or experience using the FreeStyle Libre 2 System with a pacemaker? Thank you for any help you can provide.

https://www.pacemakerclub.com/message/43477/pacemaker-with-freestyle-libre-2-sensor-compatible-also-pet-scan-with-pacemaker

2 Comments

Continuous glucose monitoring system - can this reliably be used with a pacemaker?

by Gemita - 2023-11-05 06:44:30

I have now received two very helpful private messages so I am working through the questions and suggestions. I will take these up with Abbott and my husband's pacemaker clinic tomorrow and I will update this post whenever I can in case it helps other members who may be getting, or who already have, a FreeStyle continuous glucose monitoring system.

update

by Gemita - 2023-11-08 05:57:55

I have now spoken to Abbott and they confirmed that they are in the process of evaluating their sensor for use with a pacemaker. They were unable/unwilling to answer any of my questions about potential interference/signal loss, other than to tell me that the FreeStyle Libre 2 system uses both Bluetooth and NFC to communicate with my iPhone APP. I will try turning Bluetooth and/or my iPhone off/on the next time it happens to see if that helps. I will continue to avoid placing the sensor on Michael’s left arm near to his pacemaker and hope that way I will have no problems in the future.

I then spoke to an electrophysiologist in my husband’s pacemaker clinic who confirmed that my husband’s single lead pacemaker, implanted in 2018, was not Bluetooth enabled which surprised me. The Electrophysiologist asked one important question however: has Michael had any adverse symptoms since starting the glucose sensor? I had to say NO, so perhaps that is all that matters? We go back to the pacemaker clinic in December for a check up when the technician will thoroughly check for any possible interference with the FreeStyle device.

Another important clue whether the Glucose sensor is working reliably will be to compare the sensor’s estimated average glucose results over the last 3 months with the HbA1c blood test results due in early December. If the Glucose sensor results are close to, or agree with the blood test result, I will know that the several months of glucose readings are likely to be accurate.