Introduction

The FreeStyle Libre 2 System is a new way for people with diabetes to check their sugar levels.

Sugar comes from the food we eat and our bodies turn it into energy using something called 'insulin'.

Most people's bodies make their own insulin, but diabetes is a disease where your body either:

• can't make enough insulin or
• can't make any insulin at all.

People with diabetes have to check their sugar levels and inject the right amount of insulin to deal with it.

They check their sugar levels by pricking their finger and testing their blood.

FreeStyle Libre 2 System

The FreeStyle Libre 2 System can check your sugar levels without a finger prick test.

Instead, it uses a sensor on your body, on the back of your upper arm. A sensor is a small device that can read changes in the liquid just underneath your skin.

Sometimes you will still need to do a finger prick test if you feel different to what the reading and alarm are saying.

This information explains:

• more about the FreeStyle Libre 2 System
• how to get started using the sensor
• how to use the FreeStyle Libre 2 System to manage your diabetes.

Who is the FreeStyle Libre 2 System for?

The FreeStyle Libre 2 System is for anyone with diabetes over the age of 4.

This can be either Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is where your body can't make any insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is where your body can't make enough insulin.

Children

An adult over 18 should help children aged 4 to 12 to use the System properly.

An adult should also help anyone aged between 4 and 12 to:

• understand the information from the FreeStyle Libre 2 System
• decide what to do next.

This is the FreeStyle Libre 2 System

1. Applicator: You use this to put the sensor on the back of your upper arm.
2. Sensor: This goes onto the back of your upper arm.

The sensor will:

• help to measure your sugar levels by reading changes in the liquid just underneath your skin.
• connect with your FreeStyle Libre 2 blue reader or certain phones to sound an alarm when your sugar levels are too high or too low. See more about setting alarms on page 19.

FreeStyle LibreLink app: This is an app you can download onto your phone. It receives information from your sensor.

An app is a computer programme that you have on your phone to help you do something.

You will need to register with LibreView to use the app.

You can get more information about which phones work with the System on our website: www.FreeStyleLibre.co.uk/libre

FreeStyle Libre 2 blue reader: You need this if you don't have the right sort of phone to use the app. The reader also receives information from your sensor.

The reader can sound an alarm when your sugar levels are too high or too low, when it is turned on.

You can use both your phone and the reader to read your sensor. But you can only choose one of them to sound an alarm.

If you want the alarms on your reader, you need to start the FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor with the FreeStyle Libre 2 blue reader. If you want your alarms on your phone, you need to start the FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor with the app on your phone.

3 quick steps to put on a sensor

1. Wash, clean and dry a place on the back of your arm.
2. Get the applicator ready by:
   • peeling back the lid
   • unscrewing the cap
   • lining up the marks on the sensor applicator
   • pressing down firmly...
   • and then lifting. The sensor should come out of the plastic cover.
3. Put the sensor on the back of your arm by pressing firmly.

Listen for the click. Wait for a few seconds and pull back slowly, leaving the sensor on your skin.

How to keep your sensor on

Easy does it

Be careful not to catch your sensor on a doorway, car door, seat belt or the edge of your furniture.

Pat dry

Take extra care when you dry yourself after a bath or shower.

Dress for success

Wear loose fitting clothes around your sensor.

Exercise and sport

Be careful when you are doing exercise or sport.

Slow down

Be careful when you get dressed or undressed.

Hands off

Try not to play with, pull or touch the sensor while you are wearing it.

How the sensor works

When the sensor goes onto the back of your arm, it gets information from under your skin.

The thin fibre that goes under your skin on your arm is very short. Only 5 millimetres long.

It doesn't go as far as your blood stream.

Interstitial fluid

Just below the surface of your skin is a liquid called interstitial fluid.

The sensor tests how much sugar there is in this interstitial fluid.

The amount of sugar in the interstitial fluid is a good guide to your overall sugar levels.

The FreeStyle LibreLink app

You need to download the FreeStyle LibreLink app onto your smartphone. A smartphone is a phone that connects to the internet.

If you have an iPhone, you can download the FreeStyle LibreLink app by going to the App Store and searching for 'FreeStyle LibreLink'.

If you have any other type of smartphone you can download the app by going to Google Playstore and searching for 'FreeStyle LibreLink'.

You can get more information about which phones work with the System on our website: www.FreeStyleLibre.co.uk/libre

You will need to be connected to the internet, or have mobile data, to download the app.

You will need to register with LibreView to use the app.

Scanning

Scanning is when you:

• open the FreeStyle LibreLink app on your phone
• put your phone close to the sensor on your arm.

iPhones

If you have an iPhone:

• Open the app on your phone and tap the scan button.
• Hold the phone near your sensor.
• Wait until you hear a tone and feel a vibration. This means that it has worked OK.

You will need to have the sound on your phone switched on to hear the tone. You will need to have Bluetooth, notifications, sounds, vibrations and alarms turned on to use the alarm.

Other types of smartphone

If you have any other type of smartphone:

• Open the app on your smartphone.
• Hold the back of your phone near your sensor.
• Don't move your phone until you hear the first tone and/or feel the vibration.
• Keep your phone near the sensor until you hear a second tone and/or feel a vibration. This means that it has worked OK.

You will need to have the sound on your phone switched on to hear the tones. You will need to have Bluetooth, notifications, sounds, vibrations and alarms turned on to use the alarm.

Learn how to manage your diabetes

You can see how well you are managing your diabetes on your FreeStyle LibreLink app, if you keep scanning your sensor every 8 hours.

On this screen you can see:

• An orange bar - this shows how much time your sugar levels have been very high.
• A yellow bar - this shows how much time your sugar levels have been too high or too low.
• A green bar - this shows how much time your sugar levels have been OK.
• A red bar - this shows how much time your sugar levels have been very low.

Setting an alarm on your phone

You can set an alarm on your FreeStyle Libre 2 blue reader or phone - to go off when your sugar levels are too high or too low.

You can only set an alarm on one device.

It's called a 'glucose alarm'. Glucose is another word for sugar.

To get an alarm on your phone, you need to scan your FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor with the app on your phone.

How to set an alarm on your phone

• Open the FreeStyle LibreLink app
• Tap 'Alarms' in the menu
• Touch 'Low Glucose Alarm' and turn on alarm
• Scroll to select 'Low Glucose Value'
• Touch 'Alarm Tone' and choose what sound you want to hear when the alarm goes off
• Set your 'High Glucose Alarm' by selecting 'High Glucose Alarm' from 'Alarms' menu and scroll to select 'High Glucose Value'

Make sure Bluetooth on your phone is turned on for the alarm to work. And your phone will need to be within 6 metres of the sensor.

How to set an alarm on your FreeStyle Libre 2 blue reader

You cannot set an alarm on your reader if you have already set the alarm on your phone.

If you want the alarms on your reader instead, you need to start the FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor with the FreeStyle Libre 2 blue reader, not your phone.

To set the alarm on your reader:

• Touch the 'Settings' symbol
• Touch 'Alarms' then change 'Alarm Settings'
• Turn on the alarm
• Use the arrows to set low and high glucose alarms
• See your current alarm settings
• Adjust sound and vibration. This is where you can choose what sound you hear when the alarm goes off

Your FreeStyle Libre 2 blue reader will need to be within 6 metres of the sensor.

Your reading

When you hold your phone close enough to the sensor, you will see a number on the app. This number is called a 'reading'.

The reading tells you what your sugar levels are.

There is also a graph which tells you if the sugar level has changed over the last 8 hours.

And there is an arrow which tells you if the sugar level is going up, down or staying the same.

By tapping this symbol [alert symbol] you will go to a screen that gives you more information.

This information will help you to decide what to do next.

Your doctor will tell you how to use the information from the reading and the arrows, to decide if you need insulin.

LibreView

LibreView is a website where you can see how well you are managing your diabetes.

You will have your own account. This keeps your information private. You can share the information about your diabetes with your doctor and health team.

The website can show you the information in a way that you can see how well you are doing. You can register today at: www.LibreView.com

There is information on the website about what your computer needs to be able to run LibreView.

Uploading data

If you have a FreeStyle Libre 2 blue reader: You can download the information from your sensor by connecting your FreeStyle Libre 2 blue reader to a computer with your yellow cable.

If you are using the FreeStyle LibreLink app on your phone: The information from the app will be uploaded to the LibreView website automatically when the phone is switched on and connected to the internet.

You need to set up a LibreView account

• Go to: www.LibreView.com
• Click on 'Sign up'.
• Choose the LibreView account for patients and follow the instructions on the screen.
• You will need to connect your account to your doctor's account on LibreView.

To upload information from your reader to LibreView

• Connect your reader to your computer with the yellow cable.
• Press 'Begin upload'.
• Follow the instructions on the screen.
• You should upload information onto your computer at least once every 90 days.

Looking at your information

The LibreView website can show you how your sugar levels have gone up and down over time.

The screen shows you:

• When there has been a big difference in your sugar levels, from one day to another.
• When your sugar levels have been very high or very low.
• When your sugar levels have been good.

Driving

There are Government rules about driving with Type 1 diabetes.

You can drive with the FreeStyle Libre 2 System.

You must scan your sensor before you drive.

But you must also check your sugar levels with a finger prick test if:

• your sugar level is 4 mmol/L or below
• your sugar level is going up or down quickly
• you start to feel a bit unwell
• you feel different to what the reading is saying
• you feel your sugar levels are low or going down.

If you have Type 2 diabetes and you're driving, you need to do a finger prick test before driving.

For more information, go to: www.gov.uk/diabetes-driving

For more information and training

If you need more information please call the Abbott Customer Careline on: 0800 170 1177

This telephone line is open:

• Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 8:00pm
• Saturday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Or you can go to our website: www.FreeStyleDiabetes.co.uk

Training

You can get more information with our online training. You can find out more about this at: Progress.FreeStyleDiabetes.co.uk

© 2021 Abbott. FreeStyle, Libre, and related brand marks are marks of Abbott. ADC-36284 v1.0 04/2021.

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