Continuous Glucose Monitoring - No Prescription Needed!
I fell in love with continuous glucose monitors (CGM) the day I learned about them back around 2016. Dexcom was the first big player, and they primarily focused on helping type 1 diabetics improve their insulin dosing through real-time blood sugar data. Before long Abbott came to market with their device, the Freestyle Libre. The Libre has always been a bit more user friendly than the Dexcom, in my opinion, and it quickly won market share in the type 2 diabetes market. But both devices had one major flaw - they required a prescription.
Despite having a masters in nutrition and being a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, I am not a prescribing provider and therefore I could not help my patients obtain a CGM…until now. Both Dexcom and Abbot released over-the-counter CGM devices in 2024, and I am so excited to share them with you today.
The Devices - TL;DR
Quick Comparison
My favorite device overall is the Freestyle Libre. However, it requires a prescription. I’m inclined to favor the Abbott Lingo amongst the no-prescription options - its sensor and app are similar to the Libre. However, it has two key drawbacks - it doesn’t work with Android phones and it can’t share data with a clinician.
Decision Tree
The majority of my patients have a Freestyle Libre prescribed by their primary care physician. If you don’t want to seek out a prescription but would like to work with me, I would recommend the Dexcom Stelo, since it allows me to see your data. If you are just glucose-curious and want to see the data for yourself (and you have an iPhone), go for the Abbott Lingo.
The Details
This week my husband and I are giving the new non-prescription devices a trial run. I’m wearing the Lingo and my husband is wearing the Stelo. Here’s our takeaways so far:
