Excel to create CSV import file

So I read all your warnings about using LibreOffice and not Excel to edit spreadsheets for import. I had started with a spreadsheet of data exported from another program (in Excel format), but opened it in LibreOffice as an .ods file and spent hours updating it. I saved the file many many times as I edited but today when I went to convert it to csv and import it, I saw none of my changes had been saved. I’m still in shock. This kind of thing hasn’t happened to me in years and I presume it must be some kind of LibreOffice bug which I don’t have time to troubleshoot. (I’ve looked for a reasonable explanation and haven’t found one: I’m on a Mac running 10.8.5, with the latest version of LibreOffice)

So I re-read your instructions which were to edit the *csv* file in LibreOffice. Before I re-do all the hours work I wanted to check with you: do you think I will be safe to edit the data in Excel (which I know will save the work) and export from there to CSV? Is the problem just with editing the file in CSV format? I hesitate using LibreOffice since I don’t know why it didn’t save my work properly.