Gluco-tabs too slow?

[dulcis-dente]

Hi guys.

It might just be me that has had this issue, but I wanted to ask about something which has been playing on my mind this past few days....

I started using Gluco-tabs for hypos a couple of months ago. I used to use the dextro ones, or juice, but found the packaging & refillable nature of Gluco-tabs to be easier & more economical. I noticed it was taking nearly 45 mins to get my sugars above 4 (from about 3.5) instead of the usual 5-10 mins & they'd usually drop even lower before they'd start rising, but then soar up to the high teens & twenties after about 2hrs!! A week or 2 earlier I had 2 severe hypos in the space of a week & need to surrender my drivers license. I was using Gluco-tabs at the time. I still have full hypo awareness, but just couldn't get enough glucose in me quick enough to prevent me going into a seizure & needing medical assistance. So I started wondering if there was a delay in the absorption of the glucose, whether this was something wrong with me or the Gluco-tabs. I decided to try lucozade to treat my next hypos & compare the two. Within 5 mins of the Lucozade I was back up to normal, with no huge spikes after a couple of hours! I am now concerned that ineffective hypo treatment has compounded the problem & led to a fairly straightforward hypo becoming one which required medical help? There seems to be more emulsifiers & extracts of fatty acids in gluco-tabs than in other similar products, & fats do delay sugar absorption. But it may well just be me & they don't work very well for me. I realise everyone is different & chooses different types of treatments for various reasons. But I'd love to hear if anyone else has had a similar issue with Gluco-tabs, or any other products aimed at diabetics for hypos & I'd love to hear your thoughts, opinions & wisdom.

Many thanks!

 

[Y3MBailey]

I will be honest I have never really used any kind of special product for Hypos

I have always either used Haribo, lucozade or something similar (a spoonful of lemon curd is also a fave)

The absorption speed of a glucose tablet will also partly depend on how much your 'crunch it up' when you swallow. (not by much)

For emergencies you can get gel sachets that I keep in my desk at work.

I have in the past used Dextrose when I first started but realised shortly that they tasted horrible and most common sweet things had the same effect.

I think it is quite unusual for them to take 45 mins to act as normally when I start to feel 'low' I normally am able to correct the sugars within 5-10 minutes and that is not using super fast acting glucose)

I cannot comment on what has happened here but if you find lucozade works..... then go with that....

 

[jack412]

The T1 will be here later, I've read here they say fluid is absorbed quicker, there is also a gel spoken about

 

[PatsyB]

Hypos... I drink some lucozade, have a couple gluco tabs then eat a banana.....or some biscuits and mars bar but thats when on Insulin

 

[noblehead]

If I were you I'd just return to using glucose juice or lucozade, I find Jelly Babies work quite fast and they are my preferred choice for treating hypo's now, that said when I did use Gluco-tabs I never had any issues with them bringing my bg back up in time.

 

[dulcis-dente]

Thanks for the replies guys. I did go back to my old treatment. I was just curious...

Cheers