Type 1 New Ideas For Hypo Treatment For 11 Year Old

[Jayden2407]

Hello!

So we’re almost 9 weeks in to diagnosis, my son is 11 and type 1. So far he’s only ever taken the glucose tablets when treating a hypo but he complained about them for the first time at 6am this morning when I tested him and he was hypo (and half asleep!)

So I’m looking for new suggestions please, he doesn’t drink fizzy pop so that’s out of the question but I have read jelly babies work?! And a small (200ml) of orange juice? How many jelly babies would he need to have for 15-20g fast acting glucose?

Thanks in advance,
janelle

 

[Lazybones]

You will need to get 'Glucose' into his bloodstream as fast as possible. Would he drink 'Lucozade' (The Orriginal Version) which is Glucose already in liquid form and is quickly absorbed. Failing this get him to drink a NON DIET drink or eat a few Jelly Babies (a small hand full 10-20) will work but he would need to chew them to help disolve them to get the quickest benifit.
What-ever-you choose you need to follow this up with someting that will then raise and support his Blood/Glucose over a greater time period. a few buiscuits (sugary types rather than plain buscuits) milk chocolate or sandwiches.
Someone with hopefully be along soon with greater knowledge than myself to give you practical advise better than myself.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Hi Janelle - I hated those glucose tablets when I was his age too plus they are hard to crunch up. Jelly babies definitely work and you could buy them or package them into mini packs for treatment (4-5 I am guessing). Otherwise if your son likes them he may end up over guzzling and then shooting his bgs up in the other direction.
You can get lucozade non fizzy sports drink (avoid the zero stuff obviously).

 

[Deleted Account]

a few buiscuits (sugary types rather than plain. chocolate or sandwichs)

Unfortunately, biscuits contain fat which slows the absorption of glucose so are not suitable for treating hypos.

I have always stuck with dextrose or GlucoTabs. There are different flavours which may be worth trying out.
I find liquids difficult to transport and carry around with me.

There are also glucose gels which are easy to digest.

 

[dogslife]

I always have jelly babies with me. They have worked well every time I start with hypo symptoms but I usually only eat 4-6 then retest after about 10 mins. adding more if needed. Otherwise they can cause too great a spike.

 

[novorapidboi26]

Still juice is decent too............

I uses 500ml isotonic sports drink.........half of that does a hypo......worth a look.....but maybe a bit big for a wee lad to carry about...

 

[porl69]

Hi @Jayden2407 I hate the glucose tablets, to me they taste like chalk! Never tasted chalk mind . I use Jelly Babies, as do a fair few on here. 4 or 5 then test 15 mins later and if needed another 4 or 5 and test again. Please do not give him 20 at a time! 20 jelly babies = 90 gramms of carbs!! (@Lazybones)

 

[Ziggy2017]

A few hypo treatments I have used are cereal bars,Capri suns,Haribos jellies and gluco juice (not gonna lie gluco juice tastes pretty rank)

 

[Deleted Account]

A few hypo treatments I have used are cereal bars,Capri suns,Haribos jellies and gluco juice (not gonna lie gluco juice tastes pretty rank)

Do cereal bars work?
My expectation is that the carbs would be digested too slowly. But I have never tried them.

 

[Jayden2407]

You will need to get 'Glucose' into his bloodstream as fast as possible. Would he drink 'Lucozade' (The Orriginal Version) which is Glucose already in liquid form and is quickly absorbed. Failing this get him to drink a NON DIET drink or eat a few Jelly Babies (a small hand full 10-20) will work but he would need to chew them to help disolve them to get the quickest benifit.
What-ever-you choose you need to follow this up with someting that will then raise and support his Blood/Glucose over a greater time period. a few buiscuits (sugary types rather than plain buscuits) milk chocolate or sandwiches.
Someone with hopefully be along soon with greater knowledge than myself to give you practical advise better than myself.

Hi yes he will drink lucozade and the other non fizzy sports drinks I’m just confused to how much he will need to have for the right amount of fast acting glucose? 200ml?
He likes the idea of jelly babies 4-5 I will try that for him.
We’ve always been told to follow up with slow acting carbs I.e a plain biscuit, he usually has rich tea or malted milks?

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @Jayden2407, My wife declines to treat me with fluid stuff if I am laying in bed when hypo (fortunately very very rare) as she has had me dribble, spit and also vomit it out. This is NOT the way to impress Mum or Dad but then again you may not be in control of what you are doing. Mum, you do not need a full HAZMAT suit but a towel or two might be a wise precaution !
The glucose gels, though a little pricey, do a better job (agreeing with @helensaramay).
Anything with sucrose (table sugar) in it can work but is not good long term for teeth.
Glucose jelly beans may be OK too.
The greatest fear I have is something going down into my windpipe (going down the wrong way), so if I cannot be sit up and/or be co-operative, or appear to be unresponsive The Glucagon Injection Kit (TGIK) of the orange colour comes out.
My wife has threatened to use the biggest horse needle with which to inject me, but fortunately the needle of the syringe into which the glucagon powder is mixed with fluid has the needle fused to the syringe. Glucagon is on script I think in UK, and certainly in Australia !!
Hopefully some further tweaking of diet and insulin will make these hypos you are experiencing less common.
Best Wishes to you, Mum and Dad !!

 

[Jayden2407]

Hi Janelle - I hated those glucose tablets when I was his age too plus they are hard to crunch up. Jelly babies definitely work and you could buy them or package them into mini packs for treatment (4-5 I am guessing). Otherwise if your son likes them he may end up over guzzling and then shooting his bgs up in the other direction.
You can get lucozade non fizzy sports drink (avoid the zero stuff obviously).

Hiya, yes I can imagine they aren’t nice, he didn’t mind them at first but that hypo this morning while he was still sleeping makes me think he could have something better now!

Thanks - I will give jelly babies to him next time, I just wasn’t sure on how many he knows that he can’t over do them as it will spike him, he’s quite mature with his diabetes and knows the “do’ and don’t’s” up to now for an 11 year old.
I will also try the sports drinks which he loved before diagnosis, how much would I need to give him to treat a hypo?

 

[Circuspony]

It needs to be quickly absorbed sugar until his levels are up - and the carb snack should ONLY be given when his levels are back up. My diabetes team has a good moan last time I was in about A&E giving a lady sweet tea and biscuits when her levels dropped and then wondering why they couldn't get them up. Sugar, make sure levels are up and wait at least 10 mins before eating the carbs.

I have haribos and orange juice cartons in the car and both work quickly for me. I can usually tell if I'm heading low - in which case it's 3 x haribos - or if I'm already at the shaky stage then the OJ hits quickly.

 

[porl69]

Hi yes he will drink lucozade and the other non fizzy sports drinks I’m just confused to how much he will need to have for the right amount of fast acting glucose? 200ml?
He likes the idea of jelly babies 4-5 I will try that for him.
We’ve always been told to follow up with slow acting carbs I.e a plain biscuit, he usually has rich tea or malted milks?

Maybe 2 or 3 rich tea biscuits as a follow up as they are only around 3g of carb per biscuit? AND when his sugars are back up to normal!

 

[Jayden2407]

Unfortunately, biscuits contain fat which slows the absorption of glucose so are not suitable for treating hypos.

I have always stuck with dextrose or GlucoTabs. There are different flavours which may be worth trying out.
I find liquids difficult to transport and carry around with me.

There are also glucose gels which are easy to digest.

Hi, My son follows a hypo treatment with a plain biscuit once his levels are out of hypo zone - rich tea or malted milk.
I have tried him with the Dextrose he doesn’t like them or the different flavoured GlucoTabs, just the orange flavour which he always has.

I tried him with the glucogel (if that’s how you spell it?!) but it left a sour taste in his mouth so won’t have those either! I still have them at home to treat a mild/severe hypo if he is unresponsive.

 

[Jaylee]

How many jelly babies would he need to have for 15-20g fast acting glucose?

15 to 20gs, 3 or 4 JBs

I'm old school. Milk has saved me more than once back in the day from a waking hypo..

 

[bamba]

Have you tried Fizzers or Love Hearts

 

[Jayden2407]

I always have jelly babies with me. They have worked well every time I start with hypo symptoms but I usually only eat 4-6 then retest after about 10 mins. adding more if needed. Otherwise they can cause too great a spike.

Hi, Yes I think I will get jelly babies and the non-fizzy sports drinks for him to try. Thank you, I will make sure he doesn’t over treat with more jelly babies than he should have and avoid a spike
We go on holiday next week, all his snacks and hypo treatment I will have to buy once through customs won’t I?

 

[Jayden2407]

Still juice is decent too............

I uses 500ml isotonic sports drink.........half of that does a hypo......worth a look.....but maybe a bit big for a wee lad to carry about...

Thank you, he likes the sports drinks so will try them

 

[Jayden2407]

Hi @Jayden2407 I hate the glucose tablets, to me they taste like chalk! Never tasted chalk mind . I use Jelly Babies, as do a fair few on here. 4 or 5 then test 15 mins later and if needed another 4 or 5 and test again. Please do not give him 20 at a time! 20 jelly babies = 90 gramms of carbs!! (@Lazybones)

Hi
They don’t look very nice either!
Thank you I will go for the jelly babies - and make sure that he has the right amount to avoid a spike.
Also going to try the sports drink - what ml would you recommend to cover the right amount of glucose?