Sandra_W
Member
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- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
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- Spiders, Snakes, Exercise, Ignorant people, Non serious diabetics. Being told that "You can't eat that"
Car hypo treatment
- Thread starter Sarah69
- Start Date
Steve 007
Active Member
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- 31
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
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- Insulin
M&S soft Jelly sweets - awesome and quick reacting - oh and too sugary for my wife so she leaves well alone!
GlucoRX Gel has a shelf life over 2 years and is quick acting 15gm. Comes in a tube with tear off top then allowing you to slowly suck gel into mouth.
While I also carry Glucotabs, they need to be held in mouth to be quick acting, hence concerns over choking.
The key to quick action is that glucose is a very small molecule so does absorb directly into the bloodstream through the mucous membranes in mouth and throat. Anything that you eat or drink can end up in stomach being mixed with other Stuff and thus slow aBsorbtion. Particularly also subject to gastroparesis.
While I also carry Glucotabs, they need to be held in mouth to be quick acting, hence concerns over choking.
The key to quick action is that glucose is a very small molecule so does absorb directly into the bloodstream through the mucous membranes in mouth and throat. Anything that you eat or drink can end up in stomach being mixed with other Stuff and thus slow aBsorbtion. Particularly also subject to gastroparesis.
I use pouches of baby food, yoghurt fruit smoothies, as emergency hypo treatment in the door of the car, by my bed and for in between swimming sessions. I live in Norway, but assume similar things are available in the UK. They are 90 grams with about 14 grams of carbs. Easy to take, taste nice, and no daft straw issues. Bought some capri suns but every time I stick the straw in one I get a fountain and sticky puddle!
if you share your car, not sure there are many people who would want to be seen taking baby food..but I am past caring!
if you share your car, not sure there are many people who would want to be seen taking baby food..but I am past caring!
Chocolate bar, biscuits, milk and that type of thing are not quick acting solutions to a hypo.
Quick acting solutions are jelly babies, fruit pastiles and drinks such as coke or lucozade. I buy a 3 kg pack of jelly babies from Amazon’s d keep the pack in a 2.5 litre sealing plastic bag I get from IKEA, the bags are called
Chocolate bars, biscuits and milk and those sort of things contain fat which will slow down the absorption of glucose and are therefore not recommended for treating a hypo. Glucose tablets, jelly babies and fruit pastiles as well as lucozade and cola drinks are recommended.
I find that once you’ve opened them, a packet of glucose table become as hard as anything, so I steer clear of them. I buy a 3 kg of jelly babies from Amazon and keep them in a 2.5 litre resealable bag that I got from IKEA. They’re called ISTAD and they do them in various size.
I put a good handful in one of the smaller sized bags and providing you seal the bag, they never dry out and go hard, making it much easier to eat 3 or 4 if my glucose drops. I can keep a bag in my jacket or pocket and always have them on hand. Each jelly baby is 4g of carbs so it’s easy to calculate how many carbs you’ve taken.
If you’re stuck in a traffic jam as your mother was and likely to be there a while then after taking quick acting carbs, it’s recommended to take slow acting carbs once you glucose levels get back to normal to help maintain them.
Long life orange juice/ quick acting dextrose gel drinks/ tablets or tubes/ ordinary lucazade. Doesn’t matter if fiz gone it’s the glucose you want. I always have dextrose/ orange juice and gel in a tube. All available from most chemists
Wine gums!! worst case they become a little chewy.
Never experienced a chocolate bar going off?? Probably coz they don’t last that long!!
I keep jelly babies in my glove box, 4 of them can increase your blood sugars within 15 mins which if kept sealed until needed generally have a long expiration date.
I keep the small bottles of Lucozade in my car. There is always one in my glove compartment, and several more in the boot.
Even if they've passed their use-by date and are completely flat, they still have the ability to sort you out.
That’s interesting. I have been T1 for 50+ years and never heard that about chocolate before , though I do admit advice has always been barley sugars or similar - or these days some particularly unhelpful advice like x g of carbs. Personally I have carried mini Mars Bars or Milky Ways for many years ( they may not taste nice if very old but still contain a kick of glucose) , so I think that slowing effect to which you refer must be quite modest.
Everywhere away from home however I always carry on my person , a small bag of sugar lumps. Over time they get worn and I replace them , but two sugar lumps ,ideally with a mouthful of water has a very quick effect. I do not know the science of absorbtion but can only say it starts to help faster than the time it takes to reach the stomach.
As a bag of sugar lumps they are not mistaken by others as sweets.
PaulAshby
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I always have a supply of fruit pastilles. Three bring the levels up quickly. For me, jelly babies and dextrose tablets simply do not work and also taste disgusting!!! Good luck finding something that works for you.
In Response
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No they are not. Biscuits contain fat which slows down sugar absorption.
becca59
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Do exactly the same. I leave the house my go to bag goes with me.
PaulAshby
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- Messages
- 139
- Type of diabetes
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Sorted me out on quite a few occasions and they're longer lasting especially Nice biscuits with the sugar coating, I know glucose is faster but not by much
I have always used Dextrosol Tablets - they taste ok and have a lengthy date on them
I have Lucozade and Glucotabs in the car…the best thing that keeps and you don’t just want to snack on. (I also have sweets in the car but I guess you could be tempted to snack on these if not strict with yourself…)
