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Hypo Snacks

cbish8

Member
Messages
14
Hello,
I'm exactly three months into being a Type1 Diabetic.
My diabetes nurse has told me to have ten grams of carbs after a hypo to make sure I don't get another straight after. However when I have a chocolate biscuit, I go hypo again. Are there any other snacks that any of you find that work?
Thank you
 
Hi @cbish8, do you mean a snack to treat the hypo or to have after treating it? I.e. are you just having the chocolate biscuit, or something else first and then the biscuit? How soon after the original hypo are you going hypo again?
 
Hi @cbish8 ,

Welcome to the forum.

What insulins are you prescribed? Are these hypos happening after you have injected for food?
Milk can help me regarding avoiding a recurrent basal induced hypo..
 
Hi cbish8

I think as you are 3 months in this 10 carbs is after you have treated your hypo with 15 quick acting carbs which seems to be the general guidance.

However as we all seem to say you need to work out what works for your body which is not always the same each time. Sometimes I only need 10 semi quick acting and stay ok more many hours but sometimes I need a lot more similar to the guidance, so if you need to understand your signs (of hypo's) and test & test, But understand as you are 3 months in this is not easy. Please note if I always follow the guidance I could be in the mid 10's and hour later and stay there so I have to careful.

It has been suggested it depends on when your hypo occurred in terms of when you last had an injection & last ate & what you ate and how quick you are falling - which all sounds too much to get your head round. But the trick is to test after your hypo and work out what seems best for you, yes start with the guidance and if this works then great follow it.

Roe100
 
Hello,
I am meant to have the snack after I've had three Glucose Tablets but then I find I have another hypo twenty minutes later. I have been prescribed NovoRapid (fast acting insulin) and Degludec (background).
I think it's a keep trying thing until I find whats right for me.
Thank you for your kind comments too, I don't know anyone who has Type 1 so this is great
 

Under stood, you mean long acting carbs..

Are you testing when you have these hypos?

Yep, it can be a little daunting feeling like the only D in the village..
 
After you've had the glucose tablets, you then really need to wait for another 15 mins and test again, you may need more glucose tablets if you're sugars haven't risen enough by then, you want to make sure you're out of hypo territory before the snack really.
 

I personally wait a little longer than 15 minutes. due to the lag of a meter it can sometimes show one has dropped a little lower before the rise from the treatment.
Which can panic peeps into overtreat..?
 
Hello,
Yes I do test 15 minutes after my hypo. Usually it says 4.something mmol which makes me think that I'm not having enough tablets or biscuits take longer then 15 minutes to digest, which makes me wonder should I be having something else?
I will try having a snack when I test fifteen minutes after and see what happens.
I have a clinic appointment 15th Feb so I'll ask my nurse.
Thank you again
 

Are you using a finger prick meter or a sensor to test?
 
Hi. I think you are taking the right approach but need to tweak it. I have one or two Dextrose tablets if I need to treat the hypo quickly and may then have a slower acting carb shortly after. I'm fairly hypo aware so can keep an eye on it without testing after but it's a question of judgement. I'm hypoing at the moment (vacuuming!) and was 3.6mmol 15 minutes ago but in this case I just ate a cereal bar and resting. It doesn't do any harm to take too many carbs when hypoing. To avoid hypos I assume you are carb-counting your bolus dose and testing/correcting as needed; also tried to balance your Basal?
 
I have a Libre sensor on my arm, like you say there is a 15 minute delay. I guess it's a trial and error thing until I find something that works for me.
Thank you for your help
 
cbish8 said:
I have a Libre sensor on my arm, like you say there is a 15 minute delay. I guess it's a trial and error thing until I find something that works for me.
Thank you for your help
Click to expand...

Check it against a traditional meter.
The Libre for me takes longer to recover on the way back up with a low than a meter does.
To be fair, how I feel is quicker than both.
 
cbish8 said:
I have a Libre sensor on my arm, like you say there is a 15 minute delay. I guess it's a trial and error thing until I find something that works for me.
Thank you for your help
Click to expand...
Also it can be very very inaccurate when showing under 5, you need to test to confirm.
I've had it show me at 2.3ish when I was at 5!
 
Rokaab said:
Also it can be very very inaccurate when showing under 5, you need to test to confirm.
I've had it show me at 2.3ish when I was at 5!
Click to expand...

I've noticed with lows it suggests I'm taking a good 20 minutes longer to recover than the meter does..
This is 40 minutes after treating & feeling fine..
 
If I get a hypo I normally have a mini can of full fat cola ( excrly 15 g of quick acting carbs I wait about 20 mins test bs it’s normally reads about 4 so I then eat a banana , I wait about and hour and re test, it works for me but as we know it’s all individual , but generally advice would be use quick acting carbs then test then eat longer acting carbs , finding what works for you is the trick ! You will get use to it , you seem to be doing things right and your only 3 months in , plus you’ve done the right thing by coming here and talking about it, after all we’re all in the same boat , and always happy to help ..
 
I have jelly babies but no need for the longer acting carbs as I have a pump, though try telling my body that after 15 years of having a long acting carb snack after a hypo
When I was on MDI I would have some bread and jam or a biscuit and some milk, I don't think I was told to have 10g of carbs but more just a "small snack" and when I said that was what I was having, no concerns were raised.
I hope you find something that works for you.
 
Thank you for the nice messages.
I've found that having the glucose tablets and then waiting and having the snack bit when testing 15 mins after works for me. All your advice has been really helpful in reducing the loads of hypos I was having!
 
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