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If you were away from home without your hypo kit...


Quite an adventure.
 
In hospitals there was always a bikkie tin, or sugar near the tea and coffee or packaged fruit drinks.
I used several sticks of sugar laden chewing gum on one occasion, wild growing rose hips on another.
I raided the sweets reserved for lolly drops at a kite festival once after my own supply was exhausted.
Never got around to owning a St. Bernard with a sweet drink in a small barrel under the chin, though !!
 
Strange one today... Work related. (Again.)

So, about an hour before I was due to clock off I went a little low... (Mistimed bolus, 3 hours earlier. Possibly?)
Anyhow. I was treating it.
Just popped a JB in my mouth & chewing it. Then a colleague drifted by (lol, we don't work the same department, but have done briefly when he helped out when we were short handed.) out of the blue, he asked me if I "liked chocolate."
As I looked at him (which to him must have been) a little phazed at the random question. He added "obviously you do." & tossed me a Toffecrisp..

As far as I know. My colleague is unawair I'm diabetic.
Just had to check the name of the thing still in my work coat pocket. I didn't need to eat it.
But what a lifesaver if I did...
 
I’d either buy a sugary drink, or if I had no money I’d look if there was anywhere serving coffee and take some sugar sachets.
 

Do check out hypoprogram.com. .. the online course is worth taking and also includes the answer ur seeking plus other relevant info
 

Hi Winnie!

I would definitely recommend dextrose tablets or Glucojuice - assuming you're in the UK, you can get them in Boots. They are by far the quickest way of bringing up your blood sugar. You can also get boxes of Glucojuice on Amazon, if you prefer to stock up. To avoid forgetting a hypo kit (which is very, very easily done!), I try to put a packet/bottle of either in each of my handbags.

If I was out and caught short, I used to stop in at a shop and buy Coke/Lucozade/any other sugary drink. However, these now have less sugar in them than they used to, and I find I have to drink quite a lot of them to bring my blood sugar up. Things like Fruit Pastilles work for me, but everyone is different.

I always tell my friends and family not to get me chocolate bars or cake when my blood sugar is low - they just don't bring it up quickly enough (and once they do bring your blood sugars up, they send them sky high!)

C
 
@camparisoda I was wondering how well soda worked. Good to know that chocolate bars or cake don't work as well for you. Others have mentioned Jellybellys and you mentioned Fruit Pastilles, which are chewable and coated with sugar. It sounds like when using candy, the type that is chewable perhaps is best?
 
Been thinking again about this - anything carby I could get my hands on is the real answer, bother the absorption rate etc, and I’d just hope I’d be able to walk far enough, deal with hypo money confusion, not have to sit on the floor or pavement, be able to brush sweaty hair out of eyes . . . Let’s face it, a full on hypo denudes the brain of sense and the body of dignity. And I’d really hope people would be nice, that I could explain, and I’d not be ignored as drunk or plague-ridden.
 
I just want to take a moment to thank all of you! Over the last 40 years I've lost 3 friends and aquaintances to hypos, one a very dear friend. I miss her so much.

I'm type 2 and don't have to use medication or insulin, so was not knowledgeable or experienced on this topic. At our last diabetes meeting, I interviewed one of our members about hypos, and it too was instructive. I shared many of the wonderful stories and insights you all so graciously shared here, and they loved it.

One of the points made during the meeting was that how a type 1 diabetic treats a hypo can change and evolve over time, and I think that is reflected in the comments here.

Am loving everything you're sharing here. Every time I see that there's a new post I can hardly wait to see what you've shared.
 
Oh boy this site is not easy to navigat when you're losing your sight!

Just wanted to chip in here as I always struggle with hypos in the heat. Just returned from Florida and found a bizarre solution. There are these cake decorations from Michael's (Flamingo seemed to work the best) which are made from dextrose. Now, I tried EVERYTHING but the cake decorations steadied my sugar and allowed me to continue with my day. They certainly protected me until I could grab a proper bite to eat. Two handfuls if they were the smallest ones and I was fine again. Only the first day (when I had misunderstood my doctor's instructions) did I struggle. Once I had these handy little things - which taste a LOT nicer than glucotabs (the ones I have seen in America taste disgusting ... but that's my opinion) I had no more problems. Sorry, just wanted to pipe up with that because that stuff saved my life more than once because jy sugar went dangerously low. I also find eating bread helps so I never go anywhere without it. Just gutted that you can't get them over here in England - apparently it's illegal to send it here ...
 
i thought glucotabs were a food supplement are they as good as glucose tablets?
my handbag weighs a ton but I need all the extra bits for 'just in case' it would be the one time I hadn't got it that I would need it
 
Out and about n need hypo treatment regular soda/pop is my go to or if possible a PowerAid or Gateraid give electrolytes n carbs and works well for me if under 3.5
 
helensaramay said:
I find the fat in chocolate significantly slows down the carb absorption. So would never use Mars bar to treat a hypo.
Click to expand...

Interesting, they've been saving my life since 1976. & you tend not to get that mad amphetamine style rush one usually gets coming up on certain other treatments..
 
Some odd choices on here, coffee? I wouldn't say its particularly high sugar and you could burn yourself downing it in a dizzy hypo state. Also you tend to find most squash these days is sugar free so avoid it! If you're looking at drinks and glucojuice isn't available I'd suggest fresh orange. Most the fizzy drinks in stores now have been hit by the sugar tax and are now a sugar sweetener mix. I've been caught hypo several times out on the run. Without cash I've usually found the nearest cafe and downed a few sugar sachets. If you're ever up north and in the Lake District I highly recommend Kendal Mint Cake (its not cake).
 
Hi everyone, I usually treat a hypo with a 250ml carton of juice drink or dextrose tabs. I have ataxia sca6 so without a hypo I can be mistaken as drunk , especially as I have slurred speech.A sense of humour is a must with these combined afflictions.
 
As a type 2 diabetic on insulin I was advised to stay away from corn syrup as it doesn't work and I can only let you know that a can of ordinary coke or a bottle is the only way as it has enough sugar to fetch you around and you also have to eat a sandwich on it as well and if it is really bad to call a ambulance and they will be able to advise you to but I can advise is I was done for drunk and disorder and the police knew nothing about diabetes until I was in the cells and they sent their nurse in and I was taking to hospital with a couple of officers and that was quicker than waiting for a ambulance and I was given a dextrose and water solution in the vein treatment to counter act the hypo and I was in hospital for for a week and I never even received a sorry for the arrest or anything but I can advise now that the police are able to check for hypos and whether you are a diabetic and your sugars are high and they will take you to hospital but that is what happened to me when I was diagnosed and that was 25 years ago and I have had no more miss haps but I have been in hospital due to my diabetes a few times
 
As a type 1, I never leave home without something to deal with a hypo. I'm kinda shocked that people would. Where I live in rural New Zealand there aren't necessarily shops around to buy emergency sugar. I've spent today planting trees in a paddock (translate as field for those in the UK) about half a km from the house. I took a stash of mini snickers bars in my pack, standard supplies.
I always keep sweets in the pocket of every pair of trousers and in every jacket, or coat. I have them in the car and in my handbag.
Sometimes I feel a bit silly grabbing my bag when we are only driving a short distance from home, but last week I had a flat tyre and was about an hour late getting home, I was pleased I had everything with me.
 
Going hypo with kids is so scary! Did that outside a nursery witnessed by my 3 young kids (then) and the nursey staff raided the kids' pack lunches to give me sugar but not quite soon enough. Now I have an easy to drink bottle of lucosade in my bag.
 
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