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Lucazade Zero Ignorance Dangerous!

Eurobuff

Well-Known Member
Messages
358
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
My mother is in hospital at the moment. She has type 2 diabetes. We have been taking up a variety of drinks for her, one of which is lucazade zero. The nurses are saying that the reason my mothers blood sugar is high is because of the lucazade. Another staff member said that she’s glad it’s there as it’s handy for if her blood sugar goes low. The 380ml bottle has 0.2g carbs in the whole bottle, which we’ve pointed out. Each time we get told, that doesn’t matter, it’s Lucazade. Has anyone else come across this? I am bothered in case they will use it to try and treat a hypo.
 
I would take it away - it is not worth the risk.
I'd also be having a word with the ward manager or someone higher up - they could kill someone or worse, leave someone brain damaged with their ignorance.
 
Resurgam said:
I would take it away - it is not worth the risk.
I'd also be having a word with the ward manager or someone higher up - they could kill someone or worse, leave someone brain damaged with their ignorance.
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He was the ward manager!
 
0.2g for the whole bottle and they see that as a way to treat a hypo.... unbelievable. If she is on insulin or any other blood glucose lowering medication then that is a recipe for a tragic outcome. Have you spoken to her treating doctor?
 
Tophat1900 said:
0.2g for the whole bottle and they see that as a way to treat a hypo.... unbelievable. If she is on insulin or any other blood glucose lowering medication then that is a recipe for a tragic outcome. Have you spoken to her treating doctor?
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She is on insulin and gliclazide. This only happened today, and the doctors/her doctor doesn’t work on weekends. It would only be a junior doctor. I pointed out that 15grams of carbs is needed to treat a hypo so he can work out how many bottles you’d have to drink. He just said but it’s lucazade. Then said, well it will have artificial sweeteners in and they raise your blood sugar
 

I don't understand why she is on insulin and glic, but that's another matter. You are clearly being ignored by some incredibly ignorant HCP who are ignoring your concerns. I'm not sure and perhaps someone else will be more familiar, but you should be able to find someone who will listen higher up.... there has to be a complaint lodged before someone's life is lost to this sort of dangerous practice. This kind of stupidity and negligence cannot be allowed to continue. I'd be very worried in your shoes. I hope you can get this resolved.
 

Wow, just WOW!

Reading your topic..
Just like the difference twix Coke & Diet Coke. The carb concious version will not do the same job correcting a low..

I'm no doctor. But I also agree with @Tophat1900 insulin & Glic could act from my understanding like a "honeymoon period" for a T1 only prescribed insulin?
What type of insulin is your mum on @Eurobuff .?

Edited to add; the artificial sweeteners may prompt (fool. Pending on what they are.?) the pancreas to secrete more insulin under the Glic meds? (From my understanding. But I'm T1 & my pancreas is shot. Not metabolically insulin resistant.)
 
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She’s on Humalin & Actrapid. Before she went into hospital she was on gliclazide and dapaglaflozin. She had urosepsis which affected her kidney function so they took her off dapaglaflozin. Her blood sugars were running too high so they’ve started insulin. Her blood sugars were 24s & 25s. Now they are erratic. 3.8. 4.8 yesterday, but 15s and the odd 25 also. I know infection can raise your blood sugar, so I think that’s the cause of her trouble. Along with the supposedly “low sugar” apple pie, custard, chocolate mousse, ice cream that they are giving her to eat. I’ve raised this countless times too, about the food, but they are insistent that they are low sugar and suitable for diabetics.
 

Hospital food has always had a bad rep. Despite the consultations regarding "nutrition."

Do the HCPs administer your mum's bolus for her meals? (& her basal for that matter.)

This is where it gets tricky. The dosing timing could be wrong regarding the carbs & fat content consumed.. Insulin has a working profile. But different foods are not always digested & broken down to compliment the dose.
Timed wrong, one could get a spike first then a hypo. Or visa versa you could go low prior to the food digested, treat the hypo with some fast acting sugar then spike much later due to the meal..?

Then there is understanding the insulin to carb ratio? How many carbs in the meal & the appropriate dosage for the amount.
Insulin sensitivity can also change during the day.

This is all something an insulin user hopefully gets to grips with. (But even then we can sometimes be thrown a "curve ball" & need to improvise.)

I wouldn't be too sure about an HCP with a busy schedule running between a veriaty of patients & referencing the "text book."
 
I am appalled at the unbelievable lack of training/understanding in hospitals. My mother T1 diabetic was allowed to repeatedly drop to 1 ....and one time I arrived to find her unresponsive , with her tongue hanging out one side ( they had just administered glycogen and asked me to try and rouse her. I am 99% sure my mother ,who now has no cognition and resides in a care home was damaged by her treatment . Before entering hospital she was a totally independent woman living at home.
 
I have been on Gliclazide , Metformin and Insulin for several years (Type 2) It is not unusual as diabetes progresses (25 years now)
 
I too am appalled at the lack of knowledge re diabetics when in hospital. I have had two recent experiences of this lately. The first was when I was kept in overnight for observation on my heart. Despite knowing I was on insulin no one asked if or when I needed my meds so I took my insulin then told them. They also said they would check my levels but didn’t. On the second occasion I was waiting to have a heart monitor fitted and a nurse asked what sandwich I would like later. I chose a ham sandwich but without pickle. When it came it was ham and pickle plus a ‘goody bag’ containing crisps, sweetened fruit juice and cake! I always say when you are in hospital you need to be well enough to look after yourself!
 
flowerthym said:
I have been on Gliclazide , Metformin and Insulin for several years (Type 2) It is not unusual as diabetes progresses (25 years now)
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I know it was believed that T2 progresses, and people were given advice that is now seen to be wrong. Luckily for me this has changed and I hope that my T2 will not progress.
The eatwell late and its predecessors caused a lot of damage.
 
@Eurobuff - what was your reaction to the Junior saying, "Artificial sweeteners in and they raise your blood sugar" ?? This is tantamount to starting World War 3 if it was true - THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON THIS SUBJECT. Millions of people drink such drinks as Zero, etc., etc., not just to lose weight but to avoid taking in sugar. Admin should look at this post because it is of very great importance to ALL Diabetics. Please have this verified, if you can, and ask the Junior where he/she learned this and was it at Med School?? !! This is vitally important - it is at least to me hahaha. ALSO remember - over 360 million members of DUK can read this information.
 
I am still having trouble with this Lucozade problem, my nurse told me a good thing to take when I had a Hypo was Lucozade and Jelly Baby's which I have always done, but now I don't under stand what these Forum letters are saying ?
 
@cyril.rayner
Normal Lucozade contains glucose, but there is also Lucozade Zero which does not
I think what the posters are saying is that you cannot use Lucozade Zero to that a hypo
 

Whilst my mother has been in hospital she has been offered a banana. When I reminded them she was diabetic they said it was ok because it was a diabetic banana! I said you must grow your own special ones because I’ve never come across diabetic bananas before. The reply was “I’m not sure but they are diabetic bananas “
 

I just shook my head. I didn’t ask where he got the information from.
 

I've worked on hospital wards, this is very typical response, were food is concerned.
All high carb food, which are low in sugar is classed as diabetic friendly.Menus are not friendly at all.
 
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