Type 1 New Ideas For Hypo Treatment For 11 Year Old

kitedoc

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Hi! Thank you yes my son hates the look of that huge needle, hopefully I won’t have to use it!!
I will try the jelly babies and sports drink and stick to the gel if unresponsive (then he won’t be aware what it is)
It’s more for a change for him. His hypos are a lot less that when first diagnosed thank god but my son is a pain for not testing his BG levels before doing any activity, he forgets!
Just to clarify, if he can co-operate by opening his eyes follow you with his eyes and can follow commands like "swallow" then he IS responsive in that sense even though he may not remember it afterwards, but if he is non responsive, cannot co-operate or obey command , does not appear to be awake he may not be able to swallow and thus is at risk of choking etc. Glucagon is what my wife was told to do in this latter situation
 

slip

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I think I may have told this story before, many years ago - probably 20 as I was fairly newly diabetic at the time too but I worked with a colleague who was also T1D, lets just say he wasn't the greatest diabetic. One morning I came in and found him half asleep, I asked if it was a heavy night last night and the response was a sort of yes and he seemed to perk up a bit, I assumed because someone else was now in the office. the way the office was arranged I sat with my back to him and set about work (no really I did!) 10-15mins later we had a meeting to attend and turned round and said come on we've got such and such meeting to go to. There he was slumped back in his chair, pretty unresponsive, when asking a question I occasionally got a grunt out of him. Fortunately there was a drinks vending machine just out in the hall so I quickly got a can of 'real' coke and managed to get some in his mouth (and down his shirt!), I knew it was risky because he could hardly respond to anything - even pain (well you have to kick a man when he's down!) - our boss turned up wondering where we were for this meeting, she was a bit freaked out and was wanting to call an ambulance, but that first sip of coke had started to work it's magic and he became a bit responsive - more coke sipped, and he dipped back into being unresponsive, a minute later he was back to being just a little bit more responsive than the last time, more coke, back down he went, but as he became more and more responsive more and more coke could be swallowed properly and created an upward spiral. It was amazing to see how each time more coke went in the longer the period of responsiveness shortly followed. By the end of the can of coke he was able to sort him self out but the so and so still owes me 50p for the coke!
 
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Jayden2407

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The thing with glucotabs is you know exactly how many carbs are in each one and you're not going to over-treat as a treat! plus they're easily transportable in the little 'pocket' tubes, fairly clean don't melt or go off easily - if he can carry on using them then I'd suggest you do so, or at least encourage that they are the go to hypo treatment of choice.

Have a good holiday! It'll give Jayden a bit of a break from the T1D, change in weather, time zone, different food and exercise/activity will all have an affect so don't even try and stay spot on with his control it just won't happen! Just keep it 'reasonable' ;)

Yes I’m going to stick with the GlucoTabs while on holiday, they have been a god send so far! Will experiment with the jelly babies etc when back home.
And yes I believe so, will keep an eye on things but I understand his reading will be effected by the change and weather etc :)
Thank you
 
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Jayden2407

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Pure sugar only for hypos. Adding anything else into the mix will slow absorption down. Particularly dangerous at night. 3 jelly babies 15 gms worth, check going up after 15 minutes. If not retreat hypo treatment. Was told that if coming up the advice is no longer to take other carbs as you will just end up higher than necessary and it will also slow down those fast acting carbs.

Thank you.
We are still told to have the long acting carbs after a hypo as the fast acting carbs dip pretty quickly? Suppose everyone is different, the biccies after a hypo work okay for my son :)
 
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Jayden2407

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Hi,

I've just looked at the Dia Pak product. On the listing it suggests "This refrigerant gel pack is designed to freeze solid in a domestic type freezer." Lasting up to 12 hours..
Seems like a decent product, But one would need access to a freezer? Could be tricky with some holiday accommodation or whilst "back packing" for days on end..

The Frio by contrast just needs the inner pouch soaking in water for 15/20 minutes to activate the gell, then towel patting to remove excess water. Put it back in the outer skin pouch, load insulin or pens. & away you go, stopping your supply from spoiling in excess heat! :) Couple of days on one soak..

Yes just ordered the frio! I can use the dia-pak for the travelling to and from Spain then use the frio daily for his bolus - thank you :)
 
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Jayden2407

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PLEASE speak to your son's diabetic team.
If he is regularly hypoing in the morning he probably needs his night time insulin adjusting.
Please be careful giving liquids to him of he's lying down and hypoing as this can be very dangerous if it is absolutely necessary then use a straw.
My diabetic daughter is 9years old and 7 months into diagnosis unfortunately like injections and bm's there are some things like fizzy lucozade that they maybe don't like but are necessary!
Try leaving the lid off for a while to make it flatter!
10grams of carbs for a 9yo I think it's what we were told so 4/5 jelly babies.
Good luck

We have been to see the DN today and they are very happy with Jaydens HBA1c, it’s come down from 130 (diagnosed 9 weeks ago) to 60 today :)
Jayden doesn’t have regular hypos in the morning, it’s usually when he forgets to test before activities. He is on 5 units of Tresiba which seems to be working great for him for now. We were told today that a few hypos a week is a good sign of good control - and to think I have been worrying he has been too low!
Thank you, we will stick to the GlucoTabs while on holiday and get him some alternatives when back home.
How is your daughter (and you) with everything?
 

Jayden2407

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hi
Now that there is anti sugar think going on many of the sweet drinks now have smaller amounts of sugar. One of the only companies not to reduce sugar content is Coco Cola . If you drink one mini can of coke it will give u exactly 15 g of sugar . I use to drink lucozade but due to the amount of sugar reduced ( 15 down to 4) you now have to drink nearly 4 x. As much as u use to . The mini cans of cola give the perfect amount without having to drink a vast amount. The diabetic clinic where I go recommend a 15-15-15 rule . Which is 15g of fast acting sugar to get rid of hypo then wait 15 mins then take 15 g of long term carbs seems to do the trick. ( hard part is when I get a hypo I could eat the contents of my fridge) Gluco gel is available on prescription which is good even if it tastes like ****.
Hope this helps

Haha yes my son says it tastes awful, we have gluco gel at home for emergencies.
My son doesn’t drink anything fizzy (was always a good thing for him growing up) :)

Thank you I will be sure to check the labels before considering it.
 

dancer

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Type 1
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Yes I’m going to stick with the GlucoTabs while on holiday, they have been a god send so far! Will experiment with the jelly babies etc when back home.
And yes I believe so, will keep an eye on things but I understand his reading will be effected by the change and weather etc :)
Thank you
You are right to experiment with jelly babies. There have been several different suggestions of how many to take for a hypo (but not explaining the size or manufacturer they are talking about.)

Bassett's did fun size packs of mini jelly babies which contained 16g carbs but I haven't been able to find them recently. These were perfect for hypos (avoiding temptation to continue eating a large pack). I am considering writing to Cadbury to find out what's happened to them.

I now carry packs of Asda's mini jelly babies. They don't taste as nice as Bassett's but aren't bad. To decide how many to take for a hypo, I weighed them and calculated that 5 sweets contain 15g of carbohydrate.

I gave up buying large packs of jelly babies as they went hard if there was a long time between hypos. Jelly babies are perfect because they don't take much chewing but not good if they are hard.
 
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PATN

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Hello janelle,

I use GlucoTabs, normally 3 but depending on how low my sugars are.

My second choice is 5 jelly beans, or 3 Jelly babies.

A small carton of pure orange juice 200ml(without sweeteners) is a good option.

Lucozade is no longer recommended due to a formula change and replacing sugar for sweetener. (and you can’t quickly tell if it’s the old original, or the new no sugar one)

Chocolate has fat content and absorbs more slowly and is no good for severe hypos.


The link below is diabetes.co.uk advice.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-a-hypo.html


And here is an excerpt of what it says.



Someone I know is having a hypo, what should I do?

If someone with diabetes is having a hypo and is conscious, they should initially treat a hypo with 15-20g of fast acting sugary food or drink, such as:

  • 5 glucose tablets
  • 150 to 200ml of a sugary fizzy drink (eg full sugar cola or lemonade)
  • 4 to 5 sugar lumps or teaspoons of sugar
  • 150 to 200ml of fruit juice
The priority is to bring blood glucose levels back up to normal as quickly as possible.

Chocolate can be used if little else is available. However, note that the fat in chocolate slows down how quickly the sugar gets broken down, so use sugary foods without fat in where possible.

Good luck, Pat

You will find what works best for you with a little more experience.
 
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Alison54321

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Because I live on my own, I don't really think about how to treat a hypo someone else is having, when they are unresponsive, but I wonder if those sherbet flying saucer sweets might be a good idea, because they sort of dissolve in the mouth, so you could sort of slip them in, and they don't need chewing. It might be worth having a few, as another option.

Just a thought, I've never tried them for a hypo, but it might be an option.
 
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slip

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3,523
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Because I live on my own, I don't really think about how to treat a hypo someone else is having, when they are unresponsive, but I wonder if those sherbet flying saucer sweets might be a good idea, because they sort of dissolve in the mouth, so you could sort of slip them in, and they don't need chewing. It might be worth having a few, as another option.

Just a thought, I've never tried them for a hypo, but it might be an option.

Have you ever had one of those that has 'gone past it's best'? it's like eating cardboard........well feels like what it would be like to eat cardboard! :wideyed:
 

kitedoc

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,783
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
black jelly beans
Because I live on my own, I don't really think about how to treat a hypo someone else is having, when they are unresponsive, but I wonder if those sherbet flying saucer sweets might be a good idea, because they sort of dissolve in the mouth, so you could sort of slip them in, and they don't need chewing. It might be worth having a few, as another option.

Just a thought, I've never tried them for a hypo, but it might be an option.
I think the glucose gels are better.
 
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kitedoc

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,783
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
black jelly beans
I think I may have told this story before, many years ago - probably 20 as I was fairly newly diabetic at the time too but I worked with a colleague who was also T1D, lets just say he wasn't the greatest diabetic. One morning I came in and found him half asleep, I asked if it was a heavy night last night and the response was a sort of yes and he seemed to perk up a bit, I assumed because someone else was now in the office. the way the office was arranged I sat with my back to him and set about work (no really I did!) 10-15mins later we had a meeting to attend and turned round and said come on we've got such and such meeting to go to. There he was slumped back in his chair, pretty unresponsive, when asking a question I occasionally got a grunt out of him. Fortunately there was a drinks vending machine just out in the hall so I quickly got a can of 'real' coke and managed to get some in his mouth (and down his shirt!), I knew it was risky because he could hardly respond to anything - even pain (well you have to kick a man when he's down!) - our boss turned up wondering where we were for this meeting, she was a bit freaked out and was wanting to call an ambulance, but that first sip of coke had started to work it's magic and he became a bit responsive - more coke sipped, and he dipped back into being unresponsive, a minute later he was back to being just a little bit more responsive than the last time, more coke, back down he went, but as he became more and more responsive more and more coke could be swallowed properly and created an upward spiral. It was amazing to see how each time more coke went in the longer the period of responsiveness shortly followed. By the end of the can of coke he was able to sort him self out but the so and so still owes me 50p for the coke!
Very well done. Let us all hope that Coca-Cola do not make an add with a caption such aslike: Coca-Cola - hypo resusitator !
 
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Alison54321

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Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Have you ever had one of those that has 'gone past it's best'? it's like eating cardboard........well feels like what it would be like to eat cardboard! :wideyed:

No, I used to eat them as soon as I bought them, but that was a long time ago.
 
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kitedoc

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,783
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
black jelly beans
We have been to see the DN today and they are very happy with Jaydens HBA1c, it’s come down from 130 (diagnosed 9 weeks ago) to 60 today :)
Jayden doesn’t have regular hypos in the morning, it’s usually when he forgets to test before activities. He is on 5 units of Tresiba which seems to be working great for him for now. We were told today that a few hypos a week is a good sign of good control - and to think I have been worrying he has been too low!
Thank you, we will stick to the GlucoTabs while on holiday and get him some alternatives when back home.
How is your daughter (and you) with everything?
Did his DSN discuss glucagon as an emergency hypo treatment, for where the person cannot swallow or is thought to be at risk of choking if they tried to swallow something ??
 

Jayden2407

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199
Did his DSN discuss glucagon as an emergency hypo treatment, for where the person cannot swallow or is thought to be at risk of choking if they tried to swallow something ??

Yes she has, I have a few boxes of glucagon at home and will be taking some away too :)
 

Jayden2407

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
Hello janelle,

I use GlucoTabs, normally 3 but depending on how low my sugars are.

My second choice is 5 jelly beans, or 3 Jelly babies.

A small carton of pure orange juice 200ml(without sweeteners) is a good option.

Lucozade is no longer recommended due to a formula change and replacing sugar for sweetener. (and you can’t quickly tell if it’s the old original, or the new no sugar one)

Chocolate has fat content and absorbs more slowly and is no good for severe hypos.


The link below is diabetes.co.uk advice.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-a-hypo.html


And here is an excerpt of what it says.



Someone I know is having a hypo, what should I do?

If someone with diabetes is having a hypo and is conscious, they should initially treat a hypo with 15-20g of fast acting sugary food or drink, such as:

  • 5 glucose tablets
  • 150 to 200ml of a sugary fizzy drink (eg full sugar cola or lemonade)
  • 4 to 5 sugar lumps or teaspoons of sugar
  • 150 to 200ml of fruit juice
The priority is to bring blood glucose levels back up to normal as quickly as possible.

Chocolate can be used if little else is available. However, note that the fat in chocolate slows down how quickly the sugar gets broken down, so use sugary foods without fat in where possible.

Good luck, Pat

You will find what works best for you with a little more experience.

Thank you Pat, that’s a great help :)
 

Jayden2407

Well-Known Member
Messages
199
Because I live on my own, I don't really think about how to treat a hypo someone else is having, when they are unresponsive, but I wonder if those sherbet flying saucer sweets might be a good idea, because they sort of dissolve in the mouth, so you could sort of slip them in, and they don't need chewing. It might be worth having a few, as another option.

Just a thought, I've never tried them for a hypo, but it might be an option.

Thanks Alison