Glucose tablets - suck or chew!

[Greyhound Gal]

Should the need ever arise for me to need to take my glucose tablets (so far been Ok just eating something), do you suck or chew them?
Odd question I know but it keeps popping into my head, and I like to be prepared!

 

[Ljc]

Hi. It's not a strange question. I'm a chewer.

 

[Owen]

Chew if you can, the will dissolve so don't worry if you can't

 

[grovesy]

I chew and it says chew on my tube !

 

[Mini-Vicki]

I chew mine 🙂

 

[Annette]

I chew 3 then let 1 dissolve in my mouth so that the glucose can get in via my mouths mucous membranes in case my stomach is playing up.

 

[Northerner]

Well, I prefer jelly babies, but if there are only green ones left and I am therefore forced to resort to an alternative then I chew on glucose tablets 🙂 Before I was diagnosed though, I used to suck them! I think I now chew to get them down my throat and into my system as quickly as possible 🙂

 

[Greyhound Gal]

Thank you all. Unfortunately the packets I have do not say how to take them.......

 

[Northerner]

Thank you all. Unfortunately the packets I have do not say how to take them.......

Well, it makes more sense to chew, as if you are having a hypo then chewing them will mean that a greater surface area of the tablet will come into contact with your saliva and they will therefore dissolve and be absorbed into your blood more quickly 🙂

 

[DeusXM]

I chew 3 then let 1 dissolve in my mouth so that the glucose can get in via my mouths mucous membranes in case my stomach is playing up.

I do this too, but for different reasons.

When I'm having a hypo, all I want to do is eat. Holding the last tablet in your mouth and sucking it like a sweet gives me something to do instead of eating too much.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Avoid like the plague and have a handful of Skittles instead. High in glucose syrup and not made from Plaster of Paris!

1 skittle = 1g CHO (more or less).

There are pre-measured little 'fun size' bags with 15-17 in them which are very handy for a pocket 🙂

 

[Diabeticliberty]

I would have thought that it made more sense to swallow but then I was the youngest of 6 children and they kind of lead me astray. 😛

 

[KookyCat]

If I was absolutely desperate and had no jelly babies I'd suck them but only because I hate the sensation. Personally I want the sugar in as quickly as possible and the whole experience as short as possible (can't stand sweet stuff) which is why I stick with jelly babies or juice 🙂

 

[Radders]

Avoid like the plague and have a handful of Skittles instead. High in glucose syrup and not made from Plaster of Paris!

1 skittle = 1g CHO (more or less).

There are pre-measured little 'fun size' bags with 15-17 in them which are very handy for a pocket 🙂

I had skittles once when I had a stubborn hypo and had consumed all my Dextrosol. I found they just stuck to my teeth so I wasn't sure how much sugar I was getting!

 

[mikeyB]

I'm strictly a jelly babies man. You know where you are with a jelly baby.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I relied on Fruit Pastilles for many years. But then we went through a messy breakup a year ago. I still get quite teary thinking about it. http://www.everydayupsanddowns.co.uk/2015/04/diabetes-breakups.html

 

[mikeyB]

I relied on Fruit Pastilles for many years. But then we went through a messy breakup a year ago. I still get quite teary thinking about it. http://www.everydayupsanddowns.co.uk/2015/04/diabetes-breakups.html

Tragic story. I can hardly bring myself to comment.

 

[Zoe1975]

Should the need ever arise for me to need to take my glucose tablets (so far been Ok just eating something), do you suck or chew them?
Odd question I know but it keeps popping into my head, and I like to be prepared!

The reason you are told to suck glucose tablets is because the vessels inside your cheeks go straight into your blood and swallowing them takes time to digest them also if you use the gel the same principle rub it into your cheek works faster or so I was told.