Hypo threshold

[pav]

I have always been told that anything below 4.0 is a hypo, and treated any thing below 4.0 as a hypo.

Looking on the Abbot Diabetes Care web site they say any thing below 3.5 is classed as a hypo, am I missing something?

https://www.abbottdiabetescare.co.uk/understanding-your-diabetes/hypoglycaemia

 

[LeeLee]

I believe the difference is between the safe level for someone on insulin or glucose-lowering drugs (4.0) and the clinical definition (3.3 I think).

 

[Northerner]

LeeLee is correct, you have to give an allowance for meter inaccuracy and time to act if on insulin. You would also risk losing your hypo-awareness if you regularly sat at 3.5, as you may only get warnings at lower levels by which time you may be dangerously low. Personally, I call 3.5-3.9 a 'low' and anything below 3.5 a 'hypo', but that's just me! 🙂

 

[pav]

Thanks LeeLee and Alan, I would hate to have the threshold set at 3.5 as I feel very funny when approaching the numbers of 3.5. Pity the web site does not clarify that point.

 

[AlisonM]

I'm the same as Alan. Anything below 4, couple of jelly babies to halt the drop. Below 3.5 toast and jam time, (or other serious carbs of your choice).

 

[pav]

I do treat anything below 4.0, thought when I saw it on their web site, if others had seen it as well they might not treat anything until they hit the 3.5 point.

 

[Vicsetter]

You might find this NHS document about treatment of hypos in hospitals useful:
http://www.diabetes.nhs.uk/document.php?o=217
which basically says anything under 4 should be treated as a hypo. Treatments are interesting.

 

[Vicsetter]

Just had a look at the Abbots pages about diabetes and find them quite inaccurate - the page on driving is totally wrong. I find it strange that it should recommend a cola drink as a hypo treatment - surely any sugary drink will do, the flavouring is irrelevant.

 

[pav]

Never got to the driving page, lucozade appears to be the preferred drink, though any drink that's got sugar it would do, its getting the sugar into ones system that matters not the flavour, besides that I don't like standard coke cola.

Just looked at their driving page and it definitely needs updating to the latest requirements.

 

[trophywench]

Why 'interesting' Vicsetter?

Undertreating a hypo when you are on insulin, is as bad as overtreating it. Depending on circs of course, but can easily lead into one of those hypos that lasts for hours on end. And what they've done is reflect NHS 'best textbook practice' isn't it?

 

[Monica]

I find it strange that it should recommend a cola drink as a hypo treatment - surely any sugary drink will do, the flavouring is irrelevant.

just to say, famous brand cola has more sugar than a famous brand orangeade or lemonade. The mini cans of cola have 15g carbs, the other only have around 10g

 

[Monica]

We've been told 4 is the floor. Anything above 3.5 could be treated with food only. This was when on injections.

Now, Carol treats anything under 4 with glucose, mainly the aforementioned cola drink

 

[pav]

just to say, famous brand cola has more sugar than a famous brand orangeade or lemonade. The mini cans of cola have 15g carbs, the other only have around 10g

I have never read the labels, as avoided them. the extra 5g of carbs would explain why they recommend the cola brand. 🙂

 

[Vicsetter]

Why 'interesting' Vicsetter?

Undertreating a hypo when you are on insulin, is as bad as overtreating it. Depending on circs of course, but can easily lead into one of those hypos that lasts for hours on end. And what they've done is reflect NHS 'best textbook practice' isn't it?

a) I've no idea what one of those hypos that lasts for hours is, pretty sure T2s would suffer that.
b) I would hope they've followed NHS best practice - it's an NHS document.

I was always told that you should treat a hypo with fast acting carbs, so this should be glucose ideally and not sugar, which is why lucozade or glucotabs is usually specified. I don't keep lucozade around the house, nor full fat cola (of any brand) so find that on the rare occasion that I need it marmalade does the trick, but that isn't going to be on the list of official treatments. I found the orange juice a bit strange because that contains fructose which is harder to break down to glucose. I regularly eat an orange and it doesn't have that much effect.

Why not grape juice - 50% more sugar than coca-cola?