Hypos!

[D_G]

Hey all!

I was just curious to know what u guys use to treat your hypos!

I had my very first one today, lukily had bought some jelly babies earlier incase i was to have one, so took a handful of those and then was fine! was very strange feeling tho but it was almost worth it just to be able to munch the jelly babies! I also always have glucose tabs on me but the sweets were just too tempting!

So what do u guys do????

 

[bev]

Mini cans of coke or glucotabs. I found that jelly babies took too long sometimes because of the gelatine in them and if you have a low hypo - you need glucose quickly. They are ok for a 3.5 or so - but nothing lower really. Glad you enjoyed them!🙂Bev

 

[margie]

If I have a hypo at home I will have orange juice then after the levels improve a snack like a sandwich. If I am out I will have dextrose tablets and a nutrigrain.

The only time I drink OJ is when I have a hypo.

 

[Adrienne]

Hiya

Liquid is always the best option, as much quicker. You can't beat lucozade and then second best is full sugar coke which they do in 15 carbs cans which is perfect but you will learn how much you need. If you are a higher hypo ie 3.5 to 4 then maybe half to 3/4 of a small can is ok but lower than that you should have whole can or 100ml of lucozade, again you will learn how many swigs is about 100 ml and what is good for you.

I hope you are ok now and not too shaken up.

🙂

 

[D_G]

Yea it wasnt a very low one and they took 5-10 mins to get my sugars back up, but i now know what to do if its any lower so thanku 🙂

I keep a bottle of lucozade at work and at home so i will be sorted if it happens again, i know im prob gonna have lots of em as im only in the second week of being diagnosed and my levels are all over the place!

xx

 

[sophieee]

Hey all!

I was just curious to know what u guys use to treat your hypos!

I had my very first one today, lukily had bought some jelly babies earlier incase i was to have one, so took a handful of those and then was fine! was very strange feeling tho but it was almost worth it just to be able to munch the jelly babies! I also always have glucose tabs on me but the sweets were just too tempting!

So what do u guys do????

For a long time I just used sugar cubes, and then followed up with carbs or something. Then went to fruit pastels, but recently they haven't been working quick enough, so I've gone back to glucotabs, which seem to do the job. I've not even been noticing my hypos for the last couple of days though SCARY MARY!!!!!)

 

[Adrienne]

Wow 2 weeks. You'll get there and you'll be ok. Ask any questions you want about anything diabetes. Someone here will always be able to help you.

Take care

 

[aymes]

Awake at this ridiculous. time as just woke up hypo so seems a good time to answer! Personally I use fruit juice, 15-20g carbs worth, which tends to bring me back up. Then if I'm more than an hour or two from my next meal I'll then back that up with another 15-20g of slightly slower acting carbs such as a slice of toast, a biscuit or two etc.
You soon find what works for you though, fruit juice works great for me but I know others who it doesn't work quickly enough for, similarly I know some who swear by jelly babies whereas for me they seem to work too slowly on a hypo.

 

[PhilT]

I usually treat a hypo with glucotabs and also have a bottle of lucozade handy as well.

 

[Red Pumper]

Can't really add much to what the others have said.

Glucose tablets or lucozade is the best as they work quickly. You can buy Glucotabs in a plastic tube which helps to stop them from breaking up in your pocket or bag.

Don't be tempted to eat anything else like a mars bar at the same time as this will slow down the absorbtion of the glucotabs or lucozade. Wait until your BG has started to rise before eating any complex carbs.

Keith.

 

[tracey w]

I used to use jelly babies, but not that quick now im pumping,

Usually go for a carton of fruit juice, and carry coke around too, only use that occasionally as i hate sugary drinks, and they make me burp! 😉

I always carry glucotabs in my pocket at work as I have to walk out from office without handbag etc at times. Would be panick stricken if i didnt have anything to hand.

 

[Cate]

I use whatever's handy!

At home: condensed milk / glucogel (I must be weird, as I like the stuff!) / dextrose tabs / jelly babies
Out and about: dextrose / jelly babies / whatever I can get my hands on at the time!

The problem I have is that I tend not to *feel* hypo till mmol and by that point I'm dazed and confused enough to keep eating till I feel better. This happens whether I'm at home or out, unless my husband is with me in which case he knows to restrain me lol. Thankfully my pump can work out my correction bolus so I don't get into the viscious cycle of lows followed by highs followed by lows.

I've never used lucozade to treat a hypo, how much of it do you need?

 

[Adrienne]

I've never used lucozade to treat a hypo, how much of it do you need?

100 ml is 17 carbs so you actually don't need that much. For a 'not too low' hypo you would probably only need half that and 50 ml is a couple of gulp fulls.

I got a plastic cup and measured out levels with water and marked the outside with a marker pen, it isn't a lot and one friend just gulps rather than measures it out. It is the fastest thing to use but some people don't like it, again its all about personal choice.

 

[Cate]

1It is the fastest thing to use but some people don't like it, again its all about personal choice.

I've been diabetic for 26 years, I don't think I've ever even tasted lucozade! Or if I have, I don't remember it. I just know that it's that nice looking glow-in-the-dark orange colour Maybe I'll try some and see how it works...

 

[Red Pumper]

It doesn't need to be the glow in the dark orange stuff. The lucozade isotonic drinks (available in orange & lemon flavour) work quickly.

 

[SacredHeart]

I was told you need to drink twice as much of the 'Sport' stuff for it to work on a hypo, though. My dietician told me to drink it when I'm going to my dance class. I drink a whole bottle over two hours.

 

[Adrienne]

Hypos - how to deal

Hi all

There are so many questions about dealing with hypos I thought I would just start a thread (maybe a sticky perhaps 🙂) on the best way to deal with a hypo.

I would like to point out however that everyone finds their own best way eventually but for those that don't know this is a starting point.

I would also like to say that I am not a medical professional, just a mum, so always check what your team say.

A hypo is any reading under 4.0 mmol

If it is below 2.6 mmol, this is a real emergency and you need to get levels up asap. If unconscious or unable to eat or drink (but conscious) you will need a glucagon injection. This is a one off shot and cannot be repeated until your liver has replenished itself.


15 rule

This is a simple way to remember how to deal with a hypo if on injections.


?HYPO?
If the blood glucose is less than 4 mmols/L, follow the ?15? rule

If blood glucose is less than 4 mmols do the following :

Give approx 15 grams of quick acting dextrose (e.g. 150 ml of non diet coke ? small party sized can, 100 ml lucozade, 1 1/2 tubes of glucogel, 4 x glucotabs)

Do not give any snack containing long acting carbohydrate

Repeat blood glucose test after 15 minutes

If blood glucose still below 4 mmols, give a further 15 grams of dextrose (as above)

Repeat blood glucose test after 15 minutes

If levels have now risen give approx 15 grams of carbs of long acting (ie slice of bread, 2 biscuits, Chewee snack bar)



If on a pump :

?HYPO?
If the blood glucose is less than 4 mmols/L, follow the ?15? rule

If unconscious give Glucagon injection. Do not attempt to give food, drink or Glucogel. Suspend or disconnect the pump.

If blood glucose is less than 4 mmols and you are alert, do not suspend the pump as the first line treatment but do the following :

Give approx 15 grams of quick acting dextrose (e.g. 150 ml of non diet coke ? small party sized can, 100 ml lucozade, 1 1/2 tubes of glucogel, 4 x glucotabs)

Do not give any snack containing long acting carbohydrate

Repeat blood glucose test after 15 minutes

If blood glucose still below 4 mmols, give a further 15 grams of dextrose (as above)

Repeat blood glucose test after 15 minutes

If still below 4 ?suspend? the pump or disconnect at the site

Wait until blood glucose level has risen above 4 mmols before reconnecting the pump.




Again you will find out through trial and error what works for you, ie juice, jelly babies etc and also how much coke or lucozade etc you do need for whatever level you are ok.

Hope this helps. 🙂

 

[Steff]

Brillient thread Adreinne i would definelty get that done as a sticky maybe ask one of the mods to do it, I aint a regular sufferer of hypos but that is well handy can come in handy for newbies to see when they join.

Good Gal Adreinne

 

[Adrienne]

Thanks Steff.

Any mods around who might want to make this a sticky, don't know if I can do that myself - don't think I can. 😛

 

[sophieee]

If unconscious or unable to eat or drink (but conscious) you will need a glucagon injection. This is a one off shot and cannot be repeated until your liver has replenished itself.
QUOTE]


Do you have to use the glucagon injection if unconcious? Or can you use the gel? I'm not sure what its called, but you just put it into the persons mouth, and it gets absorbed through the gums or something?
I dont like the look of that massive glucagon needle 😛