Lucozade Alert Plus - DO NOT TOUCH

Status
Not open for further replies.
Fe 82

Fe 82

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I had an awful experience of this at the weekend, and I just wouldn't want anyone else to do the same.
In the garage I saw these 60ml bottles of Lucozade. I thought, brilliant!, I've wanted handy sized bottles for ages! Bought a couple to try without paying due attention to the label (stupid stupid!). Then later on I went hypo, grabbed for one, and half way through it I thought, this is odd, it's not fizzy. Checked the sugar content, and there is NONE. All caffeine. So with this caffeine shot and going hypo, colours went excruciatingly irridescent, I started panicking, and felt really dizzy. I managed to grab a standard bottle from the cupboard and after five minutes was ok.
Overall an utterly horrible sensation though; the bottles are really powerful, and on the standard Lucozade the caffeine is only 0.02%; in these bottles it is 0.2% (10 times greater!) - huge difference.
So if anyone else is tempted to try these - DONT - they are not good at all. If Lucozade were truly responsible, they wouldn't diversify within their product range without clearly informing consumers. I shouldn't have been so silly not to check, and the lesson here was horribly learnt.
Fe x
 
Thanks for the warning Fe 82. Their website shows it is a genuine product. A few years ago Lucozade was a high energy product useful for those not eating, energy boosts and hypos! Personally I would recommend people not to use these high caffeine products - if a cup of coffee does not give you enough boost you need a sleep. A few years ago I saw someone who had been takin ProPlus to keep going. He had collasped with physical exaustion although his mind was racing. His pulse was also off the scale! He had to spend a few days in hospital - the first couple in an induced sleep - to recover. Avoid!
 
I've seen these on the counter but had seen that they didn't contain glucose. If you wnat small bottles for hypos you could try glucojuice 59mls and 15g carbs, you can get them in Boots.
 
I've seen them in Boots too. I tend not to buy lucozade as for me the sugar hit is too high unless it is one of those rare hypos.
 
Thanks for the warning! I agree with falcon123 - very irresponsible to market such a product under a name that is known to be a good fast sugar source. Surely the 'luco' in lucozade comes from 'glucose'?
 
I can't say that the bottles of regular Lucozade and Lucozade Alert Plus look very similar - see http://www.lucozade.com/index.html
But, I'm reading this not in a hypoglycaemic state. Petrol stations have long sold caffeine rich drinks eg Red Bull, with or without sugar, to "assist" vehicle drivers, night clubbers etc.
 
i was curious about them. thanks for the warning!

copepod - i agree, they don't look similar, but i suppose it's that 'lucozade = glucose' thing that a lot of people would go for.
 
I was curious too, but I have never purchased any.

When I volunteered at a weekend for DUK in Scotland they had just come out and were on promotion in Tesco's, the DUK lady bought them as hypo treatment for us to take out and about as there a few volunteers with diabetes. Lucky I never had a hypo then! I had taken my own treatment with me anyway.

Well done Fe- I dont think I would have noticed that until it was too late either.
 
Since they've changed incarnation from manufacturers of a sick room staple to makers of trendy sport's drinks they've diversified a lot, making several different types of drinks. I got several free samples from their stand at a race they sponsored, none were suitable for hypos. Hydro active is one example, it has only 2g carbs per 100ml carbs, great for hydration, useless for a hypo.
 
Last edited:
See this thread - low carb sports drinks - http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=3827
Just shows you must read the labels of food products. Personally, I value the chance to use low sugar sports drinks on specific occasions when needing water and electrolytes, but not sugar, and on other occasions, need water and sugar and electrolytes all together, in the right ratio. If I need sugar to correct hypoglycaemia, I just pull some jelly babies from my pocket, as there are always some there. If I need caffeine to stay awake, I'll drink coke or coffee, with or without sugar, depending on the usual combination of factors.
Far more serious was when Anadin (which had been synonymous with aspirin) started producing versions containing paracetamol - all too easy to overdose on paracetamol, as some cold remedies contain it. But the principle is still the same - read the label. (I was tempted to write that in capitals or red or something)
 
Thanks sofaraway - i will try those boots bottles.
I hadnt thought of where lucozade had come from before - thanks Northerner...it's like Vegetarian chili con carne - you cant have vegetarian chili with meat!!
Fe
 
Sin carne = without meat. Or con nada = with nothing.
 
******😡 grrrr Wish I had read this earlier!

Just had a Hypo (2.7) and as usual grabbed the Lucozade ,,,,,,,,Then had lunch needless to say - still felt lethargic, so had a couple of Ginger nuts .... When did they change the formula?

What does anybody else have when having a Hypo?

Hugs Mo
 
Moamber said:
******😡 grrrr Wish I had read this earlier!

Just had a Hypo (2.7) and as usual grabbed the Lucozade ,,,,,,,,Then had lunch needless to say - still felt lethargic, so had a couple of Ginger nuts .... When did they change the formula?

What does anybody else have when having a Hypo?

Hugs Mo
Click to expand...

Hi Mo, it's only the 'Alert' variety that's no good - is that what you had? The ordinary or 'Energy' varieties are fine for hypos. Personally, I have jelly babies - I've had three bottles of Lucozade Energy unopened for about 6 months now!
 
Thanks Northener Thanks for the reply , feel B8888y Stupid now , its the ord Lucozade I had , sorry .

I have a stinking headache now hahaah, Think I will have to go sweety shopping for me instead of the Grandkids hahaha
Thanks Hugs Mo xx
 
Moamber said:
Thanks Northener Thanks for the reply , feel B8888y Stupid now , its the ord Lucozade I had , sorry .

I have a stinking headache now hahaah, Think I will have to go sweety shopping for me instead of the Grandkids hahaha
Thanks Hugs Mo xx
Click to expand...

No problems and no need to feel stupid - I can see how the title of the thread could be misinterpreted as an 'alert' about lucozade generally and illustrates how confusing it is to have a virtually sugar-free variety! Whatever next? Bassett's sugar-free jelly babies? Heaven forfend!😱
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top