Night time hypo food

[Monica]

I've been wanting to ask this question for a while now, but keep forgetting. Last night's incident reminded me again.

What do you eat after you've treated your hypo in the night?

I've made a rod for myself, when Carol was still on Novomix30. Because she had to have snacks during the day, she opted for biscuits (she's not one for fruit). So that was 4 biscuits a day. So I didn't want her to have biscuits at night as well. I persuaded her to have a slice of toast instead. Now she doesn't have to daily biscuits anymore, I wouldn't mind her having them at night (or a flapjack), but she only wants toast!!!!!!

So, any ideas to persuade her to have somthing that doesn't need toasting???

 

[Robster65]

I used to have a digestive biscuit after treating a hypo. I find now that once treated with jelly babies and/or coke, that I can last through til morning but at her age it's probably a bit different.🙂

A digestive is about 10g normally.

Rob

 

[Monica]

Nobody told us to treat a night time hypo differently to the day time ones. So, 1 slice of toast 15g carb. This usually works, but this morning she woke up 10.4. Normally, after a night hypo she wakes up at around 7. Maybe it was different, because it was earlier in the night than normal.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I've never been one for follow-up carbs aftrer a hypo unless I know it's caused by extra activity/exercise. I always found follow-up carbs bounced me high more often than not, though as Rob says it's probably different for young people.

Would a digestives/plain biscuit be worth trying? (10ish g carbs rather than 15-18g for a slice of toast)

 

[Robster65]

It's very much trial and error. I have a lot less than I used to because I didn't used to test so regularly and didn't see how high I was going in the mornings. 😱

I try to restrict what I eat/drink now for that reason. If it's a bad one (less than 2ish), I have a bit more, but if I'm in the 3s, I'll just have a couple of jelly babies maybe and go back to sleep after 10 minutes.

I can't remember how it was when I was a teenager. I think the few I had were quite severe on the old insulin regime.

Rob

 

[bev]

Hi Monica,
The current thinking is that there is no need for a long acting carb after a hypo. Treating with 15 carbs (i.e.can of coke or similar) is enough for a hypo - as long as levels are back within range after 15 minutes. Overtreating a hypo is common - but if I were you I would just give Carol a coke (or glucotabs) in the night as this is enough. I would not be making toast any time during the night anyway. If this is common, perhaps you need to think about changing the basal or splitting the injection.🙂Bev

 

[Monica]

No, Bev, it doesn't happen often. This one must have been brought on by "exercise". Carol goes out to meet friends and I don't know how much walking they do. We've had trouble before that she always comes home very high (19 sunday before last), as she just doesn't realise she's hypo (I've told her to test halfway through the afternoon, but as I'm not there....). So Yesterday I told her to reduce her lunch insulin by 2u. This seems to have worked, as she was 9 when she came home. Then after dinner, she went out again for another hour. She did have something to eat before bed, but it seems it wasn't enough. I'm a bit too scared to not give her a snack after glucose, but I guess I could try to half the carb afterwards e.g. one biscuit to start with to see if that's ok. As to testing again after 15 minutes!!!😱 Well, you already know what Carol would say to that! I can't way for FFL! I hope she will listen then.

 

[bev]

No, Bev, it doesn't happen often. This one must have been brought on by "exercise". Carol goes out to meet friends and I don't know how much walking they do. We've had trouble before that she always comes home very high (19 sunday before last), as she just doesn't realise she's hypo (I've told her to test halfway through the afternoon, but as I'm not there....). So Yesterday I told her to reduce her lunch insulin by 2u. This seems to have worked, as she was 9 when she came home. Then after dinner, she went out again for another hour. She did have something to eat before bed, but it seems it wasn't enough. I'm a bit too scared to not give her a snack after glucose, but I guess I could try to half the carb afterwards e.g. one biscuit to start with to see if that's ok. As to testing again after 15 minutes!!!😱 Well, you already know what Carol would say to that! I can't way for FFL! I hope she will listen then.

Hi Monica,
That is why FFL will be good for Carol - they have heard it all before from teenagers and they will have all the answers for Carol. You really need Joe Solo to have a chat with Carol - he deals with stubborn teenagers all the time and he knows how to handle them. Do try not giving the long acting carb as it might help to stop the later high's after a hypo and once you have tried it I am sure you will both feel that its allright to do this and levels do come up to within range without having to overfeed the hypo.🙂Bev

 

[rachelha]

I have a packet of rich tea biscuits by my bed. The problem is just having one or two. I over treated last night and ended up at 18. I thought I would need more than usual as Nathan was on his second night time feed, but I was wrong.

 

[martindt1606]

Hi Monica,
The current thinking is that there is no need for a long acting carb after a hypo. Treating with 15 carbs (i.e.can of coke or similar) is enough for a hypo - as long as levels are back within range after 15 minutes. Overtreating a hypo is common - but if I were you I would just give Carol a coke (or glucotabs) in the night as this is enough. I would not be making toast any time during the night anyway. If this is common, perhaps you need to think about changing the basal or splitting the injection.🙂Bev

Bev - are you saying that if after treating a hypo based on the 15 carbs / 15 minutes rule and your blood sugar is back over 4 (?) there is no need to do anything else? The last 2 hypos I've had, the first 15 carbs has had minimal impact (2.2 to 2.4 and 3.6 to 3.9). In both cases the second round has taken me up over 4 - to 4.4 and 4.9. Not sure I would have the confidence not to back up with a longer lasting carb to ensure I didn't fall again. Note in both cases the next meal was over 2 hours away.

 

[sofaraway]

During the night I would personally always follow up with longer acting carbs. In the day it depends on the situation if I decide to have a snack. I just wouldn't feel safe to go back to sleep.

 

[Carynb]

When my son was on MDI we always followed up a hypo with long acting carb like 2 digestives after the 15g of quick acting carb but found that he went high quite often afterwards. On the pump we only treat with 15g quick acting carb and no follow up carb- in fact if he is hungry after a hypo we bolus for it as long as his level has come up. It's quite hard at first getting used to bolusing staright after a hypo!

 

[bev]

Bev - are you saying that if after treating a hypo based on the 15 carbs / 15 minutes rule and your blood sugar is back over 4 (?) there is no need to do anything else? The last 2 hypos I've had, the first 15 carbs has had minimal impact (2.2 to 2.4 and 3.6 to 3.9). In both cases the second round has taken me up over 4 - to 4.4 and 4.9. Not sure I would have the confidence not to back up with a longer lasting carb to ensure I didn't fall again. Note in both cases the next meal was over 2 hours away.

Hi Martin,
What I am saying is that once you are back within range (this is what you are comfortable with) then you dont need the extra long acting carbs. If your levels are still only on 4.4 then this is fairly low - so I would give perhaps another 15 fast acting carbs and test in 15 minutes. If Alex was only 4.4 at 3am then I would give him one can of coke - but wouldnt give any long acting carbs after it as levels would most likely come up to 6 or 7 and wouldnt want them to go any higher.🙂Bev

 

[Lauren]

half a glass of fruit juice has about 15g fast-acting glucose and is easy to drink when you're tired in the night 🙂

 

[Estellaa]

my hypo treatment no matter what the time is consists of glass of orange juice and two biscuits (whatever biscuits are in the house), i don't have follow up carbs never actually heard of that before soo..
if im out an about its a sugary drink of sorts, 4 odd gluco tabs and perhaps go and buy a chocolate bar.
If she won't budge on the toast thing? then just leave it, shes a teenager what do you expect ^^

 

[Liz!]

It's funny, at night I feel like completely different things than in the day, and I don't feel like sweet, so it might be that she feels like it rather than biscuits. I crave tea and toast. There's also the 'do what you're used to' feeling because anything different is too hard to think about. Toast is very coforting because it's warm as well. You do lose heat when hypo - one degree on average.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Estellaa, from what you said you are following up. The glass of fruit juice will be 15-30g rapid carbs(depending on size), and the two biscuits around another 25g and a bit longer-acting. More often than not that would out me into the teens whether it was day or night. As long as we test afterwards to see where we end up and try to make sure we don't either skyrocket or dip back down below 4 I guess.

A lot will have to do with what caused the hypo in the first place, of course.

 

[bev]

half a glass of fruit juice has about 15g fast-acting glucose and is easy to drink when you're tired in the night 🙂

Hi Lauren,

Fruit juice is allright - but it doesnt work as quick as something like coke or lucozade. Fruit juice contains 'fructrose' which has a different and slower profile than 'glucose' which is in something like a can of coke. I used to give Alex apple juice until I realised that his hypo's were taking too long to treat and so changed over to coke and the difference was obvious.🙂Bev

 

[bev]

my hypo treatment no matter what the time is consists of glass of orange juice and two biscuits (whatever biscuits are in the house), i don't have follow up carbs never actually heard of that before soo..
if im out an about its a sugary drink of sorts, 4 odd gluco tabs and perhaps go and buy a chocolate bar.
If she won't budge on the toast thing? then just leave it, shes a teenager what do you expect ^^

Hi Estellaa,
If you are having two biscuits aswell as the orange juice then you are having the long acting carbs. Have you tried just having the orange juice on its own, as this should be enough to get your levels back within range. (orange juice isnt a great choice as it is slower than coke or similar). Chocolate isnt a good choice for a hypo as the fat in the chocolate slows down the absorption of glucose. If you are having all this for a hypo then I would think you must be going high after it.🙂Bev

 

[chrismbee]

Coincidenatlly, after reading this thread yesterday, I woke up at 1am with BG of 2.4.
Determined not to binge on whatever is in the cupboard (as has been my previous habit) I thought I'd try the 15g quick route. Faced with a lack of sugary drinks (we never have any in the house!) I dissolved two teaspoons of sugar (16g - I weighed it) in a small glass of diet pop.
15 mins later I was 2.9 Then the hypo-fuelled eating urge took over my brain and two, choccy digestives were rapidly consumed.
After waking up to the alarm with a bladder fit to burst, I re-tested and found myself at 14.9. Clearly more work to do here!!

PS. Gave up looking for the thermometer - hypo-induced confusion and irritability don't make good searching buddies. Thermometer now installed in an easily-retrievable location, out of reach of kids. For the record (see separate thread on body temp) I was absolutely roasting again. It's just me - I'm odd