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Re - Managing my diabetes

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sean03

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi,

I have been a member for a while but not posted on here before.(certainly for a long time). I was looking for some advice on my diabetes management.

I was advised that if my level went low that I should use orange juice or jelly babies to raise it quickly. However I have suffered for a while with stomach problems. These can come and go and result sometimes in bloating and sometimes in soreness. In general I would say there is a sensitivity issue to be mindful of. I was wondering instead of orange juice which is acidic and may be adding to my gastric upset is there any other drink that could be suggested to help when blood sugar is low?

Thanks - Sean.
 
Good morning @sean03 .

To treat a low BG you can use any quickly absorbed carbs. Any fruit juice would work, but as you say they can be quite acidic. Some prefer glucotabs, or JBs. If what you are using at present makes you uncomfortable it is well worth switching to other options.

I use Cranberry juice when I am at home and dilute it to make it more palatable. Out and about I find JBs a lot easier to carry and I can use as many as I need, so might use one to head off a downward arrow on sensor, whereas when hypo go for the full 3 JBs. More difficult to adjust dosing with a carton of juice.
 
@sean03 I personally don’t find orange juice very good for hypos anyway. I use Dextro glucose tablets. They’re small and portable and obviously not acidic. There are also GlucoJuice shots (I think that’s their name). These are fruity concentrated glucose drinks in tiny bottles. They work out a bit pricey but they’re excellent for bad hypos and are quickly absorbed.

If you carry on getting stomach sensitivity, it would be worth a visit to your doctor. Always good to have some basic checks to rule out problems.
 
Although people think orange juice is acidic is is nowhere near as acidic as the stomach acid.
Some people use pineapple juice or full sugar coke. But I would certainly get your symptoms checked out by your G P.
 
A swig or more of fully sugared Coke - if bubbles are a prob, buy a small bottle and loosen the lid for a few hours. Got just as much sugar in it flat as fizzy, and works well for hypos. Being flat - nobody random (like eg my grandchildren) is likely to wish to drink it!
 
Nice to see you posting again @sean03

Fun-size packs of skittles are fairly pocket-proof if out and about. Lucozade works well for me (though since the sugar tax reformulation I annoyingly now need twice as much AND they have made it much more expensive!).

Jelly Babies are popular, as are gluco tabs or lift tabs.

Hope you can get to the bottom of your stomach probs. Have you been checked for coeliac?
 
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