Why Glucose Tabs are Better

75 isn't hypo, in fact it's pretty close to normal. My BGLs stay in the 80's & 90's and do dip into the 70's though not as often as I would like. Unless you are consistantly running high 75 should not be an issue.

Hugs,

Gracie

Yes - glucose tabs are great for rapidly raising low blood sugar and they are unique in how they do it compared to alternatives.  This story that you shared has several areas for further discussion:

 

- Special care to clean fingers after taking glucose tabs (ie - residual glucose on the fingers provides false high readings) vs. alternatives that come individually wrapped.

- Differences in test strips when dealing with high altitude (ie - 1% to 2% diff for each 1k feet elevation; source: Kenneth S. Fink, Dale B. Christensen, Allan Ellsworth. Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics. December 2002, 4(5): 627-635. doi:10.1089/152091502320798259.)

- Chocolate (or other high fat carb sources), how they effect blood sugar and when it may be more appropriate to use vs glucose tabs.

 

In the first instance I discovered the residual glucose only after bolusing insulin to correct a night time high blood sugar 25 minutes after treating a severe low.  How many people don't catch this mistake and end up with severe lows or seizures self-induced just because they handled the glucose tab and didn't think to wash their fingers before the next time they checked?

 

Thanks David!

For emergency situations, we always have  Insta-Gucose on  hand.    This is what the  paramedics carry in their emergency vehicles.    It comes in a plastic tube which snaps off.   Liquid glucose is absorbed very rapidly  and can be rubbed on a diabetic's gums if his blood sugar drops really low.

Joan

Another factor re: how low I should go is what medication, if any, I am taking to control my diabetes. A basic rule of thumb: The greater my usual dose of sulfonylurea or insulin, the more conservative I should be re: my lower end of target BG range.

 

Corollary: If I am on a sulfonylurea and/or insulin and my BG is frequently @ the lower end of my target range, it is time to consider decreasing my medication, either temporarily or permanently, based on my circumstances.

 

I don't like eating anything artificially preserved, colored or flavored. So why does glucose tabs have all the artificial junk in them? Why not take a pure form that's  a better source and better for you? Trouble is, it's not available... I was told that the only source for dextrose in bulk, appears to be available at brewing supply stores for making beer. Seems to me, someone ought to make a natural flavored variety for those who would really like to maintain their BG levels in the healthiest form possible!

 

 

Whether or not a particular number is low depends on your meter and your physiology. If you feel low, then you are low (but if you don't feel low, you could still be low).

 

What was missing in this scenario was Mark's therapy and any knowledge of whether he was on the way down (then 75 could quickly become 55) or holding steady.

 

If he is type 2 and was simply a little low for him but holding steady, then I'd agree with him that you might as well eat a little of something you enjoy but don't eat very often, like some delicious fruit or a small piece of bread. In that case, the speed wouldn't matter much.

 

But if he was on insulin (or a sulf) and thought he might be falling fast, then the glucose tabs would definitely be the best solution.

 

One problem for a type 2 is that by the time you're feeling symptoms, your counter-regulatory hormones have kicked in so whatever carbs you eat will probably make you go higher than you expected. I've had a LC meal send me high when I eat right after a low.

I read somewhere that milk was as good as any tablet. Is that true?

I've used glucose tabs on occasion but have found that it can sometimes push me into a hyper condition. I picked some Glucose Rapidspray from a local Rite-Aid. It is a sub-lingual spray. The difference from the tabs is that is delivers a micro-dose in comparison. Despite that the glucose is absorbed very quickly and there is a noticeable difference after 10 minutes or so. My first test was a rise of 10 points in a 10 minutes. I don't think it will completely normalize a hypo condition but, considering it is a small pocket unit, it is very practical as a stop-gap measure until one can get something to eat. I used it once while driving and perked right up after a bit. More info at http://www.glucoserapidspray.com/

It was interesting to read your opinion on the glucose tabs. I, however, have not experienced that to be the case for my daughter. She is Type 1 diabetic, on a pump, and very athletic. She is 10 years old, 55 inches tall and only 60 pounds. When she is "low" she very rarely responds to juice or glucose tabs and its very frustrating as they are the easiest to store in her "kit" that she always has with her. She seems to do better with Gatorade and for those times (which happen at least half the time) when her glucose level still doesn't raise up (sometimes even will drop lower!) she will have a yogurt or chocolate milk. The protein in these items seem to "work" for her. Anyone else have this experience? Thanks!

From a medical stance, I cannot dispute the assertion that glucose tabs are best. HOWEVER, one early morning many years ago, I woke up and my level was in the low 60's. Very groggy, I gulped a glucose tablet which immediately got stuck in my throat. I was seriously choking because the tablet was the size of two or three quarters or Necco wafers. Fortunately, I had some water at my bedside and poured some down, which sufficiently dissolved the tablet to allow me to catch my breath. After that, I switched to M&M's at my bedside. I'd grab a handful and go back to sleep. I don't have lows anymore with much better control of my BG, so this is an old issue for me and the M&M's are long gone away. But, whoever designed those glucose tablets apparently didn't figure that people half awake might gulp one or two down and choke to death. Then again, that would certainly end one's diabetes! Hmmm. Great cure...!

Take a look at the ingredients in Smarties.  I think you will find this is a low cost version of the same thing.

Hello,

Have you ever considered using the convenient enrgy gels made by carbBOOM! Nutrition. They are made with 25 g of maltodextrin, a high glycemic carbohydrate. They taste real good, packaging is convenient and they have a shelf life of more than 2 years.  see for yourself at www.carbboom.com

Hello David & everyone,

Just had to throw my 2cents in here-- I'm T1 for 30 years, on insulin pump for 11 years, very brittle AND I have hypo unawareness. Also gastroparesis, but I'm trying to reverse/"better" that and the hypo unawareness if I can!!  My A1Cs average 7%. I have multiple lows weekly, that is just how my body has always been! I can be 100, and then 30 within in an hour or less, even when I'm just sitting around & 2 hours after eating a meal!! ...That said, eating 3-4 glucose tabs almost every single day costs TOO much money!! I used to buy 2-3 big bottles at a time, and they're hard to chew up quick. Forget buying those skinny expensive tubes of glucotabs too, those only last 2 lows for me!

 

So for the past 10 years+ my solution is to carry rolls of "Smarties" in my purse, pocket, fanny pack, lunch bag etc. Each roll is 5g carbs, so 3 rolls is 15g. They are easy to open, just twist the cellophane. They are small, easier to chew quick. They don't go stale! You can buy a big bag of them at the $1 store!!! They don't melt!! Eat 3 rolls and no over-carbing a low!  

 

Too many diabetics eat horrible choices when they have a low!! NO chocolate! It's high fat, takes too long for the carbs to kick in, it's fattening & it melts!!

 

My 2nd choice for lows would be 2T light pancake syrup, IF at home (or in a restaurant LOL). My 3rd choice would be 2 graham crackers- yes I know that's 24g of carbs, but just 1 graham doesn't cut it for me...

If I don't get enough carbs quick up front sometimes tho, I can bottom out again, back to back...I have had lows, get 15g carbs, retest, then 15g more, then retest in 15 mins, and another low within an hour or less!! Not fun! But that's just me.

 

I have had 7 low blood sugar comas, my record low blood sugar is 18!! (no comas since 1993, knocking on wood & my head! LOL) ... I can be very concious, communicate sensibly talking & make myself something to eat (sandwich, yogurt, fruit & drink) at 30, so I don't take any chances! 

 

I live alone too, so between cheap cost, quick access & easy carry-ability, I chose those Smarties over any other hard candy too--ever had a low & tried to open a piece of hard candy & the plastic clear wrapper is melted onto the candy?!??! Yikes!!! You end up crunching the candy & spitting out the wrapper in pieces!! LOL

1/2 can of soda--GAG! too sweet! makes me nauseous just to think of it!! too easy to drink the whole can, so too much sugary carbs!! I don't want to gain weight from sodas either!! Talk about a bad rebound headache too! dang!!...

 

    

 

 

If someone's BG is nearing a dangerous level, I agree that glucose tabs can be an effective method of getting ones BG to a safe level in an emergency. In such a situation the tablets are being used as a medication. In a non-emergency situation I would argue against using glucose tabs as improperly using a medication. Additionally: 1. Glucose tabs are the single most expensive form of simple sugar on the market, individually wrapped plain sugar cubes are available at a tiny fraction of the cost and work as well. 2. Ingesting simple sugar doesn't just raise one's BG, it spikes it, and in someone with an impaired insulin response can cause the BG level to suddenly drop. A sudden drop regardless of level produces the same kind of symptoms as low BG. 3. While glucose tabs are compact and convenient, they are totally empty calories, and virtually all are flavored to taste like Pez, a candy. If you are going to carry candy, it might as well be the most cost effective form with the same efficacy and provide equivalent or longer duration. 4. A piece of whole fresh fruit can provide the same initial fast response as glucose tabs, is nutritious and if selected properly, contains digestible fiber that provides a prolonged effect. 5. A combination of simple and complex carbohydrates with protein and fat in the form of a whole food can provide the same total amount of BG elevation, provide actual nutrition, minerals and salts, and can maintain one's BG at a safe level for an extended period of time without a sudden crash. As a person with long term experience with type 1 diabetes, I suggest that every person living with diabetes should learn to plan their food intake and have a predictable and readily available source of both emergency and nutritive foods (ie meds and snack) at all times. If a person with diabetes is going to continue to participate in an activity where it is dangerous to continue with their BG at its current level, it makes more sense to stop to eat a easily digestible whole food that satisfies their body's total nutritional needs, chew it well and rest than to pop some glucose tabs and procede. A prudent person who ran out of gas in the desert wouldn't have a auto club responder fill their car with barely enough gasoline to get across the desert and not double-check that their radiator and battery were ok before the responder as discharged; similarly taking just barely enough glucose to get across an activity barrier and ignoring every other aspect of nutrition makes little sense. I don't recommend carrying chocolate in lieu of glucose tabs or sugar cubes, but if it is being carried as part of a pre-planned diet, I think that eating it ahead of planned schedule would be preferable to eating simple sugar in a non-emergency situation.

Who wouldn't hike with a landscape like that to experience?

I went twice round a lake that's the result of gravel extraction this morning with a group of friends.Only a couple of miles on a cleared trail, but the weather is hot and heavy. I struggled the last half mile or so. From heat, not walking

I also favor the use of glucose tablets to correct low blood sugar.  I carry a package of them in my purse at all times as I am a Type 1 diabetic using insulin, and sometimes go a bit too low.  I don't agree with the rule of 15, however.  I think you need to know your own sensitivity to glucose and plan accordingly.  I know from experience that one glucose tablet (4 g of glucose) will raise my blood sugar by 30 counts.  It is quite predictable, especially if taken on an empty stomach.  When my blood glucose is at 60, I begin to feel symptoms of low blood sugar.  I measure my blood sugar, and would take one glucose tablet to correct, expecting a rise to 90 over the next 15-30 minutes.  If I were to simply follow the rule of 15 and take 4 tablets, my blood sugar would go up by about 120 counts, bringing me to 180!  Not good.  Again, you should do the experiment on yourself, and know how glucose tablets affect YOU!

I find tablets considerably more useful than anything else. I hope your tips turn other people onto them.