I am so sick and tired of having to eat those chalky dextabs. Does anyone have some quick fixes that taste good?
Swedish Fish - They are awesome as each 1 raises my BS almost exactly 10 points so I can judge exactly how many to eat when I go low.
My goto quick fix is grapefruit juice. One sip usually does the trick, and it is 100% natural and delicious with nutrients. Of course, it isn’t too portable, but I carry 10oz with me in a sport, waist bag when I run. You could use the same sort of waste bag which holds 2 10oz bottles when walking, etc. I sometimes will fill one of them and put it bedside when my BGs have been trending low, and the juice is still fine in the morning, if not drunk overnight.
Syrup is my sick day weapon. I only need a very small amount to get the carbohydrates I need, it doesn’t require me to chew or digest much, and if I am queasy, I can get it down. It’s saved my life with very sudden drops and gastrointestinal illnesses. The shelf stable Log Cabin is what I use.
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If I remember correctly, you have gastroparesis also? I think that’s important to keep in mind when choosing a hypo treatment because you digest slower than is typical.
I often see gummy/chewy candies recommended, and they never work well for me, since I also have slow digestion. Mine is by choice, since I take Trulicity, but one of it’s mechanisms of action is very similar to chemically-induced gastroparesis. I just can’t get them absorbed fast enough to be of any use. They seem to hit me like 45 minutes later.
My favorites for fast absorption is anything liquid. Juice, Tang, honey, etc… Since it’s already partially “digested”, i.e. dissolved, it absorbs the fastest. The Tang powder is a nostalgic guilty pleasure, since we don’t usually buy processed crap like that, but anything goes when I say it’s for a hypo treatment!
It’s not very indulgent, but for easy portability I stick with Smarties. They’re the same dextrose the glucose tabs are made from, but way less expensive. I tried to get away from them, because no, they don’t taste great and they’re chalky. But those chalky things washed down with water are the only compact and portable solution that dissolves quickly. Unless I want to carry around juice boxes… Which, I don’t.
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I am basically looking for something I can easily chew up and swallow as automode makes me go low through the night sometimes. I cant help but think that the system should be better than the results I am getting. Through the colder months I am fine but once the warm weather comes I have alot of low bloodsugars meaning below 5mmol. Sorry I dont know what that is in American measurement. Someone suggested that my basal rates in manual should be reduced while I am in automode. I dont know what the manual rates have to do with automode. My educator nevr mentioned anything about that.
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im new to pumping/looping, but maybe raising the target level during sleeping hours would be help…
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I am all about this fruit flavor powder
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Cake gel is good for this. Just squeeze it in your mouth. No chalkiness, no mess. I have used the Betty Crocker writing gel by my bed and in my bag. It’s about 12 carbs, I think? Not sure. But I keep 2 of them on my nightstand. I have poor absorption of carbs, so it works faster than solids. Also, big one: it doesn’t get on my fingers! Glucose tablets are powdery, and sometimes the powder on my fingers for my next check made it seem like I was up or hyperglycemic when I was actually still low. Took me ages to figure it out. I don’t wash my hands right after going low in the middle of the night especially, so it was very noticeable then.
Gu Energy Gels taste great, come in all sorts of flavors. The only fault is they are 20-25 grams of carbs in each packet. If I am at home I keep the open packet in the refrigerator and it seems to last quit a while. You can kind of swish the gel around in your mouth for faster absorption.
My carry around and by the bed is Vegan Fruity Gummy Bears. “Surf Sweets”. They are about 2 carbs each. You can actually suck on them, they dissolve slowly but because they are sugar coated, you get a zap faster when you do.
I also have tried smarties, not quit as fun as the vegan gummies and I know some people like skittles.
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I use this gel too, and really like it. I also use Trueplus glucose tablets.
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That sounds like a good idea. Sounds nice and easy. Those dex tabs are so gross. When I swallow the chewde up tablet it kinda burns the back kf my throat and they were making my tongue raw. I bought some m&m minis. They are about 1g of carb each. They say chocolate isnt a good thing but I didnt seem to have any issues. It worked great and they taste good too!
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5 mmol = 90 mg/dl
I found the citrus Dex4 tablets to be irritating to my throat as well. I wonder why? My favorite cake gel was from Cakemate brand, but I haven’t seen it lately. I can’t use chocolate myself because I digest it too slowly, but m&m minis sound delicious, regardless.
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I got sick of eating the chalky glucose tablets as well. I found Life Saver gummies to do the trick. They are portable and measured out easily.
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These chews taste pretty good but I have only used them little pick-me-up to prevent a low.
An Endo told me years ago to always drink a clear liquid fruit juice because they work so quickly. So for years I’ve always kept white grape juice or apple juice in the fridge. And the juice boxes in the console of my car. However, several years ago I did find a fruit snack that was so easy to carry in my purse. They are Welches fruit snacks in small packages. Quick and easy to chew and 19 carbs each. Grapefruit juice interferes with too many medication’s and I’ve always tried to go natural rather than the glucose pills or gels that can be costly.
I’ve been type one, insulin-dependent diabetic for 65 years this month. That was in 1957 and I was nine years old I wear a tandem pump and love it. If it weren’t for all the new technology for diabetics through the years, I wouldn’t be here.
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Kathlyn1, congratulations on 65 years!
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