What up, manufacturers?

1

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to get into any packaging surrounding an "emergency glucose" item that is supposed to be for diabetics to use during a hypo?

I've have had to bite my way into pouches of gel, fight my way into tubes of glucose tabs, pound hopelessly on double-wrapped packets of jellies.

Sheesh.

You'd think they were designed to keep us OUT of them when we're at our weakest and least able to see, feel, understand...thanks for nothing, manufacturing dudes and dudettes!!!

I learned this the hard way one night at about three a.m. when I woke up with horrific leg cramps. The last time I'd had such terrible leg cramps I was 53 mg/dl and dropping like a rock, so I thought, in my groggy agony: "OK, I'm going to treat this first and then I'll test."

I had cleverly placed several hypo-treatment choices and a bottle of water just next to my bed, so I was prepared...um...except that I couldn't get the outer wrap off of the sealed glucose tabs nor could I tear open either of the "sport" glucose gel pouches nor could I get the inner seal off of the little tube of glucose gel -- I couldn't even get the water bottle open. Aughhhhhh!!!

Juice boxes? Don't make me laugh! I can't get those open without power tools when I'm stone-cold sober at noon and my BG is 101.

Finally I just viciously tore the "sport" pouches open with my teeth, feeling a bit like a starving, angry bear rifling through some other species' campsite, being unable to understand or manipulate any of the arcane and bizarre objects therein.

I get it that "sealed is good" but USEABLE is good, too!

I wised up and now I OPEN my tubes of emergency glucose tabs (taking off TWO layers of plastic wrap) and then re-seal them with just the simple pop-off lid before I stash them around car, day-pack and house. Whew.

2

I can so relate to this! I've had the same exact thought and learned the hard way just like you did. And those little straws wrapped in plastic for the juice boxes? Forget it! I can't open those when I'm at my best much less low...that's actually one reason I don't usually use juice boxes anymore...I can't open the straws!!!

3

I like you have had the same problem while driving. After that I have learned to open before I need them.

Seems like companies would want to keep us alive so we can buy more of there products later.Going low and fighting seals suck.

4

Ditto, Guitar Whiz!
I buy the jumbo plastic bottles of glucose tabs to refill my pocket tubes. It seem so friendly with a bottle cap, then a tight foil covering the top which offers a pull tab saying sweetly, "Lift".
Neither me nor my husband can sweetly "Lift" it off! Now without even trying to lift I jab a paring knife alongside the ridge and drag it full circle.
I'd be afraid gels would leak out if I opened them ahead of time. My time honored bedside/glove compartment buddy was a small can of grape juice. Now that I'm a pumper I find it takes smaller amts to recover my low bg so a whole can is too much.

5

Yep!!I thought it was just me and my hands/strength getting weak ! LOL...I have to pre-open my skittles, jelly beans etc. Ugh, everything is hard to get open.

6

OMG I wish ppl knew how confused u get when ur low. I can't even think straight and to be given these things...OMG I sooooo relate.

7

Those little foil/plastic covers on the end of the gel tubes are the worst. They're so tiny and every time I try to open one it comes apart in my hands and leaves the tube still covered. I like the gel better than the hard/dry glucose tabs, but what's the point if I pass out while trying to pry the darn things open?

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one left struggling with their poor design!

8

Those little straws were designed by demons. LOL

I get juice all over myself and everything else when I try to open a juice box anyway. One ill-timed squeeze and SPLOOSH out comes a geyser of juice!

9

Amen! I had a pretty hilarious (in hindsight, not at the time!) incident involving a bad low and a juice box in the middle of the night. Needless to say, juice got everywhere. :) There are sooooo many things about the design of diabetes supplies that manufacturers could do better if they just held some focus groups with real patients! Sheesh!

10

Yep, as a vegetarian I use my steak knives for opening foil with "lift tabs" that don't lift.

I have to say my own personal favorite though not diabetes related is when I go to the pharmacy to get my meds for arthritis and they hand them to me with an adult-proof top that would kill my wrist to even attempt!

11

I just recently bought a jar of Dex tabs. And they much have listened to complaints about the foil seal. It was not on there. Just the outer safety wrap.

12

Well that's good news. Maybe they're listening to someone who actually has to use their product while hypo?

13

LOL, sorry guys I know its not funny because I've been there before. I've learned to just make myself a peanut butter sandwich and put it in a seal it bag. Keeps it fresh and easy to open I guess. Luckily I don't get that many lows. I also found out that if I eat the sandwich before bedtime, I don't get lows during the night and I wake up with a normal level the next morning, not a high like I would expect. I guess the other solution would be to just keep a 3 yr old around the house. They can get into anything!

14

LOL on the three-year-old. Isn't that the truth?!

The thing is, if we can get aspirin bottles with those "easy open" lids for people with arthritis, why doesn't the diabetes manufacturing world figure out that plenty of us are trying to use their products while...well...impaired. Give us a break here, folks!

15

Oh, geez, I sympathize! I woke from a nap today with a nasty low, couldn't even see to test (even with glasses on), so had to ask my son-in-law if I had enough of a blood drop to test, then have him put the blood on the strip (shaking) LOL. The sweet young man went running out and came in with a fresh tamale he'd just gotten - what a great food for a low! I couldn't open the foil it was wrapped in, nevermind a plastic sealed thingy.

Of course I ended up at 145 1/2 hour later *sigh*. Sure was a good tamale though ;)

16

Well there you go. We all need someone waiting to hand us a tamale whenever we go low! Diabetes wouldn't be so bad with a helper on call, especially a helper bearing food gifts!

You're lucky to have him around. ;0)

17

Yes, I sure am! He manages to keep an eye on me when low without being solicitous, just caring. Fresh, home-made tamales are my new low tx of choice. Wonder if I can keep one in a steamer by my bed? LOL

18

I also open the tubes of glucose tablets as soon as I buy them and then just put the lid back on to stash them places. I've never had problems with them opening unintentionally.

I also use Skittles in Ziplock bags, which are easy to refill (I buy the giant packages at the supermarket) and easy to open.

These are the glucose gels I've always used, and they have a twist-off top that comes off easily (but you can't re-close them). I do find the stuff completely nasty, though, so I only use it in true emergencies (if it's all I have and/or I feel like I'm going to pass out and want something faster than glucose tablets).

19

Yeah, those twisty-tops look pretty easy to open, as long as you already have them out of the blister-pack, which I would in order to carry them in my bag, but OMG look at the price: $16.84!?!

Anything like that with a "cherry" flavor is nauseating to me -- it reminds me of some too-sweet cherry Christmas candies that my grandmother used to give me every year. I'm sure that's what gave me diabetes -- LOL!!! Just thinking about them makes me feel queasy.

I like keeping a "nasty" source of sugar on hand because that way I have zero temptation to abuse it when I'm not really low.

Licorice-flavored glucose tabs would be ideal for me, because only a fear of death would get me to eat anything licorice!!!

However, at these silly prices, I think I'll take up the idea someone posted on a different thread and start carrying around a ziploc baggie of plain old sugar packets. These manufacturers are really gouging us on the glucose "shots" and "gels".

20

I find licorice gross, too. Don't know how people can like that stuff!

That's one problem I have with Skittles, it's tempting to eat just "one or two" (yeah, right!) if I'm not low but just feel like something sweet.