# Hypo Treatments?



## bigpurpleduck (Sep 15, 2010)

Hi all,

What do you use to treat hypos? I've noticed several people are on jelly babies, which I'd never heard of before.

Lucozade is definitely the one for me. It's always worked best. For 17 years I've used it, and am now at the point where the first hypo symptom I notice is a Lucozade craving!

However, it's not entirely practical for on the go or work. I normally carry Lucozade tablets but A) I find they take much longer to work and B) the packets often get so wrecked in my handbag they need thrown out before I've even opened them. Have also tried Glucotabs as the packaging is much sturdier but they are extremely difficult to get hold of in my area.

Let me know what you use and I'll probably give it a try for my return to work next week!


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## MCH (Sep 15, 2010)

I am one of the jelly baby people.  

3 has about 15g CHO and fit into one of those coin bank bags which makes them nice and portable.


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## kenneth (Sep 15, 2010)

*Dextro*

Ive just been diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 and taken 1st tablet (Metformin) today.
My Pharmasist gave me Dextro Energy Glucose tablets (available from Boots) incase of an hypo.


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## bigpurpleduck (Sep 15, 2010)

MCH said:


> I am one of the jelly baby people.
> 
> 3 has about 15g CHO and fit into one of those coin bank bags which makes them nice and portable.



Jelly babies pose a problem in that my man will eat them before the first hypo. Where to hide them?


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## Northerner (Sep 15, 2010)

kenneth said:


> Ive just been diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 and taken 1st tablet (Metformin) today.
> My Pharmasist gave me Dextro Energy Glucose tablets (available from Boots) incase of an hypo.



Hi Kenneth, welcome to the forum  If you are just on metformin for your diabetes then it is unlikely that you will need to worry about hypos as this is usually a problem for those on insulin or other medications. Let us know if there is anything you are unsure about and we'll do our best to help!

In answer to the question, I am definitely a jelly baby person, except for the green ones! 

http://diabetespoetry.blogspot.com/2010/06/ghastly-green-jelly-babies.html


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## Steff (Sep 15, 2010)

kenneth said:


> Ive just been diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 and taken 1st tablet (Metformin) today.
> My Pharmasist gave me Dextro Energy Glucose tablets (available from Boots) incase of an hypo.



Hi kenneth and welcome to the forum like northerner says will be very unlikely you will need the dextros but always good to have around i have two packets in the cupboard just incase.


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## katie (Sep 15, 2010)

I use Dextro tablets. Never jelly babies because I have no will power and would just end up eating them.

Apart from glucose tablets, if i'm at home I sometimes just stuff my face with whatever carbs are available - bad idea


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## bigpurpleduck (Sep 15, 2010)

Northerner said:


> In answer to the question, I am definitely a jelly baby person, except for the green ones!
> 
> http://diabetespoetry.blogspot.com/2010/06/ghastly-green-jelly-babies.html



My man and I would happily eat your green throwaways 

Kenneth - sorry for being so rude and failing to mention you in my last post. Welcome!


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## Lizzie53 (Sep 15, 2010)

I dont go down very low and luckily not very often, about 3.8 - 4.1'ish sees me going a bit queer though. I adore Jelly Babies and they would torture me if I had any around so if I can't get hold of orange juice I have the dextrose tablets and they seem to work ok. I also keep a couple of cans of coke at home as that doesn't call to me like the Jelly Babies would. I keep packs  of Dextrose everywhere and hubby knows where to find them.


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## rossi_mac (Sep 15, 2010)

first point of call is gluco tabs, I buy the pots of 50 and always have a tube of 10 in my pocket. If working on garden or diy I have a stash of Jelly babies and lucozade, also a fan of biscuits but realise they're not so quick acting, they still get you up a though!

You can buy glucotabs from medicalshop.co.uk, if you wait around they do deals for buying 4 or 6 pots at a time, normally the day after I've put my order in

Rossi


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## Robster65 (Sep 15, 2010)

For day to day hypos, jelly babies. We've found that 4 will fit into a plastic 'Mentos' chewing gum container which fits into a pocket.

For severe hypos below about 2 and usually in the night, we have small cans of real Coke which are 150ml each. Multi-pack available from tesco. They're about 15g each.

For 30 odd years used to use dextrosol/lucozade tablets but, as said, the packet generally self-destructs before they get used. ANd they go really hard after a few months. 

Rob


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## sofaraway (Sep 15, 2010)

For me it's gluco-tabs. I don't mind the new ones. Have been getting through a fair few recently. I occasioanlly have lucozade but not often as when i am low I get very thirsty and could drink a 500ml bottle of lucozade easily.


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## D_G (Sep 15, 2010)

Im a jelly baby person   and i always have a bottle of lucozade by my bed, but find it imprctical to carry it around with me..

Big boxes are on offer at the moment in the Co-op ?2!


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## teapot8910 (Sep 15, 2010)

Jelly baby person too  and I also keep a little can of coke at the side of my bed. If I'm getting towards a hypo I sometimes have a little bag of the animal biscuits

xx


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## bigpurpleduck (Sep 15, 2010)

Robster65 said:


> For 30 odd years used to use dextrosol/lucozade tablets but, as said, the packet generally self-destructs before they get used. ANd they go really hard after a few months.



Which is really appetising when you already feel ill!

Looks like jelly babies are winning so far...


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## everydayupsanddowns (Sep 15, 2010)

bigpurpleduck said:


> Looks like jelly babies are winning so far...



In which case I'll see your jelly babies and raise you Lucozade, Fruit Pastilles, and those little minibags of Skittles in the variety packs.

tbh for 20 odd years I just ate any fun-sized bar I fancied (I know, I know...).

I bought one pack of Dextro/Gluco/Polyfilla/Dishwasher Tabs. Never again


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## FM001 (Sep 15, 2010)

Glucotabs every-time, usually buy the 50 tablet pots and spread them around in the 10 tab containers.  All this talk of jelly babies may sway me to buy a packet or two, but how do you stop at eating 2 or 3 to treat a hypo, once I started I would probably eat the whole packet!  Toby.


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## Northerner (Sep 15, 2010)

toby said:


> Glucotabs every-time, usually buy the 50 tablet pots and spread them around in the 10 tab containers.  All this talk of jelly babies may sway me to buy a packet or two, but how do you stop at eating 2 or 3 to treat a hypo, once I started I would probably eat the whole packet!  Toby.



Just carry green ones around with you


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## newbs (Sep 15, 2010)

I'm with you in that I usually treat hypos with lucozade, finds it works really quickly without having to have too much, I keep it everywhere, in the car, at work etc. and it doesn't get taken by my husband or eldest daughter, unlike Jelly Babies!   If I'm at home I usually go for biscuits as a cup of tea and biscuits is one of my guilty pleasures!


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## FM001 (Sep 15, 2010)

Northerner said:


> Just carry green ones around with you




Trouble is I like the green ones! Toby.


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## getcarter76 (Sep 15, 2010)

Another Jelly baby fan here (*jumps up and down with hand in the air*)  I didn't know they were soooo good at rasing the BG until i too found this site (only been about 28 years )!!!

 I am with you though as I find that dextrose tablets split in your bag etc but i also hate them (scarred from childhood an all). I do always have a bottle of lucozade to hand but have also found I have acquired a typical womans handbag in that i seem to have everything i can possibly cram into it these days lol!!

I have also now learnt something new re Glucotabs...i have not heard of them or ever tried them. Can you get them from Boots? And what do they taste of? I shall have a re-read if this is already mentioned as i haven't read all the answers yet. 

Bernie xx


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## getcarter76 (Sep 15, 2010)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> I bought one pack of Dextro/Gluco/Polyfilla/Dishwasher Tabs. Never again



Ahhh thats all i need to know....

Bernie xx


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## bigpurpleduck (Sep 15, 2010)

I wasn't too keen on the orange glucotabs, but the raspberry ones were ace. Far better than lucozade or dextro tabs. More like sherbet than anything else! But as I said, difficult to get them where I live.


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## Plastirion (Sep 16, 2010)

I would have the same problem with Lucozade and jelly babies, would want to consume the lot so I have 2 or 3 Maynards wine gums (sorry Maynards!) I have half packets in bags all over the place.  Found out I was diabetic because I lived on Lucazade for a week when I felt unwell and was rushed into hospital!
Joan


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## fruitloaf (Sep 16, 2010)

dextro tablets for me, if I'm at home I follow this with plum jam on toast  which always makes me feel better!


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## Curdster (Sep 16, 2010)

Like everyone else I have masses of un eaten hard Dextrose which I hate. Can't stand that crunchy powder feeling you get in your mouth when trying to get them down quickly. However when I went skiing I started using Colin Caterpillars from M&S. Easy to chew quickly and coated with sugar so act quickly too. Taste great as well. Also great for incentivising children to keep walking with you on long trips out!!! Also a Maynards fan too butnot the balck ones. Green for me.


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## novorapidboi26 (Sep 16, 2010)

6 jelly babies for  me.................I started doing this post DAFNE...........before I mucnhed on all sorts of things as it was so satisfying.........


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## MeanMom (Sep 16, 2010)

Do jelly babies work faster than Lucozade tablets then? How many jelly babies equals one lucozade tablet?


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## everydayupsanddowns (Sep 16, 2010)

carolynsurry said:


> How many jelly babies equals one lucozade tablet?



Depends on the size of the bag I think...

The 'standard' JBs in those big yellow bags at garages/newsagents are approx 5-6g per baby.

Then there are the mini bags you get in some of the variety packs, handy because they come in their own little pocket-sized bag. These are around 15-20g for the bag I think (can't quite remember).

I have heard people saying they are a) just as quick and b) nothing like as quick as dextro/gluco tabs

Anything solid is likely to be slightly slower than a similarly concentrated liquid too. So Lucozade/full-on Coke are probably 'slightly' faster I think.


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## novorapidboi26 (Sep 16, 2010)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> The 'standard' JBs in those big yellow bags at garages/newsagents are approx 5-6g per baby.



Asdas own is 3.5g per baby, makes for a more satisfying mucnh.....


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## Richard Taylor (Jan 9, 2016)

rossi_mac said:


> first point of call is gluco tabs, I buy the pots of 50 and always have a tube of 10 in my pocket. If working on garden or diy I have a stash of Jelly babies and lucozade, also a fan of biscuits but realise they're not so quick acting, they still get you up a though!
> 
> You can buy glucotabs from medicalshop.co.uk, if you wait around they do deals for buying 4 or 6 pots at a time, normally the day after I've put my order in
> 
> Rossi


medicalshop.co.uk is very expensive. I get them in bulk from Boots online store, works out cheaper than a six pack of Lucozade, plus I can collect them at the local shop or get them delivered.


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## Lauren (Jan 9, 2016)

Individual juice cartons. Not as fast acting as Lucozade etc but still work pretty quickly. I can't stand dextro/glucotabs etc and the cartons are easy to stash in handbags, desk drawers etc. Plus they're nice and easy to drink


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## AlisonM (Jan 9, 2016)

Up to 6 jelly babies, a small amount of juice or coke, or in desperate straights a banana toastie or some chips. Those last two are for hypo days when I can't get my numbers off the floor and only after I've tried everything else. I have a small zip lock bag in my kit with jelly babies in because I can't bear the taste of the glucotabs etc., and I get very fussy when hypo so it's easier to feed me JBs. I won't take Lucozade either as I hate the stuff, and it's not worth fighting me over it. I'm not the nicest person when seriously hypo, though I don't get violent, I have a VERY sharp tongue.


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## Maryanne29 (Jan 9, 2016)

Glucotabs at work, in the car, in the kitchen, in handbag but my first choice at home is Jelly Babies.


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## SB2015 (Jan 9, 2016)

I reckon the DAFNE course tutors should get shares in the makers of jelly babies.

Jelly babies are definitely best for me as they don't leak, squash (too much) or break.
Like others I do not like glocutabs.  I just have bags of JB everywhere I go.

Sue


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## khskel (Jan 9, 2016)

Glucotabs for me - handy container and I don't care about the taste, they are purely medicinal.


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## AlisonM (Jan 9, 2016)

khskel said:


> Glucotabs for me - handy container and I don't care about the taste, they are purely medicinal.


See, that's my problem, I do care and I can be very childish indeed when I'm hypo.


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## khskel (Jan 9, 2016)

AlisonM said:


> See, that's my problem, I do care and I can be very childish indeed when I'm hypo.


 
My problem would be resisting Jelly babies. If I had the self control required I'd choose chilli and cherry licorice.


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## AlisonM (Jan 9, 2016)

khskel said:


> My problem would be resisting Jelly babies. If I had the self control required I'd choose chilli and cherry licorice.


I'm normally pretty well behaved, unless I'm hypo, then it's "gimme, gimme, NOW!!!".


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## stephknits (Jan 9, 2016)

Jelly babies for me.  I have geriatric babies at the mo.


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## Northerner (Jan 10, 2016)

When I have a hypo I like to treat it as an occasion to enjoy something I wouldn't normally eat, so jelly babies - but I'm pretty good at self-control


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## Robin (Jan 10, 2016)

I prefer fruit pastilles, they come in a tube, so you have to eat what comes, so I don't get left with all the green ones!


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## Dasroots (Jan 10, 2016)

I carry around Gluco-tabs but have never used them. I have tried dextro tabs. I hate them! I have mini cans of Coke at home so when I'm low I have one of them. They are around 1.5CPs. 

I am really fussy when hypo. I don't mind orginal lucazade but I don't have hypos very often so I end up with flat lucazade so I only need a mouthful.


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