# Healthy ways to treat a hypo



## imtrying (Feb 9, 2012)

Hi guys...I've been having a LOT of hypos over the past couple of days, and often need 3 or 4 times of treating it before I recover. This has meant I've been having to eat a LOT  

I normally treat my hypos with a carton of OJ and then a biscuit or two (handy to keep a pack of them, quick and easy to eat). But I'm consious I really don't want to be eating lots of biscuits...I just seem to have fallen into eating them as they're so convenient.

What does anyone else eat for their long lasting carbs after a hypo? Any healthier tips? Ideally needs to be something I can keep in desk at work, some in car, some at home and some in my bag! 

Thanks you lovely people


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## Northerner (Feb 9, 2012)

Muesli bars? They tend to have about the right amount of carbs - but check, some are quite sugary! I have actually found Belvita biscuits to be pretty good (despite my scepticism!). The fruit and fibre version has 8.4g carbs per biscuit and of that 2.9g is sugar, although they do taste quite sweet, and they seem to be pretty slow release. They come in handy little packets of 4 in the box, although they would disintegrate if they got bashed about!


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## Copepod (Feb 9, 2012)

Oatcakes are more resilient than Belvita biscuits. Muesli bars are also very resilient. 

Bananas, particulalrly, but most fruit are healthy, but not at all resilient to transport etc even in an expensive plastci banana protector. 

Dried druit (semie dried rather than completely hard and dry) eg whole apricots / pears / apples etc can work well - supermarkets sell them in resealable ziplock bags. 

But, best to work on not needing to treat so many hypos per day - not easy, I know.


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## everydayupsanddowns (Feb 9, 2012)

Sorry can't help. If I had long acting carbs after a hypo I always went massively high.

Have you tried knocking a unit or two off your basal to see if you can lose a few of those hypos? Sounds nasty...


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## imtrying (Feb 9, 2012)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Sorry can't help. If I had long acting carbs after a hypo I always went massively high.
> 
> Have you tried knocking a unit or two off your basal to see if you can lose a few of those hypos? Sounds nasty...



oh wow. so you just have fast acting sugar and that keeps you?? that would save me some eating!! 

yeah i think i need to adjust my carb:insulin ratio. Just cautious at the moment as in the last week I've changed my contraceptive pill, and only 2 days ago changed from Lantus to Levemir, and changed that to a split dose! Didn't want to change too many things at the same time...but think I may have to. Going to see what happens with my breakfast injection today. And think I may just reduce my lunch time ratio instead...hmmm decisions! 

thanks.


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## imtrying (Feb 9, 2012)

Copepod said:


> Oatcakes are more resilient than Belvita biscuits. Muesli bars are also very resilient.
> 
> Bananas, particulalrly, but most fruit are healthy, but not at all resilient to transport etc even in an expensive plastci banana protector.
> 
> ...





Northerner said:


> Muesli bars? They tend to have about the right amount of carbs - but check, some are quite sugary! I have actually found Belvita biscuits to be pretty good (despite my scepticism!). The fruit and fibre version has 8.4g carbs per biscuit and of that 2.9g is sugar, although they do taste quite sweet, and they seem to be pretty slow release. They come in handy little packets of 4 in the box, although they would disintegrate if they got bashed about!



thanks both. 

and yep, if i could avoid the hypos I would!! lol on a new test meter which works out my insulin and active insulin, so have been injecting what it's been telling me...but doesn't seem to be having the desired effect! so think I will be changing my ratios today to see if that makes a difference, or sends me high all day!!

Could the cold be making me lower?? 

I'm liking the sound of the Belvita biscuits!


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## Northerner (Feb 9, 2012)

I would also add that I rarely follow up my fast-acting hypo treatment with a slow carb unless I know that I still have lots of insulin circulating. So, for example, if I had a 3.5 when my last FA dose was almost expired (after about 4 hours) then I'd probably only have one or two jelly babies. But if it happened after only 2 hours then I'd know there was still lots of insulin that might drive me low again, so would have a couple of JBs and maybe one or two Belvitas after 15 mins. As ever, there would be lots of factors influencing my decisions of how to treat the hypo, and with how much carbs, so it's a very personal thing, but I rarely overtreat and certainly don't have a 'standard' treatment for all circumstances


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## AJLang (Feb 9, 2012)

I've always found lucozade the best thing to have - the orange flavour isn't too bad.  It treats the hypo very quickly and I never need to follow it up with slow acting carbs.  I always make sure that I have a small bottle of Lucozade with me - in my handbag, upstairs by the bed or if I'm going out with OH in his car.  In 41 years of diabetes I've found it to be the most effective and low-fat treatment for hypos.


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## imtrying (Feb 9, 2012)

thanks everyone. your replies have been helpful and also really interesting. 

On the BERTIE/DAFNE course we were told to treat with fast acting, and when levels had increased, then treat with slow acting....but there have been a few of you on here that say you never have slow acting!! (and please, I am in no way questioning you!! just find it fascinating the way we are all taught and then what people actually find works for them!)

If I drank lucozade, how much of a bottle would I need to have if between 3.0 and 3.9mmols? and what if I was below 3.0mmols? (I think this question is what made me stop using it as a hypo treatment many years ago!)

thanks


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## AJLang (Feb 9, 2012)

Hi Katie

Sorry but I can't help you with regard to how much Lucozade because I just guesstimate at the time - I usually get it right - if I'm having a hypo I just want the Lucozade to stop the hypo feeling, I don't want to spend time measuring it.  I hope that someone else will be able to give you a better answer


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## everydayupsanddowns (Feb 9, 2012)

imtrying said:


> yeah i think i need to adjust my carb:insulin ratio. Just cautious at the moment as in the last week I've changed my contraceptive pill, and only 2 days ago changed from Lantus to Levemir, and changed that to a split dose!...



Aha!! I hadn't realised you had just switched basals! That throws completely new light on it...

1. Lantus may well be hanging around for days after you last injected it (not much but just a whiff and enough to mess things up)
2. You may be more sensitive to Levemir - it may not be a straight dose swap. Have you done any overnight/during the day fasting tests?

As far as Lucozade goes one of the standard newsagent-sized bottles is 60g CHO, so somewheer between a quarter and a third should be enough. It's about 2 good swigs.

Hope you manage to get clear of hypoville soon.


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## imtrying (Feb 9, 2012)

AJLang said:


> Hi Katie
> 
> Sorry but I can't help you with regard to how much Lucozade because I just guesstimate at the time - I usually get it right - if I'm having a hypo I just want the Lucozade to stop the hypo feeling, I don't want to spend time measuring it.  I hope that someone else will be able to give you a better answer



haha yep, I know what you mean! that's why I stopped drinking it as I always over drank it! 

Mike's suggestion seems good though, so will try that as well...and going to try no long lasting after it as well (if not much active insulin left).


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## imtrying (Feb 9, 2012)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Aha!! I hadn't realised you had just switched basals! That throws completely new light on it...
> 
> 1. Lantus may well be hanging around for days after you last injected it (not much but just a whiff and enough to mess things up)
> 2. You may be more sensitive to Levemir - it may not be a straight dose swap. Have you done any overnight/during the day fasting tests?
> ...



oh wow, thanks, I never knew those things. I'll keep an eye on my levels over the next week and see how I get on. I'm planning on going to the gym tonight so will see what affect this split dose has as well (they believed the times I was ending up high could have been the time my Lantus was nearly all out...but there was also a mention of active insulin too, but I go straight from work - leave work at 5.30, at the gym by 7, so going 2 hours after I've eaten is not really an option) This could get interesting! 

and nope, not done (nor been told) to do any overnight testing or any fasting tests. Do you think I may need to?


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## everydayupsanddowns (Feb 9, 2012)

imtrying said:


> and nope, not done (nor been told) to do any overnight testing or any fasting tests. Do you think I may need to?



If I had moved to Levemir I would have deffo done some tests to see how it was working (I have been doing so since changing to pump). Since the duration/activity/dose is all new and untried/untested I can't see any other way of checking whether your basal is working properly. 

This kinda thing (about halfway down): http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120


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## imtrying (Feb 9, 2012)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> If I had moved to Levemir I would have deffo done some tests to see how it was working (I have been doing so since changing to pump). Since the duration/activity/dose is all new and untried/untested I can't see any other way of checking whether your basal is working properly.
> 
> This kinda thing (about halfway down): http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120



thanks for the link Mike. I think I'll give that a go at the weekend - I imagine I'll do the day one on Saturday as I don't normally eat breakfast anyway  plus I can do an overnight one Saturday night as I can have a little lay in Sunday morning


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## everydayupsanddowns (Feb 9, 2012)

Hope you find it useful. It was a revelation when I discovered the concept a few years back. 

Once I (finally!) had my basal pretty much right meal doses and corrections behaved far more consistently. And after that if they started to misbehave it was usually an indication that my basal was out again.


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## martindt1606 (Feb 9, 2012)

when i did the Dafne course in mid November I was advised I could get GlucoGel on prescription.

I saw one of the GP's at the practice and he added enough to cover 20 hypos to my prescription.  I had asked for enough to cover 10.

On Tuesday I saw another of the GP's about something unrelated and as he was doing a review he commented that a prescription to cover 20 hypos seemed a lot.  Is it?

The first prescription lasted until early February and I had to have a repeat prescription at the end of January.

This means in the first 10 weeks post Dafne I had over 20 hypos (as I sometimes just treat with an Orange Juice).

I find the glucogel works well where the Novorapid has or has nearly run its course.  If the hypo starts within 2.5 hours of injection then no matter what the quick acting option I use I will need a second or third round to halt the decline and return above 4.


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## trophywench (Feb 9, 2012)

Katie - only test one 'block' of basal results in any 24hr period.

eg Friday night/Sat morning - post dinner or bedtime, overnight.
Sunday morning - waking - pre-lunch
Monday - post brekkie till teatime
Tuesday - post-lunch to mid-evening


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## Marier (Feb 10, 2012)

Hi Katie  Im the samre if having  Lucozade  just  good few mouthfulls   and it works quick  or  Glucogel  it comes in wee tubes  very handy for Bag or work or Car  
What  new machine  do you have  ?
Marie


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## imtrying (Feb 13, 2012)

Marier said:


> Hi Katie  Im the samre if having  Lucozade  just  good few mouthfulls   and it works quick  or  Glucogel  it comes in wee tubes  very handy for Bag or work or Car
> What  new machine  do you have  ?
> Marie



Hi Marie, 

I have the accu-chek expert something-or-other lol they gave it to me as it's the same as what I'd have if I was on a pump. I do really like it, but don't always understand the advice it tries to give me!!


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## imtrying (Feb 13, 2012)

Morning all. 

I stocked up this morning - 6 bottles of lucozade, a packet of Belvita biscuits, 3 little cartons of OJ and some biscuits....we'll see how long that all lasts! 

Thanks for all your input. My main concern was not treating my hypos with biscuits for the long lasting carbs, which do seem to have been the most convenient thing to have!


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## Robster65 (Feb 13, 2012)

imtrying said:


> Hi Marie,
> 
> I have the accu-chek expert something-or-other lol they gave it to me as it's the same as what I'd have if I was on a pump. I do really like it, but don't always understand the advice it tries to give me!!


 
Which parts of it the most confusing ?

I've had the expert for a few weeks and am getting to understand some of its little quirks. There's a few members who use it or have used it.

Rob


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