[slipperyelm]

OH my gosh, I got a free sample of that Glucoburst. It is terrible tasting, but it does hit the blood stream fast. Expensive, too.

[BriOnH]

I always have the gel on me. The gel on me is about 6 months old. I only use it as a second to last resort(glucagon is always on me too as a last resort, haven't needed it in over 14 years). Raspberry glucose tabs are always on my night stand and in the car along with a high concentrated juice.

[Cyborg]

I ALWAYS have glucose tabs on me. I never leave home without them as a type 1...

BTW, I also love the orange glucose tabs. They are like candy to me when needed.

[Gary_W]

I used to rely on chocolate, OJ, Coke etc to treat hypos. I am a recent convert to the tablets and now I never leave home without them.

The difficulty with coke, chocolate etc that they taste far too nice and stopping at 10-15g of carbs is nigh on impossible when you just want to feel better; getting it right without a rebound high is a lot harder for me. Stopping at 3 or 4 glucose tabs is far kinder on the waistline and works a treat. No, I would not give them to someone as a romantic gesture as they taste pretty dire. But they are a medecine as far as I'm concerned, not a food to be enjoyed, and they work far quicker than anything else.

[right2fight]

Well I just ordered my free sample of Glucoburst. That was before I read how horrible it tastes. Hey you never know, when all else fails, at least I'll have the Glucoburst!
Margaret

[RLK]

Originally Posted by right2fight

Hi RLK, Are the glucoburst costly? I now the glucose gel tubes are expensive and also have an expiration date printed so small you wouldn't even know it was there. I use these as backups for school, I'll look for the glucoburst.

Thanks, Margaret

I think a package of 3 was about $4 or $5 at my local supermarket, so I don't plan to use them all the time for treating hypos, but they're super-convenient for when I'm exercising. I also noticed that Wal-mart sells their own brand of glucose gel, but I don't remember the cost offhand.
As for the taste, that's definitely an individual thing. I found it far less offensive than glucose tablets.

[poodlebone]

When I was first diagnosed 20 years ago, the only tabs I could find were the rectangular ones made by BD, which were horrible. Plus, you had to get each one out of the plastic/foil wrapper. When I found tubes, I bought one, orange flavor. They were so nasty I'd never use them. The last time I had a really bad low on the bus coming home from work, I ate a few Starburst that I had but it wasn't enough and all I had left was a tube of the orange tabs. After eating just one I felt sick and was afraid to have another because I didn't want to throw up. I know being really low can make you feel nauseous (and I have thrown up from lows) but this time it was definitely caused by the glucose tablet.

I avoided them after that. Recently I found a tube of grape tablets in Walgreens. I happen to love artificial grape flavor, so I bought them. They're not bad! I'm amazed. I went back to get a big bottle but they only sell grape in tubes. I found a bottle in Rite Aid but they were different, smaller diameter & thicker. Harder to chew (thought I was gonna break a tooth). I then found a bottle of grape in CVS that are just like the Walgreens tube so I've stocked up. I also found a tube of apple in CVS, and those aren't bad either.

I now try to use the tablets as much as possible. I keep a tube in my backpack and one in my coat pocket. They've come in handy a few times when I was out for my usual walk after lunch. I also keep a big bottle in my desk drawer at work and one at home.

[poodlebone]

Originally Posted by RLK

Has anyone tried Glucoburst? It's a cherry-flavored gel, similar to those little gel packets that runners use, and it has 15 g of carbs. I tried one over the weekend, and found it to be quite tasty and it worked very quickly. I'm definitely going to buy more.

I got a free sample from them a year or two ago. Not only was the flavor not very good, the consistancy was awful. It's not so much a gel as it is a syrup. It was like drinking some nasty cough syrup, except it wasn't mediciney. Plus it's expensive!

[issysmommy]

I have capri-suns at work and home. I sometimes carry that energy gel stuff that body builders use. I found one at Sports Authority with exactly 15 grams of carb and it is only about 2 tablespoons. I can't stand eating a lot of sugar when I am low. I want relief fast and easy.

I do have one tube with glucotabs in them inside. I placed that tube inside this thing I got at the pharmacy at Walmart called "Vial of Life." It is a prescription looking vial that you put in your glove box with your medical information and a sticker on your car (medical personnel are supposed to know to look for it). I have been fortunate that I have never been unconsciously low. But I tend to be superstitious that the day I am not prepared for a low, is the day I will go unconsciously low.

[sweetcheeks]

i carry a bottle of tabs with me in my purse, and i keep a glucoburst gel pack and a hershey bar in my little diabetic box for work, my coworks know where i keep it, if the event arrives lol

however the lowest ive ever gotten was around 74..... not much need for them, but i always follow instructions just in case lol

[sweetcheeks]

Originally Posted by right2fight

Hi RLK, Are the glucoburst costly? I now the glucose gel tubes are expensive and also have an expiration date printed so small you wouldn't even know it was there. I use these as backups for school, I'll look for the glucoburst.

Thanks, Margaret

its about 7.99 in US funds for a 3 pack

[Blckflys]

I keep glucose tabs in my car and in my briefcase, I don't really have them on me all the time. Rob, one thing to keep in mind being new to all of this is that you don't want to start rebounding for a low blood sugar before it is actually "low" I know when I first started on insulin and got down to 90 I was about to panic. I would feel shakey and start to think, Oh great! I am dropping too low! and I'd take a bunch of glucose tabs and next thing you know.....I was at 300.

It will feel like you are really low when you aren't really all that low, when you've become used to being high. Try to keep the numbers between 70-130. You may not feel bad when you're BG is at 250....but it's doing a number on your body, and in the long run will lead to nothing but problems.

So.... to sum it all up, try not to treat a low blood sugar until you are having one. But it is also good to be prepared in the event that you do have one, when you are taking insulin or drugs that can cause unpredictable low blood sugars, it's never a bad idea to be prepared to treat that low blood sugar.

Good luck!

[ladytaz]

Yep, everywhere I go Got some in the night stand, in my purse, and quite a few tubes here in the 'office'! I kept getting a free tube with the purchase of strips at an online place! So i'm WELL prepared! LOL I need to stick some in the glove compartment of my car too! It's rare I dont have my purse with me, but just incase! I have had to use them a couple times while out driving around! Came in REAL handy there!!

FG, yep if a T2 is taking Glipizide, Glyburide and the like, they sure can go low! Boy do I know it! And i'm not talkin 60 to 70 low, I'm talkin low 40's (and even lower) Low! NOT fun!! At one point, I was going low 4 or 5 days out of 7!! Doc lowered my dose, and that helped alot, but still had about 1 - 4 or so a month, I think it was. It was like Slipperyelm was saying .... since we do still produce some insulin, you cannot control how much you will produce, and those meds up your insulin production ... so if 1 + 1 is going on ... wooo hooo you may be on a bumpy ride!

[grace girl]

I keep them in my purse, the glove box of the car, bedside table and I think there are some in the kitchen. That being said, I hate the taste...they are really only there for DESPERATE measures. I started using the little juice boxes...15 grams of carbs, tastes good...and they don't have to be refriderated. The only draw back to them is that I sometimes have a really hard time dealing with getting that little straw in the box when I'm really low, so end up getting someone else to do it. They are all over the house and in the car, too.

[Tim_Roy]

I use the Dex-4s. I find them to be awfully expensive given what they are (essentially candy that crumbles to sugar). I buy them in bulk packs at Costco, and refill the plastic tubes of 'em I've bought at drug stores. I keep a tube in my jacket, a tube in my tool grip, one easily reachable in my car (I try to test before I drive anywhere).

My control is fairly volatile. A change of 1 in my carb ratio or my ISF in either direction tends to mean highs or lows. I've got the pump that's got the finest tuning of doses, and I always wish it was capable of even finer tuning. Perhaps there needs to be a u40 version of Novalog.

I find myself buying a pair of bottles of the things every other month. What this must be doing to my teeth...

When I'm below 75 I'll take three (12mg carb) or even 4 if I'm WAY LOW. High seventies and above I tend to take two. If I'm just below 90 I will take one tab and dose for my meal as if I tested 90 (the lower bound of "normal" for me).