[Rugby09]

What do you take to either eat or drink when you have low blood sugars? I have had the habit of taking too many carbs and then getting rebound high blood sugars after a low episode. So what in you opinion is the best carb food or drink to consume to combat low blood sugars?

[notme]

I absolutely used to do that and I have stopped. For me, recouping from a low blood sugar takes very little food. I use Starbursts for on the go type of treatment. I eat about one Starburst for every 10 points that I need to raise. I usually use 100 as my target number. If I am in the 40's, I will eat five to six starbursts and that will fix it for me for about two hours. If I use glucose tabs, my blood sugar will start to decline again too quickly.

At home, I use milk. As odd as it sounds I don't need more than one cup of low fat milk to bring me back up. I usually don't like food when I am low and I struggle to find something to eat. Milk is usually my choice.

[GretchO]

I use Apple & Eve juice boxes (the smallish ones) at home and at the gym. They're about $7 a case at Sam's, 14 grams of carbs per box. I have a stash of juice boxes and Starbursts at work and in the car. Skittles are good, but too hard to count especially when you're shaky and your brain is addled.

I used to just cram food into my mouth - you're hungry and not really thinking straight, but the highs afterwards were as much of a bummer as the lows, so I primarily stick to the juice boxes.

[notme]

Originally Posted by GretchO

. Skittles are good, but too hard to count especially when you're shaky and your brain is addled.

Oh, I agree. I have tried Skittles and I like them so I end up eating the entire bag. That is why I use Starbursts. You have to open each one (sometimes difficult when you are in a hurry and uncoordinated) and they are easy to count.

I tried juice boxes, but I either ended up losing the straw (they fall off easy) or the box was to heavy for my purse.

Probably a good car treatment (cept when your car gets blistering hot). I am in CA.

[fgummett]

I agree with Nancy that milk is the best when available... it has lactose to bring your BS up safely, but also fat and protein to temper the effect over a longer curve... the last thing you want is a yo-yo effect

[cyberus]

Not an issue for me yet, keeping BG down is my daily battle .... the lowest I've ever tested is 65 and I retested and got a 81.

[Mich]

For mel, it's usually glucose tabs, especially on the fly. They are easy to carry and go everywhere with me. At home, milk if I have it.

I usually sit down for a few minutes if I can to wait for things to take effect. Milk takes longer for me.

It is hard to combat the feeling of wanting to consume mass quantities of food when I am low.

[orpy]

Glucose tabs...I too have overcompensated by feeling like it's an excuse to eat chocolate...chocolate is not good for lows...only ends up making me high.

[GretchO]

Originally Posted by notme

Probably a good car treatment (cept when your car gets blistering hot). I am in CA.

Oh yes, warm juice boxes are really gross...I also once ate a little bag of these juicy/gummy things that are kids treats that had been left in the HOT car. They were really warm, I almost barfed they were so gross. I have no idea how my daughter can eat them...but then again, she's three.

I definitely have to limit what I use to correct lows to things I'm not fond of...I've never really been interested in indulging in 6 or 7 juice boxes, but a bag of M&Ms or skittles or cookies or something else yummy and I won't stop.

[howdysf]

I've found my perfect recipe for a low. One 12 ounce can of V-8... 14 carbs, 70 calories, tastes great, is filling, and brings me right up to about 100 if I'm around 60-65 or so...

[JoanW]

I like glucose tabs best because of their portability, no need to keep them cool like juice or sticky candy. Another reason I like them is because I know that one 4 or 5 g glucose tablet will take me up 0.5 points (mmol), (9 points US). so if I am bordering low, I can just take one to bring me up to say 4.7 or so. Two are usually enough to take me up from a moderate low 3.8 or so, to around just under 5 without skyrocketing high. If I have got to the shaky stage, I just increase the number of tablets that I need.
Another good thing about them is that they taste reasonably OK without wanting to scarf down the whole tube at once.
Works for me!

[Tattoo azz]

I use glucotabs too when outside (us brits can only get orange and raspberry flavours, BOOOOO!!), at home i usually have some milk and a couple of digestive biscuits (wholemeal cookies). I hate the shakes when i am low, i have thrown my meter across the room a few times and spilled my tube of glucotabs when really shakey.

[lorilei]

I prefer juice...and I sit down and wait so that I don't raid the fridge and then get stuck in the high low cycle. My lows also come with the sensation of hunger, so usually a lifesaver etc is only a temporary solution.

[TommyC1]

Canada Mints.
3 grams of sucrose per mint. Way cheaper than glucose tabs. $3 for two sacks that last me months and months.
Most important, I don't like them enough to snack on them and, so long as they don't get wet they last forever. So I can leave them in various parts of the house, at work, in my pack, in my canoes, in the truck, and in my pockeets. Pretty much anywhere I might be when I need them.

~Tommy

[davef]

I find that two small frankfurters work great for me, but I have also used milk. Recently I dropped to about 60 and corrected using Glucose tabs, while this worked and worked quickly I found that with just 12g (4 tablets) I ended up going too high and then felt sick. I think it maybe what happened was that my body was reacting to the low and my liver dumped which added to the glucose tablets resulted in going high.