Thoughts on choices to treat hypoglycemia

[Jamilah]

I just used oj and sunflower seeds. afraid to use something too decadent!
Jamilah

[Jamilah]

That worked well. My fbs this AM was 113. Usually it would be in the neighborhood of 300, after over-eating all the wrong stuff.

[Sherrielee]

Hi Jamilah!

I am assuming that no one responded because they did not want to lecture you about the HIGH carb amounts in O.J. Please get a copy of Dr. Bernstein's book...it has all the answers you are looking for.

I am new to this Blood Sugar problem, but I know that there must be better ways to deal with low BG than OJ. The sunflower seeds were GREAT!. Perhaps Lisa can give you some good ideas. I (unfortunately) have not gotten my BG under 110 since I "accidentally" found out it was high. Not sure what to do about medication....if it is offered/suggested.

Best Wishes to you! I think of you when I test my BG...those poor little fingers. Have you tried the thigh/hip? I checked it this morning...finger and hip....only 5ml difference! Hip was the higher reading!

[Lisa N]

What Dr. Bernstein recommends for treating a hypo are glucose tablets or glucose gel. It will be helpful to know how much 1 gram of carb raises your blood sugar (usually between 3 and 5 points). It's a good idea to have both around and to make sure that others in your household know where they are in case they need to get them for you.
After you check your blood sugar, take just the amount of glucose tablet you need to raise your blood sugar back to the normal range. For example, if you check your blood sugar and it is 60 and you want to raise it back to, say, 80 and you know that 1 gram of carb will raise your blood sugar 5 points, you would take 4 grams of carb (or about 1 glucose tablet which are typically about 5 grams each).
The problem with using food to correct a hypo is that it is very easy to overcorrect and shoot your blood sugar higher than you want it.
You should also check a couple of times after you take the glucose tablet(s) to make sure that your blood sugar is in the range that you want it (ouch, I know...more finger pokes).
HTH!

[Jamilah]

Thanks for your thoughtful replies.

I forgot he recommends glucose tablets. I did try those years ago, and hated them, plus they were expensive, and I didn't find they worked fast enough for me. and the gel made me gag.

When my sugar falls, it crashes. Last night it was only 30 after drinking two glasses of juice! I don't care much for juice, having cut it from my diet as a teen. So I don't really over-indulge. I figured the seeds helped stretch out the response.

Anyway, check this out--- Went to see my endocrinologist today. I reported my A1c was 9.5 on March 22, after on this plan for 3 weeks. Today in his office it was 8.0!

However, he didn't seem impressed, in fact still wants me to go on the pump, and says my problem isn't diet to begin with. How he could say that, I don't know. I was eating all kinds of crap before, even tho my weight stays stable my blood sugar fluctuations are quite extreme. That's why he wants the pump, I guess. I had Dr. B's book w/ me but didn't bother to take it out my bag. What for?

I like him, he's been my doc for years, but what he always does is say, well you're uncontrolled, I think you need a pump, see you in six months.

the pump is so labor intensive and out-of-pocket expensive. I think this is starting to work...I was hoping for advice on my novolog sliding scale. now I'll just figure it out myself, I guess.

Thanks for letting me vent. It's really frustrating. And I'll be 50 pretty soon!

I haven't tried testing blood from my hip area yet, as I thought you need another machine for that? I guess measuring my glycemic response is also a good idea. I'll re-read that part in the book again, on how to do that.

Thanks again...;o)

[Lisa N]

I forgot he recommends glucose tablets. I did try those years ago, and hated them, plus they were expensive, and I didn't find they worked fast enough for me.

I think glucose tablets have been vastly improved in the past few years. I just saw some in my local pharmacy last night when I was picking up some Thermacare disposable hot pads for my DH (he got rear-ended, but that's another story) and they were about $1.00 US for a whole tube of them. They also come in different flavors (I think I saw watermelon, cherry, grape and orange).
Not sure why the old glucose tablets would work less fast than a juice since they are pure glucose and should hit your system faster than anything else out there.

A1c was 9.5 on March 22, after on this plan for 3 weeks. Today in his office it was 8.0!

That's a wonderful improvement in only 3 weeks, especially since that A1C test is an average for the past 10-12 weeks. Keep at it and I'd be willing to bet that your next A1C will be under 7 (I'm trying to keep mine close to 5, but I'm not insulin dependent). Way to go! :thup:


However, he didn't seem impressed, in fact still wants me to go on the pump,

Of course, this is between you and your doctor but I think that with a bit more experience and tweaking under your belt, you'll impress that doctor of yours soon enough with your A1C continuing to drop and you may very well be able to get good control without the pump. I know mine was floored when I took my A1C from 11.8 to 5.6 in less than 4 months. Granted, I had the help of 1000 mg. and then 500 mg. of Glucophage for the first 2 months, but after that it was diet only.
Keep that book handy...he may want to borrow it from you soon. ;)

[Jamilah]

Thanks , Lisa, for your reply...

Just want to clarify it was 7 weeks when my A1c went from 9.5 to 8.0, which is still very good I think... Who knows how bad it had gotten, because I only checked it 2 weeks after starting Dr. B's plan.

I'm thinking now of looking for another doc, as this one seems stuck on a pump, and we are just of 2 minds now. If my A1C gets closer to 7, noone will argue with me that I don't need one, even tho it's true I'm still brittle, and can't account for some of my variable numbers, which now have much less of a range than before (used to go frequently over 500, now it stays under 300, and was having much more hypoglycemia than now).

This forum is helpful, thanks alot...
Jamilah