Glucose tab manufactures are cruel, taking advantage of us when we're at our weakest moments. That's why they make them taste like sweetened drywall, dye them pink, and pass them off as "watermelon-flavored".
Actually, in the early days of glucose tablets, there WERE 5 gram tablets. BD made a horrible-tasting orange flavored square tablet that contained 5 grams, but those were discontinued a few years ago. My suggestion is consider getting Dex4 GlucoBits, which are nice little 1 gram tablets that you can supplement your 3, 4-gram tablets for an even 15. Alternatively, consider the Dex4 LiquidBlast bottles. Not only can you avoid ruining your molars, but these are like dextrose shot glasses!
Scott - were those the ones you popped out of the foil, and they came in sets of two? I remember those! And I do love the bits; they taste much better to me.
Kim, I'm right with you on this one. And with Scott about ruining your molars. Why are they always hard as a rock? Seems to be something designed (and then copied over and over) by a non-PWD...
I know what you mean but just be glad you have access to cheap glucose tablets. Here in Ireland a packet of 10 glucose tabs costs the equivalent of $6. In the States you can get 2-3 BOTTLES of tabs for that same amount!! So when family comes to visit us that's one of the things on the list for them to bring.
Love the blog! I have my 13 yr old Type-1 diabetic daughter reading it as well.
In Germany they have tabs with 6g each, so you can only choose between 12 and 18g. They are easy to part in two, so you can get 15g exactly, but than you would have to throw away half a tablet (you can't keep them, because they come in thin, non-reusable plastic wrappings) - and which sugar-craving diabetic would ever do that?!
On the other hand, one gram more makes your BG go up, what, 4 points more?
Love it! Haha. Glucose tabs are expensive here in NZ too, so I use 12g carb juice boxes, often followed by a 22g muesli bar chaser for steady slow blood sugar raising. Glucose tabs should be 15g carbs, soft and easy to dissolve in mouth. Not rock hard and powdery! Choking hazard if ever there was one, really.
Am I the only one here who actually LIKES glucose tabs??!?!?! And honestly, it's about as often as we have a blue moon that I only eat 15(or 16g) worth of them. I like the orange best. They're like candy to me.
Ok, the weirdo is going to go sulk in the corner now. With his glucose tab candies.
I think we've all been hoodwinked by the marketing team for those old BD 5g tabs... Think about it! THEY made the rule, influenced the HCP's, and it's been spreading like Diet Coke at a d-meetup ever since.
Most glucose tabs (mine included) weigh just a little more than 4 grams, which means that 4 grams is all you can fit into something that size (unless you compressed it into something that would chip your tooth and take an hour to dissolve), and have a little space for flavors/colors/excipients. You could make a bigger tablet, like the BD's were, but for those to be 5g and round, they would be 25% thicker. Technically they could have a larger diameter, but I have yet to find a tablet manufacturing facility that has a die larger than 1" diameter. All that being said, as someone who uses tablets often, I also always found it odd that 4g was the standard (and chose to perpetuate it only because it was what everyone was used to). I will say that I have noticed that the ADA now recommends "15-20g" to treat a low. While I RARELY use 20g, it is neatly divided by 4, and 16g does fall inside the 15-20g range.
That's why I carry Rockets around, you know, the candy kids eat? Each package is 7 g, so I treat with two, and you can totally stock up major at Halloween!
Glucose tab manufactures are cruel, taking advantage of us when we're at our weakest moments. That's why they make them taste like sweetened drywall, dye them pink, and pass them off as "watermelon-flavored".
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome, Scott! SO TRUE!
DeleteThey can't get ONE MORE CARB into that little disc?
ReplyDeleteTo much math for a low brain. Seems to justify why I sometimes choose.to inhale 4 peanut butter sandwiches instead. Lol
ReplyDeleteActually, in the early days of glucose tablets, there WERE 5 gram tablets. BD made a horrible-tasting orange flavored square tablet that contained 5 grams, but those were discontinued a few years ago. My suggestion is consider getting Dex4 GlucoBits, which are nice little 1 gram tablets that you can supplement your 3, 4-gram tablets for an even 15. Alternatively, consider the Dex4 LiquidBlast bottles. Not only can you avoid ruining your molars, but these are like dextrose shot glasses!
ReplyDeleteScott - were those the ones you popped out of the foil, and they came in sets of two? I remember those! And I do love the bits; they taste much better to me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, LOL at "shot glasses". :)
ReplyDeleteKim, I'm right with you on this one. And with Scott about ruining your molars. Why are they always hard as a rock? Seems to be something designed (and then copied over and over) by a non-PWD...
ReplyDeleteLove the blog, by the way!
I know what you mean but just be glad you have access to cheap glucose tablets. Here in Ireland a packet of 10 glucose tabs costs the equivalent of $6. In the States you can get 2-3 BOTTLES of tabs for that same amount!! So when family comes to visit us that's one of the things on the list for them to bring.
ReplyDeleteLove the blog! I have my 13 yr old Type-1 diabetic daughter reading it as well.
In Germany they have tabs with 6g each, so you can only choose between 12 and 18g. They are easy to part in two, so you can get 15g exactly, but than you would have to throw away half a tablet (you can't keep them, because they come in thin, non-reusable plastic wrappings)
ReplyDelete- and which sugar-craving diabetic would ever do that?!
On the other hand, one gram more makes your BG go up, what, 4 points more?
I just stick to jelly babies
ReplyDeleteLove it! Haha. Glucose tabs are expensive here in NZ too, so I use 12g carb juice boxes, often followed by a 22g muesli bar chaser for steady slow blood sugar raising. Glucose tabs should be 15g carbs, soft and easy to dissolve in mouth. Not rock hard and powdery! Choking hazard if ever there was one, really.
ReplyDeleteThis is beyond brilliant!
DeleteAm I the only one here who actually LIKES glucose tabs??!?!?! And honestly, it's about as often as we have a blue moon that I only eat 15(or 16g) worth of them. I like the orange best. They're like candy to me.
ReplyDeleteOk, the weirdo is going to go sulk in the corner now. With his glucose tab candies.
Things that make you go Hmmmmm.....
ReplyDeleteTotally need dissolvable tabs! They could even get fizzy or make sounds like Pop Rocks.
Way funner.
Hey, how many carbs are in Pop Rocks? You might be onto an amazing alternative to glucose tablets. I'm low. I have Pop Rocks. Yay!
DeleteI love the facial expression and arms up on the "what gives". LOL!
ReplyDeleteWhat do they want, us to do math while we're low?!
I think we've all been hoodwinked by the marketing team for those old BD 5g tabs... Think about it! THEY made the rule, influenced the HCP's, and it's been spreading like Diet Coke at a d-meetup ever since.
ReplyDeletelol yeah your face in 'what gives' looks like the smiley face in chris' recent parking meter post!
ReplyDeleteMost glucose tabs (mine included) weigh just a little more than 4 grams, which means that 4 grams is all you can fit into something that size (unless you compressed it into something that would chip your tooth and take an hour to dissolve), and have a little space for flavors/colors/excipients. You could make a bigger tablet, like the BD's were, but for those to be 5g and round, they would be 25% thicker. Technically they could have a larger diameter, but I have yet to find a tablet manufacturing facility that has a die larger than 1" diameter. All that being said, as someone who uses tablets often, I also always found it odd that 4g was the standard (and chose to perpetuate it only because it was what everyone was used to). I will say that I have noticed that the ADA now recommends "15-20g" to treat a low. While I RARELY use 20g, it is neatly divided by 4, and 16g does fall inside the 15-20g range.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I carry Rockets around, you know, the candy kids eat? Each package is 7 g, so I treat with two, and you can totally stock up major at Halloween!
ReplyDelete