cake frosting vs. cake gel vs. cake icing

Hi -- we're at day 5 of our new diagnosis. I know it's a basic question, but I can't find an answer on the blogs -- what the heck should we be looking for re: cake frosting, gel, or icing?! Target has huge tubes -- is that what people use? Is this what we should find: http://www.d-mom.com/cake-icing-gel-and-d-lol/

Many thanks!
Kevin

 

Some stores have smaller tubes (I remember getting a four pack of cake frosting at Acme/Shoprite where each tube was 14g of carbs), but I'm not a big fan of using cake frosting. Some of the smaller tubes require you to cut off the tips before using, which is one more step that I will most likely forget to do before I experience a low. I know Level Life carries glucose gel packets and most pharmacies have their own glucose gel brand that you could use for instances where your child is low but not unconscious.

 

If you really want something "squirtable", then I'd go for the little tubes of gel.

For my daughter, she carries packs of fruit snacks. The entire pack is about 22 carbs and if she has a mild low, she can just eat 1 or 2, or a big low, she'll eat the entire pack. Easier to do a smaller amount of sugar than a juice box and very portable.

 

Also as you get used to this you sometimes want to dose a specific number of carbs, so glucose tabs are easy to count/dose. We also like fruit leather because they are 10g flat and portable.

 

Hey sorry for the diagnosis.

They probably sent you home from the hospital with instructions about 15g of carbs to treat a low, wait 20 minutes, check again, or something similar.

The thing of it is, depending on the weight of your child, 15g's of carbs for a mild low, might be alot and you are then stuck with a high number later that you have to deal with.

So this article had some great facts about treating hypoglycemia. We have been using the information here for about a year and it has been working terrifically.

http://diatribe.org/issues/55/thinking-like-a-pancreas

 

Yes those small tubes are handy, just be sure to pre-snip the ends as noted in the article. We've rarely used them but generally kept on hand (he's off in college now). I really loved having those to put into swimsuit trunks at the beach and in snow pants while skiing, much easier than trying to have candy or juice and keeping it dry. The one time he had to use one (was dropping fast and jittery with it), ours had totally gone rancid, so he was squirting and spitting almost simultaneously. I know there is no way you can ever imagine humor in a low at this point post diagnosis, but trust me, it was funny. And you will get there too.

I also like those little fancy tubes of honey for tea, 4grams each which is a nicer option than squirting a bunch of icing and then battling a high later. Not sure of the age of your kid, but even for my large teen 15grams as instructed is generally too much. That's a learning curve you'll get to, don't worry about that now. But these are nifty too, and honey is another that absorbs into the gums if you have a kid who isn't cooperating.

http://www.ebeehoney.com/Honey-Straws-Stix.html

 

Our endo had told us to use the gel. The regular frosting, he said, had fat in it so takes longer to hit the system. The gel is mostly pure sugar.

 

I simply love amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-704-30...TF8&qid=1422307747&sr=8-5&keywords=icing+tube
the link will only go to the black. Don't get that! White IS an option.

Search on this was "tea straw". As with the icing though, quick opening may be a problem, some of these have a little tear area, but you may need scissors so may not want out and about.

http://www.amazon.com/Stash-Tea-Ori...F8&qid=1422307885&sr=8-2&keywords=honey+straw

 

You can also get honey packets at starbucks! They are 12g each. I grab a handful every so often. They fit perfectly into the pocket on the outside of my meter. And I don't like them enough that I would eat them when I was not low.

 

One thing I have always heard is that in an extreme low you can rub cake gel inside the cheek and it will absorb through the skin. I've never gotten to that point. If at all possible I think it's better to use glucagon in those cases.

 

I did that for years but now I find honey so much harder to find at SBs.

Sometimes I'll buy those honey sticks.

 

You can buy the small, easy to open packs of honey online; just search "honey packs". You can get massive quantities or buy them individually. We put them in small kits that are in DD's classrooms and in cars (mine, DH's, my mom's, and other caregivers).

 

Anything with fat or oil in it will be slower to absorb. I've heard diabetic gels don't taste so good but they really are meant more for when someone can't swallow. For the new parents, Jelly Belly's are 1 gram each. Fruit snacks are great and dried fruit like pineapple can work really fast. And the small 16 gram juice box with Clifford on it seems to be the diabetic standard. Sometimes kids get tired of the same old low supplies. The last I checked Target had the best prices on glucose tabs.

 

Jelly beans are my go-to hypo treatment. They're perfect for really fine tuning hypoglycemia dosages (especially when I noticed that I can get away with consuming 1-8g of carbs for lows above 50 with no IOB) without worrying about over treating and having a nasty spike afterwards. Sour patch kids, candy corn, skittles, smarties, sweet tarts, lifesavers, etc are also really good for those lows where you don't need the full 15g of carbs and are easy to portion out (I like to make note on the bag regarding how many grams of carbs one piece is).

Typically, I like to stock up on hypoglycemia treatment right after Halloween (though I am also waiting for all the Valentine's day candy to go on sale). The "fun sized" candy packets are perfect to keep in my d-bag for when on the go lows strike, and I can fit a lot more carbs in my bag with them compared to glucose tablets.