Up/Down Controller User Info/Support Blood Glucose Records
Living with Diabetes
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To treat hypoglycemia (low blood glucose)
Any time your blood glucose is low, treat it immediately. Check it
every 15 minutes while you are treating, to make sure you don’t
overtreat the condition and cause blood glucose levels to rise
too high.
1. If blood glucose is below 70 mg/dL, eat or drink 15 grams of
fast-acting carbohydrate, such as glucose tablets, juice, or
hard candy (see “How much is 15 grams of carbohydrate?”
below).
2. Check blood glucose again after 15 minutes.
3. If blood glucose remains low, take another 15 grams of
carbohydrate. Contact your healthcare provider as needed
for guidance.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until blood glucose is within the BG goal.
5. Investigate possible cause for hypoglycemia to avoid similar
problems in the future (see “Possible causes of hyperglyce-
mia (high blood glucose)” on the next page).
How much is 15 grams of carbohydrate?
Examples of fast-acting foods:
Three 5-gram glucose tablets, or four 4-gram tablets
4 ounces of apple or orange juice
6 Lifesavers or similar hard candy
1/2 can of regular (non-diet) soda
2 tablespoons of table sugar, honey, or corn syrup
Even if you cannot check your blood glucose, do NOT
wait to treat symptoms of hypoglycemia, especially
if you are alone. Waiting to treat symptoms could
lead to severe hypoglycemia, which can quickly lead
to shock, coma, or death.
Do NOT use chocolate or candy bars to treat low
blood glucose. Their fat content slows down glucose
absorption.
Teach people you trust (like family members and
close friends) how to give a glucagon injection. You
will need to rely on them to give it to you if you have
severe hypoglycemia and become unconscious.
Include a copy of the glucagon instructions in your
emergency kit and periodically review the proce-
dure with family and friends.
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