I am not diabetic, but I get alot of low-blood sugar attacks and my doctor thinks I might be pre-diabetic and have POS. I have to travel by plane at the end of this month through time zones. When I have travelled the last time I kept getting sharp drops in blood sugar on the plane and for the first day of my trip. No matter how much I ate, it kept dropping. It was pretty scary and I wanted to give up. Does anyone have any advice for my next trip? I really don't want to go through that again. I was also travelling with someone the last time, this time I will be alone. I scheduled my flight so that I will get to eat a big meal before the ride and right after, plus whatever snack they give us on board. Is there some way I can make the transition easier on my body? If any of you travel frequently, please tell me how you do it.

Hi Deedee -
We've chatted before on this board. It really sounds like you have hypoglycemia. My advice to you would be to make sure you have protein snacks with you (along with some carbs...you need the carbs to raise your blood sugar quickly when it gets low). Also, if you keep getting lows, it's possible you're just not eating enough the first time. Or, you may be eating too many carbs and not enough protein, or not enough carbs to fully treat the initial low, so you never really get your blood sugars up to par.

Some ideas:
Peanut butter crackers...these come prepackaged, and it's a good combination of carbs/protein.

Trail mix...nuts are fairly high in protein, and you can add dried fruit for added quick sugar.

Juice boxes...these are great for treating lows, but you'll need a protein with it or you'll end up with a rebound low...perhaps some peanut butter crackers plus a juice box. Also, the smaller (4 or 6 oz) boxes are better than the big 8-12 oz. boxes.

I don't remember, but did you have a glucometer? If so, you're going to need a doctor's letter to carry the lancets on the plane. And, when you check your blood sugar, if it's below 70, treat it with one of the above, wait 15 minutes, and check it again.

Above all, make sure you take your snacks in your carry on baggage! You may also want to pack a couple of sandwiches for the trip, as we just can't count on airline food anymore.

I'm sure many others on this board can give you some more suggestions for treating low blood sugars.

Where are you going on your trip...someplace fun, I hope!

Ruth

[This message has been edited by SamQKitty (edited 05-10-2002).]

Going to Denver for a work-related conference. I'm really excited about getting out to the Rockies. I hear it is really beautiful.

Re the lancets-my doctor told me I didn't need a note, but maybe I should get one just in case. The airline told me to just keep them in their original packaging and it would be OK. Anyone had any experience with that? I would hate to get stuck in security for that.

Deedee -
You may have a problem if the package is opened. While I think that's a very good idea (keeping them in the original package), I'd ask your doctor for a note anyway, ESPECIALLY since you're not diabetic! You're not going to have insulin with you, or syringes, JUST lancets...I'm willing to bet that at least half of the security guards in our airports have never heard of hypoglycemia.

I went to a convention in Denver in 1998, and we took and extra four days and drove to Mesa Verde National Park...it was one of the most exquisite vacations I've ever had. The Rockies are indeed magnificent. We stopped for a picnic lunch right on the Continental Divide (which we shared with many birds), the air was sooo clean, the scenery was just beautiful. Mesa Verde was hauntingly beautiful.

Have a wonderful time...I hope you get to see as much as possible.

Ruth

Since you have hypoglycemic attacks have your doctor test your for this as well as testing you for diabetes. Better to get all of this officially checked out so that you know what is going on for sure. As the other poster pointed out you need to be sure to eat enough high protein snacks which is why the crackers and peanut butter work well. If you like milk then ask the steward/ess for milk to go with your snack.

Originally posted by deedee2074:
I am not diabetic, but I get alot of low-blood sugar attacks and my doctor thinks I might be pre-diabetic and have POS.

What do you normally eat for breakfast? Something higher in protein and fat and lower in carbohydrate would probably stem those low-bloodsugar attacks. What is POS? Did you mean to say PCOS? If so, PCOS is generally recognized as a symptom of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is usually easily corrected with a low carbohydrate diet.

When I have travelled the last time I kept getting sharp drops in blood sugar on the plane and for the first day of my trip. No matter how much I ate, it kept dropping.

What were you eating? Sounds like your drops in bloodsugar (hypoglycemia) may be caused by hyperinsulinemia (excessive insulin) which is typically aggravated when you consume too many easily digested carbohydrates. Carbohydrates stimulate the release of insulin. Again, the solution is to reduce your consumption of easily digested carbohydrates (sugars, breads, cakes, cookies, pastries, pasta, potatoes, rice, corn, etc.) and eat more protein and fats (meat, eggs, cheese, etc.) and non-starchy vegetables and lower sugar fruits (strawberries, blackberries, grapefruit, etc.).

Alan

I've been on a low to no carbohydrate diet for about 7 months with no significant changes in my low blood sugar. As a matter of fact, they are happening more frequently now, but of less intensity. Before, my sugar would drop really low, really quickly. My doctor is still on a fact finding mission, getting me tested for several things. In the meantime, I just try to eat smaller, more frequent meals sans carbohydrates. When I get stressed, or don't get enough sleep my sugar tends to run lower and drop more quickly and more frequently and that is why I am a little bit uneasy about travelling because your time clock gets knocked off. My last travel experience just really scared the heck out of me because I couldn't seem to get my hypoglycemia under control and I was in a country which is not famed for its hospitals and medical personnel. This time I will be in Denver, the weather shoudn't be too hot, and its not that long of a trip, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Deedee-
Hi, me again.

Sounds like you've got a good doctor, Deedee...sometimes diagnoses aren't that simple, but it sounds like he/she is really working with you.

I know that people with hypoglycemia need to be careful about their carbohydrate consumption, BUT, if your blood sugar goes too low, the only way to bring it up fast is with carbs. Thus the suggestions for a combination carb/protein snack.

If you don't treat the low blood sugar with carbs, it will just keep going lower, and you can end up passing out. Extremely low blood sugar can become a medical emergency every bit as serious as diabetic ketoacidosis (extremely high blood sugar/ketones).
It takes too long for your body to digest protein for it to be effective in treating a low.

Alan - I do agree with you that a general low carb diet is much better for hypoglycemics, but if they're still experiencing lows, as Deedee is, you can't fool around with waiting for protein to digest. If you eat a good amount of protein ALONG WITH the carbohydrates, you'll accomplish 2 things. 1) the carbs will bring the blood sugar rapidly back to normal and 2) the protein, which will digest more slowly over time, will provide something for the excess insulin to work on later.

Incidentally, I've been meaning to ask you this for ages, Alan...are you yourself a diabetic? Just curious.

Ruth

Originally posted by SamQKitty:
Alan - I do agree with you that a general low carb diet is much better for hypoglycemics, but if they're still experiencing lows, as Deedee is, you can't fool around with waiting for protein to digest. If you eat a good amount of protein ALONG WITH the carbohydrates, you'll accomplish 2 things. 1) the carbs will bring the blood sugar rapidly back to normal and 2) the protein, which will digest more slowly over time, will provide something for the excess insulin to work on later.

I agree with you. I was primarily recommending the low carb approach as a preventive measure for the hypoglycemia events. It sounds like Dee has something else going on besides just hyperinsulinemia. The bodies ability to convert protein to glucose should prevent bloodsugar levels from going too low, that is, assuming that function is working properly and insulin levels aren't too high. Maybe a check for fasting insulin levels is in order?

Incidentally, I've been meaning to ask you this for ages, Alan...are you yourself a diabetic? Just curious.


I'm 36 years old. I'm not diabetic, but I have been dealing with insulin resistance and my family has some diabetes and insulin resistance.

Alan

Just got back from my trip. Everything went well and the flying part was a breeze. They didn't have my specially requested meal for me, but they were able to scavenge some stuff that I could eat. The only wierd thing I noticed is that while I was in Denver-which is about 1 mile high altitude-my sugar was running lower than it usually does-in the 50's-60's, but I felt great. I didn't have any sort of low blood sugar physical symptoms. Isn't that strange? Now that I am back at sea level, I can definitely feel the lows coming on. Could it be the altitude-that is what I am assuming. Anybody ever had this experience? I am seeing my doc tomorrow so I will ask him about this.