Calling all T1D’s

[Wagonwheel852]

Alright, so I’ve scoured the internet and I’ve done some searching through the search function here with not much luck. I struggle to keep my sugar up. Usually a couple hours in, it drops, I eat something and it starts to recover and then it wears off and I’m right back down in the dumps. From what I’ve read is that most of you don’t eat much at high altitude. Whats worse is when I’m not hungry but my sugar is low and I’m forced to eat something. This has been bouncing around in my head for sometime now. Dumping sugar packets into a collapsible cup with water isn’t out of the question. I know it’s not quality glucose but anything to shake the feeling so you can keep going!

So, any suggestions? Don’t be shy, I’m desperate for ideas!

[Dave B]

Gu?

[BillMiddlebrook]

Definitely less simple sugars, especially the day and night before you hike. And maybe try carrying glucose tablets for the times when your sugar plummets. Way better than roller coasting your levels with pure sugar. I’ve dealt with low blood sugar all my life and I can tell you Doritos are at the top of my recovery options!!

[Ptglhs]

Are you on a pump?
Do you use levemir or some other long-acting insulin or you only on Novalog? (Obviously if you're on a pump You're only on fast acting).

I've been a diabetic for almost 30 years now so I can offer some advice. Not sure if Bill is also a type 1 diabetic or if he's hypoglycemic.

[Wagonwheel852]

Doritos are light weight! :p

Yes, on a pump. I’m coming up on 23 years of diabetes myself. Only my second season of enduring 14ers though. I do work construction so I’m fairly active day to day but the rigors of steep climbing has me stumped. I have all the extreme safety measures but of course the plan is to not get to that point.

Glucose tabs…I have mixed feelings. They work, but I’m not sure they work well enough for this purpose. I believe I used some last year and didn’t seem to work any better then simple sugars.

Bill, I do believe carbing up a day or two prior could bring prove more successful! I need to work on that.

Ptglhs, please share some wisdom!

Thanks guys!

[BillMiddlebrook]

I've been a diabetic for almost 30 years now so I can offer some advice. Not sure if Bill is also a type 1 diabetic or if he's hypoglycemic.

hypoglycemic. Sorry, I didn’t put together the T1D part of the original post.

[Ptglhs]

What is your pump's Target glucose level? Does it have an activity setting? When I'm backpacking or reffing games I leave mine on and my pump's basal rate drops lower because my target glucose is now 150 instead of 110. If your pump is reacting to a CGM, it should automatically be dialing down the dosage. If your pump is on a continuous basal rate then use the settings to turn the basal rate down.

Bolus with caution. If you're stopping for lunch or your blood sugar is high it's s natural to want to give insulin to bring it down but reduce the correction value by half. (I.e. if your blood sugar is 210 with no insulin on board and your correction value is 25mg/dl per unit with a target of 110 your pump would calculate 4 units to be delivered. Change the calculation to 50 per unit and now it's 2. If your target glucose is 150 it's now 1.2.

Don't just have simple sugars. Packets of sugar in a glass of water will absolutely raise your blood sugar, but those will be completely metabolized within about 20 minutes and a automatically dosing pump will start to give insulin as your blood sugar rises. 60 minutes later, you'll be right back where you started. I tend to mix a few trader Joe's fruit jellies with something that's going to take a little bit longer to digest. Candy bars are great for this because they have simple and moderately complex carbs and fat. Chocolate chip cookies work well too. Doritos would be fine too.

What do you typically drink when you're out there? If I'm just going for a Day hike I like to have a mixture of zero sugar, Gatorade and full sugar Gatorade. I find the amount of carbs in the half and half allows me to stay hydrated and keep my blood sugar at a more reasonable level without having to stop and eat all the time.

Not sure what your age is, though I can infer you're at least 24. If you're still in your twenties, exercise will have a drastic effect on dropping blood sugar. When I was in my twenties weightlifting or running My blood sugar would rarely get above 80. Now that I'm in my '40s exercise doesn't have the same effect on body chemistry. Not pining over my lost youth, just saying that if you're on the younger end of things, you're going to have to bring more carbohydrates with you when you're doing 12 hours of moderate exercise, I.e if going up a 14er.

[oldschool]

Go for maltodextrin based "sugar" items instead of simple sugars. ls best to try and target maltodextrin's that are derived from tapioca instead of corn.

Mike

[Wagonwheel852]

Mike, that is very interesting! Thanks for the tip, I’ll definitely look into that.


Ptglhs,
Target is your classic 80-120. At this point unless I really feel the need I take it off or just stop all deliveries. I can still monitor my dexcom through my Garmin watch. I’m 30 and a guy if that also plays a part. Interesting to hear how things change as we age in this aspect.


I usually just carry water. I’ll have to play around with your suggestions and see what happens. And yes, I definitely need to be bringing more carbs with me, and stop sharing so many of them

[jsf80238]

Dumping sugar packets into a collapsible cup with water isn’t out of the question. I know it’s not quality glucose but anything to shake the feeling so you can keep going!

Forgive my ignorance I know next to nothing about Type 1 Diabetes ...

I discovered I don't drink enough water because I don't like the taste when I'm at altitude. I switched to Gatorade and solved that problem.

I use about 25% more water than the recipe calls for, it seems to be the (pardon the pun) sweet spot for me.
I mention this because you can use whatever concentration you like, and/or you could bring multiple bottles with different concentrations.
I personally like the fruit punch flavor. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Gatorade-Fru ... r/10450689

[mtree]

I'm not diabetic but have friends who are. Their to-go foods depend on a few factors.

1) They usually prefer oatmeal for breakfast in addition to yogurt and fruit. I'm guessing you have this figured out already.
2) On the trail the most common have been Honey Stingers, nut bars, protein bars, even trail mix. All carry packets of pure honey. One even munched on popcorn! They usually add electrolytes in their water. No added sugar.
3) Lunch has been everything from a sandwich, rice and beans, Cliff bar, a bag of chips, or nothing. I guess it depends on the individual and on how they're feeling.

In my experience they all figured out what works best for them. Some just munch all day. Some have a big lunch. Some eat very little. It seems the end of the hike is when they need to monitor the most. While I drove home one friend spent the next hour dipping Flamin Hot Doritos into a can of spicy refried beans while sipping a warm beer. Turn up the radio and open the windows!