Building a low-treatment kit you'll actually carry
Formats, shelf life and pocketability.
Not yet medically reviewed. Talk to your care team before changing your routine.
A low treatment only helps if it's with you when you need it. The best kit is the one small and easy enough that you actually carry it everywhere. This guide covers formats, shelf life and how to pack them. How much to take and when comes from your care team's plan.
How lows are usually treated
The American Diabetes Association describes a common approach for treating a low: about 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrate, then recheck after 15 minutes and repeat if still low. It's often called the "15-15 rule." Your care team may give you a different plan, and children often need different amounts. Follow your own plan, not this guide.
Formats that work in a pocket
Glucose tablets are measured, last a long time, and don't melt. Gels and liquids are quick to take and helpful if chewing is hard, but the packets can leak if squashed. Chewable glucose and candy chews are easy to carry, but check the carb count on each one. Juice boxes work well at home and in school bags, but are bulky.
Foods with fat or protein, such as chocolate or peanut butter crackers, raise glucose more slowly. They're a poor first choice for treating a low, even if they're tasty.
Shelf life and heat
Check expiration dates when you buy and every few months after that. Tablets can crumble or harden in humid heat, and gels can separate in a hot car. Keep a fresh set in each place you store a kit, and use the older ones up first.
Where to keep kits
Put one kit wherever a low might happen: your pocket or bag, the car, your desk, the nightstand, a gym bag, and, for children, the classroom, the nurse's office and any after-school spot. Duplicate kits mean you never have to remember to move one.
Glucagon and the people around you
If you've been prescribed glucagon, it's for severe lows, when someone can't safely eat or drink. It only works if the people around you know where it is and how to use it. Show family, coworkers or coaches where it lives, and go through the device instructions with them. Check its expiration date too.
A kit checklist
A small zip pouch with: measured fast-acting glucose for at least two treatments, a meter or a way to check your CGM, a note of your emergency contact, and glucagon if prescribed. That's enough. If it's small, you'll carry it.
Sources
- American Diabetes Association — Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Glucose) (diabetes.org)
- NIDDK — Low Blood Glucose (Hypoglycemia) (niddk.nih.gov)
- American Diabetes Association — Standards of Care in Diabetes, current edition (diabetesjournals.org/care)
Educational content only. Diabetes Collective does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk with your care team before changing your diabetes management.