Diabetes and golf.

[Dodger]

A packet of crisps and nuts would not 'work immediately'.

I like your story but this part of it is simply not true.

Dodger, I can assure you by the time he had had his g & S and snack, he was able to discuss how his behaviour had impacted on the staff ie how loud had he been speaking etc
He even, in hypo, had a bead of sweat that appeared between his eyebrows(this was my way of realising it was a hypo) and even that receded as we stood at the bar.
It took a wee while, including a stay in hospital to obtain his 24 hour readings, to get his dosage correct but that made him OK again.
Now you have every right to disbelieve me but it would be a strange thing to make up about a subject that is very dear to me.
I bet I have collected more BDA tins than most people!!

Crisps and nuts are very slow acting so to try and treat a hypo with these is foolhardy as is trying to treat it with chocolate,yes it may bring him back to where he needs to be eventually but it will take a long time in comparison to what he needs to be treating himself with.One of the biggest misconceptions is that chocolate is good for treating hypos.........it is not.I am sure our resident doctor Ethan will back up my claims to be correct.That said some of the doctors I have met have a shockingly bad knowledge of the condition.

 

[19th]

Dodger, maybe it was his G & S - could that have helped?

I just assumed it was my snack that did the trick and I have been so proud of me over the years - bubble burst!

 

[Ethan]

For a proper diabetic having a hypo, I would suggest something sugary and liquid. Lucozade is perfect, but any sweet drink would do and the effect would be more or less immediate. A chocolate bar would also be OK.

Crisps and nuts would be better than nothing, but wouldn't usually work immediately.

 

[Dodger]

For a proper diabetic having a hypo, I would suggest something sugary and liquid. Lucozade is perfect, but any sweet drink would do and the effect would be more or less immediate.A chocolate bar would also be OK

Crisps and nuts would be better than nothing, but wouldn't usually work immediately.

Ethan,are you really sure about that,would you tell someone with a blood sugar of 2.2 to take a bar of chocolate??

After you have taken some fizzy pop yes but not to treat the hypo on its own as chocolate can take upwards of 20 minutes to kick in!

 

[Ethan]

A sugary drink is best, but if you have nothing better, a sugary choc bar would be OK (but not ideal), although as you say it takes longer. I stil have some problems understanding how crisps and nuts would help. A blood sugar of 2.2 is low but not critical. I have seen sugars <1.0. They needed some immediate attention.

Some diabetics carry glucose sweets or tablets for hypos.

 

[Bunkers]

Howdy Fabian

Sorry to hear about your news. A bit of an extreme way to get out of playing Cathcart though...

I agree with most of the dietary advice above re. having snacks (fruit and complex cabs if poss) and sugary rescue drinks in the bag. Make sure that you eat a decent breakfast before heading out to the course will also help reduce the risk of developing hypos on the course.

In addition to the above:

1) Make sure that your shoes are comfortable, waterproof and well fitting. Some people with diabetes can develop reduced sensation in their feet and also have problems when it comes to healing etc. Result = blisters, ulcers and sores that can be difficult to treat. I've had to treat diabetic golfers with the above and it's not easy. The best way is to prevent these occuring in the first place by looking after your feet and visiting the DM podiatrist regularly (your GP can arrange this).

2) Get yourself a MEDI-ALERT braclet/chain. This just means that if you are unwell, it allows those treating you to give appropriate treatment more quickly. Also let your playing partners know about it at the first sign of you feeling unwell.

As with any chronic disease, you will learn to control it and ultimatley, it will not hold you back.

Best wishes and hopefully see you on the links soon mate!

Ray

 

[oleday]

I also agree with most of the dietary advice above re. having snacks (fruit and complex cabs if poss) and sugary rescue drinks in the bag. Make sure that you eat a decent breakfast before heading out to the course will also help reduce the risk of developing hypos on the course.

Make breakfast something with a low glycemic index such as porridge. I would also make sure the day before I had a meal with wholemeal pasta/rice etc.

A flapjack bar or two makes a good mid round snack.

Good luck

 

[Farneyman]

Cheers folks for all the advice. Lots to take on board but nothing that I cant do myself with a bit of prior planning.

That is probally the major change now, having to plan meals and making sure I dont leave home without my "manbag".

Now my next mission is to find out what drink I can have that wont send my bloods daft. Im not a heavy drinker but like the odd tipple! Any ideas?

Thanks again everyone.

 

[birdieman]

19th I can see why Dodger said that, I'm type 1 as well and if I go a bit low on the blood sugars crisps ain't going to do it, 10g of carbs in starch from crisps is too slow to work. Body can release glycogen from the liver to bring blood sugar up after you've been hypo for a while but if you've been on the piss that can't happen for whatever reason. Hypo's vary a lot form person to person, I'm lucky that it's a long warning period for me and I can sweat and tremble for a long time without it getting too bad, I've never become incoherent or falling about 'drunk like' with it.
I ran 44 blood sugar when the GP diagnosed me!
to the OP re golf the modern way pros are eating is low carbs/high protein before any golf- they don't want a cycle of peaks and troughs in their blood sugar when playing - you can do that too. Just keep your insulin dose low and avoid starchy/sugary food before the game - that way you can get through a whole round without worrying about having to eat too much - you should still eat something but not too sugary. You should not be needing to glug lucozade or eat mars bars on the course - manage the insulin dose correctly and you'll be fine. Trial and error a bit at first but you'll get there. Good luck.
There is a lot of ignorance out there about the condition, just manage your blood sugar well, don't smoke and get regular exercise.

 

[Andy]

Dodger, maybe it was his G & S - could that have helped?

I just assumed it was my snack that did the trick and I have been so proud of me over the years - bubble burst!

19th

Think you'll find it be the liver automatially releasing glucose as a natural response to his BM being way too low.

The crisps and nuts are a load of balls as far as raising blood sugar levels quickly are concerned. As stated by many, 100ml of Lucozade followed by a comples carb snack such as a sandwich or cereal to stabalize his BMs.

Chocolate is also a no no for raising BM's as it contains too many oils that the body has to break down before it takes effect.

Andy

 

[Andy]

19th I can see why Dodger said that, I'm type 1 as well and if I go a bit low on the blood sugars crisps ain't going to do it, 10g of carbs in starch from crisps is too slow to work. Body can release glycogen from the liver to bring blood sugar up after you've been hypo for a while but if you've been on the piss that can't happen for whatever reason. Hypo's vary a lot form person to person, I'm lucky that it's a long warning period for me and I can sweat and tremble for a long time without it getting too bad, I've never become incoherent or falling about 'drunk like' with it.
I ran 44 blood sugar when the GP diagnosed me!
to the OP re golf the modern way pros are eating is low carbs/high protein before any golf- they don't want a cycle of peaks and troughs in their blood sugar when playing - you can do that too. Just keep your insulin dose low and avoid starchy/sugary food before the game - that way you can get through a whole round without worrying about having to eat too much - you should still eat something but not too sugary. You should not be needing to glug lucozade or eat mars bars on the course - manage the insulin dose correctly and you'll be fine. Trial and error a bit at first but you'll get there. Good luck.
There is a lot of ignorance out there about the condition, just manage your blood sugar well, don't smoke and get regular exercise.

Birdieman,

The liver is too busy dealing with the bevvy when were on the piss to think about realeasing glucose to help us in our times of hypo's.

Andy

 

[Bunkers]

I worked with a manager for a few years who would disagree about anything just to get an argument going and REFUSE to take any remedial snacks. I always solved the problem by storming off to the pub next door and telling him, on my way out, that his gin and slimline would be on the counter but grudged. By the time he came in I had a packet of crisps torn open and nuts sprinkled over them and as he raised his glass he naturally helped himself to the snack and this worked immediately.

You sure your old manager wasn't an alcoholic and rather than a hypo he was just ganting on a drink?????? Just a thought...

 

[Matty]

I work in healthcare and I'm certain that with the right precautions and some common sense you'll be able to play golf just fine.

Make sure you eat something a few hours before setting off that will release energy for the entire time you play - cereals (but not those loaded with sugar), pasta and that sort of thing.

Then make sure you've got things in your bag to snack on to keep the energy level topped up - bananas are a good idea. Finally make sure you have a rescue snack - mars bar, lucozade or similar as suggested above.

Finally, I think it would be wise to carry a mobile phone and tell your playing partners about your condition if they don't already know. That way if things do ever end up going really pear shaped (and with all the above I can't really see that happening) they can call an ambulance and tell the crew all about you!

Overall though, be sensible and certainly keep enjoying your golf - the exercise will be good for you!!