36 Comments
Have you ever needed to pull over while driving because of a low or a high? Share how you handle your blood sugar while driving in the comments!
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When I plan on driving for extended periods I try to keep my BS somewhat higher than normal to avoid need to address low BS issues.
I have glucose tabs right in the car so just grab the needed amount based on what my CGM reading is.
At the first sign of hypoglycemia I pull over and check with glucose meter (I wear a CGM) and treat if necessary.
When needed, more than when I was MDI and without Dexcom, I would pull over when I felt high or low.
Yes. I’ve pulled over while driving With highs and lows. To eat a snack Or to give a correction bolus. A few times.
I am a senior driver without gps, so especially this year, I stay close to home. I wear the Abbott Freestyle Libre and can scan the sensor at a stoplight, inside a store, with a heavy coat on. Living alone and driving alone, this has been my safest option. I always carry candy inside my purse and car, so I am prepared for the unexpected. Better safe than sorry, so always pull over, don’t take the risk.
Yes, I check glucose before starting car, make any adjustment if needed, use my CGM freestyle2 continuously, carry candy and glucose tablets!
I marked other because I don’t really pull over as I keep low treatments handy in my purse and just grab one before I get that low.
I am highly sensitive to lows, often detecting before my CGM alarms. I have only needed to pull over twice and wait for my sugar to rise. I usually have juice and/or candy in my car.
If I am not very symptomatic, I just grab glucose tabs which are always in my car or take a quick bolus on pump for a high.
The comments I’ve read pretty much track with what I do.
1. Check my Dexcom before heading out and adjust as needed.
2. I keep small box juices and cereal bars in my car if I start going low. I always have glucose tabs readily at hand.
3. If I’m with my spouse, she gets my snacks ready.
4. If I’m not responding quickly enough to the additional glucose, I pull over until the low passes.
Yes, more than I like to admit, but being hypo unaware for many years it’s the reality. I always make sure I’m above 100 before I begin to drive; I have Juicy Juice apple boxes and Life Savers in my SUV. Hopefully I never run out again.
I always have my cgm easily accessible while driving, so I can keep an eye on my readings. Before I drive any distance, I make sure my blood sugar is normal and not low. Otherwise, I correct it before leaving. While driving, I always check my cgm at least once an hour to avoid becoming low. Sometimes, my blood sugar drops fast, so I am fortunate to be able to feed a low coming and I pull over, correct, and wait for my blood sugar to get back in the normal range.
Have worn CGM for several years now and I always the check the screen before I drive. If it alarms for a low or high when I am driving I glance at the screen on my iWatch and pull over to treat as needed.
For lows I keep juice boxes, gummy spice drops, and Transcend glucose gel handily stashed in my car so I can reach them without too much fuss. Along with a supply of bottled water, I also keep peanut butter crackers and Lara bars on hand for emergency nourishment and to stabilize the rebound effect of a low BG with some complex carb & protein.
instead of pulling over, I have eaten a piece of candy
I keep glucose tabs in the car at all times. Additionally I often have individual bottles of pure grape juice in the car. It acts very quickly.
Driving 60 mph surrounded by a ton of steel/plastic and having an insulin reaction is terribly dangerous. I always carry sugar cubes or hard candy in the glovebox. The worst for me is driving cross country, long time/distance, concentrating on the road and surroundings, a reaction may “sneak up” while I’m otherwise occupied.
Yes, long before CGMs were available if I started feeling the confusion of a low I’d pull over and eat a couple of the glucose tabs that are in both front door pockets of the car, or peanut butter sandwich crackers. Also used a rapid response glucose spray from a Canadian company. A short spray in my mouth brought me out of the low faster than the glucose tabs. Unfortunately, the spray is no longer available. Lows were always the issue, never highs.
I have a CGM, so I check it before I start driving. If low, I eat something. If high I bolus. I don’t start driving if I feel it would be risky.
always keep juice & costco snacks in car in EZ location to reach; when BG signals, 1st low, immediately snack
Got a low from Dexcom, was close to an off ramp, pulled off, double checked my bg, I was fine. I do have glucose tablets in the car within easy reach in case I need them.
This is where Dexcom gets a great big shout out. Alarm goes off before I truly go low. In the past I used to have to pull over quite a bit w/out Dex. With Dex I keep glucose tabs on hand if numbers drift down toward the danger zone. Sometimes I will chew on 1/2 tab just to keep from drifting downward. This is also where I wish there were a more efficient watch connection. I have an older watch, so there might be, but my watch is always behind in its readings. I also wish that Tandem made bigger numbers and arrow show up on their screen. It is hard to read.
I pull over for a low or wait in a parking lot to feel better before I drive.
For highs, I check for occlusions and change the site. For lows, I eat something to bring my BG up. Lows aren’t a problem with pump & CGM.
Over the years I’ve had way, way to many of these never high just lows. Now that I’m on a pump that suspense when going low and a CGM to match these issues are now nonexistent. Then to top it off the Keto diet is even helping further with pretty consistent sugar levels throughout the day and night.
The high was long ago and it was 450. I had been in another state and didn’t change site.
Pulled over, did that, gave and extra injection and all was well. For lows I carry glucose tablets and have stopped a while to let them kick in.
I check my blood sugar prior to driving if my sensor is not connected. I wear the Dexcom 10. It alerts for lows/highs and rapid drops in blood sugar levels. A great asset. I am spoiled in that when we vacation or travel for any distance, my spouse drives. I’m a great co pilot in the car!!
I always have my cell phone app on that shows my blood sugar while I am driving. If I have a drastically low blood sugar, I pull over into a parking lot and eat some sugar and wait until my BS rises.
I carry glucose tablets with me _everywhere_.
I have pulled over many times (but, luckily, have not needed to in a long time because of my CGM) and gobbled down glucose tabs like they were the last food on earth.
I had one incidence (about 40 years ago) where my vision started to become blurry and I couldn’t see the lines on the freeway… it was also at night. Luckily for me, my Dad was with me and I said, “Dad, I need to pull over… but, I can’t tell where the lines are… or the other cars… can you guide me and then drive us home?”… and, he did!
My husband (who is has the T1) hasn’t had to pull over while driving but has gotten into the car to come home from someplace (often activity related) and had to wait while he ate glucose tablets and they took effect.
Eat lifesavers and wait until I am sure I am climbing
Always have candy and snacks in my console. Always test before driving. Treat lows with sweets and carbs, sometimes temporary basal adjustment.
A few times I have over the years. I always have glucose tablets in the car but I would pull over, eat, wait and test before I would start driving again. But now with CGM, I have alerts set so I get the alarm before getting low, so I can head it off before the fact.
One time driving home after a full day of snow skiing, I had to pull over, have a snack, and then let my wife drive. I knew it was coming on and the challenge was just finding a spot on the road which was safe.
After 54 years of T1D, I’ve had to pull over a couple of times. My Dexcom G6 app on my iPhone allows me to verbally ask Siri what my glucose is. My car is fairly new, so I can push a button on the steering wheel, ask Siri for my SG, and the car’s speaker will announce the SG and the trend (up or down). I check it before I leave and monitor it throughout the driving trip. If it starts to drop more than a couple of points, I get out my Welch’s Fruit gummies (2g/gummy) that I keep accessible in my purse. I just pop 2 or 3 depending on the speed of the drop and they bring my BG up quickly. If I’m over 250 and rising, then I pull over and take a correction bolus.
I pull over or just eat something I have with me while driving. I get alarms on my watch in time to correct before it gets out of hand.