Test. Then Brush.
Friday, November 17, 2006 | 9 comment(s)
When will I ever learn?
I don't know how often this happens to me, but it's quite frequently.
I'll be getting ready for bed, go brush my teeth, then test my blood sugar just before going to bed to find out I'm low (like just now: 61 mg/dl). I then proceed to cover my minty-clean teeth with glucose tabs (grape flavored for me, please!). Or sometimes I'm just above being low (say somewhere sub-80) and I know that I should have a small snack otherwise I'm in for a low overnight. Both of these events make the brushing-of-the-teeth exercise I'd just performed pointless.
Some nights I have still have the energy to re-brush my teeth, other nights not-so-much. But on nights where glucose tabs
close are required, I try my damnedest to get back up and brush my teeth.
Test. Then brush.
It's a simple rule, really. I just need to follow it and then I'll save myself a lot of hassle.
I don't know how often this happens to me, but it's quite frequently.
I'll be getting ready for bed, go brush my teeth, then test my blood sugar just before going to bed to find out I'm low (like just now: 61 mg/dl). I then proceed to cover my minty-clean teeth with glucose tabs (grape flavored for me, please!). Or sometimes I'm just above being low (say somewhere sub-80) and I know that I should have a small snack otherwise I'm in for a low overnight. Both of these events make the brushing-of-the-teeth exercise I'd just performed pointless.
Some nights I have still have the energy to re-brush my teeth, other nights not-so-much. But on nights where glucose tabs
Note:
Eating glucose tabs in the middle of the night causes some of the worst morning breath ever. Serious yuck. Occasionally I'll get up and gargle some mouthwash after a low to try to prevent this awful morning mouth.close
Test. Then brush.
It's a simple rule, really. I just need to follow it and then I'll save myself a lot of hassle.
9 Comment(s):
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Allison said...
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Christine said...
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Anonymous said...
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art-sweet said...
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Sarah said...
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Scott K. Johnson said...
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Johnboy said...
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Anonymous said...
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Post a Comment || Go HomeI totally know what you mean.
I'm a juice girl, always have been. If I can treat a low with OJ or apple juice, I'm there. I always hated it when I would go low when I was trying to fall asleep (as in, went to bed a decent enough number, say 92 mg/dl, and then promptly drop to 67 mg/dl an hour later) and then I'd have to choke down OJ through my minty mouth. Ew. Ew. Ew.
As soon as I saw the title, I knew what the post would say. Cause I have done the exact same thing countless times. And I just brushed, and haven't tested yet once again. Speaking of which...Okay...99. Good to go.
Just like Megan, I knew exactly what this post was going to say judging by the title... And ME TOO. Now that I'm aware of the mistake, sometiems I even play this little (stupid) game with myself where I try to convince myself that there's no way I'm low...I'm just hungry or something. And then I brush. And then I come up with a 59 or something. And you're right--post-glucose tab morning breath is the worst ever!
The minute I saw the headline, I started laughing out loud.
How many times have I muttered, "would you please remind me to test my blood sugar BEFORE I brush my teeth?"
hahaha, this is probly the reason my teeth are more composite than teeth
Shhh... a little secret. I'm a dentist, and sometimes I don't re-brush either!
A few years back I added an off-the-cuff signature after my name on a post to the Insulin Pumpers UK list. It was around 10pm at night and I'd just cleaned my teeth so it said something along the lines of: "since I have just brushed my teeth, of course my blood sugar is now low". I've no idea really why I typed it and I'll freely admit the syntax wasn't great (I can blame being low) but what I meant was exactly what you have described here. Over the next couple of days I was inundated with emails off the list asking how brushing your teeth lowered your blood sugar! Perhaps they thought that as a dentist in training I'd discovered some hitherto overlooked diabetes management tool... Oh how I wish!
LOL!!! Yep - I'm there too!
I hate when I have to like swish water around to loosen the mashed up oreos before brushing.
Glucose Tabs? That would be way too smart for me...
Good grief! Well, brushing my teeth is always the last thing I do, but I never even considered this dilemma.
Honestly, I think it would depend on how exhauted I felt as to whether I would get back up to do it!
How about overnight low. Would anyone rebrush for THAT? LMAO
That's so true! I'm tempted to put a post-it on the bathroom mirror with that on it.
I'm with Scott here, I hate having to pick crumbs of ANYTHING out of the molars and my hubby always nags me to rebrush. Gr.
I've often thought that it's a Murphy's Law thing... the times I forget to test before brushing are infallibly the times I am low enough to need a snack. Maybe it's a lack of memory thing when I'm a bit low? Or hypo-induced sleepiness?