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How Low Can You Go?
originally posted January 7, 2011
(Be sure to click through to the original where there are lots of great comments.)
And by low, I want to know what the lowest cost remedy to treat a low blood sugar is.
Everyone has their favorites: juice, glucose tablets, even candy such as Smarties and Skittles.
We always used juice for lows. And then I realized that Smarties and glucose tablets have the same first ingredient, dextrose, and Smarties were a lot cheaper and a heck of a lot more fun!
But let’s face it, sometimes it’s easier to hold a straw to a child’s mouth and help her drink juice rather than have them chew a roll or two of candy or several glucose tablets.
I decided to do a little comparison shopping and figure out how to get the best bang for your buck.
| Item | Cost | Number Servings | Carbs Per Servings | Total Carbs Per Package | Cost Per 1 Gram Carb, in cents | Retailer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smarties (18 oz.) | 2.64 | 67 | 6 | 402 | 0.65 | Target |
| Smarties (16 oz.) | 3.19 | 60 | 6 | 360 | 0.89 | Walgreens |
| Juice, Juicy Juice (8 pack) | 2.19 | 8 | 15 | 120 | 1.83 | Target |
| Glucose Tablets, Target Brand | 4.59 | 50 | 4 | 200 | 2.26 | Target |
| Glucose Tablets, Meijer Brand | 4.79 | 50 | 4 | 200 | 2.40 | Meijer |
| Glucose Tablets, ReliOn (Walmart) Brand | 4.98 | 50 | 4 | 200 | 2.49 | Walmart |
| Glucose Tablets, Walgreens Brand | 5.49 | 50 | 4 | 200 | 2.74 | Walgreens |
| Glucose Tablets, CVS Brand | 5.99 | 50 | 4 | 200 | 3.00 | CVS |
| Glucose Tablets, Dex 4 | 6.99 | 50 | 4 | 200 | 3.50 | Dex4 |
I have to wonder why glucose tablets are considerably more expensive than Smarties. Do they charge more because they can? Is there a significant ingredient difference (none that I can see). It’s not like glucose tablets are pharmaceuticals and have to have FDA approval, that I’m aware of. And it looks like the store brands are cheaper than the name brand Dex 4. Prices given here are regular prices, though some of these were actually on sale when I did my price comparison.
We don’t normally shop at Walmart for a variety of reasons that I won’t go into here, but I did pop in a few weeks ago when we were leaving a birthday party on that side of town and we were in the middle of a snow storm and needed to quickly get a few items. (Was that TMI? I always feel like I need to justify my annual Walmart trip.)
I picked up a couple of the ReliOn Glucose Keychains, which were under $2 each. Each keychain holds four glucose tablets. I attached one to the zipper of our pump bag that we carry around. I’m not sure how easily Q could open it, but four glucose tablets are at the ready. (Thanks for the tip, Lorraine!) I have not seen this type of keychain at any of the other pharmacies around town.
Don’t forget that if you are enrolled in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) that glucose tablets are usually eligible. You might also be able to use your FSA for juice or Smarties with approval, or so I’ve heard. Though rules have changed for 2011 and we may need prescriptions, even for over-the-counter items, for FSA reimbursement.
What do you use to treat lows? Do you look for the lowest cost ways to treat lows?
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