“Glucagon should be given when someone with diabetes has severe low blood sugar and cannot safely eat or drink,” says Ahmed. “This includes when the person is unconscious, is having a seizure, or is awake but too confused or too drowsy to swallow.”
Glucagon is only rarely administered by the person who is experiencing low blood sugar. Generally, it must be given by a bystander who has been trained in its use.
Glucagon nasal sprays and premixed syringe and pens are designed to be easy to use in an emergency. They have streamlined instructions printed on their packaging, and the medicine can be administered in seconds. The older generation of injection kits, which require mixing the medicine before injecting it, take more work to prepare, but the instructions printed on the kit should be easy to follow.
After administering glucagon, Neumiller says to turn the person over on their side, since the medicine can cause vomiting, which is a choking hazard.
If you haven’t already, call a doctor or 911. Even if the glucagon works, the recipient may still need medical treatment. It usually takes about 15 minutes to regain consciousness after using glucagon.
“If the person does not respond after 15 minutes of giving glucagon while waiting for EMS to arrive, another dose can be given, if available,” says Neumiller.
Once awake and able to swallow, the person should consume sugar, such as by drinking juice, in order to prevent a recurrence of low blood sugar. Glucagon only has a temporary effect, and there is still a need to replenish sugar levels in the body.
If you’ve called for emergency medical care, they will be able to advise whether or not the glucagon user needs to visit a hospital. If staying at home, Ahmed says to keep monitoring blood sugar levels over the next several hours, and to “contact the diabetes care team to review what caused the severe low and how to prevent it in the future.”
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