Sarah Howard
Sarah Howard has worked in the diabetes research field ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Marketing Manager at T1D Exchange.
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Have you ever used glucagon? If so, when was the last time used it? Cancel reply
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I have used glucagon many years ago. I have however used Baqsimi within the last year.
I was going into surgery and couldn’t eat or drink anything and I went low right before it. I called ask-a-nurse what I should do and they told me to call my surgeon (at 5:30am). I did and he told me to go to the hospital right away. My husband came up with the idea to use the “red needle” as he calls it. My surgeon said that was an excellent idea. And I was exactly 140 BG going into surgery, exactly where they wanted me. Problem solved.
Same thing happened to me. I did not expect to go as low as I did.
I felt that managing blood sugar right before surgery (or a colonoscopy) was a complicated and stressful thing!
I have had glucagon used on me a few times in my life. Last year I used Baqsimi on myself because my blood sugar was dropping too fast to stop it with glucose tablets or gels.
Way too expensive. Dextrose is just as effective and pennies on the dollar cheaper
I’ve been a Type 1 since 1976. I am currently in my 70’s. Once I reached my mid-50’s, I began experiencing more frequent and sever hypoglycemic episodes requiring glucagon at east once or more times per year. Once I transitioned to a pump 10 years ago, I haven’t needed glucagon. I do still get some low BG episodes but none so bad that I experience severe hypos where I can’t help myself. Pumping has given me and my husband (who became adept at glucagon administration) much greater peace of mind.
Subject to severe hypoglyemia many times each week, sometimes each day and overnight. No need for an overpriced pharmaceutical. Always have chocolate candy everywhere. At work and the dance sudio individually wrapped enough for everyone to help themselves. They watch me for signs and the CGM alarm.
My husband tried to use it once, probably more than 20 years ago, after an event that led him to call 911. The EMTs gave me dextrose and I finally awoke to find about 5 men in uniforms surrounding our bed and I asked for Dad! Even though they got my blood glucose up, their protocol was to take me to the hospital! What an extraordinary waste of time and resources that was.
It was after that when my doctor gave me a prescription for glucagon and at some point, I was dropping fast so my husband tried to give it to me but had such a hard time reading the instructions, that the orange juice he had somehow gotten me to swallow began to work so we ended up not using the glucagon that he had opened up in his attempt to adminster it. As I recall, he had to change the juice-ridden sheets before we could safely get back to sleep. After that we simply had a supply of glucose gel that he could skirt in my mouth. The pump got me in better control and Dexcom even better and now that I have Tandem with Control IQ, I simply never get that low. Low alarms don’t even happen all night long. Thank goodness those scary days are over!
Ah – I have recall of orange juice soaked pajamas and sheets! We didn’t have a glucagon kit at home back then to treat severe lows. Just OJ and Karo syrup, thus the sticky mess! As a kid I my mom would throw me into a tub of warm bubble bath to warm my shivering body and clean me up.
Yes indeed I too thank goodness for the technology of Dexcom and Tandem CIQ!
No. GVoke is in the refrigerator. Historically, these emergency remedies have been so complicated to use I am the only one in the house or neighborhood capably of administering them properly. GVoke seems (SEEMS!) to be easier to use, if required. ( ͡❛ 👅 ͡❛)
T1 for 64 years. Any time I would go on long hikes when I was on injections I would have convulsions at night so I had glucagon many times. Since the early 1990s when I got a pump (and later a CGM), I have used Baqsimi once. Dextrose just doesn’t cut if for me with extreme lows.
Never used in 51+ T1D yrs.
The last time I had to use was when I was 16 years old. That’s 39 years ago.
Self-administered Glucagon has saved me from slipping into hypoglycemia oblivion several times in my adult life with diabetes. We didn’t have it when I was a kid on NPH shots and subject to hypoglycemic seizures if I was too physically active and/or didn’t eat enough to feed the insulin peak at the right times. I grew weary of having to eat obligatory snacks of graham crackers and milk and would often skip them!
These days I keep Baqsimi and Gvoke on hand. During the past two years I have used one or the other in very rare and infrequent incidents of my BG trending below 50 >> 40. My insurance covers Gvoke and I pay out of pocket for Baqsimi – and believe me it’s worth it!
I really didn’t know how to answer this, I haven’t used it on myself, but about 20 years ago I had to use it on my son. That was hopefully the last time ever!
I almost had to but the syringe and mix was too complicated when I finally hit the 34BG mark, and finally the juice kicked in, thankfully. Now I have Baqsimi (spelling?) for nasal use, which the next time should be much easier.
Sometime in the last 1-3 years. It was around 7 am and my BG was in the low 70s and I had to do fasting blood work for an upcoming appointment with my endocrinologist and my lab appointment wasn’t for another two hours. I had recently filled a prescription for baqsimi, the nasal glucagon powder so I used one dose. My BG quickly rose to 130 and I didn’t violate the fasting mandate for the blood tests.
Baqsimi is so easy to use, store, discreet and was very effective.
I refill the prescription when the current one expires, but have never needed it (knock on wood).
I needed it for split mix injections that were the worst. Needed it about 3 times over my first 10 years of T1D. Been on the pump for 20 years now and feel I don’t needed it. Now with CGM and low alarms I haven’t need it. Go low, get alarm, take some action.
Never had the need since any sugared food works so well
Post closed loop, medics or EMS has not been required in last 10 tea
I use in “mini doses”, 5-10u in an insulin syringe. Works quickly & I don’t get the unwanted calories
Too bad my mom didn’t know about glucagon.
Today I think like a pancreas. I carry sugar cubes in backpack, coat, and in pocket in used plastic tubes that contained One Touch bg test strips. One sugar cube has 4 grams sugar and 16 calories. One or two cubes handles low bgs identified by Dexcom G6. Seattle EMTS gave me way too much glucose at last incident. They used to administer glucagon which was far more effective, or was that my own liver responding to low bg? You really do not need a quart of ice cream or a bacon cheese burger or an entire small pizza for the occasional low bg. On the other hand, if you’re hiking in the Cascades, or doing 40’’ on the elliptical after your 12 sets on the Nautilus…better to reduce insulin doses, and keep a Luna Bar crunchy granola handy.
Only used glucagon once in 32 years with T1. I was having repeated low alarms on my cgm after a meal and having juice, and then vomited. I called my endocrinologist and after a fingerstick check, she recommended I take glucagon.
The lowest my BG has ever been is in the 20’s and I am still able to swallow after being forced/coerced to. It has not been that low in more than a decade.
We have glucagon on hand every year just in case, but have never needed it.
I used it once, but only used half of the syringe full. It was a time I was sick and couldn’t keep anything down, except my blood sugar!
It has been my practice to have glucagon on hand (now Baqsimi and Gvoke on the advice of my endo); thankfully there has not been an occasion for use.
I have only had it used on me once and that was when I had a seizure while sleeping. That was about 7 years after being diagnosed and had never had anything like that happen before, or thankfully since. I feel if one is a awake, unless unable to eat or keep food down, there is no need for such things as glucagon as one should be able to treat their lows with food or drink, however, if one is seizing or unconscious, there really isn’t anything else that can/should be done so it is good to have glucagon on hand. If one is seizing or unconscious nobody should try to put anything in that persons mouth, so glucagon is a good thing to have. Much better than being in that state until EMT’s can arrive to save them, and much better than having to deal with EMT’s being there when they come to.
I have since got Baqsimi, which I got right after it came out, but after recently reading many reviews on it, I am now afraid of it so my current script is for the Glucagon Kit that was used on me before. Too many people said in reviews how horrible it was when Baqsimi was used on them, how it felt like a lit sparkler had been shoved in their nose and how they had a lot of pain in both their nose and head for many hours, some even for days, after it was used. I no longer feel comfortable having it used on me and would like to just throw it in the garbage, but have kept it, for now, til I get a few Glucagon Kits stored up for just in case.
I thought about getting Gvoke, but since it is new and there are not many reviews on it at all, I decided against it too and will just stick with the kit as it has been out long enough for us to know it works and what effects to expect from it. The reviews on Baqsimi have scared me away from trying any new meds until they have been out long enough to have reviews out from real users.