Recognize the signs of hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar can happen suddenly.
Recognize low blood sugar early and take action.

Boy drinking orange juice

It’s important that you notice when your blood sugar gets too low. Low blood sugar is something that people living with diabetes need to be prepared to treat. Less severe cases of hypoglycemia should be treated right away by eating sugar or a sugar-sweetened product such as a regular soft drink or fruit juice.

You might get low blood sugar if you:

  • Take certain medicines or eat too few carbohydrates (starches) or skip or delay a meal
  • Take too much medicine (ask your diabetes care team if this applies to you)
  • Are more physically active than usual

Nonsevere Hypoglycemia

To help with low blood sugar, it is generally recommended that you:

  • Test your blood sugar even if you only feel a little dizzy or have other symptoms
  • Carry low blood sugar treatments with you, like glucose tablets
  • Call your health care provider if your blood sugar is less than 70 mg/dL more than once a week

Early symptoms of hypoglycemia may include:

  • sweating 
  • drowsiness 
  • dizziness 
  • sleep disturbances 
  • irregular heartbeat (palpitation)
  • anxiety
  • tremor 
  • blurred vision 
  • hunger
  • slurred speech  
  • depressed mood  
  • tingling in the hands, feet, lips, or tongue 
  • irritability 
  • abnormal behavior 
  • lightheadedness 
  • unsteady movement 
  • inability to concentrate 
  • personality changes 
  • headache 
  • restlessness 
  • depressed mood  
  • tingling in the hands, feet, lips, or tongue 
  • irritability 
  • abnormal behavior 
  • lightheadedness 
  • unsteady movement 
  • inability to concentrate 
  • personality changes 
  • headache 
  • restlessness 
  • depressed mood  
  • depressed mood  
  • tingling in the hands, feet, lips, or tongue 
  • irritability 
  • abnormal behavior 
  • lightheadedness 
  • unsteady movement 
  • inability to concentrate 
  • personality changes 
  • headache 
  • restlessness 
  • depressed mood  

Severe Hypoglycemia

If not treated early, hypoglycemia may worsen and the person may have severe hypoglycemia. Signs of severe hypoglycemia include:

  • confusion
  • unconsciousness
  • seizures
  • death

If very low blood sugar is untreated, it can cause you to pass out. If you sometimes have low blood sugar that requires help from another person, ask your diabetes care team if GlucaGen® HypoKit® would be helpful.

GlucaGen® HypoKit® is for use only to treat very low blood sugar (severe hypoglycemia) in people with diabetes.

GlucaGen® is glucagon.

What is GlucaGen® (glucagon) for injection 1mg/mL?

GlucaGen® is a prescription medicine used to treat very low blood sugar (severe hypoglycemia) in people with diabetes and as a diagnostic aid during certain radiologic tests to temporarily stop stomach movement in adults. It is not known if GlucaGen® is safe and effective for use in children to temporarily stop stomach movement during radiologic tests.

Important Safety Information

Who should not use GlucaGen®?

Do not use GlucaGen® if:
  • you have a tumor in the gland on top of your kidneys (adrenal gland) called a pheochromocytoma.
  • you have a tumor in your pancreas called an insulinoma.
  • you are allergic to glucagon or any of the ingredients in GlucaGen®.
  • you have a tumor in your pancreas called a glucagonoma because it could cause low blood sugar when used for your radiology tests.

What should I tell my doctor before using GlucaGen®?

Before using GlucaGen®, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have kidney problems. Tumors on your kidneys called pheochromocytomas
  • have adrenal gland problems (adrenal insufficiency)
  • have pancreas problems. Tumors in your pancreas called insulinomas or glucagonomas
  • have not had food or water for a long time (prolonged fasting or starvation)
  • have low blood sugar that does not go away (chronic hypoglycemia)
  • have diabetes mellitus
  • have heart problems
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if GlucaGen® will harm your unborn baby
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if GlucaGen® passes into your breast milk

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over the counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. GlucaGen® may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how GlucaGen® works.

How should I use GlucaGen®?

  • Use GlucaGen® exactly as your doctor tells you to
  • Make sure that you and your family know how to use GlucaGen® the right way before you need it
  • Act quickly. Having very low blood sugar for a period of time may be harmful
  • Call for emergency medical help right after you use GlucaGen®
  • Eat sugar or a sugar-sweetened product such as a regular soft drink or fruit juice as soon as you are able to swallow
  • Tell your doctor each time you use GlucaGen®. Your doctor may need to change the dose of your diabetes medicines

What are the possible side effects of GlucaGen®?

GlucaGen® may cause serious side effects, including:

  • High blood pressure. GlucaGen® can cause high blood pressure in certain people with tumors in their adrenal glands called pheochromocytoma
  • Low blood sugar. GlucaGen® can cause low blood sugar in patients with tumors in their pancreas called insulinomas and glucagonomas by making too much insulin in their bodies. Very low blood sugar can cause passing out (loss of consciousness), confusion, seizures, and death. Talk to your doctor about how to tell if you have low blood sugar and what to do if this happens while using GlucaGen® for injection. Know your symptoms of low blood sugar. Follow your doctor’s instructions to treat low blood sugar.
  • Allergic reactions. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction to GlucaGen® may include rash, difficulty breathing, or low blood pressure (hypotension)
  • Skin rash. A skin rash commonly related to tumors in the pancreas
  • High blood sugar. If you receive GlucaGen® before your radiology test, it can cause high blood sugar in people with diabetes mellitus. Your doctor will check your blood glucose levels during treatment with GlucaGen®.
  • Heart problems. If you have heart problems and receive GlucaGen® before your radiology test, you may have an increase in your blood pressure and pulse. Your doctor will monitor your heart when using GlucaGen® during treatment.

The most common side effects of GlucaGen® include:

  • Injection site reactions
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling sleepy or drowsy
  • Pale skin
  • Diarrhea
  • Lack of energy
  • Lower blood pressure

Please click here for the GlucaGen® Prescribing Information and GlucaGen® Patient Information.

GlucaGen® is a prescription medication.

Talk to your doctor about the importance of diet and exercise in your treatment plan.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

If you need assistance with prescription drug costs, help may be available. Visit pparx.org or call 1-888-4PPA-NOW.