When they can't swallow: glucagon

Glucagon is the treatment for a severe low — when the person can't swallow safely, has passed out or is having a seizure. The person with diabetes never uses this one themselves; by definition, they can't. So this page is for everybody else: partners, parents, roommates, coworkers, coaches.

The two forms

Nasal glucagon, 3 mg. A puff into one nostril. No needle, no mixing, and it works even if they are unconscious — they don't need to breathe it in.

Injectable glucagon, 1 mg. Into the thigh, through clothing if you must. Newer pens come ready to use.

Whichever form the person carries, it is worth reading its instructions ahead of time, not during the emergency.

What to do

Call 911 every time glucagon is used.

After drinking, it works less well

Where is it right now?

Everyone on insulin should have glucagon, in date, somewhere the people around them can actually find it.

So ask the question now: do you know where it is? The honest answer is usually no — and that is exactly the point. Check the expiry date, agree on where it lives, and show the people you spend the most time with.