Have any of you ever had to use the dreaded glucagun

[Treysmom]

I know terrible subject. I really don't want to know. But I feel I have to ask. That is one prescription I hated to fill. Crazy I know. Its there as a tool to help, but scares the he.. out of me. ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (*shivering):eek:

[Barry]

do a topic search on that one...a week or two ago all the scary, crazy stories, rolled heavy on that one. lots of post

Barry

[pookas]

Not yet...Hopefully never will have to, but I have the kits everywhere...

[caspi]

Just looking at that bright red box scares the heck out of me! I'm hoping I never have to use it!!!!

[coni]

Not yet either. They recently did a poll on the CWD website. I think at least 75% had NOT had to use the glucagon.

[pookas]

Coni, I think it's because we are all so diligent about BS checks. Not that one's that had to use it were no diligent. I'm SOOOO scared that I would have to use it one day cause I go into panic attacks w/ things like that and I'm afraid I would do something wrong. If DH was home and it happened, I would definately count on him to do it and me give the direction. D is so unpredictable when you think things are good, it goes to sh**.

[coni]

I agree that we're a diligent bunch. I also can't dispute that D is unpredictable! I, too, hope I will not have to use the glucagon. I tend to look for statistics to calm my crazy mind. That said, you betcha I carry that shot with us!!!

[Treysmom]

Thank you so much for the replies. Hopefully we will never have to use it.

[bethdou]

We have a new health tech at school this year (no nurse). Last year, we had a jr. high boy who was VERY non-compliant as far as his diet went....when the school served cinnamon rolls for breakfast (once a month) he would have his friends buy him some, then eat several, drink several chocolate milks, and then show up at the nurse an hour later SKY HIGH. Hmmm, wonder why? Or he would super-bolus before eating and go too low.
He had a couple of seizures last year during the day, and the nurse (tech) had to glucagon him both times. She said it was the scariest thing having to watch him seize while she was trying to mix it up and get it drawn up into the syringe....seemed to go on forever.

Anyhow, the point of my post is that the new HT had no idea how to do glucagon; hadn't even opened the box. I had to take one out the other day and explain it to her. And she has supposedly undergone training, but I don't know on what! She didn't know how to test M's bg or how to draw up her insulin; now M just comes to my room for tests and shots. She's still not comfortable with Connie, and as long as I am at school, I don't care if she doesn't go to her.

I am hoping NEVER to need it either, but want to know what to do just in case! And I keep a regular syringe with it so I don't have to use the monster needle....
:eek:

[Momof4gr8kids]

I have seen some bad lows, but fortunately never had to use it.......knock on wood. Hopefully we don't have to find out about the mess of using it.....any of us.

[rickst29]

We have been going through about 6 per year each of the last 4 years, plus a few by EMTs in interesting places (I mean locations on the map, not locations on my body). I've been the lucky stabbee, and my wife (who has some medical training) is the stabber. And my strong neighbor is usually called over to hold my leg down while she pokes it, I'm a fighter when I get that low, all confused about everything except that someone's got a really big needle and it hurts.

That's so many that it's been making a big financial difference to special-order them from Canada and England.

Thank goodness that's over with. They do have to go into deep muscle-- upper thigh (quad muscle) is the place my wife always used. I think I remember EMTs doing the same place. But if/when you gotta do it, it's better to do it YOURSELF and avoid the ambulance copays and paperwork-- and of course, if you do it yourself you're anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes faster than waiting for the EMTs to come and do their things.

Less time lost, less millions of brain cells killed. So do keep 'em around, and do read the mixing/injecting instructions BEFORE you need it.
- - - - - - -


Of course, now I've got 5 of the things sitting around the house, getting stale, never to be used. That's because I'm also the winner of the other contest, "How many times do you test per day?"

My winning answer: 290, that's every 5 minutes EVEN WHILE I SLEEP. I won't ever need those glucagons. YAY!!! :D

But they were lifesavers when I needed them.

[EmmasMom]

Yikes Rick! Your poor wife!!!!:p Oh, I know it's probably hard on you too... but as the daughter and wife of men w/ type 1 I can feel sorry for her can't I?;)
So I guess you're one of those hypo unawareness types? Thank God for CGMS huh!!!! I'm glad to hear it's making a difference for you and so many others, and actually preventing lows despite some of the flaky reports out there. Yeah for technology!

My daughter has worn the Guardian RT and is about to start the Real-time pump. We found the RT to be very helpful and pretty impressive with detecting lows, so I can't wait to use it regularly!!

[chantal72]

I have had to use it twice. Once when my daughter was newly diagnosed, at 2 years old, and once at 4 years old. It is scary. And, honestly I've had other times when I probably should've used it. I only hestitated because when I used it on her the second time, she threw up violently. The paramedics decided to take her into the hospital, just in case. She ended up there for a week because the doctors couldn't get blood sugars UP, ironically. They tried everything from intravenous sugar water to stopping the insulin altogether. To this day, no one ever had an explantion to what happened.

My only advice is to practice with the shots that have expired and know what dose to give. Half a bottle or whole bottle, depending on their age/size. Lay the child on her side, just in case of vomitting. I'm not going to tell you to stay calm, because you won't be. You will be shaking when you try to draw it up, you'll be scared to death and it will seem like it is taking forever. But, if you practice enough times, the process will come to you and you'll get through it. Don't be afraid to call 911.
My daughter has been on the pump since she was 5, she's now 8. Knock on wood, we've only had 1 or 2 dangerous lows since. I review the process with the school nurses, whom I trust. But, after-school care and summer camp are challenging, since it is usually high-school or college kids in charge. I review how to give the shot, but I always to tell them to call 911 first then attempt to give the shot.
To avoid lows, we check blood sugars every 2 hours, even in school. She always has juice boxes and insta-glucose gel with her. You never know though, so keep practicing and inform caregivers.


Mom of
Bella 8, dx at 2
Marcus 6

[Ben'sMommy]

We've never had to use it but I do expect at some stage we may need t. I am prepared for this although I hope Ben gets away w/o ever needing it.

A good piece of advice I picked up on this site is to not throw away expired Glucagon Hypokits but rather to use them to 'practice'.

:)

[Chase's mom]

I haven't had to use it yet, but I did have to get it out the other day. Chase ate dinner then about an hour later I saw him checking his bs and it was 67 so he had juice and about 10 minutes later he said mom I feel worse and we then his bs was 32:eek: :eek: He started slurring his words and said I feel weak and set down. I ran and got the glucagon and opened it up just in case. I never had to give it but that was the closest we got to having to.It's a scarry thing and I work in an Emergency Room!!!

[rickst29]

Yikes Rick! Your poor wife!!!! :p
Yeah, as an ex-ER Doc she was fine with handling big needles and seeing convulsions... but NOT with all the nasty physical fighting I did. And the projectile vomit everywhere from the convulsions wasn't the sort of thing to be cleaning up for an hour at 3-4 AM on work days :mad:

MM is pretty good on the highs, studies (which I can't recall at the moment) say not as good as Dexcom at catching the lows. But you've already tried it and it works for you, so it'll probably continue to catch 'em all for you and DD. Congrats on the pump upgrade!

I'm probably switching to Abbott when it comes out, based on their accuracy claims (versus both DXCM and MM) and the replaceable batteries (versus both with the Transmitter, just DXCM on the receiver).

[EmmasMom]

MM is pretty good on the highs, studies (which I can't recall at the moment) say not as good as Dexcom at catching the lows. But you've already tried it and it works for you, so it'll probably continue to catch 'em all for you and DD. Congrats on the pump upgrade!


From what I've read the current technology is more likely to give a false low, but not more likely to miss them completely. This was definitely our experience, and I'd rather be awakened for no reason, (yes, irritating) than not at all!;)
We had a couple of false alarms, but she was dropping so it was still beneficial. I was testing very frequently 24/7 to compare and it never missed any drops. I hope we continue to have success!

I'm anxious to see some real-life use of the navigator! I wonder if the FDA will really ever approve it to replace finger sticks??

[jreno]

We have used the shot roughly 35 times over the past 9 years.

[rileysdteam]

I have used the glucagon kit on my son, thankfully it was there. My son did not show any flu symptoms when I gave him his insulin, as soon as he tried to eat his dinner nothing would stay down and he fell asleep. Of course I was crying trying to get him to eat or drink anything so that he could safely go to sleep. However 5 year olds don't have logic like that. He fell asleep without anything to balance out his unsulin. I remembered a pamphlet from the childrens hospital about glucagon mini dosing. I mixed the glucagon according to the instruction but used Riley's usual needles and gave him a few units of glucagon every two hours. Once mixed the glucagon is good for 24 hours refrigerated. That 24 hours got us through the flu without fighting and arguing about eating. Glucagon is not so scary now that I have used it. Hopefully I will never need a full dose, but my mind is at ease knowing that it is there.

[bogusrogus]

I know if I ever had to use it, I would be a complete basket case:eek:

[Ellen]

We have used the shot roughly 35 times over the past 9 years.

This is UNREAL. Have you been with the same doctor all this time?

We used the Glucagon 1 time in 17+ years, and I'm very grateful we have Glucagon just in case. Anyone who is using it often, needs to re-evaluate their insulin plan and consider finding a new team to guide them.

[Momof4gr8kids]

We have used the shot roughly 35 times over the past 9 years.

I agree with Ellen, for real, it is time to look at some changes. What does your endo team think about that?

[astodder]

Thank God I've never had to use it on Lela in almost 6 years...I practice all the time and have it everywhere!!!! (I'm not kidding) but I'm willing to bet I'll be a mess if I every do!!!!!:eek: