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Permalink Reply by Flo on June 18, 2008 at 6:55pm

I have a glucagon kit but...it's expired!! I went through a period pre-pump where I was having one severe low a day. I got one then and kept it refilled....just in case. Well, now I see mine is expired so when I see the endo next month I'll ask for a new prescription. Better to have it and not need it...

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Permalink Reply by Karen Vecchitto on June 18, 2008 at 7:31pm

Yes, I have several. I get 3 at a time with a refill. My husband has used 3 or so in the past year. I live in a very rural are so it would take significantly longer to get a paramedic here that it would in a suburban situation. And while the after-affects are not pleasant I would much rather feel like I had a bad hangover than be dead.

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Permalink Reply by Morgan on June 18, 2008 at 9:04pm

i had the same situation where i literally found 10 expired glucagons!!! my parents like to order them in multiples and i guess i found the stash..i threw them all away before they ever needed to be used...but i dont think they are necessary. i haven't yet used one (knock on wood)! and like you said trained help is just a phone call away!

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Permalink Reply by Denise on June 18, 2008 at 9:09pm

I keep one in my purse--it goes where I go..home or away. male friend of mine heeps his in hip pouch (not sure what they are officially called) that goes everywhere he does...wiht the rest of his d stuff

I have sneaky lows that I don't feel a comin....

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Permalink Reply by Bob @ joy of diabetes on June 18, 2008 at 9:44pm

Absolutely ...YES A backup plan always makes sense ...the downside to having one and not using it is a few dollars wasted. The downside of not having one when you need it can be death......
My wife recently used an expired one we had around for years on me a month or so ago....Thank God it was there even though I hadn't needed one in years.......things go wrong for whatever reason and it's always good to have insurance.
I guess I have never thought of it as something you would not have.....it has always been a given that there is one in the medicine cabinet.

Keep Going............Peace, Bob

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Permalink Reply by Cody Turner on June 18, 2008 at 10:12pm

I keep it on hand at all times because I have a tendency to go low fast. I also don't trust the local hospitals or paramedics here so my doctor lets me treat my lows with the glucagon instead of going to hospital.

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Permalink Reply by Katie B on June 18, 2008 at 11:11pm

As the parent of a T1 toddler, I ABSOLUTELY keep glucagon in the house. We actually have two kits -- one that stays home in the medicine cabinet, and one that goes everywhere my son goes in his diabetes bag.

Though we haven't had to administer full-blown glucagon due to a severe low, we did use the mini-glucagon rescue protocol when my son was sick with a stomach bug and we were struggling to keep his BG out of the 60s.

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Permalink Reply by landileigh on June 19, 2008 at 1:03am

my glucagon kit is in my purse and goes everywhere i go. no matter what.

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Permalink Reply by Chadd on June 19, 2008 at 3:30am

As far as I remember of being a diabetic I have had a Glucagon kit. I'm not sure what my parents did when I was young at age 4, but I remember having one for bee stings and another for diabetes. I've had mine use mine couple of times when out in public, cause I get to cranky to check my levels, just thinking I'm tired, but in deed that I'm low.

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Permalink Reply by tmana on July 12, 2008 at 10:34pm

As a T2 controlled by diet and exercise, I've never needed one. However, reading through all the stories of people who have needed, or could have used, it, I've come to understand the following:

• Most first-response rigs are not equipped with either glucometers or glucagon
• Basic-level EMTs are not trained in the administration of either glucagon or epi-pens, and are therefore prohibited from using them, even in time of need. They are not trained in the operation of glucometers, so, ditto...
• Depending on the area in which you live, first responders can take anywhere from five minutes to over an hour to respond to a call
• There have been instances in which people have died due to non-administration of glucagon -- either due to inavailability, or to there not being a first-responder trained to administer glucagon, or both

So... if you are in a position to have/need a glucagon kit, you should probably

• keep a non-expired kit with you at all times
• always make sure that at least one person, anywhere you go, knows how to check your blood glucose levels and how (and when) to administer glucagon

Additionally, if your local Volunteer Rescue Squad are the first responders, see if you can work with them and their associated hospital on a non-emergency basis to get them trained in glucometer use and glucagon administration, given instructions to do so from the emergency-room doctors on the other end of the radio.

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Permalink Reply by Lee Ann on July 12, 2008 at 11:31pm

I've heard from others that not every EMS worker is trained and able to start an IV dextrose drip or administer glucagon, and if that's the case, you had better hope your hospital is super close or you'll be SOL. In the 30 years I've had the 'betes, I've gotten it a few times, but I can't recall how many because most of those incidents were a long time ago. As an adult, I've had two incidents of severe overnight lows for which my boyfriend called EMS. The first time, I didn't have glucagon, but luckily the paramedics started a dextrose drip. After that, I've always kept one, and that same boyfriend had occasion to use it about a year later. I have a couple kits now. My hubby keeps one in his nightstand. I don't carry one with me day to day, but if we travel, I always have a kit. I have heard that despite the expiration date, they don't really go bad. Nonetheless, I replace mine every couple of years or so.

IMO, it's careless to not keep one and an unnecessary tempting of fate. Even if you get an EMS crew that can treat you, do you really want to wait 5 or 10 or 15 minutes (or even longer depending on where you live) for them to get there?

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Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on July 12, 2008 at 11:41pm

Wow. The answers seem to differ here. I'll admit that I don't keep one. And I blame the expiration periods. I've never needed it in 18 years and have never had any issues with hypo unawareness (like many have said, knock on wood). My parents always kept one on hand in the first few years post-DX. The expiration was always the issue, as was the price. We just couldn't keep it. Since my father is a paramedic, I trust EMTs and paramedics to know how to administer it and I know they keep it in the ambulance.

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