Low blood sugar, also called hypoglycemia, occurs when your blood sugar gets below 70 mg/dL. When this happens, you can consume sugary foods or drinks to bring your blood sugar back up.
Very low blood sugar, or severe hypoglycemia, occurs when your blood sugar gets so low that you need help to bring it back up. Sometimes people with very low blood sugar may have a hard time thinking straight or controlling their body, get very tired, refuse to eat, pass out, or even have a seizure. It is an emergency situation that needs to be treated immediately.
Very low blood sugar can be treated with glucagon.
I think I might pass out.
There are many reasons that people may be at risk for very low blood sugar. You may be at a higher risk if any of the following apply to you:
Glucagon is a natural hormone that exists in the body. The body uses it to bring up your blood sugar when it gets low. It is important to remember that glucagon is NOT glucose, which is the sugar your body uses for energy.
Glucagon is also a medicine that increases the amount of glucagon in your body to bring up your blood sugar when you're experiencing very low blood sugar.
Before Gvoke, people needed to go through a lot of steps to get glucagon treatments ready to be used. This made emergency situations even more challenging and stressful.
The ADA Standards of Care recommends that glucagon be prescribed for everyone who has an increased risk for very low blood sugar, so it’s available should it be needed.
Watch this informative video – Dr. Jennifer Goldman, an adult endocrinologist, explains when and how to use glucagon and shares some important facts about using Gvoke as a treatment option.