 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / August 2005Glucagon
Can anyone plz tell me about when this should be used, and how to use it? i have seen it mentioned in pumping threads, and other T1 threads, but not in T2. Google gives so many hits that i didn't know where to start. tyvm Alan H  SignatureDo, or do not. There is no try. Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight! Phyllis Diller >Can anyone plz tell me about when this should be used, and how to use it? i >have seen it mentioned in pumping threads, and other T1 threads, but not in [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Alan H It is used in severe hypos where oral input of food is not possible. In my case my wife is trained in mixing the med and administering the injection. That may be a hard thing to do when the diabetic still is not fully unconscious. The medics (911) will check blood glucose to make sure it is a hypo and then administer a dextrose IV. My recovery is usually quite fast. You will see mention of it by those describing parts of the internal glucose control system. Old Al is well versed on that aspect. It is an expensive item. Guy Alan Hardy wrote in message ... >Can anyone plz tell me about when this should be used, and how to use it? i >have seen it mentioned in pumping threads, and other T1 threads, but not in [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Alan H Mostly for unconscious hypos. It would work for any hypo but why spend $80 to kill a hypo when sugar is around. You buy it as a powder inside a vial. If needed, you inject water (provided in the kit) into the vial, dissolve the powder, then draw the solution back into the syringe. Inject into a large muscle. (The patient, usually unconscious, does none of this) Photo, instructions and some interesting links at: http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_0n_022.htm ". . .Glucagon, like insulin, must be injected. Within the glucagon kit are a syringe pre-filled with a liquid and a vial of powdered glucagon. You prepare the glucagon for injection immediately before use by following the instructions that are included with the glucagon kit. In general, small children (under 20 kg, or 44 pounds) are given 1/2 cc (half the syringe), while older children and adults are given 1cc (the entire syringe). . .. There is no danger of overdose, however. Injection is given in a large muscle, such as the buttocks, thigh or arm. (The needle on the syringe is usually larger than those on insulin syringes.). . ." Glucagon "commands" the liver to start releasing glucose. Insulin "commands" the liver to not-release glucose. Glucagon overrides the insulin "not-release" command. Humans manufacture and use glucagon as part of their total counter-regulatory system. It's sometimes called the insulin counter-hormone. Regards Old Al > Alan Hardy wrote >>Can anyone plz tell me about when this should be used, and how to use it? [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > muscle, such as the buttocks, thigh or arm. (The needle on the syringe is > usually larger than those on insulin syringes.). . ." I sorta thought it was only for emergency use, as yu confirm. It certainly won't be any use whatsoever for me with all the preparation, coz i live alone, mostly work alone, and if i'm unconcscious -- well yu get the picture. TY Alan H SignatureDo, or do not. There is no try. Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight! Phyllis Diller > I sorta thought it was only for emergency use, as yu confirm. It certainly > won't be any use whatsoever for me with all the preparation, coz i live > alone, mostly work alone, and if i'm unconcscious -- well yu get the > picture. It could come in handy if you can't keep anything down to treat a bad hypo. SignatureNo Husband Has Ever Been Shot While Doing The Dishes >> I sorta thought it was only for emergency use, as yu confirm. It certainly >> won't be any use whatsoever for me with all the preparation, coz i live >> alone, mostly work alone, and if i'm unconcscious -- well yu get the >> picture. > >It could come in handy if you can't keep anything down to treat a bad hypo. Ordinarily it is used on an unconscious person For instance, I can handle a moderate low blood sugar situation bur may hit every thing in the kitchen getting some sugary food. NOt exactly a rational endeavor. Hypo to me means a nightmare situation or completely unconscious.. It is not a nice scene. Once I lay out for two hours until my wife came home. The medic said the first blood sugar did not read; There are all variations here., Before this situation developed I would feel low blood sugar and grab some sugar and set down quietly for a while. Then resume my activities. I would prefer to get a garbage bag and empty out my diabetes items. But we have to be realistic and deal with the problem. The posting here gives all of us a big plus but hope some aspects never develop. Most of the biggies we discuss came as a complete surprise to me. All we had were some "junk books" :-) and bad word of mouth. Didn't work well for me. TODAY you can not clam that excuse. Even today I grab any scrap of paper with the word diabetes on it No ADD on diabetes for me. Guy > Alan Hardy wrote >> I sorta thought it was only for emergency use, as yu confirm. It [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > It could come in handy if you can't keep anything down to treat a bad > hypo. Even with a moderate hypo of only 54 to 60 i lose concentration and co-ordination. There is no way i need glucagon injected at that level, and i still could not manage the mixing and shooting at such a level. So, avoid the hypos is the right way for me, and thus far on the pump i have. Yeah, only 4 weeks, but i used to be hypo 3-5 time per week [down to 36 or 45], and seriously spiked once or twice [over 350]. Now on the pump i get not one of either, and weight increasing, and i can eat what i want when i want. And 2 years and more ago i was seriously opposed to the idea of pumping. Read too much Bernstein, y'see. Alan H > Can anyone plz tell me about when this should be used, and how to use it? i > have seen it mentioned in pumping threads, and other T1 threads, but not in [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Phyllis Diller Glucagon is a drug that forces your liver to dump. It should only be used for very severe hypoglycemia (unconscious or almost unconscious), so it has to be used by someone else. Each kit is one adult dose. It has to be mixed and then injected like insulin. A glucagon injection will usually cause nausea and you really feel crappy when you come out of the hypo, but at least you come out of it. Here's the instructions from the kit: 1. Glucagon is an emergency drug to be used only under the direction of a physician. People in regular contact with a person with diabetes should become familiar with the following instructions before an emergency arises. 2. In case of insulin coma or severe insulin reactions, where carbohydrates cannot be taken, administer glucagon and call physician promptly. 3. Act quickly. Prolonged unconsciousness may be harmful. 4. Inject glucagon in the same way that insulin is injected (see following directions). Turn the patient on his/her side. The patient usually awakens within 15 minutes. Feed the patient as soon as he/she awakens and is able to swallow. 6. There is no danger of overdose. 7. If recommended by a physician, give half of the mixed dose of glucagon to small children. TO PREPARE GLUCAGON FOR USE 1. Remove flip-off seal from bottle of glucagon. 2. Remove the needle protector from the syringe, and inject the entire contents of the syringe into the bottle of glucagon. Remove the syringe from the bottle. 3. Swirl bottle gently until the glucagon dissolves completely. GLUCAGON SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS THE SOLUTION IS CLEAR AND OF A WATER-LIKE CONSISTENCY. -then it gives instructions on how to inject, but it's just like insulin. Hubby gets annual training with the expired kit and an orange. He dreads the thought of having to give me a shot, but he dreads the severe hypos even more. He's never had cause to use it on me. I didn't start getting a kit until my endo confirmed I was T1 and I was on MDI. It was the R & N regimen before MDI that caused all the bad hypos. Alan, if you live alone it's somewhat pointless to have one. EMTs carry kits in the ambulance. Discuss with the doc, obviously. HTH Vicki A glucagon injection will usually cause nausea and you really > feel crappy when you come out of the hypo, but at least you come out of > it. Actually, that's not true for everyone. In the one or two instances when I have been treated with glucagon, I didn't feel any worse when I came out of it than I usually do. (And I usually feel fine!) > A glucagon injection will usually cause nausea and you really > > feel crappy when you come out of the hypo, but at least you come out of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I have been treated with glucagon, I didn't feel any worse when I came > out of it than I usually do. (And I usually feel fine!) I've never had cause to use the stuff, so my info is second-hand. I think it was Nico or Mack that posted in the past the glucagon makes them vomit and gives a headache afterwards. The instructions also warn that the glucagon may cause vomiting, that's why the instructions say to turn the patient on their side to prevent choking. Vicki >> A glucagon injection will usually cause nausea and you really >> > feel crappy when you come out of the hypo, but at least you come out of [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > >Vicki We get selfish and think we are the only true diabetic.. Each person is different. I like the group because it allows me to see a much wider world. And some of the irrationality at times. The important thing here is the knowledge of Glucagon and we must decide if it is for us. I need it since if it works I spend $70 instead of around $700 for a 911 run. Hypos are a bear for me and I feel horrible for a long time. I do have memories of the nightmare situation where I was aware I was in trouble, The surrounding were very strange and I was fighting to get away from the nightmare. Other times I was normal and then I slowly woke up trying to figure out where I was. Once under a earth moving machine, once with the 911 people working on me in my driveway. My problem started when I was given an insulin resistance drug and l lost my glucose release mechanism that normally protect us from hypos I still have to carry higher blood sugars to avoid problems. A young ER doc finally gave me the clue that allowed a control of the problem. I have posted on this over the years. The potential for problems is still out there. I never inject enough insulin for my system to go below 50. One reason I use the measure, calculate, and inject method. Guy, The reason for posting this is to help diabetics understand what may come up in their case. I was totally ignorant when I was hit first. That compounds the problem. > A glucagon injection will usually cause nausea and you really > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > I have been treated with glucagon, I didn't feel any worse when I came > out of it than I usually do. (And I usually feel fine!) I've had glucagon 3 or 4 times and feel like crap afterwards, but it beats the alternative. My bg will sore well over 350 in a matter of minuts and I get nauseated but not to the point of upchucking. Dave > I've had glucagon 3 or 4 times and feel like crap afterwards, but it > beats the alternative. My bg will sore well over 350 in a matter of DOH! "soar"; not "sore". sigh. >> I've had glucagon 3 or 4 times and feel like crap afterwards, but it >> beats the alternative. My bg will sore well over 350 in a matter of > > DOH! "soar"; not "sore". sigh. Well, it makes me sore if my BG soars that high. Fortunately, that hasn't happened to me when I had to have glucagon administered. Nor has the "feeling like crap". On Sun, 21 Aug 2005 05:42:34 GMT, "Alan Hardy" <Kemo.Sabe@loneranger.com> Huffed and Puffed the following into the madness of usenet: >Can anyone plz tell me about when this should be used, and how to use it? i >have seen it mentioned in pumping threads, and other T1 threads, but not in [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Alan H type 2s rarely would have a need. are you having severe hypos that cause you to black out or come very close to blacking out? SignatureMâck©® Type 1 since 1975 http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.diabetic-talk.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." ...Theodore Roosevelt (o o) --ooO-(_)-Ooo-------------------- "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." Jesus never hated anyone. > Alan Hardy Huffed and Puffed the following into the > madness of usenet: [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > type 2s rarely would have a need. are you having severe hypos that > cause you to black out or come very close to blacking out? i was on beef neutral, and b4 that on NPH, Novolog, and Mixtard. Not now. i queried because i saw that some of the other and more experienced pumpers mentioned it. No other reason for my enquiry. Alan H |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2010 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.