Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) Treatment Plan

Hypoglycemia Treatment Plan

Do You Have a Hypoglycemia Treatment Plan?

Managing blood sugar levels is challenging, no matter how dedicated you are to your diabetes management plan. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can happen to anyone and can come on without warning—especially for those of you taking insulin or sulfonylureas.

Hypoglycemia must be treated immediately, so having a comprehensive low blood sugar treatment plan in place is critical for you and those around you.

What Does a Hypoglycemia Treatment Plan Entail?

Generally, healthcare providers counsel you to take 15 grams of rapid-acting oral glucose (e.g., glucose tablets or juice) as soon as blood glucose levels fall below 70 mg/dL, retest in 15 minutes, and repeat the process until your target blood glucose is reached.

If juice or glucose tablets aren’t working like they usually do, or if you’re unable/unwilling to eat or drink, you need another option during a low blood sugar emergency: glucagon.

Is Your Hypoglycemia Treatment Plan Equipped with Glucagon?

Many people who should have a prescription for glucagon (due to the types of medications they take and/or risk factors they have) do not have a prescription.

Out of the approximately 8.3 million insulin-treated people with diabetes in the U.S., only 690,000 had prescriptions for glucagon filled. Shocking, right? As a result, millions of people have “incomplete” hypoglycemia treatment plans and are unknowingly left without a safety net—one that could make all the difference during a low blood sugar emergency.

Both the American Diabetes Association and the Endocrine Society acknowledge that:

  • Anyone taking insulin or sulfonylureas is at high risk for hypoglycemia
  • Anyone taking insulin or sulfonylureas should have a prescription for ready-to-use glucagon

If you’re taking insulin or sulfonylureas and don’t have ready-to-use glucagon as part of your hypoglycemia plan, talk to your healthcare provider right away.

A Ready-to-Use Glucagon Option

The type of ready-to-use glucagon you select, alongside your healthcare provider, is important.

You’ve heard of rescue pens for severe allergic reactions. Did you know the same type of tool is available for emergency low blood sugar treatment? Gvoke HypoPen® is so simple to administer that it was used correctly by 99% of people in a study designed to simulate an emergency hypoglycemia situation—and you can even self-administer it in certain cases. It is not known if Gvoke is safe and effective in children under 2 years of age.

Educate Your Inner Circle about How to Use Glucagon

In many cases, a family member or someone close to you will be the one to administer glucagon if you need emergency low blood sugar treatment. Make sure those in your inner circle are aware of the signs and symptoms of severe hypoglycemia, as well as where to find your glucagon and how to use it.

In Summary

If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and you’re on insulin or a sulfonylurea, always keep fast-acting carbs close by and get a prescription for glucagon to keep in your diabetes toolbox for emergency low blood sugar treatment.

Ready-to-use and simple to administer, Gvoke HypoPen® gives you and your loved ones the power to act quickly when it really matters.

 

Additional Resources:

Lifesaving Tools to Prevent and Treat Hypoglycemia

How to Boost Your Hypoglycemia Confidence

Expect the Unexpected When It Comes to Severe Hypoglycemia in T2D

Educate Your Inner Circle on Hypoglycemia: It Could Save Your Life!

 

INDICATION AND SAFETY SUMMARY
GVOKE is a prescription medicine used to treat very low blood sugar (severe hypoglycemia) in adults and kids with diabetes ages 2 years and above. It is not known if GVOKE is safe and effective in children under 2 years of age.

WARNINGS

Do not use GVOKE if:

  • you have a tumor in the gland on top of your kidneys (adrenal gland), called a pheochromocytoma.
  • you have a tumor in your pancreas called an insulinoma.
  • you are allergic to glucagon or any other inactive ingredient in GVOKE.

GVOKE MAY CAUSE SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING:

High blood pressure. GVOKE can cause high blood pressure in certain people with tumors in their adrenal glands.

Low blood sugar. GVOKE can cause low blood sugar in certain people with tumors in their pancreas called insulinomas by making too much insulin in their bodies.

Serious allergic reaction. Call your doctor or get medical help right away if you have a serious allergic reaction including:

  • rash
  • difficulty breathing
  • low blood pressure

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS

The most common side effects of GVOKE in adults include:

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • swelling at the injection site
  • headache

The most common side effects of GVOKE in children include:

  • nausea
  • low blood sugar
  • high blood sugar
  • vomiting
  • abdominal pain
  • headache
  • pain or redness at the injection site
  • itching

These are not all the possible side effects of GVOKE. For more information, ask your doctor.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

BEFORE USING

Before using GVOKE, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have adrenal gland problems
  • have a tumor in your pancreas
  • have not had food or water for a long time (prolonged fasting or starvation)
  • have low blood sugar that does not go away (chronic hypoglycemia)
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

HOW TO USE

  • Read the detailed Instructions for Use that come with GVOKE.
  • Use GVOKE exactly how your healthcare provider tells you to use it
  • Make sure your relatives, close friends, and caregivers know where you store GVOKE and how to use it the right way before you need their help.
  • Act quickly. Having very low blood sugar for a period of time may be harmful.
  • Your healthcare provider will tell you how and when to use GVOKE.
  • After giving GVOKE, your caregiver should call for emergency medical help right away.
  • If you do not respond after 15 minutes, your caregiver may give you another dose, if available. Tell your healthcare provider each time you use GVOKE. Low blood sugar may happen again after receiving an injection of GVOKE. Your diabetes medicine may need to be changed.

HOW TO STORE

  • Keep GVOKE in the foil pouch until you are ready to use it.
  • Store GVOKE at temperatures between 68°F and 77°F.
  • Do not keep it in the refrigerator or let it freeze.

Keep GVOKE and all medicines out of the reach of children.

For more information, call 1-877-937-4737 or go to www.GvokeGlucagon.com.

Please see the Full Prescribing Information for Gvoke

 

 

 

 

3 Comments
  1. Avatar

    I have this

  2. Avatar

    Hi, can you help provide additional resources for reactive hypoglycemia. I have reactive hypoglycemia and try to manage with eating. But, I still frequently drop below 70 for long periods of the night and during exercise. Because I have not been diagnosed with diabetes (no pattern of sustained highs) the doctors I have seen have not been concerned. Like low blood pressure (which I also have) hypo seemed to get cast aside as a positive when it is actually doing damage given the repetitive nature.

    • There are a lot of folks in your boat and if your A1c is normal, I wouldn’t worry about it. But with your blood pressure, I would definitely see a cardiologist. It might relate to your heart rate being too slow, etc.

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