Glucagon Injection
Glucagon injection is a hormone used to treat severe hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood sugar) in people with diabetes, and as a diagnostic aid during certain gastrointestinal imaging procedures.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 5 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
📖 Glucagon Injection: Patient Information Guide
A plain-language walkthrough of Glucagon Injection — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.
🎯What it's used for▾
Glucagon injection is approved for two main categories of use across the supported products.
- Severe hypoglycemia (very low blood sugar): Glucagon injection is used to treat life-threatening low blood sugar in people with diabetes mellitus, including both adults and children aged 2 and older. People with type 1 diabetes may see a smaller rise in blood sugar and need carbohydrates as soon as they are able to eat.
- Diagnostic aid during imaging: Gvoke VialDx, given intravenously by a healthcare provider, is used in adults during radiologic (X-ray or fluoroscopy) exams of the stomach, duodenum, small bowel, and colon to temporarily slow gut movement and improve image quality.
⚙️How it works▾
Glucagon is a natural hormone that tells the liver to break down its stored sugar reserves (glycogen) and release glucose into the blood, raising blood sugar levels. It works by activating specific receptors on liver cells. This is why it is effective in a low blood sugar emergency. Glucagon also relaxes the smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal tract — the stomach, small intestine, and colon — which is the property that makes it useful for slowing gut movement during imaging procedures.
One important limitation: glucagon can only raise blood sugar if the liver has enough stored glycogen. If glycogen stores are depleted — from prolonged fasting, starvation, adrenal insufficiency, or chronic low blood sugar — glucagon may not work.
💊How it's taken▾
For treating severe hypoglycemia, glucagon is injected under the skin (subcutaneously) in the lower abdomen, outer thigh, or outer upper arm as quickly as possible. Each device or vial contains a single dose — it cannot be reused. After giving the injection, call emergency services right away. If there is no response after 15 minutes, a second dose from a new device may be given while waiting for help. Once the person responds, give them oral carbohydrates promptly.
- For patients 12 years and older, a single standard dose is used; for children aged 2 to under 12 years, the dose depends on body weight — follow the prescriber's and product's instructions exactly.
- Gvoke VialDx for diagnostic use is given intravenously by a healthcare provider in a clinical setting only — it is not for home use.
🤒Side effects — in detail▾
The most commonly reported side effects differ slightly between the subcutaneous (under the skin) and intravenous uses:
- With subcutaneous use (adults): nausea, vomiting, headache, and injection site swelling
- With subcutaneous use (children): nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar after the dose), headache, abdominal pain, hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), injection site discomfort, and hives (urticaria)
- With Gvoke VialDx (intravenous): nausea, altered taste (dysgeusia), headache, hot flush, and dizziness
- Temporary increases in blood pressure and heart rate have also occurred with glucagon treatment.
Serious reactions — including severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis with breathing difficulty and very low blood pressure) — have been reported. Seek emergency care immediately if these occur.
⚠️Warnings & precautions▾
- Pheochromocytoma (adrenal tumor): Glucagon is contraindicated. It can cause the tumor to release stress hormones, leading to a sudden and severe spike in blood pressure.
- Insulinoma (insulin-producing tumor): Glucagon is contraindicated. It can trigger a dangerous rebound drop in blood sugar by stimulating excess insulin release.
- Glucagonoma (glucagon-producing tumor): Gvoke VialDx used as a diagnostic aid is contraindicated in these patients due to risk of secondary hypoglycemia.
- Serious allergic reactions: Anaphylaxis — including trouble breathing and a dangerous drop in blood pressure — has been reported. Stop use and get emergency care immediately if this happens.
- May not work if liver glycogen is depleted: People who are starving, have adrenal insufficiency, or have chronic hypoglycemia may not respond to subcutaneous glucagon. Emergency glucose (given through a vein) may be needed.
- Heart disease and Gvoke VialDx: Intravenous glucagon can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and the heart's oxygen demand. Cardiac monitoring is recommended when using Gvoke VialDx in patients with heart disease.
- Diabetes and Gvoke VialDx: This product can raise blood sugar in patients with diabetes when used for diagnostic imaging — monitor blood glucose closely.
🔀What it interacts with▾
Glucagon can interact with several medications in clinically meaningful ways:
- Beta-blockers (e.g., metoprolol, atenolol): may amplify a temporary rise in heart rate and blood pressure after glucagon — may need treatment in patients with coronary artery disease.
- Indomethacin (an NSAID pain reliever): can blunt glucagon's ability to raise blood sugar or even trigger hypoglycemia — monitor blood glucose carefully.
- Warfarin (blood thinner): glucagon can enhance warfarin's anticoagulant (blood-thinning) effect, increasing bleeding risk — monitor for unusual bruising or bleeding.
- Insulin: works against glucagon; blood sugar should be monitored when Gvoke VialDx is used in insulin-treated patients.
- Anticholinergic drugs: combining these with Gvoke VialDx adds to gut-slowing effects and increases the risk of gastrointestinal side effects — this combination is not recommended.
This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
📋Before taking it▾
- Do not use if you have pheochromocytoma — risk of a dangerous blood pressure surge.
- Do not use if you have insulinoma — risk of severe hypoglycemia after the dose.
- Do not use Gvoke VialDx as a diagnostic aid if you have glucagonoma.
- Do not use if you have had a prior allergic reaction to glucagon or any ingredient in these products.
- Tell your doctor if you are malnourished, have been fasting for a prolonged period, have adrenal insufficiency, or have chronic hypoglycemia — glucagon may not work to raise blood sugar.
- Tell your doctor if you have heart disease before receiving Gvoke VialDx — blood pressure and heart rate monitoring may be needed.
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant: limited data in humans show no clear harm, but discuss with your provider. Glucagon does not appear to cross the placenta in early pregnancy based on available studies.
- Breastfeeding: glucagon is a protein and would be expected to break down in the infant's digestive tract; the risk to a breastfed baby is considered low, but discuss with your provider.
- Children: Subcutaneous glucagon is approved for children aged 2 and older for severe hypoglycemia. Gvoke VialDx has not been established as safe and effective in children.
- Older adults: Clinical studies did not include enough patients over 65 to confirm whether they respond differently — use with the same caution as younger adults.
🚑If you take too much▾
If too much glucagon is given, the most likely effects are nausea, vomiting, and loose stools. High doses can temporarily raise blood pressure and heart rate, which may need treatment — especially in people with coronary artery disease or pheochromocytoma. Because glucagon is broken down quickly by the body, treatment is mainly focused on managing symptoms like nausea and monitoring potassium levels. Contact a Poison Control Center for guidance in a suspected overdose.
📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body▾
After injection, glucagon begins raising blood sugar within about 10 minutes, with peak blood glucose typically reached around 30 minutes after an intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. The blood-sugar-raising effect lasts roughly 60 to 90 minutes after intramuscular or intravenous injection. When used for diagnostic imaging, Gvoke VialDx given intravenously produces relaxation of the gut's smooth muscle rapidly — within about 45 seconds — with the effect lasting approximately 9 to 17 minutes.
🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it▾
After a subcutaneous injection of Gvoke in adults with type 1 diabetes, glucagon levels in the blood peak at around 50 minutes. Glucagon is broken down extensively in the liver, kidneys, and blood plasma. Its half-life — the time it takes for half the drug to be cleared from the body — is about 32 minutes, meaning it is eliminated from the body relatively quickly. Because it is a peptide (protein-based), glucagon is not absorbed if accidentally swallowed and would be digested in the gastrointestinal tract.
📦How to store it▾
Before Reconstitution The package containing Glucagon for Injection vials may be stored up to 24 months at 20° to 25° C (68° to 77° F) prior to reconstitution. Do not freeze. Keep in the original package to protect from light.
📄 Written from Glucagon Injection’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →
🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Glucagon Injection — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is glucagon injection used for, and when would I actually need it? ▾
How does glucagon injection actually work to raise blood sugar? ▾
What should I do right after giving a glucagon injection? ▾
What side effects should I expect after getting glucagon? ▾
Are there any medications or health conditions I should tell my doctor about before I keep glucagon on hand? ▾
Can glucagon injection be used in children, and is it safe during pregnancy? ▾
Is Glucagon Injection available over the counter? ▾
When was Glucagon Injection first available? ▾
Who makes Glucagon Injection? ▾
💬 Answers drafted from Glucagon Injection’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →
🧰 Keep exploring
💊 How Glucagon Injection comes
Glucagon Injection is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Injection
How this form is used
- Gvoke VialDx is used intravenously as a diagnostic aid in adults during radiologic imaging of the stomach, duodenum, small bowel, and colon
- Gvoke VialDx temporarily relaxes smooth muscle in the gut to reduce movement and improve imaging quality
- Gvoke VialDx is for intravenous use only, under medical supervision — it must be diluted with 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection before use
- Gvoke VialDx is injected slowly intravenously over one minute
- Gvoke VialDx contains a single dose — do not reuse; discard any unused portion
- After the imaging procedure, patients who have been fasting should receive oral carbohydrates if this is compatible with their procedure
📊 Glucagon Injection across the U.S. market
How Glucagon Injection appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Kit (4) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
📈 How widely Glucagon Injection is used
A general measure of how commonly Glucagon Injection is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Glucagon Injection is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Glucagon Injection prescribed? Of the 1,596 medications we measure, Glucagon Injection ranks #476 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 70% of them.
Utilization by Glucagon Injection product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
glucagon (rDNA) 1 MG Injection Most dispensed
Summed across the 8 of 24 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 310497
0.2 ML glucagon 5 MG/ML Auto-Injector
Summed across the 2 of 2 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2199307
0.1 ML glucagon 5 MG/ML Auto-Injector
Summed across the 1 of 2 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2199299
0.2 ML glucagon 5 MG/ML Prefilled Syringe
Summed across the 2 of 3 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2199315
0.2 ML glucagon 5 MG/ML Injection
Summed across the 1 of 4 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2587358
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Glucagon Injection, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 14 of 35 listed Glucagon Injection NDCs with Medicaid activity.
🔍 Compare Glucagon Injection products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Glucagon Injection — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Injection | ||||
| 1 mg/0.2 mL | Intravenous | American Regent, Inc. × 2 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 1 mg/mL | Intramuscular; Intravenous; Subcutaneous | Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 1 mg/mL | Intramuscular, Intravenous | Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC × 2 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 💊Kits | ||||
| — | Intramuscular, Intravenous | HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst | NDA | View NDC → |
| — | Intramuscular; Intravenous; Subcutaneous | HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst × 2 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| — | Intramuscular; Intravenous | HF Acquisition Co LLC, DBA HealthFirst | NDA | View NDC → |
Showing 9 of 9 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 9 Glucagon Injection NDCs →
📈 What people report — real-world data (FDA FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Glucagon Injection — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Glucagon Injection in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
🏛️ The road to your pharmacy
How Glucagon Injection went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
🚨 Recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
Source: openFDA drug enforcement (recall) reports.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 4832 4 dose forms · 7 strengths
-
Dose form (SCDF) Auto-Injector RxCUI 2199298In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.1 ML glucagon 5 MG/MLRxCUI 21992990.2 ML glucagon 5 MG/MLRxCUI 2199307 -
Dose form (SCDF) Injection RxCUI 1653345In current FDA listings -
Dose form (SCDF) Nasal Powder RxCUI 2180665No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 3 MGRxCUI 2180666 -
Dose form (SCDF) Prefilled Syringe RxCUI 2199309No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.1 ML glucagon 5 MG/MLRxCUI 21993100.2 ML glucagon 5 MG/MLRxCUI 2199315
Look up RxCUI 4832 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
📦 Supply & shortage status
Whether Glucagon Injection is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
🏷️ Sold under these brand names
🏭 Manufacturers & labelers
RxNorm drug class
Glucagon Injection belongs to the Antihypoglycemic Agent class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
🔬 Where this comes from
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How we combine label and product data
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 5 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.
Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. American Regent, Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.
This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.