Medications to Treat Hypoglycemia in Diabetes
Hypoglycemia is when someone has low blood sugar levels, which can happen in people with diabetes who take medications that lower blood sugar. Hypoglycermia should be treated immediately.
Symptoms include shakiness, sweating, a fast heartbeat, and dizziness or light-headedness. If it worsens, symptoms include confusion, slurred speech, blurry vision, and loss of coordination. Severe symptoms include seizures and loss of consciousness. For severe symptoms, call 911 for emergency help.
For mild hypoglycemia, people may eat sugary food or drink a sugary drink. There are also different types of medication to treat hypoglycemia:
- Oral Glucose: Glucose that someone can take orally (by mouth) include chewable tablets, capsules, soft tabs, and gels. These are made of sugar and generally help increase blood sugar within 10 minutes.
- Intravenous glucose: In a hospital or emergency room, glucose can be administered intravenously to treat hypoglycemia.
- Glucagon: Glucagon is a hormone that raises blood sugar levels by causing the liver to release stored glucose. It is used as an emergency treatment for someone who has severe hypoglycemia or has become unconscious. It is available as:
- A nasal spray
- Ready-to-use syringe or auto-injector for injection just under the skin (subcutaneous)
- A powder that needs to be mixed before it is injected into a muscle (intramuscular) or into a vein (intravenous)
Glucagon usually awakens a person who becomes unconscious from hypoglycemia in about 15 minutes. The caregiver should call 911 for emergency help as soon as the glucagon dose is given. A second dose of glucagon can be given in 15 minutes if ther person does not awaken.
People with diabetes who take insulin or antidiabetic medicines should carry a glucagon kit with them at all times and ensure family members or friends understand administer glucagon in an emergency.
People should check their blood glucose level as soon as possible to see if it has increased above 70 mg/dL, or to the level discussed with their doctor. It's important to consult a healthcare provider to create a plan for managing hypoglycemia that accounts for individual factors.