Glucagon Saves Lives: Real Stories of Survival

You race up the stairs, glucagon in hand. Behind the door, your mom is unconscious, her blood sugar dangerously low. You prepare the dose without hesitation. You act.

Misty Smith faced this reality repeatedly. Living with type 1 diabetes, she relied on her training with glucagon to save her mom, who had type 2 diabetes and hypoglycemia unawareness. This condition prevents people from sensing low blood sugar, making sudden drops dangerously unpredictable.

Keeping multiple, filled glucagon supplies ensures backup, whether at home, in a purse, or with a trusted contact. Pairing that with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), which provides real-time readings and alerts, it helps catch blood sugar drops before they turn critical.

Within five minutes of administering glucagon, Misty’s mom’s blood sugar would rise, and Misty could finally breathe again.

“You never want to see your mom unconscious,” Misty said. “But I got calmer each time, knowing it would work fast.” 

Stories like Misty’s highlight the critical role of glucagon—not just a prescription, but a lifesaving tool that offers peace of mind in emergencies.

This article will detail

• What is a low blood sugar emergency (severe hypoglycemia)?
• What are the signs of severe hypoglycemia?
• What is glucagon?
• What are some glucagon options available today?
• Who should carry the glucagon, and when should it be used?
• Real-life stories: How glucagon saved lives in critical moments

What is a low blood sugar emergency (severe hypoglycemia)?

• Managing diabetes involves addressing low blood sugars (hypoglycemia). 
• Severe hypoglycemia, with glucose below 54 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L), needs immediate medical attention and often assistance from someone else. 
• Recognizing signs and using tools like glucagon can be lifesaving.

What are the signs of severe hypoglycemia?

• Symptoms like confusion, slurred speech, blurred vision, or seizures indicate severe hypoglycemia requiring immediate action.
• The person may seem disoriented or unresponsive—signs that the brain isn’t getting enough sugar. 
• Quick action, such as using emergency glucagon, can help prevent serious complications.

What is glucagon?

• Glucagon is a hormone your body makes to raise blood sugar when it gets too low. 
  • It tells the liver to release stored sugar into the blood, giving you energy.
• Glucagon is also a prescription medicine used when someone with diabetes has a severe low and either can’t consume a fast-acting form of glucose (like juice or fruit snacks) or needs a faster intervention because of the severity of the low blood sugar.
• Glucagon comes as an injection or nasal spray and quickly raises blood sugar. 
• Glucagon is a quick and life-saving treatment.

What are some glucagon options available today?

Glucagon treatments are now more accessible and simple to use.

Ready-to-use glucagon options like autoinjectors and nasal powders require fewer steps, no mixing, and, in some cases, no needles.

• Gvoke HypoPen® (Pre-filled Autoinjector)
  Gvoke HypoPen is a pre-filled autoinjector for treating severe low blood sugar. It’s simple to use, and delivers glucagon quickly, with no mixing required.
• Baqsimi (Nasal Powder)
  Baqsimi, a nasal powder for severe low blood sugar, is needle-free, simple to use, and offers fast, convenient emergency treatment.
• Zegalogue (Pre-filled Syringe or Autoinjector)
  Zegalogue, in a pre-filled syringe or autoinjector. It provides fast treatment for severe low blood sugar and requires no mixing.

Who should carry the glucagon, and when should it be used?

• Anyone living with diabetes who uses a blood sugar-lowering medication like insulin, metformin, SGLT2 or GLP-1 should carry glucagon.
• Glucagon should be used right away if someone is confused, unconscious or having a seizure due to low blood sugar. 
  • These are signs of severe hypoglycemia and require fast action.
• It’s also important that family, friends or coworkers know where the glucagon is kept and how to use it.
  • In most cases, a loved one or bystander will need to give the medicine, so being prepared can help save a life.

Real-life stories: How glucagon saved lives in critical moments

Misty Smith is not the only person with an emergency-glucagon story.

Ginger Vieira used glucagon after a big mistake with insulin

Ginger Vieira was taking Ozempic and forgot how sensitive it made her to insulin. One night, out of habit, she used her old insulin dose.

“I woke up dizzy, and the room was spinning,” she said. “I ate two bowls of cereal but still felt unsafe.”

Vieira used a glucagon shot. “It helped me feel safe enough to sleep again,” she said.

She later woke up with a blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L).

 “I’m so thankful I had glucagon,” Vieira said.

Taylor Rindfleisch’s fiancé saved her life with glucagon

In August 2023, Taylor Rindfleisch passed out from a severe low blood sugar episode after returning home from dinner. Her fiancé, Derrek, quickly administered nasal glucagon and called 911.

“Derrek later told me it was super easy to use,” Rindfleisch said. “I felt sick after, but I’ll take that over dying!”

She had recently refilled her prescription after letting it lapse. “I didn’t think I’d need it that night, but thank goodness I had it.”

Erika Szumel remembers her parents using glucagon when she was a kid

Erika Szumel, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 4, experienced a severe overnight low at age 9 that left her unresponsive. 

“I remember my parents shaking me, but I couldn’t respond,” Szumel said. 

Her parents administered glucagon, and her mom stayed by her side that night. Hours later, her blood sugar spiked, leaving her extremely thirsty.

Heather White gave her son glucagon during a severe low

Like Misty Smith, Heather White knows the critical role of glucagon as a caregiver. Her 10-year-old son, who has type 1 diabetes, dropped below 40 mg/dL (2.2 mmol/L) after a day of basketball and swimming.

“I tried juice. I tried everything,” White said. “He wouldn’t wake up.”

She called the emergency room, and they instructed her to give him glucagon. Within 15 minutes, his blood sugar rose above 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L).

Amy Christie helped her daughter with glucagon after soccer

Amy Christie faced a similar situation when her daughter, who has type 1 diabetes, experienced a severe low hours after a soccer game.

“She had fruit snacks and juice, but it wasn’t helping,” Christie said. “She was sweaty and confused.”

Christie administered glucagon, and her daughter quickly improved.

“Having glucagon around gives me peace of mind,” she said.

John Hughes needed glucagon during a clinical trial emergency

John Hughes had a memorable experience with glucagon in the late 1990s while participating in a clinical trial. During the night, he experienced a severe low due to being on too high a dose of the study drug.

“I was not coherent but somehow woke my wife up,” Hughes said. “She tried to give me juice, but it spilled. She couldn’t find the glucagon and called 911.”

A paramedic administered the glucagon, and Hughes slowly regained consciousness, feeling disoriented.

“All I really remember is waking up in a fog and trying to figure out who these firefighters were standing around the bed,” he recalled.

After stabilizing, Hughes was taken to the hospital, where his blood sugar had risen to 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L). 

Be ready when every second counts

• Severe low blood sugar can strike suddenly, turning routine moments into emergencies. 
• Glucagon is a lifesaving tool that can transform a crisis into survival. 
• Keep it accessible, ensure others know how to use it and monitor expiration dates.
• Glucagon expires at different times depending on the brand. 
  • Check your supply regularly and replace it as needed—expired glucagon won’t work in an emergency. 

This content was made possible by Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an active partner of Beyond Type 1. Beyond Type 1 maintains editorial control over its content.