Glucagon injection kit

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Mark (T1)

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi,
Could anyone advise whether they would typically take a glucagon injection kit with them on holiday as a precaution? If so, how would you take this through airport security?
Thanks, Mark
 
I’ve never even seen a glucagon kit. It contains liquid so I’d put it in the clear plastic bag for security.
 
I don't have one at home let alone consider taking it on holiday and like @Lucyr, I have never seen one although I have heard of them.
Is there a particular reason why you have one? Do you have problems with severe hypos and if so, have you had any help to solve the problem of them happening?
 
rebrascora said:
FurtherI have never seen one although I have heard of them.
Click to expand...
Me neither. Talked with my GP about having one, but the hospital team helped me resolve the issues with hypos I was having so we never went any further. I think glucagon has an irritatingly short lifetime so (at the time, at least) would have needed replacing quite often.
 
I have a kit on my prescription but my last one passed it's best before date about 5 years ago and I never bothered replacing it.
I have taken it in holiday when I was trekking in remote areas. But wouldn't take it to a city break or even a beach holiday in Spain
 
Well I used to have them and had them replaced when they went out of date - but well more than 5 years ago decided keep doing that was OTT so just didn't bother ordering another. Never took one on holiday though, even when I had them.
 
Thanks everyone very useful to get your views. I was advised to have one at home in the fridge which I have. I have never used it and and don't have any issues with serious hypos and can manage blood sugar levels fairly well, so probably no need to take it with me. I wanted to get views from others of what they have done when travelling abroad, so very useful to have that. Many thanks, Mark
 
The usual use of glucagon is by paramedics if you are found unable to recover yourself from a severe hypo.
You say that you don't have serious hypos and can manage blood sugar levels fairly well, so I would suggest you probably don't need it.
Not having a glucagon kit of your very own would be one less thing to worry about going out-of-date!
 
The thing about Glucagon kits, I thought, was that they’re not straightforward to use, unlike an epipen where anyone can jab it in. So unless I was travelling with a companion who was trained to use one, I personally wouldn’t consider taking one, I’d rather someone called an ambulance if I was so hypo I couldn’t swallow, rather than wasted time trying to work out how to use the kit.
 
Robin said:
The thing about Glucagon kits, I thought, was that they’re not straightforward to use, unlike an epipen where anyone can jab it in. So unless I was travelling with a companion who was trained to use one, I personally wouldn’t consider taking one, I’d rather someone called an ambulance if I was so hypo I couldn’t swallow, rather than wasted time trying to work out how to use the kit.
Click to expand...
I am not sure about "training". I was never trained to use my kit or to educate others. I was just told to read the instructions clearly.
However, I agree that unless an ambulance is likely to be a long time, I would advise to call one rather than attempt the glycogen kit. I understand it leaves you with a very nasty headache.
 
helli said:
I am not sure about "training". I was never trained to use my kit or to educate others. I was just told to read the instructions clearly.
However, I agree that unless an ambulance is likely to be a long time, I would advise to call one rather than attempt the glycogen kit. I understand it leaves you with a very nasty headache.
Click to expand...
Yes, agree, training was a bit of an overkill word. But I’d prefer someone administering it on me who’d previously read the instructions and looked at the kit to identify the relevant bits of it, rather than someone standing in the street with the instruction sheet in one hand and the kit in the other! (Though even that would be better than someone who elbows their way to the front exclaiming 'Ive watched Casualty, she needs insulin!')
 
The one time we took our daughter abroad was when she was 9 and we took it then (I must add here that she’s never had a hypo bad enough to need one, but we thought we should have everything available just in case!). We just stuck it in the bag with everything else and to be honest airport security didn’t care, on the way out they were more interested in the insulin pump (had to argue with them about not putting it through x-rays or scanners) and both ways the only thing in the bag that caused interest was the Frio pouch which we’d put the insulin in (the gel in the pouch must look very suspicious on the x-ray). But both times as soon as we got it out they realised what it was and didn’t even want to see what was inside.
 
I don’t generally have one (I did as a child) however we went on safari last year and were a lonnnng way from a town/ hospital so I did take a glucagon kit as a “just in case”. I didn’t need it at all but it was nice to know it was there.

I just had it in my medical kit with everything else and security didn’t stop me/ my bags at the airport,
 
It does give you a nasty headache, like having a nasty hangover (also makes you feel rather nauseous).

I used to have kits, the instructions were quite straight forward (I never gave one to myself, I was jabbed by a paramedic once upon a time in my youth). I used to take them with me on holiday, the quantity of liquid is very small and the kits used to be sealed, so I'd just leave it with your other medication (which I never take out and put in a clear plastic bag) if you do decide to take one.

I've not had a kit for many years now though.
 
Really interesting reading the thread, I was given a glucagon kit when discharged from hospital but to be honest it created more questions about it than anything.
Questions I asked like, 'do I need to take this with me to work?' It just seems strange I have it in the house only, but maybe it's not given to everyone or dependant on which NHS trust you are in.
 
Rory Delap's Long Throw said:
Really interesting reading the thread, I was given a glucagon kit when discharged from hospital but to be honest it created more questions about it than anything.
Questions I asked like, 'do I need to take this with me to work?' It just seems strange I have it in the house only, but maybe it's not given to everyone or dependant on which NHS trust you are in.
Click to expand...
I agree, really interesting to see all the different experiences. I think times have changed a lot since cgms have become the norm and also the “modern” basal bolus regimes (vs the mixed insulins of yester-year). Which have given the ability to have better control and alarms.

I know back in the 90s when I was diagnosed as a child, the only serious hypos I had were over night (not often by any means) so my parents made sure we had a glucagon kit and they used it once or twice. It never came out and about during the day as I could feel hypos when awake.

I know in the US they have Basquim which is glucagon in the form of a nasal spray but I haven’t heard of that being used in the UK.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top