Expired glucagon

Yes, I am doing micro-doses so it doesn’t spike me too much.

It could be used this way, like carbs, but it’s heck-a-bit more expensive than eating a cupcake. :money_mouth_face:


I used it again today, the vial has been mixed for almost 24 hours and was sitting at room temp the whole time. And it STILL works. No doubt about it, brought me right up.

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That is fine for you all.

As far as I am concerned, “Off Label” has exactly one definition. I don’t enjoy playing word games.

Then I would recommend you not do so! lol. Not even sure what’s meant by this since no one’s playing any word games. Only stating fact. However, if you use a CGM sensor for 8 days, you’re being “off-label”.

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Off Label Drug Use

@ClaudnDaye - Understood. Very much appreciate the clarification.

A little update on this. I mixed the expired glucagon 5 days ago. It worked fine then. I tested it a day later, and it still worked.

So 5 days after mixing the glucagon, I did another test today. The same mini-dose I did before, 25 units (just 1/4 of the entire dosage you get in a glucagon kit), and it brought me up 89 points in just 30 minutes. That’s pretty consistent with day 2:

2nd day after mixing:
106 points in 35 minutes

5th day after mixing:
89 points in 30 minutes

Anyway, the point is, glucagon doesn’t seem to expire when the label says, and it works even up to 5 days after mixing. Maybe longer. I have a little left, I will try again in a few days…
:guinea_pig:

Funny to see, no doubt that 5 day old mixture is working: :wink:

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Thanks :guinea_pig:!

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Slightly off topic: does anyone know if insurance (BCBS to be specific) covers glucagon? I am in an advantageous time period to order D supplies right now and will ask my dr to send in a prescription if so. (Clearly the glucagon I have on hand is also expired… thanks, Eric, for experimenting!) Jessica

Where do you get your prescriptions? Have your doc send the script. If the price is too high, you are under no obligation to buy, you can tell the pharmacist “no thanks”.

Insurance covered mine. I don’t think it’s very expensive .

WE use Blue Cross (Anthem) and it’s covered. I think it’s covered under most insurance plans if you’re using insulin but the issue is how many.

I think it is usually covered, but I also think it is expensive, because our copay was over $150 on that one.

Wow that’s outrageous…I stand corrected they are pricey. Marks marine pharmacy sells them for $119 cash

Thankfully you only have to pay once every few years, and at least for us, it includes two red boxes of the stuff, one for school and one for his bag.

I mentioned this to Harold, having a script for more than one is ideal.

I was able to do that by explaining that if I use one, it can take several days to get it refilled, and that leaves me with none in the house during that time. Having none is dangerous.

That rational satisfied my endo, and I got a script for 3. If your script is only for 1, try it.

My co-pay for 3 is the same as it would be for 1.

Anyone in a desperate need for one, please PM me.

I can go through regular pharmacy (e.g., CVS) for “30 day” supply or through Express Scripts for 90 day supply, which I am hoping would be 3 units. I am going to request this of my dr. and see what happens. I am in this favorable situation for the next 8 days so am going to make the request and try to make it happen within the next week. I do recall the cost of each unit being quite expensive (per Chris’s experience). I will keep everyone posted! Thanks so much for all of the quick responses! Jessica

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@JessicaD, our insurance (UHC) covered Glucagon. We order several (maybe 4?) every year, and keep them in multiple places: school, my son’s backpack, home etc. I think we are allowed 2 per quarter, but we don’t order that many.

Aprrox. $280 per kit. Very expensive for a one use dosage. Here’s the source:

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Last Glucagon kit we picked up was billed at $280 for 1 kit to the insurance company. It was right before the start of the school year to provide the School Nurse with a current one. By that point, we had hit the max out-of-pocket so there was no additional charge to us.

Based in no small part to numerous postings and personal testing in these forums, I really pay very little attention to the “expiration date” on the Glucagon so haven’t bothered to get any more. We pretty much have the kits liberally scattered in strategic locations.

At this point, my one concession to the expiration date is to pick the oldest one if we are going to do any testing.

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That’s the list price of course… before secret rebate

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