glucagon vs insulin degludec
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Side-by-side comparison of glucagon and insulin degludec. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
Drugs That May Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of XULTOPHY 100/3.6 Drugs: Atypical antipsychotics (e.g., olanzapine and clozapine), corticosteroids, danazol, diuretics, estrogens, glucagon, isoniazid, niacin, oral contraceptives, phenothiazines, progestogens (e.g., in oral contraceptives), protease inhibitors, somatropin, sympathomimetic agents (e.g., albuterol, epinephrine, terbutaline), and thyroid hormones.
Baqsimi, GlucaGen
Tresiba
Glucagon is a medicine that helps raise your blood sugar if it gets too low. It can also be used to temporarily slow down your digestive system for certain medical tests.
No summary available.
Glucagon is used to treat very low blood sugar in adults and children who have diabetes. It can also be used to help with some X-ray tests in adults. It does this by slowing down the movement of your stomach and intestines.
Information not available.
Glucagon works by telling your liver to release stored sugar into your blood. This raises your blood sugar level quickly. It also relaxes the muscles in your stomach and intestines.
Information not available.
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Weakness
- • Common cold
- • Headache
- • Feeling sick to your stomach
- • Diarrhea
- • Increased lipase (an enzyme)
- Dyspnoea 354
- Acute Kidney Injury 313
- Hypotension 286
- Hypoglycaemia 268
- Condition Aggravated 244
- Blood Glucose Increased 3,617
- Nausea 1,381
- Blood Glucose Decreased 1,252
- Vomiting 894
- Hypoglycaemia 886
You should not take this medicine if you have a tumor in your adrenal gland called pheochromocytoma. It can cause a large increase in blood pressure. Also, you should not take it if you have a tumor called insulinoma, as it can cause low blood sugar. Do not take if you are allergic to glucagon.
No specific warnings noted.
Studies haven't shown any risk to the baby during pregnancy. Glucagon is not expected to cause harm to a breastfeeding infant because it will be broken down in the baby's stomach.
No pregnancy information available.
How to Read This glucagon vs insulin degludec Comparison
glucagon is classified in the Glucagon (Hypoglycemia Rescue) drug class, while insulin degludec sits within the Ultra-Long-Acting Insulin class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, glucagon has 1,465 submissions while insulin degludec has 8,030. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to glucagon naturally raises blood sugar, which works against the way insulin lowers it.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for glucagon or insulin degludec.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.