glucagon vs insulin detemir
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Side-by-side comparison of glucagon and insulin detemir. 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 LEVEMIR 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
Levemir
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.
Levemir is a long-acting insulin that helps control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. It works slowly over about 24 hours to keep your blood sugar stable.
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.
Levemir is used to improve blood sugar control in adults and children with diabetes. It helps manage high blood sugar levels. However, it is not used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious condition with very high blood sugar and ketones.
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.
Levemir is a long-acting form of insulin. It works by helping your body use sugar from the blood for energy. This lowers your blood sugar levels and keeps them more stable over time.
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Weakness
- • Upper respiratory infection
- • Headache
- • Sore throat
- • Flu-like illness
- • Abdominal pain
- Dyspnoea 354
- Acute Kidney Injury 313
- Hypotension 286
- Hypoglycaemia 268
- Condition Aggravated 244
- Blood Glucose Increased 6,220
- Nausea 1,972
- Blood Glucose Decreased 1,568
- Fatigue 1,534
- Diarrhoea 1,399
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.
Never share your Levemir FlexPen, needle, or insulin syringe with anyone else, even if you change the needle. Sharing these items can spread blood-borne diseases. Changes in your insulin regimen can cause high or low blood sugar. Always check the insulin label before injecting to avoid medication errors. Low potassium can occur, monitor potassium levels. Heart failure can occur when taking Levemir with thiazolidinediones (TZDs).
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.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Good control of diabetes is important during pregnancy for both you and your baby. Levemir can be used during pregnancy.
Also Compare, Nearby Drugs
Compare insulin detemir with
How to Read This glucagon vs insulin detemir Comparison
glucagon is classified in the Glucagon (Hypoglycemia Rescue) drug class, while insulin detemir sits within the 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 detemir has 12,693. 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 is a hormone that naturally raises blood sugar, so it directly cancels out some of the effects of your insulin.. 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 detemir.
Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.