glucagon Side Effects
Also known as: Baqsimi, GlucaGen
Analysis of 3,944 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.
Total Reports
3,944
Death-Related
654
16.6% of reports
Hospitalizations
1,898
48.1% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 654 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 208 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 135 |
| DYSPNOEA | 112 |
| TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 106 |
| HAEMOPTYSIS | 94 |
| HYPOXIA | 86 |
| PRODUCTIVE COUGH | 86 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 74 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 74 |
| HYPOTENSION | 73 |
| PNEUMONIA | 73 |
| SEPSIS | 68 |
| ANXIETY | 65 |
| PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 63 |
| THROMBOSIS | 62 |
| ARTERIOSCLEROSIS | 59 |
| CARDIAC ARREST | 59 |
| HYPOTHYROIDISM | 59 |
| PULMONARY ALVEOLAR HAEMORRHAGE | 59 |
| PULMONARY FIBROSIS | 59 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 1,898 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DYSPNOEA | 248 |
| HYPOTENSION | 237 |
| ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 226 |
| TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 206 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 198 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 174 |
| PNEUMONIA | 163 |
| HYPOXIA | 153 |
| INTENTIONAL OVERDOSE | 152 |
| HAEMOPTYSIS | 151 |
| PRODUCTIVE COUGH | 142 |
| ANXIETY | 140 |
| PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 140 |
| BRADYCARDIA | 137 |
| ASTHMA | 124 |
| HYPOGLYCAEMIA | 124 |
| PULMONARY EMBOLISM | 124 |
| VOMITING | 124 |
| LUNG DISORDER | 114 |
| HYPOTHYROIDISM | 113 |
Nearby — Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About glucagon Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 3,944 voluntary reports linked to glucagon and its brand equivalents (Baqsimi, GlucaGen), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 654 (16.6%) listed death as an outcome and 1,898 (48.1%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 52% were female and 48% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 923 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 362 submissions, followed by dyspnoea and acute kidney injury.
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.