Consumer medicine information

Glucose 50%

Contains Glucose (as anhydrous) 25 mg in 50 mL


Consumer Medicine Information

What is in this leaflet

This leaflet answers some common questions about Glucose 50%. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor.

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you being given Glucose 50% against the benefits they expect it will have for you.

If you have any concerns about being given this medicine, ask your doctor.

Keep this leaflet in a safe place. You may need to read it again.

What Glucose 50% is used for

Glucose is a sugar which provides energy for the body.

Glucose 50% is used to treat low blood sugar levels. It may also be:

  • added to intravenous solutions as a source of calories for patients unable to consume food.
  • used to treat pressure on the brain and spinal chord and/or swelling of the body caused from consuming too much alcohol.

Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Glucose 50% has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.

Before you are given Glucose 50%

When you must not be given it

You should not be given Glucose 50% if you have an allergy to:

  • any medicine containing glucose
  • any medicine listed at the end of this leaflet
  • corn (maize) and corn products.

Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:

  • shortness of breath
  • wheezing or difficulty breathing
  • swelling of the face lips, tongue or other parts of the body
  • rash, itching or hives on the skin.

Glucose 50% should not be given if you have any of the following medical conditions:

  • very high blood sugar levels
  • difficulty digesting sugars
  • unable to pass urine
  • bleeding in the brain
  • at risk of, or after a stroke
  • dehydration.

You should not be given this medicine if the solution is discoloured, cloudy, turbid, or a precipitate or particles are present. The solution is normally a clear, colourless to faintly straw-coloured liquid.

You should not be given this medicine if it causes a precipitate, discolouration or cloudiness to form when added to an intravenous (IV) solution.

You should not be given this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack, or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. If you are given this medicine after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well.

If you are not sure whether you should be given this medicine talk to your doctor.

Before you are given it

Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.

Tell your doctor if you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:

  • type II diabetes
  • severe under-nutrition
  • problems digesting carbohydrates or sugars
  • vitamin B1(thiamine) deficiency
  • chronic alcoholism
  • low levels of potassium, magnesium or phosphorous
  • blood poisoning or serious infection.
  • recent IV (intravenous) infusion.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant or are breast-feeding. Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved.

If your child is to be given Glucose 50% tell your doctor if the mother suffers from diabetes. Glucose 50% should be used with caution in infants with diabetic mothers.

If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you are given Glucose 50%.

Taking other medicines

Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket, health food shop, naturopath or herbalist.

Some medicines may interfere with Glucose 50%. These include:

  • corticosteroids
  • corticotrophin.

These medicines may be affected by Glucose 50%, or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicine, or you may need to take different medicines.

Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while being given this medicine.

How Glucose 50% is given

Glucose 50% must only be given by a doctor or nurse.

It is usually diluted by adding to an intravenous (IV) solution and then injected into a vein.

It may also be directly injected slowly into a vein without being diluted for some medical conditions.

Your doctor will decide what dose of glucose you will receive and for how long you will receive it. This depends on your medical condition and other factors, such as your weight.

If you are given too much (overdose)

Glucose 50% must only be given by a nurse or doctor so an overdose is not likely to occur.

Immediately contact your doctor if you notice the following symptoms of an overdose:

  • mental confusion
  • dehydration causing thirst or lack of urination.

While you are being given Glucose 50%

Things you must do

If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you have been given Glucose 50%.

Tell any other doctors, dentists, and pharmacists who treat you that you have been given this medicine.

If you are going to have surgery, tell the surgeon or anaesthetist that you have been given this medicine. It may affect other medicines used during surgery.

If you are about to have any blood tests, tell your doctor that you have been given this medicine. It may interfere with the results of some tests.

Side effects

Tell your doctor or nurse as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are being given Glucose 50%. This medicine may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.

Do not be alarmed by the following list of side effects. You may not experience any of them.

Ask your doctor to answer any questions you may have.

Tell your doctor or nurse if you notice any of the following and they worry you:

  • flushing causing redness over face and/or body.

The above list includes the common side effect of your medicine. It is usually mild and short lived.

Tell your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following happen:

  • pain, burning or swelling at the site of injection
  • swelling of the hands, ankles or feet
  • symptoms caused by low levels of potassium, magnesium or phosphorus in the blood:
    – drowsiness
    – loss of appetite
    – muscle twitching or trembling
    – nausea or vomiting
    – unusual tiredness or weakness.

The above list includes serious side effects that may require medical attention.

If any of the following happen, tell you doctor immediately or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital:

  • symptoms of an allergic reaction:
    – shortness of breath
    – wheezing or difficulty breathing
    – swelling of face lips tongue or other parts of the body
    – rash, itching or hives on the skin.

Tell your doctor if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell.

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people.

Some side effects can only be found when your doctor does tests from time to time to check your progress.

After using Glucose 50%

Storage

Glucose 50% will be stored in the surgery, pharmacy, or ward of a hospital. The injection is kept in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.

Glucose 50% will be opened for use on you. It will be used only once and then it will be discarded. It will never be stored after it is opened or used for more than one person.

Product description

What it looks like

Glucose 50% is a clear, colourless to faintly straw-coloured solution in a clear glass vial sealed with a grey rubber stopper and aluminium seal with a white plastic flip off cap.

It is supplied in a 50 mL vial.

Ingredients

Glucose 50% contains 25 mg glucose as monohydrate in 50 mL equivalent to 500 mg/mL of glucose anhydrous in water for injections.

Sodium bicarbonate or hydrochloric acid may also be added for pH adjustment.

This medicine does not contain lactose, sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or any other azo dyes or preservatives.

Manufacturer

Glucose 50% is made in Australia by:

Phebra Pty Ltd
19 Orion Road
Lane Cove West, NSW 2066
Australia

Glucose 50% in 50 mL vial
AUST R 12420
Phebra product code – INJ128

This leaflet was amended in
Feb 2021.

Phebra and the Phi symbol are trademarks of Phebra Pty Ltd.

Published by MIMS March 2021