In addition to its role as emergency treatment for hypoglycemia and insulin shock, glucagon is also used to improve the results of x-ray tests of the stomach and bowels by relaxing the muscles of those body areas. Glucagon temporarily paralyzes the muscles of the intestines and can make certain kinds of testing more comfortable for the patient. Such tests include:

• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (test used to diagnose problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas)
  
  
• Barium enema (a type of barium x-ray of the large intestine)
  
  
• Hysterosalpingography (x-ray examination of a woman’s uterus and fallopian tubes)

Glucagon also may be used to treat other conditions as determined by a physician, including removal of food or an object stuck in the esophagus (the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach). It may be used to treat an overdose of beta blockers or calcium channel blockers (drugs used to treat high blood pressure). An overdose of these antihypertensives can cause severe cardiovascular problems and in some cases can be fatal.