Causes
Hypoglycemia can be either medication-related or non-medication-related. Medication-related hypoglycemia occurs most commonly in people who have diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes or "insulin-dependent" diabetes. It can result when someone is given too much insulin or other medications for diabetes that promote the release of insulin from the pancreas in relation to their current level of exercise and diet. This set of circumstances can drastically lower blood sugar, resulting in hypoglycemia. There are also other medications that can cause hypoglycemia in people with diabetes and people that do not have diabetes.
Other types of hypoglycemia include fasting hypoglycemia and reactive hypoglycemia. In fasting hypoglycemia, a person gets low blood sugar if they haven't eaten for a while. Reactive hypoglycemia is a reaction to eating, usually due to carbohydrate intake. Reactive hypoglycemia can occur in infants and children who eat fructose and galactose, which are 2 types of sugars found in foods, or a substance called leucine. These substances interfere with the normal balance of sugar in the blood. Fructose and galactose prevent the liver from releasing sugar normally and leucine makes the pancreas secrete too much insulin.
Hypoglycemia can also be caused by a problem with the pituitary or adrenal glands or the liver. The pituitary gland controls the body's production of hormones such as cortisol through its effect on the adrenal gland. Without the appropriate signal from the adrenal glands, the liver can't release enough glucose when blood glucose levels become low. Hypoglycemia can also result when the liver can't properly store carbohydrates or convert them into glucose. A tumor on the pancreas can also cause hypoglycemia by causing too much insulin to be released.
People who drink excess alcohol (without eating) can develop severe hypoglycemia. This can cause them to go into a stupor.