Fasting Hypoglycemia Symptoms, Causes
and Treatment

Signs & Symptoms of Fasting Hypoglycemia
Fasting hypoglycemia is a rare, serious form of hypoglycemia that occurs in both diabetics and non-diabetics. In people with fasting hypoglycemia symptoms appear more than five hours after their last meal.

Fasting hypoglycemia is diagnosed based on a blood sample that shows a blood glucose level of less than 50mg/dL taken after an overnight fast, between meals, or after exercise.

In non-diabetics who have fasting hypoglycemia, the hypoglycemic symptoms man not be the most pressing symptoms because this condition is usually related to serious illness.

Causes of Fasting Hypoglycemia
Fasting hypoglycemia occurs most often in people with diabetes when too much insulin is administered, which can be very dangerous, because of the risk of brain damage.

Certain medications and other causes may lead to fasting hypoglycemia in non-diabetics.

Medications that may contributed to Fasting Hypoglycemia:

• Salicylates, including aspirin, when taken in large doses
• Sulfa medicines, which are used to treat infections
• Pentamidine, which treats a very serious kind of pneumonia
• Quinine, which is used to treat malaria

Other possible causes of Fasting Hypoglycemia:

• Alcohol, especially binge drinking
• Critical illnesses that effect the liver, heart, or kidneys
• Hormonal deficiencies
• Insulin producing tumors call insulinomas

Treatment of Fasting Hypoglycemia
Because fasting hypoglycemia usually occurs as the result of a more serious problem treatment is directed at the overlying cause rather than the actual hypoglycemia. Your doctor may change your medications, insulin levels or treat the serious illness that may be the fundamental cause of fasting hypoglycemia.