BACK
TO
TOP
Browse A-Z

Spanish Version
 
E-mail Form
Email Results

 
 
Print-Friendly
Bookmarks
bookmarks-menu

Drug-induced low blood sugar

Hypoglycemia - drug-induced; Low blood glucose - drug-induced

Drug-induced low blood sugar is low blood glucose that results from taking medicine.

Causes

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is common in people with diabetes who are taking insulin or other medicines to control their diabetes.

Other than certain medicines, the following can also cause blood sugar (glucose) level to drop:

  • Drinking alcohol
  • Getting more activity than usual
  • Intentionally or unintentionally overdosing on the medicines used to treat diabetes
  • Missing meals

Even when diabetes is managed very carefully, the medicines used to treat diabetes can result in drug-induced low blood sugar. The condition may also occur when someone without diabetes takes a medicine used to treat diabetes. In rare cases, non-diabetes-related medicines can cause low blood sugar.

Medicines that can cause drug-induced low blood sugar include:

  • Beta-blockers (such as atenolol, or propranolol overdose)
  • Cibenzoline and quinidine (heart arrhythmia drugs)
  • Glinides (such as nateglinide and repaglinide)
  • Indomethacin (a pain reliever)
  • Insulin
  • Metformin when used with sulfonylureas
  • SGLT2 inhibitors (such as canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin and ertugliflozin) with or without sulfonylureas
  • Sulfonylureas (such as glipizide, glimepiride, glyburide)
  • Thiazolidinediones (such as pioglitazone and rosiglitazone) when used with sulfonylureas
  • Drugs that fight infections (such as gatifloxacin, levofloxacin, pentamidine, quinine, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole)

References

Cieslak J, Levin A, Beaulieu M. Management of patients with diabetes in the intensive care unit. In: Ronco C, Bellomo R, Kellum JA, Ricci Z, eds. Critical Care Nephrology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 215.

Holt RIG. Diabetes mellitus. In: Feather A, Randall D, Waterhouse M, eds. Kumar and Clarke's Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 23.

  • Food and insulin release - illustration

    Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to increased glucose levels in the blood.

    Food and insulin release

    illustration

  • Food and insulin release - illustration

    Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to increased glucose levels in the blood.

    Food and insulin release

    illustration

A Closer Look

 

Self Care

 
 

Review Date: 10/25/2022

Reviewed By: Frank D. Brodkey, MD, FCCM, Associate Professor, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
© 1997- adam.com All rights reserved.

 
 
 

 

 

A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.