10 Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments: Hypoglycemia

2. Causes Unrelated to Diabetes

Significant hypoglycemia in people without diabetes is less common. Drinking excessive alcohol without eating can result in low blood glucose because the liver does not release enough stored glucose to keep blood levels normal. Excessive fasting and anorexia may cause hypoglycemia if the disease causes depleted stores of the substances needed to generate glucose. Certain types of weight-loss surgery are associated with episodes of hypoglycemia. Rarer medical conditions that may cause hypoglycemia include Addison's disease (adrenal insufficiency), pituitary tumors, and non-cancerous tumors of the pancreas (insulinomas). Severe kidney, heart, and liver failure and sepsis can alter the control of glucose and cause hypoglycemia.