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| ==Causes== | | ==Causes== |
| The pancreas is an organ in the abdomen that makes several [[enzymes]] and [[hormones]], including the hormone [[insulin]]. Insulin's job is to reduce the level of sugar ([[glucose]]) in the [[blood]] by helping it move into [[cells]].
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| Most of the time when your blood sugar level drops too low, the pancreas stops making insulin until your blood sugar returns to normal. [[Tumors]] of the [[pancreas]] that produce too much insulin are called insulinomas. Insulinomas keep making insulin, even when your blood sugar drops too low.
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| High blood insulin levels cause low blood sugar levels ([[hypoglycemia]]). Hypoglycemia may be mild, leading to symptoms such as [[anxiety]] and [[hunger]]. Or it can be severe, leading to seizures, coma, and even death.
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| Insulinomas are rare tumors. They usually occur as single, small tumors in adults.
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| These tumors are very rare in children. Most children with high blood insulin levels have many areas of overactive insulin-releasing cells in the pancreas, instead of a single tumor.
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| Taking medications that cause too much insulin in the blood, either accidentally or on purpose, is about as common as insulinoma.
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| More than 90% of insulinomas are non-cancerous ([[benign]]) tumors. People with the genetic syndrome called [[multiple endocrine neoplasia]] type I are at risk for insulinomas and other [[endocrine]] tumors.
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| ====Contraindicated medications====
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| {{MedCondContrAbs
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| |MedCond = Insulinoma|Glucagon}}
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| ==References== | | ==References== |
| {{Reflist|2}} | | {{Reflist|2}} |