Some patients treated with lithium will experience symptomatic hypoglycemia during the late phases of an oral glucose tolerance test.
Patient selection: lithium-treated patient
Clinical and laboratory findings:
(1) nadir hypoglycemia in late phase of an oral glucose tolerance test
(2) symptoms of hypoglycemia
(3) rise in serum cortisol at 300 minutes
(4) no change in plasma glucagon concentration
(5) no other explanation for hypoglycemia
One possible mechanism is lithium-induced increase in glucose uptake into skeletal muscles.
