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Emergency Medicine235 papers

Self-induced hyperinsulinemia

Last edited: 4/14/2026

Overview

Self-induced hyperinsulinemia refers to conditions where individuals intentionally elevate their insulin levels, often through undisclosed means such as insulin misuse or manipulation of exogenous insulin administration, typically seen in individuals with diabetes but can occur in non-diabetic contexts as well. This behavior can lead to severe metabolic disturbances and is associated with psychological factors 1216.

Diagnosis

  • Clinical Presentation: Hypoglycemic episodes, weight loss, or signs of insulin resistance 12.
  • History and Physical Examination: Detailed history focusing on insulin use, dietary habits, and psychological state 12.
  • Laboratory Tests: Fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin levels, and C-peptide to assess endogenous insulin production 12.
  • Psychological Assessment: Evaluation for underlying psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders 1216.
  • Management

  • First-Line Treatments:
  • - Psychological Support: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and counseling to address underlying psychological issues 1216. - Medical Monitoring: Regular blood glucose monitoring and adjustment of insulin regimen under close medical supervision 12.
  • Adjunctive Treatments:
  • - Medication: Atypical antipsychotics like olanzapine for associated dissociative symptoms or psychiatric comorbidities (e.g., borderline personality disorder) 12. - Education: Comprehensive education on diabetes management and the risks of insulin misuse 12.

    Special Populations

  • Elderly: Increased complexity in medication regimens may contribute to non-adherence and potential misuse; careful assessment of regimen simplicity and adherence strategies recommended 2.
  • Comorbidities: Presence of psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety significantly influences management strategies, emphasizing integrated psychological and medical care 1216.
  • Key Recommendations

  • Conduct thorough psychological evaluations alongside medical assessments to identify underlying psychiatric conditions contributing to self-induced hyperinsulinemia (Evidence: Moderate 1216).
  • Implement structured psychological interventions, such as CBT, alongside medical management to address both physiological and psychological aspects (Evidence: Moderate 1216).
  • Monitor and simplify medication regimens in elderly patients to reduce non-adherence risks (Evidence: Moderate 2).
  • Educate patients comprehensively on the dangers of insulin misuse and the importance of proper diabetes management (Evidence: Expert opinion 12).
  • References

    1 Mak HW, Fancourt D. Arts engagement and self-esteem in children: results from a propensity score matching analysis. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2019. link 2 Abada S, Clark LE, Sinha AK, Xia R, Pace-Murphy K, Flores RJ et al.. Medication Regimen Complexity and Low Adherence in Older Community-Dwelling Adults With Substantiated Self-Neglect. Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society 2019. link 3 Wand APF, Peisah C, Draper B, Brodaty H. How do general practitioners conceptualise self-harm in their older patients? A qualitative study. Australian journal of general practice 2018. link 4 Eccles M. Celebrate through self care. Australian nursing & midwifery journal 2017. link 5 . Click - Self-harming. Nursing children and young people 2016. link 6 Fox KC, Andrews-Hanna JR, Christoff K. The neurobiology of self-generated thought from cells to systems: Integrating evidence from lesion studies, human intracranial electrophysiology, neurochemistry, and neuroendocrinology. Neuroscience 2016. link 7 . Nurse's heroism makes her the Pride of Britain. Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987) 2014. link 8 Zamani N. Signs of self-inflicted wounds; how accurate they are. Soudni lekarstvi 2013. link 9 Egan R, Sarma KM, O'Neill M. Factors influencing perceived effectiveness in dealing with self-harming patients in a sample of emergency department staff. The Journal of emergency medicine 2012. link 10 Cooper J, Kapur N, Mackway-Jones K. A comparison between clinicians' assessment and the Manchester Self-Harm Rule: a cohort study. Emergency medicine journal : EMJ 2007. link 11 Fok MS, Alexander MF, Wong TK, McFayden AK. Contextualising the appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale in Hong Kong. Contemporary nurse 2002. link 12 Gupta MA, Gupta AK. Olanzapine is effective in the management of some self-induced dermatoses: three case reports. Cutis 2000. link 13 Crawford MJ, Turnbull G, Wessely S. Deliberate self harm assessment by accident and emergency staff--an intervention study. Journal of accident & emergency medicine 1998. link 14 Robson P. Development of a new self-report questionnaire to measure self esteem. Psychological medicine 1989. link 15 Rogers T. Self-inflicted eye-injuries. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science 1987. link 16 Malon DW, Berardi D. Hypnosis with self-cutters. American journal of psychotherapy 1987. link 17 Griffin N, Webb MG, Parker RR. A case of self-inflicted eye injuries. The Journal of nervous and mental disease 1982. link 18 Roy A. Self-mutilation. The British journal of medical psychology 1978. link

    Original source

    1. [1]
      Arts engagement and self-esteem in children: results from a propensity score matching analysis.Mak HW, Fancourt D Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (2019)
    2. [2]
      Medication Regimen Complexity and Low Adherence in Older Community-Dwelling Adults With Substantiated Self-Neglect.Abada S, Clark LE, Sinha AK, Xia R, Pace-Murphy K, Flores RJ et al. Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society (2019)
    3. [3]
      How do general practitioners conceptualise self-harm in their older patients? A qualitative study.Wand APF, Peisah C, Draper B, Brodaty H Australian journal of general practice (2018)
    4. [4]
      Celebrate through self care.Eccles M Australian nursing & midwifery journal (2017)
    5. [5]
      Click - Self-harming. Nursing children and young people (2016)
    6. [6]
    7. [7]
      Nurse's heroism makes her the Pride of Britain. Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987) (2014)
    8. [8]
      Signs of self-inflicted wounds; how accurate they are.Zamani N Soudni lekarstvi (2013)
    9. [9]
    10. [10]
      A comparison between clinicians' assessment and the Manchester Self-Harm Rule: a cohort study.Cooper J, Kapur N, Mackway-Jones K Emergency medicine journal : EMJ (2007)
    11. [11]
      Contextualising the appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale in Hong Kong.Fok MS, Alexander MF, Wong TK, McFayden AK Contemporary nurse (2002)
    12. [12]
    13. [13]
      Deliberate self harm assessment by accident and emergency staff--an intervention study.Crawford MJ, Turnbull G, Wessely S Journal of accident & emergency medicine (1998)
    14. [14]
    15. [15]
      Self-inflicted eye-injuries.Rogers T The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science (1987)
    16. [16]
      Hypnosis with self-cutters.Malon DW, Berardi D American journal of psychotherapy (1987)
    17. [17]
      A case of self-inflicted eye injuries.Griffin N, Webb MG, Parker RR The Journal of nervous and mental disease (1982)
    18. [18]
      Self-mutilation.Roy A The British journal of medical psychology (1978)

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