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Fasting for lab work - insulin in the morning?

DaftThoughts

DaftThoughts

Well-Known Member
Messages
397
Location
Netherlands
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm fasting for my Hba1c lab work draw tomorrow morning, 8:15. No problem, I confirmed I can take insulin in the morning without food/drinks.

In the past, my bloodsugars have frequently gone up from around 6 to 9 after cycling to the doctor's office due to dawn(/exercise?) phenomenon. This is my first time biking on an empty stomach since starting insulin. I definitely want to take a correction dose before I leave, but I'm not 100% sure on how to.

My insulin factor is about 1.2. I don't want to go low on the bike so I don't think more than 2 units would be responsible. What time would be the best to inject? I imagine right before I leave would be too late, so my best guess is 20 minutes before I go out the door.

Any input would be appreciated. :)
 
You do not have to fast for an HbA1c test.
 
Hi daftthoughts make sure you should be taking insulin before you go for an hba1c blood test as other member said I was always told not to fast before my test but still take my insulin as normal you will have to be careful if you use your insulin on an empty stomach especially if riding a bike (exercising)as you don't want to have an hypo experience only time I have to fast is if I have a cholesterol blood test I might be wrong but this is what I was told many years ago sure someone will offer advice if things have changed all the best for tomorrow keep us informed.
 
Dairygrade said:
Hi daftthoughts make sure you should be taking insulin before you go for an hba1c blood test as other member said I was always told not to fast before my test but still take my insulin as normal you will have to be careful if you use your insulin on an empty stomach especially if riding a bike (exercising)as you don't want to have an hypo experience only time I have to fast is if I have a cholesterol blood test I might be wrong but this is what I was told many years ago sure someone will offer advice if things have changed all the best for tomorrow keep us informed.
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Thanks for your concern. :) I'm fairly certain I won't go low with 2 units. I always rise in the mornings, especially when I bike, so I'm more worried about being too high. I want to get the timing right so that I don't end up with a 9+ on an empty stomach.

Dairygrade said:
Daftthoughts sorry didn't see post where your dsn told you what to do problerly because your having other tests done apologies to you keep well.
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No worries!
 
DaftThoughts said:
No problem, I confirmed I can take insulin in the morning without food/drinks.
Click to expand...

Maybe the DSN was confirming you should take your basal insulin, but if the lab work includes a full lipid breakdown of your cholesterol then they usually do request that you fast for the test.

Sorry I wouldn't like to say how much QA insulin you should take but good luck with the results.
 
Whelp, today is a bag of suck, holy ****.

I got to the doctor's office just fine after taking 2 units 15 minutes before I left. Then I got a flat tire just as I arrived. My area celebrated Carnaval the past couple of days and there's broken glass everywhere on the roads and sidewalks, which popped my tire.

So after the nurse took 4 vials worth of blood out of my arm I got to walk back home with a bad knee and bad back. Took me 55 minutes of walking (mostly limping) to get home across a 3km stretch. That was fun. And some ^$%%^& on a bike passed me and yelled dumb comments at me. Best day ever.

I just got home, my body is in agonizing pain, but my bloodsugar is only 7.7, from a fasting value of 6.4 this morning, so I've got that going for me I guess! 2 units seems to have worked out well.

Time to eat.
 
Poor you. Many years ago my consultant told me to just tell them I fasted when doing an hba1c but not to actually do it as it didn't affect the results much and the hypo risk wasn't worth it, given the all too frequent wait.
 
I was first asked to go for a first thing in the morning fasting blood test about 6 yrs ago. Having tried to get there twice and being hypo before arrival, which meant I had to eat glucose at the bus stop, I explained that I couldn't take insulin and get there before being hypo because of the distance involved. He told me to try and I explained I had -twice- so he abandoned the idea. My hospital clinic always does a non-fasting chloresterol anyway, because it's held in the afternoon.
 
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