Fasting blood test - Huge anxiety

[AnxietyTom1]

I'm a 20 year old male and for the past 3 years I've always been worried about being a diabetic. I've had symptoms like thirst, frequent urination, and feeling hungry very fast after eating a meal.

Over the years 3 years I've never had a fasting glucose test, I once purchased a blood glucose monitor but I never performaned a fasting test with one. However when I did test my levels they were ALWAYS in the normal range however I still always had symptoms. I have also used urine strips that test for glucose and they were all negative.

Only fairly recently (couple of weeks) I've been thirsty, had a dry mouth and urinated lots lots more than usual.

I went to see the doctor today and he told me to take a fasting glucose test, I raised my concern with him telling him that I did not feel comfortable at all with taking one, because as it is right now even if I don't eat for 3-4 hours I start to feel like I'm shaking and get dizzy. He wasn't bothered though but then again this is the only way to find out for sure, so I know it HAS to be done.

Can anyone give me tips on how to get through this without feeling like I'm going to slip into a hypo or something? That's what my main fear is. I always eat right before I get into bed otherwise I will wake up in the night with gnawing hunger, I sleep for 7 hours so that means waking up and not eating for another 5 hours and I'm always hungrier in the mornings.

I just don't know how I'm going to do this, I know it isn't a big deal for anyone else but for me it just scares me

 

[borofergie]

Dude, it's only 12 hours, you'll just feel a bit hungry when you're done.

Trust me, life is going to get a lot tougher than that if you have caught the old Diabetes.

 

[Patch]

AND - it's better to know than not to know. At least if you know, you can start taking steps to sort it out.

Good luck to you, mate.

 

[ebony321]

If your worried, take someone with you.

If it's undiagnosed diabetes then you won't slip into a hypo as your blood sugars will be higher than normal.

Either way you need to do this test to either rule out or confirm diabetes.

You need to bite the bullet and get it over with, testing urine for glucose can be quite unreliable as it will only spill into the glucose when its over 10-12mmol. and it can be quite behind and it's got to travel a long way down first!

Sip water during the morning which could fool your body into feeling less hungry.

Hope all turns out well!

 

[AnxietyTom1]

Thanks guys, I'm going to give it a go tomorrow, if I start to feel ****** though I'll have to call it off till next week. I hate having health anxiety because it makes simple things turn into big things.

To be honest I've pretty much applied a low G.I diet for the last 2 years or so purely because I convinced my self I was diabetic, my bodys used to getting food little and often and this is why I think when I don't eat for 3 hours I start to get low blood sugar symptoms. :/

Cheers

 

[ebony321]

Thanks guys, I'm going to give it a go tomorrow, if I start to feel ****** though I'll have to call it off till next week. I hate having health anxiety because it makes simple things turn into big things.

To be honest I've pretty much applied a low G.I diet for the last 2 years or so purely because I convinced my self I was diabetic, my bodys used to getting food little and often and this is why I think when I don't eat for 3 hours I start to get low blood sugar symptoms. :/

Cheers

I understand these things can be very worrying. Just think of the relief you will have if you can either rule diabetes out or confirm it.

 

[AnxietyTom1]

So even if I WAS diabetic and I went 12 hours without eating I'd be fine to do this test? I know it sounds silly but I just see my self flipping into a hypo.

 

[copepod]

Yes, exactly: except in certain extreme endurance situations (ie running / biking for several hours, not just not eating for a few hours, most of which you are asleep), you can't go hypo, unless you are taking insulin or certain medications that treat diabetes.

 

[AnxietyTom1]

Thanks for the reassurance folks. Just when tomorrow comes I know I'm going to wake up with gnawing hunger and it's gonna feel horrible, but it's gotta be done! Hopefully it'll all be OK.

Cheers

 

[roxy44]

i think you must be thinking breathing the worry....i know what anxiety is like it can take over your very being....please dont worry about the fasting test...it really is nothing...take a snack with you so has soon as you have had your blood taken you can eat something, i have had a few of these, honestly they are nothing..its the worry and anticipation thats the worse thing,

i had my eye scan yesterday and beleive me i was really scared...and it turned out to be nothing really,

you need to get angry with your anxiety feelings, dont let them take over!! you can do this, just do it and then you will know either way...its much better than worrying for the rest of your life,

think positive, nothing will happen to you, they wouldn't be doing it otherwise,
dont let your anxiety ruin what is really a simple test.
let us know how you go

 

[AnxietyTom1]

I woke up this morning feeling very hungry and I've still got another 3 hours to go before I can go for the test. It feels like my blood sugar levels are really low, I don't know how long I'll be able to go until my body forces me to have something to eat.

 

[bowell]

Victims of war and torturous containment conditions have successfully fasted between 28 and 40 days.

Sip a few drops of water

 

[AnxietyTom1]

I guess the anxiety just makes the symptoms worse for me, just feel woozy and it feels like I've got an inner tremor, and it feels like I just aren't fully awake at all. My stomachs burning. Not nice, still 3 hours to go. :/

 

[ebony321]

I guess the anxiety just makes the symptoms worse for me, just feel woozy and it feels like I've got an inner tremor, and it feels like I just aren't fully awake at all. My stomachs burning. Not nice, still 3 hours to go. :/

I've done a few fasting tests to see if my insulin doses are correct, so i know it's not pleasant sometimes.

Keep yourself occupied, don't there clock watching as it's bound to feel worse!

Remember to take a snack with you so as soon as your done you can eat and feel better!

 

[AnxietyTom1]

If it is actually something like reactive hypoglycemia I have then I guess it wouldn't be safe to go this 12 hours? Can this fasting blood test have a definate mark between reactive hypoglycemia, normal and diabetes?

Cheers

 

[AnxietyTom1]

I just got back from the blood test - I was 15 minutes earlier than the full 12 hours but I don't think it matters much?

Before I went to the hospital I tested my blood sugar levels on a spare meter my grandma has, the machine said my level was 5.0 which I think is pretty good? But I guess the tests will confirm.

Thanks for all the support guys greatly appreciated

 

[ebony321]

I just got back from the blood test - I was 15 minutes earlier than the full 12 hours but I don't think it matters much?

Before I went to the hospital I tested my blood sugar levels on a spare meter my grandma has, the machine said my level was 5.0 which I think is pretty good? But I guess the tests will confirm.

Thanks for all the support guys greatly appreciated

Hi,

i don't think it will matter that much, i doubt your BG would dramatically change with an extra 15 mins.

5.0 is good yes, just need to wait for your results.

I bet your glad it's over now

 

[AnxietyTom1]

Yeh massive relief that it's out of the way. Hopefully I won't be needing another one anytime soon!

 

[ebony321]

Yeh massive relief that it's out of the way. Hopefully I won't be needing another one anytime soon!

I'm sure if that you need another one (which i hope you dont!) then you know you'll be fine.

Fasting tests are never pleasant, especially if your used to eating regularly. The morning ones i find the worst! i get up at 6.30am on weekdays and by 8am my tummy is more than rumbling! :lol:

 

[roxy44]

well done !! you did it!!!

have you seen the GP about your anxiety disorder? if not then i would pop along and have a chat, these days nobody needs to suffer...i have suffered with it all my life and many years ago when i had my kids i had very bad postnatel depression...but it wasnt recognised then as it is now, i went through hell!!

my 20s was a living nightmare, so please go and get some help for it,

you may need another fasting blood test called a GTT, its the same as you have had, but you have to stay in the doctors surgery 2 hours... when you go in they take a blood sample, then you drink a bottle of lucozade, and that fills you up so dont worry about that! then 2 hours later another blood sample is taken,

i have had a few of these over the yrs up untill being diagnosed, but honestly they are nothing.