Glucose Tolerance Test

[johnboy412000]

The Diabetic nurse wants me to go to the hospital for a Glucose tolerance test.She drew my attention to the fact that i cant have any medication after 8pm the night before the test is done.Kinda spooks me a bit does that as i usually take Paracetamol 3 times per day and i wont be able to have a dose on the morning of my test and untill the test has been completed 2 hours after attending the clinic.Ill have to keep my fingers crossed that my Cervical Spondylosis keeps low untill ive had the tests.Looking forward to gettting the test done and then i can dive in to painkillers and the coffee shop for a much needed coffee and toast lol.Has anyone else gone through this ?

 

[jack412]

Yes its easier than it sounds
Eat carb for a couple of days before the test. More than 150g

 

[Lamont D]

I have had several. Having one soon and then again near Christmas.
You will take two measured cups (small) and then you wait to see what happens!
Your BSLs will rise and depending on what your symptoms will effect the test let me know how you get on.

 

[johnboy412000]

It says to have Carbs 3 days before the test.Bread,Pasta,Potato's Cereals. Thats sorted my meals out then i have cereal every morning.So Bread for Lunch and i like lasagne so that be for one tea and something like bangers and mash for another tea.

 

[johnboy412000]

I have had several. Having one soon and then again near Christmas.
You will take two measured cups (small) and then you wait to see what happens!
Your BSLs will rise and depending on what your symptoms will effect the test let me know how you get on.


Do you mean during the test 2 measured cups ? and wait to see what happens ? all i know is i have to stay on the blood unit for 2 hours not allowed to move out of my chair.Just hope i dont need a pee lol.

 

[Lamont D]

Isn't it a fasting glucose test or a mixed meal test?
I don't know your symptoms or why you are going for the test.
The test starts by drinking the 2 measured cups then the glucose levels in your bloods will rise and then you wait to see what happens. Your BSLs will be checked every fifteen or thirty minutes. And depending what happens, a blood sample will be taken to go the labs.
After the test again depending what happens you will be given advice and then you will see the doctor who will decide what meds and diet etc you should be on.

 

[johnboy412000]

Yeah its a Fasting test.I cant have anything to eat after 8pm the night before and no drinks only water there after.
Im going for the test cos the diabetic nurse says im borderline diabetic yet my GP said he thought i was deffinatley diabetic so the nurse said the only way to be sure is to go have the glucose tolerance test.
Ok thanks for that info i know what to expect now.It will no doubt be the longest 2 hours of my life.Sitting still in the blood unit.Ill have some reading material with me and just try and relax for 2 hours i guess.

 

[Lamont D]

2 hours? You will be lucky to be there that long! Be prepared for a longer stay! My last one was 4 hours. My first one lasted 7 hours because I had a hypo. If you want a true test. Make sure you carb the day before but don't overdo it. Be sensible.
You never know it could be good news. My previous tests have helped me greatly.

 

[johnboy412000]

Oh blimey i hope im not there longer than say 2 to 3 hours.How come you have had more than one test then ?

 

[Lamont D]

I have a condition called Reactive or post prandial hypoglycaemia. I flush insulin after eating carbs or sugars. The first couple were to diagnosis and the rest since and in the future are for seeing how I'm doing since being given meds called a gliptin which is an inhibitor. Which not to be too scientific stops me flushing insulin and having hypos.
My story on how I got here is on the thread 'according to my consultant'

The reason I was 7 hours on my first visit was the staff nurse looking after me gave me lucozade under protest as I was having a hypo which then sent me hyper, then another hypo until I normalised and they wouldn't release me. Fun eh?

 

[johnboy412000]

Ah right i see.Blimey it all sounds complicated in your case.I can see why you were there for more than the recommended 2 hours.I think a lot of my probs are to do with being over weight.I bet if i lost weight the readings would more than likely take me further away from being diabetic.However it does run in the family.My mother was diabetic type 1 and controlled hers with diet.2 of her brothers were also diabetics.

Cricky you went through it all then.Gave you Lucozade as if you didnt have enough sugar in your body already.I sure hope i dont react that way.I have another appointment in the hospital the same day but that ones after lunch so im kinda counting on being done in the blood unit by 11am at the latest so i can hopefully get the bus to town and have some lunch and back to the hozzie in time for that 1:35pm app lol.

 

[Lamont D]

If you warn the hospital before about your test I'm sure they will understand. The test is used to see if your BSLs are staying too high as well. You will have a starting reading. Then the glucose will give you a spike and then what happens after that. It will determine what your insulin output is.Then what meds you need if any. Hope you get sorted! Let us know.

 

[Talos]

Ive had several of these "fasting" tests at my local hosp waited no more than 10 mins and nobody mentioned about no meds just no food or drink other than water.

 

[Totto]

Isn't it a fasting glucose test or a mixed meal test?
I don't know your symptoms or why you are going for the test.
The test starts by drinking the 2 measured cups then the glucose levels in your bloods will rise and then you wait to see what happens. Your BSLs will be checked every fifteen or thirty minutes. And depending what happens, a blood sample will be taken to go the labs.
After the test again depending what happens you will be given advice and then you will see the doctor who will decide what meds and diet etc you should be on.

At my surgery they only do the two hour test but I asked to have bg tested at one hour too and that was ok. So I suppose it varies.

 

[johnboy412000]

Im more concerned about going without pain killers for too long.I have Cervical Spondylosis and rely on paracets i cant take any after 8pm the night before my test and untill the test is complete.Not bothered about the fasting ive done that loadsa times in the past.Im aiming to be there when they open at 8am.should hopefully be enough time.Guess i shall find out.Plenty reading material and i wonder if they have a telly in the place lol.Yep ill drop a post on here after its all done.

 

[Lamont D]

Aah! If you mean a h1ab test. Then you won't be more than ten minutes. If it is a glucose tolerance test then it is a few hours.

 

[johnboy412000]

And it states quite clearly that medication must not be taken from 8pm the night before the test.Cant even chew on such as polo mints which is a bummer as i love sucking on polo's since giving up smoking 19 months ago.

 

[Lamont D]

The polo mints may have to binned as well!

 

[Brunneria]

Since they have a 'sitting target' they may take both tests.
No biggie. Just one extra vial taken before you drink the lucosade (or dissolved glucose).

It always strikes me as ridiculous how differently these tests are run by different places.

My first test, in a rural Welsh surgery:
Powdered glucose tipped in water. Stirred. Down in one. Go home. Come back in 2 hours. Don't running up and down stairs.

2nd, in Grimsby surgery
Lucosade. Down in 3 mins. Go home. Don't do anything strenuous. Come back in 2 hours (actually got the test at 2 hrs 10 mins).

No wonder I don't trust the results.

 

[johnboy412000]

The polo mints may have to binned as well!

Nah the Polo mints are ok they are sugar free ones and i have canderel in my tea and coffee not that i have much coffee i prefer tea in a morning.plus glass of orange juice most times