• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Impaired glucose tolerance

C

CommandoMum

Member
Messages
13
does anyone have any experience of impaired glucose tolerance? I’ve been referred to the endocrinologist at Gloucester Royal after experiencing symptoms for three months. I’ve had lots of tests, all clear. My OGTT came back today as impaired tolerance. I had gestational diabetes, baby is now 12m, I ended up on 30 units of insulin. But here’s the kicker, I have a BMI of 20, I do 15000 steps per day (three kids, two dogs) and eat a diet high in raw and unprocessed foods - I am severely allergic to cows milk and coeliac.
The symptoms started when baby started to drop his feeds so has been clearing less sugar from my blood.
 

What numbers did you get on your OGTT?

And what kind of symptoms are you having?
 
7.8 on OGTT, fasting was fine. All my home readings have been in prediabetes and diabetes range. Symptoms- sweating, headaches, thirst, brain fog ( yes I know I have three children!) funny taste in my mouth, 7 bouts of mastitis in 10m not responding to first line antibiotics, over supply of milk and repeated blocked ducts, just feel exhausted in a way I wasn’t a few months ago, my heart races if I eat simple carbs - thus would happen in pregnancy and it was tied to a spike in blood sugar.
 
And weight loss of 4kg and increased appetite
 

Three kids is hard, eh? I just had my 3rd not quite 5 months ago and I'm 44yo, close to you. Had gestational diabetes with this last pregnancy and was up to 22 units of insulin even though I started eating low carb.
My follow-up OGTT had my fasting at 4.4 (normal), my 2h at 6.5 (ok), but my 1h was 12.1 mmol. They suspect glucose intolerance but I wasn't diagnosed with any thing officially.

I test often at home and seem too senstive to carbs to be eating many (spikes in the 8s, 9s and 10s from small - moderate portions).
I've had mastitis only once when my 2nd was 2yo but I had recurrent nipple thrush. This time eating low carb breastfeeding has been a bit easier except when no.3 was two or three days old the nurses left him sleeping in the nursery so long (while they let me have a sleep) that the lump came back where I'd had mastitis (milk came in basically) so I was started on antibiotics as a precaution. So far so good with that.

Your symptoms don't sound pleasant. How is your diet at the moment?

My BMI is around 26 or 27 so I do have some weight to lose but I've lost most of this recent baby weight, just have the souvenirs from the first 2 babies to go. It's easier for me to understand why I'm here - I have a sweet tooth and overeat to stay awake with all the sleep deprivation. It's harder when your weight is good and you eat healthily. But apparently even too much fruit and whole grains aren't even great for us, who knew?
 
Last edited:
CommandoMum said:
And weight loss of 4kg and increased appetite
Click to expand...

Do you know when you will see the Endo?

Please keep a close eye on things. I sort of wonder, with your symptoms, plus already having one auto-immune condition(your coeliac), if you might be a bit of a slow onset T1. However, to be clear, I'm not a Doctor, and you'd need more tests to clarify that potential. Neither I nor anyone else here can diagnose you (or anyone else).
 

I see the endocrinologist, same person I saw I pregnancy, in December, not ideal but I’m not classed as urgent. I raised in pregnancy that this was not gestational diabetes but something else, she was quite dismissive until I pointed out a whole host of other crazy auto immune things that were going on - reactivation of cytomegalovirus and a high rheumatoid count that were discovered when investigating the babies sudden growth and the high excess fluid levels I was carrying. It’s really frustrating because this is how I felt when pregnant - I’m not - Dr said GD doesn’t have symptoms but they went away once I was on insulin and had my blood sugar under control. Diet control in pregnancy didn’t work for me and I ended up with keytones which considering I have hyperemeis in pregnancy, wasn’t good. A HFLC diet with food aversions in pregnancy, coeliacs and a dairy allergy made it all rather complicated.
 

Do you have kit to test your blood sugars? Please do keep an eye on things, and don't ignore things if they seem to escalate.

If in doubt seek help.
 
I hope you get a clearer diagnosis quickly so your treatment can be effective. Endo's though cannot be rushed if dealing with multipal health conditions. It's best they get it right.
 
Thanks everyone, my GP called with the results and she’s flummoxed by it. She’s agreed to keep an eye on levels by home testing but she’s not convinced that it isn’t a type 1 because I don’t fit any of the type two criteria and none of the tests have come back suggesting it’s a type 2 emerging. We’re going to redo my Hba1c on the 16/10, three months after my last and see if there has been a change since the last one. She’s said if at any time I feel worse to go to out of hours straight away.
 
If your gp is flummoxed would she agree to c peptide and gad auto bodies being tested to help determine if it is type 1 / LADA? It may provide answers for her or provide more upfront info for the endo, thus saving more testing and time when you finally get to that point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…