anyone know about glucose tolerance test?

[Guest guest]

I have to have a glucose tolerance test next week but what my new doctor

described sounded somewhat different from what I read in the book on

Fibromyalgia and that " cure " with guis...... (that medicine found in cough

syprups). It described it as a 5 hour ordeal with blood drawn from your arm

and your having to pretty much stay put during it. I was told it would be a

two hour test with finger prick and I could come and go during it. Anyone

have any experience with this? I have also read the test is not reliable.

[Guest guest]

,

It's been awhile, but here's what I remember. You will have to fast the night

before the test - no food, only water. You will have a baseline blood test in

the morning when you arrive. Then you drink the equivalent of a can of coke

syrup. Over the next several hours, you will have to have blood drawn - a

needle prick in the finger will do - every hour. You shouldn't be allowed to

leave the area because if you have hypoglycemia or diabetes, you could have

adverse reactions to the blood sugar levels.

My husband is hypoglycemic. When he has sugar or carbs, his blood sugar spikes,

then drops rapidly below appropriate levels and then takes a long time to level

out. When I have sugar, my blood sugar spikes less than his and then gradually

drops to normal without really dropping below normal. The difference in how our

bodies react to these changes in blood sugar is that while I may get a temporary

sugar rush for a short time, he gets a short rush and then a long and difficult

period of indecisiveness, irritability, and physical shakes. The symptoms can

be even worse for a diabetic. On a recent trip to Las Vegas, Kerry came to the

aid of a diabetic who wasn't able to get juice in the line at Mc's fast

enough and passed out. On a fishing trip, a diabetic deck-hand hadn't taken

time to eat a proper breakfast before leaving and he got dizzy and his legs

wobbled and he nearly fell overboard into the Pacific Ocean.

My point is that if you don't know whether or not you have a blood sugar problem

- which is the point of the whole test to find out - then you shouldn't leave

the lab during the test for your own health and safety. Bring a book, a

crossword puzzle, or some other project or amusement to distract you while you

wait. Bring a deck of cards to play solitaire or have a friend sit with you or

come visit during the test to keep you company for awhile.

It would be a good idea to have a friend or relative drive you there and bring

you home too. With an empty stomach in the morning you could already have blood

sugar symptoms which could make driving to the lab dangerous. After the test

you will be absolutely starved and even if you don't have problems you will be

too hungry to think straight enough to drive safely. Best idea is to have the

person who drives you home meet you at the lab with a bag of healthy food right

after the test. After my test, Kerry picked me up and brought me sandwiches,

for which I was VERY grateful. After his test, we stopped for pizza on the way

home. He ate a piece in the car and then immediately went to sleep because his

body needed to rest while he digested. That's typical of him when he doesn't

eat soon enough - he shuts down completely once he's eaten.

-Barb

[Guest guest]

Hi all --

I had a glucose tolerance test a few years ago. It's like Barbara says: you

fast a number of hours before going in. The doc takes an initial blood sample,

then give you a fairly large glass of cola syrup to drink. Then you sit and

wait 5 hours as they take a blood sample every hour to check blood sugar. If

you're hypoglycemic you feel pretty awful by the end of that 5 hours -- shaky,

dizzy and sweaty.

As for my test, my blood sugar went down lower than normal while the doc was

there, but not low enough to be hypoglycemic. However, about 15 minutes after

the doc left I had a horrible " attack " of dizziness, hunger, shaking and sweats

which the nurse said should be reported to the doc, as he hadn't stayed the

entire 5 hours. She had a tube of glucose paste that she gave me and I went

home and ate everything in sight...

So even though I didn't test positive for HG, I think I have it.

Cheers.

--le

[Guest guest]

anyone know about glucose tolerance test?

> I have to have a glucose tolerance test next week but what my new doctor

> described sounded somewhat different from what I read in the book on

> Fibromyalgia and that " cure " with guis...... (that medicine found in cough

> syprups).

Hi . Which book are you talking about on fibro? The one by Dr. Devin

Starlanyl? There is a different kind of glucose tolerance test for Reactive

Hypoglycemia (RHG) - if you eat a carb you get low blood sugar because the

insulin doesn't process the sugar appropriately. Instead of changing the

sugar into energy, it changes it into fat (ugh).

When you have the test, instead of getting poked in the arm 5 separate

times, have them use a butterfly needle that can be left in the arm. Tell

them about the excessive bleeding/bruising that EDSer's get.

I had the glucose tolerance test done when I was pregnant and got stuck 5

separate times. I didn't know better then, but I sure do now!

Some MD's call RHG - glucose intolerance.

Here is Dr. Starlanyl's website.

http://www.sover.net/~devstar/

She also has info on the guiafenisin therapy to help get rid of the " toxins "

in the body causing fibro. She also describes the RHG test. It's a little

different than the regular glucose tolerance test.

I get tired when my blood sugar goes down, but not to the point of falling

asleep, fortunately.

Bonnie

[Guest guest]

There are several different hour glucose tolerance tests. The 5 hour or 6

hour is considered alot more reliable than the 3 hour since it is usually

about the 3rd hour your body reacts. I just had the 5 hour one last week

and they were right. Just before the 3rd hour my vision started getting

blurry. By the 4th hour I could barely see at all or sit up. They called

the doctor and decided to do the last test 1/2 hour early. Usually they

draw blood from a vein instead of a finger stick. You could state your

preference and see if they'll accommodate you and decide from there which

lab you'll go to. Just insist that they do not keep drawing from the same

vein - you'll certainly be bruised badly. Also, after the baseline, at the

first 1/2 hour they draw, then 1/2 hour later, which is the 1st hour after

the baseline, and hourly after that. (So a 5 hour one has 7 blood and urine

samples taken.) They will usually require urine specimens along with every

drawing - so drink lots of water.

[Guest guest]

Thank you all soo much for your responses about this test. This test is being

done in the doctor's office... not sure if that's good or bad. At least he'll

be near by! I get to go back to the waiting room in between... or leave and

return if I want he said. He did only mention my walking over to the

hospital, not really getting in my car and going anywhere!I wonder though

from all you all said if what I'll be having (the 2 hour version with finger

pricks instead of blood drawn) is not what should be done!! Would it make any

difference whether the blood is from a finger prick or arm> Sounds like the

timing could be important. My mom was a diabetic and so was her grandfather.

I doubt anything will show up. The chapter in that book on Fibro. made the

test sound pretty unreliable.

Thanks for all your helpful suggestions too. I will definately have food

ready for afterwards. I was planning on going to work afterwards. Won't that

be possible? Some pregnant teachers at work had it done recently and they

came back afterwards.

I'll be sure to let ya'll know what happens. I guess they will be able to

give me the results then and there, won't they?

[Guest guest]

> ready for afterwards. I was planning on going to work afterwards. Won't

that

> be possible? Some pregnant teachers at work had it done recently and they

> came back afterwards.

That really depends on the results. If your blood sugar is fine, then you

probably can go back to work afterward. If you have problems, then you may

not feel up to it.

-Barb