Question:
Glucose Tolerance test...how nasty?

Hi folks. My primary doctor and I believe that I am suffering from hypoglycemia. She ordered a glucose tolerance test for me and explained how inconvenient it is. I'm going away soon so I will probably wait until I return to actually do it. I understand it's like a 12 hour fast and then you have to drink a really really really sweet drink. After an hour, then two, they test your sugar level. I know a non-gastric bypass person who had it done and said she almost threw up because of how sweet it is. If it is that sweet, I'm afraid I will dump (I've been know to dump a time or two) If I throw it up, she said, I'll have to drink it again??? Has anyone gone through this? How did it go for you? Any insight to this would be greatly appreciated. -Kim open RNY 7/17/01 -135    — KimBo36 (posted on October 18, 2002)

October 18, 2002
I haven't had surgery yet but you may want to verify this test with your surgeon first or someone who knows more about WLS. The reason why I say this is because I work in a lab and I am aware that for a glucose tolerance test patients are given a drink that has 50 grams of glucola and yes it is sweet and contains carbonation. Just to give you a picture of it, an average soda has 42 grams of sugar. So if you dump on sugar, I would ask my doctor how to do this test first. And yes, if you dump while drinking it or before you are tested, you have to do it again.
   — ROCHELLE S.

October 18, 2002
The stuff I drank for my test was sweet but not untolerable. It tasted just like an orange soda. The test was a breeze. When I did it, I found out I was borderline diabetic. Until the test, I had no idea I was that bad.
   — Jennifer A.

October 19, 2002
I did the glucose tolerance test when I was pregnant. The orange soda-type stuff is sickly-sweet, but tolerable. I didn't throw up, even though I was prego... but some ppl do... try NOT to, because you'll just have to swallow it all over again! :)
   — Patricia E.

October 19, 2002
Just wanted to add something else to my earlier post... I have read that glucose tolerance testing shouldn't be done on WLS post-ops (as per Dr. Wittgrove, Carnie's surgeon)... Not only because of the huge amounts of sugar in the drink, but also because the results are meaningless and uninterpretable after WLS. I agree with an earlier poster - see a doctor who is very familiar with WLS.
   — Patricia E.

October 19, 2002
Check with your surgeon or nutrionist, they may be able to calculate a meal with certain types of carbohydrates to equal to dose of glucose to test. if your looking for hypoglycemia, they want to see what your sugar level is after 3,4 or 5 hours after you eat.
   — mc H.

December 1, 2004
I actually just had this test done today. The drink is very sweet. I expressed my concerns of dumping to my Dr and she ordered the blood draws every half hour just incase it needed to vomit. You have to drink the stuff within 5 minutes. As soon as I was done I felt very dizzy and felt like I was going to faint. The first half hour was a killer trying to hold it down, but I did and after about 45 minutes I was fine. They called me because I hit a critical value at the 1 1/2 hour mark, my blood sugar had dropped below 35 and it should have been alot higher. Still waiting to find out all of the results.
   — Gloriane P.

December 1, 2004
Since hypoglycemia follows these surgeries, it's safe to assume you have reactive hypoglycemia. *I* would refuse to take this test. Just buy a meter and take your blood level when you crash. I know that sounds harsh, but unless they have emergency personnel on hand to revive you, please don't go into this test without someone there beyond just a lab tech. Death can occur at 38! It's very dangerous for us.
   — vitalady