If you have been told by your doctor that you have high sugar, you may be required to take a longer glucose test. Many pregnant women also have to take this test to be sure their sugar levels are healthy during pregnancy and that they are not at risk of contracting gestational diabetes. If you took a 1-hour glucose test and it showed that your sugar levels were high, you will typically be required to take another 3-hour glucose test. This one will require some preparation.
How can you prepare for glucose testing and what should you expect? First, you should not worry that you have diabetes yet. You may not have it at all; the tests are just as a precaution so it can be caught early. If you do test positive for diabetes, there are different levels of severity so your doctor will be able to talk to you about that once you have the results back. The most important thing is just to find out where you stand health-wise.
Before the morning of your test, you will need to fast the night before. Usually you will be asked to fast for 8-12 hours before the test or not eat after 12pm the night before the test. You can sip water if you need to before and during the test but you will probably be told not to gulp it down and just to drink enough to prevent thirst. You may want to have someone else drive you or drop you off and pick you up since the fasting and then the blood testing can make many people dizzy.
Your testing will take over 3 hours and you will not be allowed to really do anything but wait in the waiting area. It’s a good idea to bring something to occupy your time such as a book or handheld game. (I brought pen and paper and typed up the outline for this article, among other things.)
When you first arrive for testing, your blood will be drawn. Then you will be instructed to drink a full bottle of glucose drink. This usually comes in lime or orange flavor and some places will also have cola flavored. Don’t be surprised if the drink makes you nauseous. Try to drink it quickly but don’t chug. You don’t want to throw up and have to do it again. If you feel dizzy while drinking, please let the nurse or lab attendant know.
After you have drunk the liquid, the time will be noted and you get to wait for 1 hour to be tested again. At one hour, your blood will be drawn again. Then you wait another hour and have it drawn again. On the third hour, it will be drawn again for a total of 4 times during the test. The times will be noted on each vial of blood for when it is sent to the lab.
If at any time during the test or while you are waiting to have your blood drawn, if you feel dizzy or light headed you should tell someone immediately. It is common to feel this way after drinking the glucose and if you pass out, you can hurt yourself. Don’t be nervous or surprised if you do have these symptoms. It doesn’t mean you have diabetes; it just means your body is reacting to the sugar. Only your doctor can tell you the results of the test once it is complete.
Once you know what to expect from your glucose testing, it will be less intimidating and nerve wracking. There isn’t much you can do about the uncomfortable wait time but if you prepare with something to do, the time will pass more easily.
