[hattycat]

I've been told I have to have a GTT (Glucose Tolerance test). What to expect? Why? :worried:

 

[greenhaggis]

Hi Hatty!

Not sure, but as a guess something to do with Diabetes!

Take care,

Lesley

 

[Clare.T]

Hello Vikki

It is a test for diabetes - blood glucose is the same as blood sugar. Prednisone can cause diabetes.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/diabetes.htm

Please let us know how it turns out and best of luck. If need be diabetes can often be controlled by diet

Many Hugs
Clare

 

[hattycat]

What does the test involve though? Is it just a blood test?

 

[cmfinnis]

HI, it's really an 'ok' test , i had it last year and mine went something like this

- arrive blood taking area, they pricked my finger to measure my glucose level wasn't too high to start doing test - it wasn't so we carried on

-they gave me a drink of sugary liquid (it was ok, bit like lucozade) oh and you have to starve before you have this test

-then you wait for I think(?) 3 hours in the blood taking place and they finally call you back in and do a proper blood test(with needle rather than a prick one)

-go home and have a cup of tea!

I found it fine, no ill effects and my text was 'ok'.
hope this helps ...

Cathy x

ps given the starving etc,I hope the clinic/hospital doing the test for you send you out an 'instruction' sheet . . . .otherwise ring them . . good luck x

 

[Maia]

Usually... you have to fast the night before the test too. Your doctor should explain everything to you though. If you've ever had the test for gestational diabetes (the extended version) then it's very similar.

 

[Rose Maclean]

Gtt

Hi hatty,

I had one of these years ago and it's purpose is to test your body's ability to control blood glucose and insulin levels. For it to be truely effective you must starve for 12 hours and they should give you a glucose drink, then measure over a full 5 hours to test what happens to blood sugar and insulin levels over the next 5 hours. the reason 5 hours is because your blood sugar and insulin levels should be normal after 2.5 to 3 hours, but if you are hypoglycaemic, your bllod sugar levels will drop below normal in the hours that follow. Hypoglycaemia is step 1 on a 5 step path to type 2 diabetes. It can be controlled by diet (essentially most people who have it are overweight) but if you aren't (like me) you may suffer from Insulin Resistance, which is where your body cannot absorb insuline properly leading to high insulin levels, which leads to high blood sugar levels and high cholesterol. Mine was being caused by Lupus. Now the treatment I am on has caused me to come off my insulin process boosting drug, metformin.

I hope this is not too much info, as I don't know why you are having this test, but all the best.

regards Rose

 

[hattycat]

Just spoke to my doctor. The receptionist read it wrong, I dont need a glucose test but a gamma TT blood test hee hee panic over.
but on a worse note a lot of my bloods are abnormal :S and all my inflammatory markers are up :S