[americastamps]

At my appointment yesterday my doctor told me to go to the lab and do a glucose tolerance test.

I don't want to drink that nasty concoction if I don't have to. Is there another way to do this test. Is this really neccessary if I don't have any symptoms of blood sugar problems? (that is what it is for, right?)
It seems a lot of unnecessary stress to put on my body by drinking some nasty drink. I normally don't drink things with artificial flavors, colorings etc and I'm sure this is full of them. after all it is bright orange!

Please tell me on what grounds I can refuse this, and if it is risky for me to refuse it, etc etc. Do I really need it?
thanks!
Erica

 

[chelsmm]

There are a lot of threads here about this. I don't know how to link you to them, but try a search. I'm sure you'll find a lot of info.

I know that there have been some studies that show jelly beans work too. I found one by doing a google search. It used 18 Brach's jelly beans. The cut off for diagnosis was 120, however, not the usual 140.

I know that some midwives have the patient just eat a healthful breakfast and then an hour later they do a simple finger stick.

I'm not sure what I plan to do yet...although my appt is on Tues! I'm leaning towards either declining the test all together or doing the jelly bean route.

Chelsea.

 

[2sweetboysmom]

My ob and I decided on testing my fasting glucose at 29 and 32 weeks. No orange slime of excessive sugar load here. I argued that I would never (even not pregnant) consume that much sugar or simple-carbohydrates in one sitting much less on an empty stomach! He had no problems with that.

 

[jazzybaby9]

So was it a lie when my midwife told me the syrup contained the same amount of sugar as a coke....

: I told her I didn't want to do it and she came back in the room and handed the cup to me and said "Drink up"...Oh well. It's over and done with.

 

[Carlyle]

Actually a coke has a HUGE amount of sugar, so I wouldn't be surprised if this had the same amount as a coke! I was off of all sugar during my pregnancy (I get Urinary tract infections really easily, and staying off sugar and drinking tons kept them at bay during pregnancy) and my MW had me do a different test--eat big oatmeal breakfast and then have blood test done a certain amount of time later. Can't remember what this test was called. Anyway, for me it was a bit moot because the treatment for Gest Diabetes (as I understand it) is to go off sugar...which I was already doing.

 

[Vicitoria]

Gestational diabetes doesn't have any real symptoms like you'd think. I have only gained 5 pounds, my blood pressure is 115/55 and I tested very, very high. I say suck it up and drink the stuff. Better to know than to think you do.

 

[the_lissa]

I will never do that test/ It is not accurate.

Having the test, regardless of outcome, increases one's risk of C/S.

Repeated studies show that testing and treatment does not improve outcomes.

If you are concerned, you can get a blood sugar monitor and monitor your sugars at home.

 

[ilikethedesert]

My first pg I drank to orange "kool-aid" and it made me feel nasty. Second pg I told my mw I didn't want to drink that stuff and she said as an alternative I could wake up and have toast with a ton of jelly, grape juice and maybe something else really sweet.. DOn't remember exactly. It was still a ton of sugar and made me feel gross, but at least it's a little more natural. Try asking your health care provider about that.

This pg I was thinking about skipping it. Does anyone know if you are likely to be at risk for it if you weren't the first two times???

 

[subtlycrunchy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_lissa I will never do that test/ It is not accurate. Having the test, regardless of outcome, increases one's risk of C/S.

I am really curious about these two statements. Could you (or since I know your post is old -- someone else) elaborate? TY!

 

[khaoskat]

Ask about the following options:

1) Brach's Jelly Bean test;
2) Fasting BS, then eat a normal breakfast, then 2 hours later blood draw;
3) an A1C or (glycohemoglobin test) - it measures how much glucose is bonded to your hemoglobin in the last 2-3 months. My OB is doing this while we wait for Jelly Beans to come in and I am almost 33 weeks.

 

[the_lissa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by subtlycrunchy I am really curious about these two statements. Could you (or since I know your post is old -- someone else) elaborate? TY!

Here is one link:
http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/gdhgoer.html

 

[momoftworedheads]

I have not had it done with my last 2 boys and I was fine. I do not believe in it at all!

Take care,

 

[Leslie in Chicago]

I took the GTT yesterday and it was a joke. I was not instructed to fast, in fact I ate a balanced meal 1.5 hours before the test. I showed up randomly at the lab at 1:00 p.m. was told to drink the entire bottle of super-sweet orange soda, which I did. Then they said I could come back in an hour for the blood draw. I asked if I could leave and run errands, the lab tech said sure.

Look at the variables: other food and beverages already in my system (could have been more, could have been less); arrival at any time of day; any amount of activity allowed during that hour.

I know I can't eat/drink sugar on an empty stomach. As expected, it gave me a huge headache and made me feel awful. But I purposely walked during that hour (not all of it!) because I knew that exercise would help me metabolize the sugar and feel better.

I'm pregnant for the first time ever in my life (yay!), with twins, at 39. Yes, I'm going to a regular OB and I'm willing to take the label "high risk." But even I can tell you that the results from that GTT are bs. If I have to do it again, I'm eating a big protein meal before going in.

[That said, I kinda wish the beverage was Coke. I never drink the stuff but secretly I think it tastes good!]

 

[ilikethedesert]

:0)

I'm totally with you on the Coke thing. I wonder why they don't just offer that?

We're skipping it this time around.

 

[Cherryblsm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilikethedesert :0) I'm totally with you on the Coke thing. I wonder why they don't just offer that? We're skipping it this time around.

Well I think it could have been coke as long as it has the same amount of sugar in the drink. ( especially if you insisted) That is all that they care about, it could have been a candy bar too or...For my second time having gestational diabetes I was allowed to eat a pancake breakfast then check the blood. I declined the 3 hr glucose test because I had gestational before and could monitor it on my own with my glucose meter. As for me, cutting out sugar is not the only thing to gestational diabetes or having it run in your family or being overweight because I have none of those. Also you can cut all the sugar but you still have to eat alittle bit of carbohydrates and if you truly have gestational diabetes, you could almost eat slim to none and still have high sugars. It depends on your body. Ex: I eat one peice of whole grain toast with cream cheese and my blood can still be high due to stress or anxiety. Which have been my problem lately...

 

[newbymom05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_lissa I will never do that test/ It is not accurate. Having the test, regardless of outcome, increases one's risk of C/S. Repeated studies show that testing and treatment does not improve outcomes. If you are concerned, you can get a blood sugar monitor and monitor your sugars at home.

With all due respect, this is irresponsible advice IMO. I read statements like yours prior to #1 and was leary of taking the test and skeptical of the results. As everyone has pointed out, it is beyond unlikely that I would ever ingest 12 teaspoons of sugar at one sitting. However I did test positive for GD, and I'm now pre-diabetic. I know this because I continue to test my blood sugars. It isn't some kind of doctor/pharma intervention conspiracy--the stress of pregnancy causes some people to become glucose impaired.

While Henci Goer and others may argue high glucose levels don't hurt the fetus, they absolutely DO hurt the mother and can lead to lifelong complications like heart disease, kidney damage, vein damage, and a host of other horrible irreversible conditions that are preventable.

Most people who test GD are fine after the pregnancy and they have nothing to worry about. But for the tiny percentage like me--and I'm not overweight, have a healthy diet, no diabetes in my family and I've always exercised--the GD test turned out to be an important wake-up call.

 

[the_lissa]

Well I'm sorry, but I strongly disagree.

GD questions aside, the GTT is not accurate or reproduceable. Why not test blood sugars daily, for example? There are many more accurate ways to test blood sugar issues.

 

[newbymom05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_lissa Well I'm sorry, but I strongly disagree. GD questions aside, the GTT is not accurate or reproduceable. Why not test blood sugars daily, for example? There are many more accurate ways to test blood sugar issues.

But how would anyone know to test w/ out the GTT? Dont' get me wrong, I think it's a horrible test, but I disagree that it's incorrect. It absolutely is indicative of glucose impairment/intolerance. My DH, for example, can eat a huge syruppy pancake b'fast and test a 70. That will easily put me over 160. How is that any different from a GTT? Well of course the GTT is inconvenient and horrible tasting but aside from that.

Plus, what's the big deal? It's not like they test every pregnant woman, just women who come in fasting w/ sugar in their urine. If you have sugar in your urine you need to be tested. It increases the risk of C/S because it increases pregnancy risk. Again, that's not opinion, that's fact. Even the article you linked said that "some women" are at increased risk--the women w/ true glucose impairment. She's just quibbling over the numbers that equal true GD, something that a lot of professionals quibble over. FWIW, I had GD and was high risk because of age and still avoided C/S because we were adamant that it wasn't an option unless there was a medical emergency.

Also, is it that easy to test your own sugars? Is it for me, thanks to the GTT. That got me in the lovely system and so got me in to see a diabetic counselor and nutritionist who gave me the tools and told me what to look for. I can't imagine I could have walked into Walgreens and known what to purchase all myself, plus you do need a rx for testing strips and etc.

Maybe taking a Ac test would be an easier predictor, I don't know, but IME it was possilby life saving to know that pregnancy has permanently affected the way I process glucose. The test isn't a big deal and just as women should be educated in the risks of C/S, they should also be educated in the risks of walking around w/ higher than normal blood sugar levels. If you catch it early and are able to control it w/ diet and exercise, so much the better for everyone concerned.

 

[mama2rey]

The orange concoction has 50 grams of sugars. My MW told me that I could figure out what 50 grams of sugars was and just have that. A can of pop has 48g of sugars, and 16 oz of OJ has 48 grams of sugars.

Maybe I have a horrible diet-but I don't think that it's that much sugar to be ingesting all at once. Many people drink 2 cups of OJ at breakfast-or regularly drink soda. Just my 2 cents.

 

[melissakc]

Here is a study that you can present to your HCP about the jelly beans alternative, which is SO much better than the orange stuff:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...ubmed_RVDocSum