Glucose test alternatives

StephEppie

Hey ladies!!
My up coming Dr appointment I have to have the glucose test conversation with my OB, I'm looking into research for what the alternatives are for the drink, I've read a few things and my sister in law was able to get approval with a certain type of Oj. Any ladies on here who have gone with an alternative their dr approved for the test? I'm not anti glucose test I'm just anti beverage they force you to down, based off the ingredients it's not something I want to put in my body.....thanks in advance!!

ainverso

My neighbor was allowed to eat a certain number of jellybeans for hers

starree444

Just drink the drink they give you. Sugar is sugar.

ccoleeman

Starburst. Lots of em

juju0592

It's just a one time drink. It won't kill you. Maybe a headache and some heartburn, but it goes away quickly. But anyways I do know of some moms opting out for the actual test and just testing their sugars at home for a certain period of time.

ChrissyD1203

I loved the drink but due to an underlying heart condition, I'm not allowed to get it anymore so I get jelly beans instead.

jencook25

Im sure if it was a drink not reccomended for pregnant women, they wouldnt be giving it to pregnant women. Its a health screen, not a high tea or cocktail party. Sorry.

samara267

Glucola is loaded with chemicals, including one that is banned in Europe because it's toxic. I refused to put that shit in my body so I drank 10oz of 100% pure, organic grape juice instead. It's still 50g of glucose and 50g of glucose is 50g of glucose. The diabetic counselor at my previous provider was totally on board with that, and my current midwife is as well. 

AlabamaWorley

Krisdee123

Oh geez. Millions of women have done this test. I'm pretty sure everybody made it out alive without any toxicity issues.

#firstworldproblems

ccoleeman

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that many of the women who are upset about the chemical content of these drinks are the same women who drink (or have drank) pumpkin spice lattes, diet cokes, and powerade, use flavored coffee creamers, etc etc. It's 1 drink.

danizar8

My OBs allowed me to monitor my blood sugar on my own for a week and report the results back to them. It allowed a more comprehensive picture than artificially triggered snap shot reaction.

Kelley421

Yum pumpkin spice latte.

maureenmce

@ChrissyD1203 - If you don't mind my asking - what type of heart condition do you have?  I have an arrhythmia and am wondering if I should ask my OB for an alternative?  Thank you!

ChrissyD1203

@maureece I had 1st degree AV heart block however I had an episode this summer where it went into complete (or 3rd degree) heart block (it's a block of electrical currents not arteries). They don't know why the heart block happened because my 1st degree had been the same for fifteen years. This episode happened before my glucose test so was NOT caused by it. Anyway when I did my early glucose screen because I have PCOS I got really bad chest pains and my heart was racing. It could have been completely unrelated but my OB (not my cardiologist) said just because I have this heart stuff going on, do the jelly beans instead. Lots of women have arrythymias - they are super common with pregnancy so as long as your OB knows and didn't say don't do the glucose test, I would think it is perfectly fine.

maureenmce

@ChrissyD1203 - Thanks so much for the info!    I keep forgetting to mention my arrhythmia to my OB, but I will just to be safe (though they are definitely common and I'm sure the normal glucose test will be A-ok.)  Thanks again!

samara267

ccoleeman said:

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that many of the women who are upset about the chemical content of these drinks are the same women who drink (or have drank) pumpkin spice lattes, diet cokes, and powerade, use flavored coffee creamers, etc etc. It's 1 drink.

nope. 

mg137

ccoleeman said:

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that many of the women who are upset about the chemical content of these drinks are the same women who drink (or have drank) pumpkin spice lattes, diet cokes, and powerade, use flavored coffee creamers, etc etc. It's 1 drink.

No one I've ever known (including myself) who puts effort into avoiding potentially harmful chemicals drinks any of those things. It's a lot of effort to pay attention to the chemicals in food and other products, especially in the US where the laws are such a mess, so why someone would do that and then purposefully consume drinks with yucky stuff in them is beyond me. It's not like we're getting merit badges for one month phthalates free or super low levels of pesticides in our blood.

OP: as PPs have said, ask about jelly beans or a fruit juice or testing your blood at home for a week. I've been planning on doing the regular drink, since it's just a one time thing (I'm really low risk so chances of a repeat are low) but I'd love to hear what you end up using because I'd prefer a more natural option, like juice. I have one more appointment before my test and will ask about alternatives too. I got pretty sick last time but I assume that's just from the quantity of sugar and any form would make me sick.

Hrc724

Just an FYI if you ask your doctor about checking your bs at home for a week see if they have supplies they'll give you (glucose meter, lancets, test strips) because most insurance companies won't pay for it if you don't have a diabetes diagnosis so you will have to pay out of pocket for the supplies.

holidayemma

In the UK we have to have lucozade original. I am trying to find an alternative as it has quite a high amount of caffeine in it and I am allergic to caffeine as in it gives me an instant migraine.... (Devastated when that happened a few years back!!)

Can't seem to get an answer from my midwife on it at the moment I might just have to do it rather than muck up their test...

I'll be like yeah take my blood but I can't open my eyes/ see you as my vision will go, I'll have a rocking headache and my hands and face are numb from aura... Awesome.

danizar8

Out of pocket cost is around $100.00 for the supplies to monitor BS at home...still worth it to me:)

lawoodard4

A lot of the alternative types of testing simply aren't as accurate, which is why they aren't what is recommended by ACOG or ACNM. If you're going to put sugar in your body you may as well just drink the one that is given to you by your healthcare provider....the one that has all the research behind it. Gestational diabetes can have the potential to cause some really bad outcomes, including stillbirth, especially if it goes undiagnosed. If it is diagnosed and controlled the risk is minimal. I struggle when patients and women get so upset about drinking it....the risk/benefit is plain as day.

jrouge12

Took my test Saturday. I'm just wondering what ingredient is so concerning to everyone? My drink had water, glucose, citric acid, sodium benzoate and orange flavor listed as the only ingredients. While I try to always avoid preservatives (like the sodium benzoate) I'm not going to cry over a one-time miniscule amount in an orange sugar drink. The bottle advertised that it was brominated vegetable oil free, is that the concern? If so, obviously there are drinks free of it?

Honestly, as someone who watches the amount of refined sugar I eat, I was more bothered by the amount of sugar that I had to gulp in a sitting.

samara267

https://avivaromm.com/dont-drink-glucola-gestational-diabetes

jrouge12

@samara267 My drink bottle looked similar to the one talked about in the blog. It was BVO free and was clear (so no artificial colors). It sounds like the blog is outdated information and manufacturers have removed the controversial ingredients. It had five ingredients.