Should I fast before glucose test ?

savanahbrenda

My doctor never left me instructions if I should fast or not for my tests tommorow and its at 12:30 so I need to know there's thoughts on this please !

MssyMmmy

Are you doing the 1 hour or 3? I did the one hour and didn't need to fast. Ate some toast in the am. The 3 hour you do need to fast. You can always check the website for the lab you are going to. Mine has the info for all of the different tests they offer.

savanahbrenda

I'm doing the 1 hour thank you this helps a lot.

TTiger03

Probably should fast a few hours. Dont eat lunch before you go, but breakfast might be ok since they scheduled you after noon.

For my glucose monitoring, I test 2 hours post meal.

If you can, call first thing in the morning to ask.

mamakculb

I have to do the one hour test at 8 am and my dr told me to fast after midnight the night before. I would fast at first if I were you and call first thing in the am to double check.

preggoandglowing

(Lurking from Dec board because if I go past my due date I may end up having a January baby)

I was told I could have breakfast before my one hour so I had unsweetened cereal with milk. Well I failed but luckily passed my 3 hour test which required me to fast for 8 hours. I'm convinced that I would have passed my one hour had I fasted for a couple of hours. 

MssyMmmy

True. I passed but had a super high number. Lots of dessert the night before. I am thinking if I fasted or at least ate a little better leading up to it my number would have been lower.

TTiger03

The milk sugars won't help you pass. I have learned cereal with milk is my worst breakfast. Stick with protein if you can.

I failed my fastings at 1 and 3 hours back in weeks 12/13. I have been monitoring ever since.

emzie54

I ate scrambled eggs the morning of my 1 hour. Protein is your friend in helping your body manage sugar. My doctor was explicit that I should not fast, but it seems from the boards that different practices have different policies about it. I would call yours in the am to check. Good luck on your test, I'm hoping to get good results today!

Knottie1452445632

I am in the UK and I'm doing a 2 hour one?! Anyway Ive been told to fast for 12 hours before

Achae

My dr told me fasting isn't necessary but to eat protein like meat, egg, or cheese. Anything with starch/sugars can throw off the test.

Wicked4589

I was told "don't eat before the test" so I fasted. Did my test at 8 am. When I talked to my doc afterward she said I should have had a protein heavy breakfast. Little to no carbs. It helps hot body process the sugar better. sure wish someone would have told me that. She said just not to eat at least 1 hour ahead of the test.

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maddisonwallace

I think you should probably call to verify. It seems like that may be a per lab/Doctor decision. I'm doing the 1 hour and I'm not supposed to fast, but for 24 hours before the test I am not supposed to have sugars including fruits or milk.

ashs88

My doctor told me not to fast, but to not eat a lot of sweets that day, especially in the last couple of hours before the test. My test is on Monday and isn't until 3:30 so I am going to try to eat a protein heavy breakfast and lunch and nothing sugary for snacks.

Chelsey092

My Dr told me in didn't need to fast but not to eat much carbs or sugar before my test. But usually if you have to fast there would be instructions on the lab paper.

ambercakes92

My doctor told me I didn't have to fast, and seeing as how my appointment was at like, 3pm I probably wouldn't have anyway. I just made sure not to eat sugary food during the day and stopped eating 2 hours before my test. Drank my drink an hour before showing up and passed it.

jrouge12

My doctor told me not to fast but I decided to only eat a little (I went at 7:30am). I ate a 100-calorie walnut and almond pack. Oh boy did the lab people yell at me. They said "I should have been fasting, I've most likely screwed up the test, I better tell my doctor I ate when I fail the test, don't I know what's in nuts"... I took the test two weeks ago and heard nothing from my doctor. I'm not concerned that the nuts with 1g of sugar made the slightest difference in my test.

samara267

jrouge12 said:

My doctor told me not to fast but I decided to only eat a little (I went at 7:30am). I ate a 100-calorie walnut and almond pack. Oh boy did the lab people yell at me. They said "I should have been fasting, I've most likely screwed up the test, I better tell my doctor I ate when I fail the test, don't I know what's in nuts"... I took the test two weeks ago and heard nothing from my doctor. I'm not concerned that the nuts with 1g of sugar made the slightest difference in my test.

Let me guess, you went to LabCorp. 

jrouge12

@samara267 Why yes I did!

willashbaby

I had my 1 hour test at 2pm. I ate totally normal the night before, dessert and all. Around 10am I had leftover turkey meatloaf (did have breadcrumb & some ketchup) and my results were 86 with a limit of 140 for the 3 hour. Sooooo yea, don't worry about eating before, just don't eat or drink anything (even water) during the hour in between the drink and the blood draw. 

Wicked4589

Results came back at an 82 even with fasting. Whew!

curly818

I had breakfast before my one hour test and failed ( I ate at like 630 for my 8am test and had a breakfast pita with peanut butter and honey because they said I didn't have to fast). So now I get to do a 2 hour test with a 10 hour fast this weekend...the doctor wasn't concerned with my level as he thought the breakfast was the culprit.

KeriannePittman

Totally agree. Call your dr, there is lots of conflicting advise on the thread. It depends in what kind of test you get. My Dr said fast, but my appointment is at 730am, so no big deal for me.

zg49

My Dr. said not to fast because the test is supposed to take a snapshot into my normal eating routine. If I fast or watch what I'm eating before the test it could give me incorrect results and cause issues later. But I agree with PP - I'd call to verify as each Dr. is different!

Mommyduclos

I was told to watch what I eat the meal before my test (eat protein) and to not eat after I drink the beverage. My test is late morning so I'll eat my eggs in the morning

Nfleszar

My doc said "you don't need to fast" - but I ended up failing because I ate a doughnut before.  I passed the 3 hour so I know I'm fine and it was in fact the doughnut.

When I spoke to other people I found out while you don't have to fast, you may want to avoid anything high in carbs or sugar.

kristaleigh0525

I was told not to fast, but to only eat proteins such as poultry, lean beef, eggs, peanuts (not peanut butter), and cheese. So I just went with cheesy scrambled eggs and a few pieces of grilled chicken. It didn't sit well with the glucose drink, but I wasn't starving until I could eat again!

acevans1315

Yes, do fast

kqualls5

I didn't eat all morning because I read you should steer away from sugar, and the only thing I could think to eat was eggs, but I needed ketchup. But then when I was getting the blood work done I mentioned to the phlebotomist how my sister made French toast that morning and was rubbing it in my face, and she informed me I could've eaten what I wanted, they want to base it off how you regularly eat.

katiedid0907

You do not need to and probably should not fast before the 1 hour OGTT. That way your results more closely mimic your normal routine. However, if you are doing the 3 hour OGTT your doctor will instruct you to fast.

emmymuf

Glucose tolerance test yes you have to fast so as to get the accurate results

MrsB915

emmymuf said:

Glucose tolerance test yes you have to fast so as to get the accurate results

This is not true of the one hour glucose tolerance test. You should eat as you normally would before the one hour test. If you need to fast before any test your doctor will give you instructions as some require an 8 or 12 hour fast. The 1 hour GTT however, does not require any fasting. As pp mentioned, the point of the test is to see how your body tolerates a spike in blood sugar in the confines of your normal diet. So you shouldn't try to trick the test.

Edit for spelling

leap_frog

My instructions read: stop eating 2 hours before you drink. Drink 45 minutes before your appt time.

so I'm not fasting per sa, but I am going to try to avoid any sugar (read: coffeeeeeeeeeeee) the morning of my test.

I hate this damn test. just sayin.

samara267

I was explicitly told not to fast and to eat a protein heavy breakfast a few hours before the test. I had crust free mini quiches with corn tortillas and hot sauce. I had coffee with cream. I drank grape juice instead of glucola. I also had a dixie cup of water in the hour between drinking the grape juice and getting my blood drawn. The tech said it doesn't matter as long as you aren't drinking a ton. My pre-drink number was 77 and my 1 hour was 101. If you are going to pass, you are going to pass and if you are going to fail, you're going to fail. Eating several hours beforehand won't make a difference.