Questions About Elevated Glucose Test Results

I failed my 3 hr test both times I was preg. Had to meet with dietician, told the # of carbs I needed to stick to per meal, and tested my blood sugar 4x a day. (they give you what you need. I spazzed out about it in the beginning, but ut was a cinch. I was lucky that I was able to control my levels with diet alone, no insulin needed. Levels went back to normal right after birth. They need to monitor the baby closer,as their levels could be too low in the beginning. Both my kids were fine! Good luck, and don't worry

With my first child my initial test was elevated. It was not done after fasting and I think I had eaten some treats at a birthday party before the test. The results of my follow up test were normal. The follow up test will probably require fasting, unless it's changed. So, it is possible to have a slightly elevated first test and a normal follow up test. If it's negative that should be fine and they won't test you again. It doesn't sound like you did anything "wrong"; I think blood sugar levels can normally fluctuate throughout the day and sleep and stress may be factors. Good luck!

I had to return to do the 3 hour test. I came out fine. I wouldn't worry.

I am pregnant with twins w/ gestational diabetes and low iron. My first test was just like yours. I had to return for the 3 hour test. They take your blood 4 times. During this, I "passed" 2 draws and the other 2 were elevated slightly. The next step for me was to see a dietician and diabetic counselor. They went over what I ate in a day and gave me a diabetic kit to check my blood for a couple days. If my numbers were elevated, I was to call the counselor back and I ended up on insulin. The counselor looked at what I was eating and said I was doing just fine and it is totally a hormonal thing (check out gest. diabetes at google and you'll get lots of good info there). The insulin was the "key" to help the babies and I keep a good blood sugar level. The goal is to keep my sugar in check. If it gets too high, it can make the babies sugar high and then when born, they "crash" and can cause breathing problems and in the long run, potentially set them up for diabetes down the road (as well as me, too). In the long run, I'm doing well on the insulin and feel great. I am instructed to check by sugar fasting when I wake in the am, eat and insulin, check 2 hours after, eat a snack (no insulin), eat and insulin, check 2 hours after, eat a snack (no insulin), eat and insulin and check 2 hours after, then off to bed. So I am injecting 3X/day and checking sugar 4X/day. Yes, it's a hassle, but best for me and my babies. By the way, almost always your sugars will return to normal as soon as the placenta is delivered...then you are done with it!

You can still eat your chocolate, it'll just have to be counted in your carb count for your snack/meal. They'll show you everything :)

I know for a fact those results can be skewed the first time, so don't worry. I have had low blood sugar all my life and the original test showed I had very high blood sugar. I also eat 5 meals a day & have the same profile as you - very healthy - don't eat junk. So don't take it to seriously - I've heard several people say the first test was screwy, just follow the directions exactly for the second test. It may turn out just fine. Congrats on your baby!! Blessings on you & your healthy baby :)

Hello and happy day! Congratulations on this wonderful baby!
I want to encourage you that if you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes you will have tons of help from your doctor and a dietitian. I failed my tests and was scared about having to deal with GD-but after I educated myself thru info on the web and books from the library-I felt much better. In my case I was able to control my blood sugars by the foods I ate and oral meds.
It sounds like you are doing all the right things. Eating small meals throughout the day is best! This helps to keep your blood sugar even all day long. Walking and exercise is also very important. And you may not like to hear it(I was diagnosed last year right before Christmas-so it was super hard to restrain myself!)that the extra sugars may have to go.
The very bright side of the situation, if you do have GD, is that as soon as your baby is born the condition subsides. After I gave birth-on St. Patric's day-I had Chinese food and a "shamrock shake" !
God Bless you and your family. You sound very positive and that is great for you and for your little one inside you as well!

False positives are pretty common! I had elevated levels last year and had to go in for the 3 hour test and it came back fine! The gal who drew my blood during the 3 hour test said the same thing happened to her too!

My OB says it probably had nothing to do with it, but I was getting over a sinus infection when I had my blood drawn the first time around and I still wonder if being sick had anything to do with the false positive!

On the bright side, I found that the "juice" I had to drink during the 3 hour test tasted better than the other stuff - also DON'T drink much water at all before or during the test - this can alter the results!

Best of luck to you!
K.

Hello -
Do NOT worry about it at this point! The initial tests do not seem to be accurate in my opinion. I've had two children. The first time I went in for the 1-hour test and when I got there I realized I forgot the "eating rules". I forgot I wasn't supposed to eat anything high in carbs or sugary before I went and turns out that morning I had waffles w/ syrup. So I was really freaked that I was going to fail and have to come back. But my test came back fine. Then, with my second baby, I made sure to follow the eating rules prior to coming in and that 1-hour test came back w/ elevated levels. Go figure! So I had to go back for the 3 hour test. The results from that test were fine. No Gest Diabetes. So I guess what I'm trying to say, is this is a value added test, in the fact that it will help you catch the diabetes w/ the 3 hour test if you have it, but the results from that first screen aren't real reliable! (at least in my experience). Hope all goes well. I'm sure everything will work out fine!

Hi SJ! With my second baby I tested high for my first glucose test and had to do the 3 hour test. I then tested negative for gestational diabetes.
There are things that will affect the test. High glycemic foods such as potatoes, bread, bananas, etc. will cause a spike in blood sugars for even someone without diabetes. I am sure that is what happened to me with my initial test. Had I known about high glycemic foods at that time I would not have eaten toast and a banana for breakfast :)
My guess is that you will test negative but if you do test positive, they will refer you to a dietician. You may have to adjust your eating habits somewhat but be aware, they don't often suggest the healthiest way. A diabetes nurse educator would be the best reference to you.
Don't worry too much! Bring a good book to the 3 hour test and lots of water! Having to go potty every 10 minutes is a good way to pass the time :)
If the test comes back negative then you are okay. Just keep doing what you are doing! Remember, if you do test positive it is NOT anything you have done wrong! Eating a little too much sugar will not cause gestational diabetes.
Congratulations on your baby!

I just read an above post that said not to drink too much water, that it will alter the test results and you need to know that that is FALSE! Water intake has no bearing on a blood sugar reading:)

When I was pregnant with my first child, my son, my glucose was too high the first time. I ate pasta for lunch and somebody told me that was not good! But you hadn't eaten anything, so yours should have been okay. So I went back for the 2nd test and it was fine. Hopefully yours will be fine too. I had a friend w/ gestational diabetes and there were lots of things she couldn't eat, like potatos, etc. I can't remember what all. Just hope that it goes better next test!! Good luck!

Hello SJ,

I have a very good friend who during her first 5 pregnancies dealt with high sugars. She was ordered by her midwife to test 9 times a day!! She also dealt with iron issues.

She is pregnant with #6 and is having the best pregnancy yet! Her recent blood work showed normal sugars, which nearly knocked over her midwife. Her sugars are so good she doesn't have to test at all!!

This is all due to a product she is taking. I would be happy to hook the 2 of you up so you can speak specifically about your concerns. Just e:mail me at ____@____.com. Blessings!

H.

With my first child I had a slightly elevated test and had to go back for the 3 hour test. The 3 hour test came back normal and I didn't have to change anything. I've heard it is pretty common for that first test to be a little elevated and then the 3 hour turns out fine. It's just kinda a pain (and boring) to have to go back to the dr for a retest and have to sit there for 3 hours to keep getting your blood drawn, but everything may still be normal!

I failed my first test and went back for the second. I failed that one as well. I was sent to a dietician who talked to me about carbs and sugars...basically what to eat and what not to eat. All carbs turn to sugar so you have to go easy on carbs and sugars. One fact I remember is that a McDonald's french fry is basically one carb. I only ate McDonald's once after finding out I had GD...when I tested my sugars I was so high that I decided there was no way I was going back until after the baby was born! If you are positive for GD remember that proteins are your friend. Lots of meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, that sort of thing will help you keep your sugars level. Fruit is okay but vegetables are better since they have less sugar. Fruit is better than fruit juice. The dietician is full of information. I had to monitor my sugar 4 times a day (2 hours after each meal or snack I tested my sugars). I kept track for a week and sent my results to the dietician. I was fine and really didn't alter what I was eating much at all. I continued to check my sugars 4 times a day until my son was born. The only time I had to have insulin was during labor when my sugar level spiked. If you end up positive they may also have you test for keytones (sp). Basically you just have to urinate on a piece of paper (like litmus paper) or you can use a dixie cup and dip the paper in. You compare the paper to the color chart on the container the papers come in. You have to make sure your keytones are okay each morning. I only had mine off one morning and that was after eating salads several days in a row with very little protein. The doctor didn't worry about it because it only happened once.

I can't tell you how upset I was when I found out I had gestational diabetes. In hind sight I really wonder why I was so upset. I kept track of my sugar level throughout the rest of my pregnancy and was able to keep it at the level they wanted almost all the time. My son was average weight (they worry about you having a large baby if you can't regulate your sugar). My understanding is that if you have trouble regulating your sugar with diet alone then you might need to take insulin to regulate it.

There is nothing that you do or don't do that causes GD. I think there is increased risk of getting GD if you have family history of diabetes (which we have in my family) but it is nothing you can control. What you can control is what you eat once you find out. Try not to worry too much. You may get a negative and be done with this. If you are positive, remember there are lots of us out there who tested positive and we ended up having beautiful babies just like the ladies who had negative results. :)

p.s. If you test positive try sprinkling cinnamon on foods that send your sugars a little high. Cinnamon seems to help your body's insulin work. Best of luck.

i turned out fine, but ive had friends who have had high results. their 3 hr test turned out normal.

remember that diabetes is not a sugar issue in all reality; sugar shows up, but not because its causing the problem.

our cells use sugars for energy. this is a good thing. however, fat gets into our cells and gums up and/or blocks the 'doors' to our cells, so the sugars cant get in. then the sugars sit in the bloodstream cuz they dont know where else to go... and it shows up at high sugar levels.

the idea is that when we eat less fats, they block our cels less, and the sugar levels remain normal.

these would be for type 2 diabetes, type 1 is different, and there is a problem with the pancrease to begin with, but you would know if you had type 1 by now, as its usually diagnosed in childhood.

anyway, remember to eat less fats, and that nothing is a bad food, but you can certainly steer clear of fats, especially those 'bad fats'. drink lots of water, and eat lots of fruits and vegetables.! :D
good luck

You may have failed because you didn't eat anything before the 1-hour test. My doctor was very specific about being sure I DID have something to eat (healthy, high in protein) before the 1-hour.
I'm not sure about the 3 hour though. I do know that they'll test you multiple times to see if your body is adjusting to the sugar or not.
GD isn't the end of the world. Most women are able to control it through diet. Good luck to you!

Hi S J,
I had elevated glucose levels on my first test during both my pregnancies and had to take the 3 hour tests. During the first one, my results came back within normal limits over the three hour span. My second one didn't but I was also pregnant with twins. What I had to do was meet with a Dietician, follow the guidelines for diet to watch for carbs, no fruit until luch and watch my blood levels. I did have to take my blood sugar level 3-4 times a day but that is easy. All my 3 girls have been healthy since birth and I rarely have to go to the Doctor so my girls had no side effects from gestational diabetes. I tested my self for awhile after birth of twins with no residual affects and they turn 7 in a week. Good luck with your 3 hour test and don't worry lots of people have elevated glucose level after the 1 hour test. Congrats on your new bundle coming soon. L.

Congrats on you pregnancy! A lot of women have an elevated 1 hr glucose tolerance test (GTT). The first thing you should know is that in many cases gestational diabetes has nothing to do with how healthy you are during your pregnancy. There are certain factors such as obesity and increased age that can increase your risk...but there is no magic bullet. I used to work at a diabetes education center and I found that it usually about 50-50. Some women do everything right and just get the luck of the draw with gestational diabetes. Hopefully your 3 hour GTT comes back fine...if not don't worry. Gestational diabetes is very managable and provided you follow the diabetes educator's instructions, your baby should not suffer any negative effects. On the plus side once the baby is out your body should return to normal and no more diabetes. A few months of carb counting is nothing...when the end result is a healthy baby! Good luck!

Good Morning:

I wanted to respond because I too had elevated glucose results. I did the 3 hour test and had gestational diabetes. I was pregnant with my twins that pregnancy; more common when PG with multiples....I was sent to the International Institute of Diabetes (St. Louis Park, MN) and there they taught me how to adjust my diet. Shortly there after, i went into preterm labor (my history) and was hospitalized for the duration..(2 months)...in the hospital I was on insulin. My twins are now 6 and I am tested every year. This past year, I had elevated levels (without being PG, we are done) and they put me on a diet...I have been maintaining that! Diabetes runs highly in my family! I don't want to scare you and chances are you won't have it but if you do, it can be maintained with some help with medical staff and education!

Contact me if you want to chat anytime.
Good luck to you.....it will all work out.

M.

I had an elevated sugar level with my 2nd and 3rd babies. I took the three hour test both times and "passed" them each time. I wouldn't worry about it too much I think it is pretty common to have to do the three hour test these days... it was more of an inconvenience than anything for me because I had to have someone watch my other children because I had to be at the clinic for three hours.

My first glucose test was high but the 3 hour was negative. It can be high if they did not test in the right amount of time. They left me in the waiting room too long and she even told me it will probably be off. Hopefully all will go well, take a good book it's a long 3 hours!

First of all, cut your sugar intake and that includes a lot of carbs. I am diabetic and you will probably see a dietician who will help you with your choices of what to eat. Just be cautious of high sugar intake until the test and even after the test. The sugar will make you tired. If you snack, make sure it contains some protein.

The test is highly inaccurate. No one drinks a bottle of sugar water like that. There are a lot of false positives. The next test will be more accurate. If you were only slightly high after the first test it is doubtful (but not impossible) that you will be high with this next test. Don't worry at this point.

I also had a borderline test the first time I had to drink the orange stuff. I went back for the 3 hour test, and it came back fine. After that test, there were no restrictions on diet or anything. Also, I will repeat the advice to bring a snack with you for after the test. I thought I was going to pass out while driving to work after taking the test. You definitely should make sure you have something to eat for after the final blood draw.

How scary for you. I didn't have trouble during pregnancies but now that I am older mine are up but not over. My husbands is over though and they decided he has type 2 diabetes. One thing we have learned from this is that it isn't just sugar that causes the trouble, it is carbs... the not so good kind. Potatoes, pasta and white bread are really bad. Go with whole grains. Also exersize will help with it, from what our doctor claims. I noticed when I don't eat a lot of carbs, my desire for chocolate and sugary foods go down also.

Hi,
I had my first glucose test come back borderline (they told me I could eat breakfast as long it was before 8am. So, I had a piece of toast at 7am and took the test at 3pm and failed). The three hour test came back perfectly normal. The toast screwed things up.
You are good to go if the three hour comes back fine. The three hour test is pretty grueling though. You have to fast for a long time, and then sit in a doctor's office for 3+ hours without anything in your system except the awful orange drink. I felt like I was going to pass out towards the end. I'd take snacks with you, so you can get your blood sugar back to normal ASAP after the test is over.
From what I hear, it's more often the case that if you fail the first test you'll pass the second test, than failing both. Good luck!

I've had gestational diabetes twice. Usually if your first hour test was elevated even just midly you have a good change at developing gest.diabetes or failing your 3hour test. You can't really do anything to prevent this or make your test better. Since you didnot eat before the test than those results are completely accurate. If you do develop gest. diabetes since your only midly elevated they would most likely just put you on a diet and check your sugars a few times a day not a big deal.

I BOMBED my glucose tests big time and was on insulin with both pregnancies you don't sound anywhere near that.

The ONE thing that does help with brinigng glucose levels down is exercise, walk walk walk after you eat.

Gest.Diabetes can be genetic. They didn't start testing for it til the late 90s though in pregnancy so like our mom's wouldn't have been tested so therefore we wouldn't know if our mom's had it. Gest.Diabetes can hit anyone, any color doesn't matter if your skinny or fat.

Hi S J,

It's not uncommon for women that are pregnant to have slightly elevated blood sugar levels. I did with both of my pregnancies. I ended up having hypo-glycemia. But that was due to other factors.

You just have to be very careful what you eat. Be sure you are taking an excellent supplement. If you need more information on those, let me know. We have the best. They have been scientifically proven to get into the bodies blood stream.

During pregnancy, your body goes through many changes.

I wouldn't get worked up, just eat less carbs and more protein and vegetables. TAKE YOUR SUPPLEMENTS.

DO NOT HEAT ANY OF YOUR FOODS IN THE MICROWAVE. It cahnges the molecular structure of the food and burns the enzymes. You are eating foods with NO nutrients.

Best wishes!

J.

My first test was elevated a little and I also failed the 3 hour. I was able to control my sugar with diet alone. I hope that is not the case for you but, if it is it is not the end of the world! Just no fun having to follow a diet!