Has anyone here had a 5hr glucose tolerance test or the insulin tolerance test? I am dreading having one, but my new endo (just moved; finding new docs...) wants me to have the GTT in order to assess my hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. (although why the GTT instead of the ITT, I don't know. I don't have diabetes) Everything I've read suggests it's going to be horrible if not downright dangerous for me.

Many, many years ago I was diagnosed as adrenal insufficient after an ACTH stimulation test (which attempts to stimulate the adrenal into producing cortisol). I've been on low-level cortisol replacement ever since. But there's some question about whether it was really an adrenal problem, or maybe a pituitary (or even hypothalamic) problem, or no problem (low but borderline results; but the replacement helped me feel so much better that my then-endo never questioned it, nor did I!).

Anyway, I appreciate the new endo's wanting to make sure it was a proper diagnosis (because imho it looks more like a pit or hypoth problem), BUT I question whether it's wise to have me do the GTT (or ITT). I am EXTREMELY sensitive to simple carbs/sugars, and have been on a low-carb diet for years. Eating sugar causes symptoms ranging from tachycardia, brain shutting down (much more severe than simply "tired"), and even maybe partial seizures, depending on the time of month and stress load (which lowers my seizure threshold). And then there's the maybe nontrivial fact that my episode of status epilepticus occurred after eating many, many cookies (with stress thrown in). I'm medicated now, but I still get breakthrough episodes when my threshold is low.

The hospital lab that my new endo told me to go to for the test won't administer the test because it's too risky due to my seizure history. I would have to be admitted into an ER in order to be monitored continuously during this test. Doesn't that suggest that, er, maybe it's not a good idea?

And for additional background...maybe why I'm hoping someone here might have specific experience/advice.....I do not have *epilepsy* as defined by having had an observably abnormal electrical activity, so even though a neuro has never figured out the cause of my seizures, I would call them most likely physiologic (?if those are the ones that are due to physiological abnormalities). So again, I think it's a bad idea to go "poking" at my brain with a glucose stick, in this case.

Any thoughts? On the one hand, if they administer the GTT/ITT and I do seize, then I may be one step closer to understanding my adrenal AND my brain. OTOH, dang scary way to go about doing it!!!

Thoughts? I'm waiting to hear back from New Endo about what she wants me to do cuz my followup appt with her is next week, and I haven't had the test yet (well, heck yeah, I've been putting it off. *guilty*) She's also the one who, when I told her that I felt miraculously better after I was injected with ACTH-stopped shaking and didn't feel cold-and she told me it was in my head because that didn't make sense. Believe me, if I could simply think myself better whenever I wanted, I certainly would chose that!

Thanks for thoughts!