[jakatak]

I did respond to a post with this dialogue. I apologize for being repetitive, but I'm hoping someone can talk about my glucose. Thank you.

I have always wondered about the pre diabetic thing...even though my GP assures me that my on again off again burning is not attributed to my glucose level. I am at 108. I did the...drinki the sugar bomb thing, and my level returned to normal with the norm period of time. I still am not convinced that sugar isn't the culprit. i.e. alcohol. I think it is important for me to not cloud my symptoms with antagonists. I worked out two days in a row on my elliptical trainer....and...had a pint of haagen daz ice cream last night. I always wonder about my feet being traumatized by the peddles...the neuroma surgery thing being aggravated. Plus....sorry to go on....the Lyrica dosage...up and down...not knowing if it even is the magic pill. Sorry for the blah blah blah......

[mrsD]

drawn, and that will tell more.

Fasting insulin is easy, and indicates insulin resistance.

[jakatak]

how does that differ from the 8 hour fast...the 2 hour one....and drinking the 10 pounds of sugar goo?

[mrsD]

Increased insulin levels at fasting first thing in the morning, show if you are making too much. Too much means you are on the way to diabetes, because normal levels are not working for you.

Eventually the insulin stops working and THEN your sugars go up.
A GTT does not tell WHERE you are on the road to diabetes.
It only shows if you have arrived there.

[jakatak]

Originally Posted by jakatak

how does that differ from the 8 hour fast...the 2 hour one....and drinking the 10 pounds of sugar goo?

My glucose tolerance test was normal, by the way. But, I am somewhat concerned about the 108 on the fasting test.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by jakatak

My glucose tolerance test was normal, by the way. But, I am somewhat concerned about the 108 on the fasting test.

Does seems a bit high, when i was prediabetic my sugar fasting levels were always around 81, pay to get the insulin test as MrsD suggests.

Brian

[glenntaj]

--the best test, if you can talk a doctor into writing a scrip for it, is a LONG GTT (4-5 hour) with both fasting glucose and insulin levels drawn before the glucose drink, and then half-hour draws until at least the end of the third hour, with insulin and glucose levels analyzed from each draw.

As Mrs. D notes, the fasting insulin level may be more revealing than the fasting glucose level. I have insulin resistance, with a high fasting insulin level and "normal" fasting glucose levels, and I know that means my body is overproducing insulin levels to keep my sugar levels in check.

But, the patterns of insulin and glucose rise and fall over the hours can also be very revealing--and half-hour draws helps to keep one from missing some of the patterns, which can happen rapidly. In my case, there is normally an initial glucose level rise in the first half-hour to hour, but not to diabetic levels, followed quickly by a major insulin level increase, which a couple of hours later drives my blood sugar down to levels below my fasting level. This causes the insulin spigot to stop abruptly, and then things normalize over the fourth-fifth hour. This is characteristic of reactive hypoglycemia due to insulin overproduction in response to challenge, and another sign of "pre-diabetic" impairment. It's why I'm very careful with carbs, try to eat a "Zone" type diet, do weight-bearing exercise to build muscle (which helps insulin utilization), and take R-lipoic acid (a known insulin normalizer).