What to expect with a two hour glucose intolerance test

by Jen (April 12, 2008)

Your doctor may have you take a two-hour glucose intolerance test if she suspects diabetes or other disorders that cause the body not to process glucose like it should. This test involves several steps and more than two hours of your time.

First, you’ll need to fast at least 10-12 hours before taking the test. If you can, schedule it in the morning and fast the night before. The fasting is necessary to get accurate results.

When you go to take the test, the first thing they’ll do is draw blood. Then they’ll give you what looks like a small bottle of cola or fruity cola to drink called glucola. Drink this as fast as you can. It doesn’t taste bad, but it’s very sweet (it contains 75 milligrams of glucose). It may be cola flavored, orange, or lemon-lime.

After drinking the glucola, you need to be inactive for two full hours. This means sitting or laying down - no activity and no eating. You can drink water. You may feel lightheaded, nauseated or get a headache. You may even feel like you’re going to pass out. If you think you’re prone to passing out, you may want to stay in the lab or doctor’s office even if they’ve told you you can go somewhere else to kill the time.

After the two hours are up, they will draw more blood. This gives them two comparison samples so they can tell how your body processed the glucose. It’ll take a few days to a week for your doctor to have the results, so give them time to get them before you call.

This test can leave you feeling bad for the rest of the day. You may want to schedule a sick day off from work, if possible. If you plan on coming to work after the test, warn your employer that you don’t know how the test will affect you and there’s a possibility you won’t feel up to coming in.

You should be able to drive after the test, but some people don’t feel like it. If you can arrange for a friend to pick you up, or to take a bus or cab, that might be the best option for you. Consider how you’ve reacted to excessive sugar in the past to guess how the test will affect you, because that’s what it’s like: eating a mountain of sugar on an empty stomach.

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