# Hypoglycemia & endoscopy?



## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

I'm due for a gastroscopy (endoscopy), and I get hypoglycemia. I'm told I can't eat for 8 hours before my appt which is 11.45 a.m I can't go for more than about half an hour after waking in the A.M without eating, and 3 hours generally after a meal without getting a hypo. I'm waiting to hear from the consultant about what to do, and I assume he'll have a clever plan which will prevent a major hypo attack. But I'm just wondering if any of you are hypoglycemic, and what you did about your fasting for gastroscopy/endoscopy? Thanks...


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## nursey (Apr 17, 2002)

Hi Susan, Im also hyperglycaemic (low blood sugar). I was worried when I had to go for my endoscopy so I rang the doctor he said I could suck on a barley sugar on the way to hospital also I told the admitting nurse who checked my sugar levels through out the whole procedure. As long as you tell the medical staff they will be aware of it and hopefully will keep an eye on you.My experience turned out well in fact I've had 5 endoscopies total and been alright through all of them, good luck,try not to panic.


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Thank you nursey, you've set my mind at rest







As long as I have access to sugar I'll get through it. I'll remember to tell the staff on the day about the hypoglycemia. The nurse tells me I will probably sleep for half an hour, to an hour after I'm given the sedative, so here's hoping







I'm glad your endoscopies all went well.Thanks again,


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

P.S Spoke to the consultant, who says I can drink sugar water (clear fluids) up to 45 minutes before the endoscopy. I hope that will be close enough to it to survive without a hypo. I hope this endoscopy finds out why I have the heartburn and reflux, although I have a feeling it won't show up anything. I just realised I perhaps should have posted this in the Diagnostic Tests forum... maybe the moderator will move it for me?


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## *Luna* (Nov 19, 2001)

Wow, you're lucky... my doc said NOTHING by mouth after midnight the night before. My test was at 8am. I was kinda loopy from not eating plus I was really thirsty but since I wasn't too active before the test I was OK.I always make sure to eat right up to the cutoff time when i have tests like that, and don't do too much moving around in the morning. I've never had too much trouble with early morning tests where I can't eat after midnight. I was feeling pretty poorly before my colonoscopy, though, because there was nothing in my stomach for far longer.


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## Isis5244 (May 4, 2003)

Hi Susan,I just signed onto this board a couple of days ago, just saw your post today. I'm sure you've already had your procedure but I thought I'd add my 2 cents anyway, for whatever it's worth to anyone reading this.I'm hypoglycemic and I've had both an endoscopy and a colonoscopy within the last 2 years. I was especially nervous about the colonoscopy because my gastroenterologist's prep procedure included nothing but liquids the entire day before, then nothing at all after midnight. He was very unhelpful about finding a way to manage my blood sugar through that period, kept telling me that if I deviated from his prep pocedure we'd have to repeat the colonoscopy. My primary care doc did help though, made some very useful suggestions.It was interesting to me that the gastroenterologist said no absolutely not to glucose tablets if I needed them, the primary care doc said there is no reason it should compromise the procedure. I think there was a little ego in the way of the gastroenterologist's response. He wanted me to follow HIS plan, which I found out from talking to others who've had a colonoscopy varies somewhat from one gastroenterologist to the next. So here's what I did - I had 3 cans of high protein Ensure (the limit he imposed), one soon after getting up, one at about 3PM, and one right at midnight. I also had 1/2c. jello every hour on the hour. Whenever I felt hungry in between I had clear chicken broth. I scheduled the appointment for first thing on a Monday morning so I wouldn't have to do the prep on a workday, and it would be over with as early the next day as possible. I limited my physical activity as much as possible between when I got up and when I got to the hospital (no climbing stairs etc.). I kept my glucose tablets nearby just in case but I didn't need them. I hope someone out there finds this useful. No need for anyone to go through what I did just to map a game plan.....


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## OppOnn (Jun 30, 2002)

Probably too late for this post, too, but I was concerned about my hypoglacemia as well. And my GI doctor was not helpful.He said no to Ensure at all. Was horrified!Here's what I did. First, the trick is to schedule your procedure for as early as possible in the day, even if you have to wait a few weeks.Mine was for 8 am. The President had his at 7.30 am. Would have been even better by I was first at 8 and was happy with that since I had to get there for 7.30 anyway.I realized it was important to eat as little as possible the day before the day b4 my colonoscopy and I was on liquids the day before.Here's what I did. I had a homemade chicken soup with a fowl cooked in it, all the veggies too.The day before the day before I had a little pieceof the boiled chicken, not the veggies.The day before I had chicken soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just the soup. I also madesome jellies (not red ones) and I think next timeI'd use the sugar ones instead of the sugar free.I drank water. At 4 am, I felt faint. I wasn't going to make itto 7 pm. So I ate some brown sugar crystals.That worked. When I drank the disgusting drink, I sucked onthose fruit boiled sweets after. Took the taste a away, a bit, also gave me a little sugar. Somehow, I managed it.O


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## Isis5244 (May 4, 2003)

OppOn,It really makes me angry to hear you had to deal with a drop in your blood sugar in the middle of the night!!!!! No doctor has a right to look the other way when this was so perfectly predictable. There's just no excuse.The 3 High Protein Ensure I had during my prep had absolutely NO compromising effect. In fact, the gastro remarked on the hospital form how well cleaned out I was!!! My guess is this isn't unusual. In my case I think the gastro doc is too arrogant to admit he doesn't know enough about endocrinology to understand the consequences, and would never admit that even to a colleague. He wouldn't even discuss it with my primary care doc! I'm sure my glucose tabs wouldn't have made any more difference than your sugar crystals. My primary care doc suggested I take a glucose tab every hour on the hour, said with a veiled message not to tell the gastroenterologist!!!! I opted for the sugared jello instead, but sugar is sugar! If it's ok in jello, why wouldn't it be ok alone? I will never go back to that gastro doc. He was clearly angry with me the day I had the procedure, he was so SO unprofessional about the whole thing. We really have to be strong advocates for ourselves in these situations. In my case, the stress of being treated like this would have bound me right up again afterwards, but because I found my solution and avoided a serious drop in my blood sugar level, I just wrote the guy off as a narcissistic high class jerk.


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Thanks for your responses. My endoscopy is postponed now because the clinic at the local community hospital is closed for a while, and I can't travel to the larger hospitals which are further away. But I'm doing well on omeprazole so I don't mind too much!


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## OppOnn (Jun 30, 2002)

Isis:Interesting. Feel like showing my GI doctor your email before my next prep!! I felt faint at 4 pm. Not am! Next time, I'll get jello with sugar instead, and sweets to suck on with sugar. I usually avoid sugar because it is one of my worst enemies and sugar-free everything.I found my GI didn't respond or care about mylow sugar - many doctors still don't get it,amazingly enough. I wish these doctors had experience in sufferingfrom what we do, both with the stomach and sugar.O


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## OppOnn (Jun 30, 2002)

IsisS - I should say I have to have the right...balance of sugar because, of course, I need it more than most. But not too much at a time.Gosh, it gets so complicated!O


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## Isis5244 (May 4, 2003)

Hi OppOn,I just read your posts again and thought this was worth a mention. I don't like using sugar either unless it's absolutely necessary. I like using glucose tablets when the need arises because the quantity I'm having is measurable and under control, I always know exactly how much I've had. I used Jello during the prep in a similar way. It really worked for me to always have the same small amount at planned regular intervals. There was no rebound.Another thing I forgot to mention is that I had glucose by IV at the hospital before during and after the procedure. I just made sure the nurse knew about my hypoglycemia, and that the prep had me walking a tightrope with it.


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## Isis5244 (May 4, 2003)

Also, I agree that most docs really miss the boat with hypoglycemia, including many endocrinologists. Not surprising, it's a functional problem, and like IBS they don't know what causes it or how to control it. I was fortunate to have found an endocrinologist who was doing research here at Harvard Med School who tested and monitored me for as long as he was practicing here. I'm on my own now though.I hope you're doing well...


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## Pitzi (Mar 15, 2003)

I believe that there is a connection between hypoglicaemia and IBS. I have been a diabetic for 8 years now, but I always had problems of high blood sugar, since the onset of IBS I have big problems with low blood sugar. I wonder if there is a connection?? maybe malabsorption or some endocrinological thing??


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