I’ve been having some unexplained abdominal pain and so my GP scheduled an abdominal ultrasound. However, when the nurse called to set up the appointment she said I would need to fast (no food or drink) for 8 hours. I tried to explain that I was insulin dependent T1D and that I often have to eat (even waking during the night) to treat lows. She said that any food or drink (even just a handful of candy or juice) would affect the test. At this point I’ve just had to cancel because I don’t know how I could ever reliably guarantee I wouldn’t need to eat. Anyone else been on this situation and been able to make it work?
I’m having sedation dentistry next week and have to fast from midnight the night before. I use CIQ with my pump and turning on Active mode is great. When I’ve had procedures where I had to fast and was on shots I scheduled the first thing in the morning to minimize fasting time - or tried to. I had one done in the afternoon and felt a little low so I took a few sips of clear juice - they pondered it and said it would be okay to go ahead but that might not be the case for your.
Your endo can advise you on how to adjust your insulin if you take shots or use a manual pump. And sometimes it’s best to go doctor-to-doctor - have your endo talk with the other doctor. Medical staff and other doctors don’t staff understand Type 1 and sometimes adjustments can be made depending on the procedure.
I’ve NEVER counted glucose tabs as “eating” and even including surgery with general anesthetic. treat your low with very fast easy to digest glucose and you’re good to go. Consult with an actual doctor or endo because some people’s (nurses and doctors included) understanding of type 1 will vary good luck hope it’s nothing feel better!
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That seems very odd. A couple of years ago I had unexplained stomach pain that turned out to be an ulcer. they also told me that ideally no food or drink before since it can cause gas which makes it hard to see the organs. They worked with me to get an early morning appointment and told me if I had to have something to treat a low I could but to avoid a true meal before. Not really sure why a little bit of juice, gluc tabs, or hard candy would truly affect an ultrasound that much vs totally understand why they would say no to eating a meal before.
Yes, sounds odd. I passed out from an episode of extreme abdominal pain last year, had an ultrasound done, and I’d been eating throughout the day before that. I wouldn’t worry about it – just manage your sugar the best you can; if you fall low and have some glucose tablets or fruit juice, I doubt it will affect the results.
Ha! I feel your pain. I believe my ultrasound was rescheduled 3-4 times due to having to eat, being told water was fine to drink, etc. Request that you are the clinic’s first ultrasound of the day (many clinics and hospitals to choose from usually), sleep in later, and really try for the fasting. If you have access to an automode pump/CGM, and it works safely for you, that is a great choice. I get terrible hyperglycemia from mine, yet if sedation is needed, it’s really my only choice with how unstable my glucoses have been. If you do not have that option, try to run slighly hyperglycemic for the procedure and immediately correct it afterwards. It was quite the string of fasting bloodwork, biopsy, and ultrasounds for me these past years. Not fun or easy. Good luck!
Hi again. This may not apply to your ultrasound but if you undergo anesthesia for s procedure have your endo provide instructions on what to do if you go low or high.
I went to have one done, and just before they inserted the IV I showed them my CGM and how to read it, and explained what to do if the 
arrow/s appeared and/or my number dropped below a certain level. They told me they could only take instruction from my endo - at that point I could reschedule at the last possible moment, or proceed with the procedure and hope for the best. I chose the latter.
Patients might advocate for managing their own diabetes during an elective stay, but the last moment before you go in for surgery is not the time for making those arrangements. If you have surgery find out in advance of they need orders from your endo about managing your glucose. Many/most doctors have only a textbook knowledge of diabetes and you don’t want them guessing.