Diabetes diagnosis procedure

[Pinklady01]

Hi, I was wondering what the procedure is for a diabetes diagnosis. A friend said you go to your GP for a urine test and then the next day you go to a diabetes clinic! Is it possible to be referred for a test the next day? Are there such things as walk in clinics where you take a number and wait to have a blood test? Any help would be great. Thanks

 

[Matthew James Hardy]

Hi, I was wondering what the procedure is for a diabetes diagnosis. A friend said you go to your GP for a urine test and then the next day you go to a diabetes clinic! Is it possible to be referred for a test the next day? Are there such things as walk in clinics where you take a number and wait to have a blood test? Any help would be great. Thanks

When I was diagnosed 5 weeks ago went to the GP for just an annual health check the next thing you know was being tested for diabetes which was yes with a urine test and my bloody glucose level was 18 so had to go to hospital for the Ketones to be flush out which meant a night stay in hospital have you been feeling unwell recently for explain excessive thirst not getting many hours sleep etc?

 

[Pine Marten]

You have to be referred by a doctor to get a blood test - you can't just walk in. Are you having symptoms, as Matthew asks?

 

[Pinklady01]

This is going to sound strange and I don't want anyone to think I'm abusing this forum. Basically, I was dating someone who said he thought he might have diabetes as his mum has type 2 and he said he was feeling "hypo" and craving sugar and food after he had already eaten. He went to the docs for a urine test then said he was going to a clinic the next day to get tested. He said the queue eaw too long and he didn't want to wait so he fasted again that night and went first thing in the morning to avoid the queue. Firstly, is that even possible to go the next day? He then went drinking that eveinev which you would think isn't a good thing? I was told that he is a liar and this has been making me feel so low that I just want to know if he was telling the truth or if it was a lie? Sorry to ask this, I know it's not entirely appropriate.

 

[Robin]

Well now. The way he describes his symptoms isn't quite right, it's unlikely he'd be feeling Hypo ( low blood sugar) after just eating, he'd more likely be Hyper.( high blood sugar) but if he's not absorbing glucose he could well be permanently hungry. Which doesn't leave you any the clearer. Genuinely newly diabetic people often don't understand the processes or get the terminology right.
(I have no idea about referrals for blood tests, at my GPs you'd book in to see the practice nurse for a blood test, but in other areas you may well be told to go to a walk in clinic.)

 

[trophywench]

Some GP surgeries locally (the outskirts of a big city with a University Hospital and 2 universities both with Medical Schools) don't all do their own blood tests on the premises so if you go to one that doesn't you always have to go elsewhere to see a phlebotomist to have it done, but you can't save time by going to the place they do the blood test without seeing your own GP first to get the necessary forms and the info on where to go.

Unless there was some specific reason why his doctor needed to test his urine - that method went out with the ark! - well in the late 1970s anyway! It was a wee test at the GPs when I was diagnosed,

Now you'd have a blood test that takes seconds from a fingerprick - and if that was 'suspect' you'd have to have blood removed from your arm which would be sent off to the lab. If it was 'mega awful' at the fingerpick stage - and they wouldn't know the result of the 'big' blood test until next day at the earliest - then you'd be despatched to the nearest A&E with a letter to present to them. You don't normally get seen by a hospital diabetes clinic, at the actual clinic - until after A&E had you sorted out cos they - obviously! - have consultants 'on call' 24/7 for every single condition known to medical science, and some things cannot wait if it's that urgent so Yep - the story sounds highly suspect to me!

 

[Alister]

ok in my case I went to my local pharmacist for a health check (which I admit I booked because I has suspicions that I was Diabetic)
the fasting bg test came back 21.7 which was a little high ;-).
I was advised to see a doctor as soon as possible & if I could not get an apt. go to A & E
That is where I ended up
after 5 1/2 hrs of being tested & treated (including an insulin jab & a saline drip) I was asked to return the following morning to see a diabetic nurse where I was given tons of info & treatment was set-up - Daily Insulin & Given a BG meter + strips, although I gather this is an unusual start probably because they were unsure if I was T1 or T2 at the time.
so yes things can move quickly.
(I do wonder if I had seen GP instead I may not have received the same level of treatment)

 

[DaveB]

Some GP surgeries locally (the outskirts of a big city with a University Hospital and 2 universities both with Medical Schools) don't all do their own blood tests on the premises so if you go to one that doesn't you always have to go elsewhere to see a phlebotomist to have it done, but you can't save time by going to the place they do the blood test without seeing your own GP first to get the necessary forms and the info on where to go.

Unless there was some specific reason why his doctor needed to test his urine - that method went out with the ark! - well in the late 1970s anyway! It was a wee test at the GPs when I was diagnosed,

Now you'd have a blood test that takes seconds from a fingerprick - and if that was 'suspect' you'd have to have blood removed from your arm which would be sent off to the lab. If it was 'mega awful' at the fingerpick stage - and they wouldn't know the result of the 'big' blood test until next day at the earliest - then you'd be despatched to the nearest A&E with a letter to present to them. You don't normally get seen by a hospital diabetes clinic, at the actual clinic - until after A&E had you sorted out cos they - obviously! - have consultants 'on call' 24/7 for every single condition known to medical science, and some things cannot wait if it's that urgent so Yep - the story sounds highly suspect to me!

Well, my 'expert' diabetes specialist GP at the local surgery diagnosed me with a urine stick in 2004. He told me I was lucky I chose him amongst the surgery GPs as he was the diabetes expert! With that I was labelled T2 and still listed as such but I'm LADA and on MDI. You can't beat the good 'ole NHS.

 

[Lanny]

DaveB, I was diagnosed 17 years ago after moving back to my hometown, where I grew up, after living elsewhere & had to register with my GP again. The routine urine & bloodtests, newly registered patients, showed high levels of sugars. The 6 months before that I lost 0.5 stone & kept getting a cold every few weeks. I knew something was wrong but my GP, from the previous practice, just said my colds were probably due to meeting a lot of people in my job: restaurant business.

Someone on these forums has suggested that I might be Type 1.5 LADA as well. Will be seeing my GP nurse on 21/03/18 to see about retesting.

 

[Jangles]

For years before I was diagnosed I used to have hypo symptoms after eating, but only if it was carbs particularly breakfast cereals and porridge in the mornings. It wouldn't be immediate but about an hour after I'd start feeling wooly and shaky and need something else to eat ro feel 'normal'. If I had toast and egg I was fine.

For about 18 months before I was diagnosed I had one chest infection after another, doctors thought I might have copd and were going to refer to respiratory when one GP decided to get a blood test done. Lo and behold fasting glucose was 22.7 and hba1c was 117. At that point they decided the chest infections were a result of the compromised immunity and focused on the diabetes and I've not had a chest infection since.

I think it is possible to be shaky after food because if your bg is very high it might only take a small dip to feel shaky but it won' be a true hypo.