Blood Drug Testing

Why does my blood sugar jump when I go in for lab work?

It averages 100-120 every day except when I go in for a fasting blood test. Even if it's only 120 when I leave the house, when I get to the lab it's always 165! Supposedly the battery of medications I'm taking keeps my sugar from going up on its own, and at home that seems to be true. But if I go to a lab, it spikes! And it's not the lab--it reads the same when I get back home. Are the meds sugar-coated for some reason?

Public Comments

1. When I get my glucose tested, I find that my blood sugar levels rise after I get up. I don't eat before a fasting blood test, but they rise anyway. Also, my doctor has suggested that sometimes being nervous about the test can make your levels rise. I don't think the meds are sugar-coated.
2. You are getting stressed enough that it is affecting your blood sugars in the lab. Stress on your body is a big factor in higher blood sugars. I get higher readings when I am sick even at home.
3. Stress releases epinephrine and norepinephrine, which raises blood sugar (an adaptation we developed in order to fuel our bodies and brains for fight or flight). That could be the explanation for your increased blood sugar readings. It's interesting that there is such a big jump in blood sugar due to stress alone.