Your appointment
Allow up to 5 hours for your appointment.
It will take place at the Kingston Hospital Main Outpatients, Level 4, Corridor E, Diabetes Day Unit.
Preparing for your test
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Do not eat or drink after midnight before your test. You can have sips of water. |
Medications
Read this information carefully before your appointment.
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If you take: oral oestrogens (such as the oral contraceptive pill containing oestrogen or oral hormone replacement therapy) |
Stop taking these 6 weeks before your test. You can keep using oestrogen gels or patches. |
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If you take or use:
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Do not take/use these after 9 pm on the evening before your test. Do not take/use these on the day of your test. |
| If you take other medication | Keep taking your other medication(s) as normal. |
Bring with you to the appointment any medication you will need during the day, including your steroids. You can take your steroids when we have finished your test.
During your test
You can expect the following during your test.
- We will weigh you to determine the correct glucagon dosage to use.
- We will ask you to lie on a couch.
- We will insert a small plastic tube (a cannula) into a vein in your arm. We will use this to give you medication and take blood samples.
- We will give you 1 mg of glucagon via your muscles (1.5 mg if your weight is over 90 kg).
- We will take blood samples at 15-minute intervals at first, then every 30 minutes. In total, this will take 3 to 4 hours from the start of the test.
- Once we have taken the final blood sample, you will be able to eat your lunch.
- We may need you to stay with us for approximately 1 hour following the test. This is to make sure you feel completely recovered before you leave.
Contact information
Diabetes Day Unit