What is the best time of the day for a lupus blood test?

[kimc]

Hi Lupies,

I have blood test every 3 months, my glucose up and down. In July 2014, Rhreumy said to stop drinking and my glucose was down to normal. This time, my glucose is high, she says it's okay and maybe just something I ate or drank before drawn my blood.

What's the best time to have my blood draw to compare on each blood test? I think, It should be in the morning, are you agreed?

P.S. after a day posting this tittle, I forgot to tell you that Rheumy said I don't need to fasting test for wbc, rbc, ana, Sjogren, glucose, B12, urinary....Currently, I'm on hydroxychloroquine 400mg, predisone when I got bad flares and vitamins supplements.

My concern is, if I choose to fasting within myself, would my test results more accurate on every time ? As I think I should anyway regarding my glucose is up and down.

[Purpletop]

The time of the day isn't relevant but whether the tests you have must be fasting ones (i.e. On empty stomach) or not. It takes about 7-8 hours to get the tummy empty, so It is really up to you - best to get up in the morning and go straight to gp to have the tests or get up and have breakfast, wait 8 hours and then have the tests. The GP should tell you whether to get an accurate result you should have a fasting blood test - just blaming irregularities in the blood results on what you've just eaten is not enough. She should have re-done the test when you were on empty stomach to check whether the glucose is still high.

Also bear in mind that with certain immunosuppressants the therapeutic levels have to be checked with a blood test. For example mycophenolate mofetil. In that case the blood test must be done 12 hours after the last pill, so that they can measure the throughput.

[corrie14 in reply to Purpletop]

hi purpletop on myco for six years now never been told by anyone to wait for 12 hours after my last pill. some of my bloods are very strange and am never called back

[Purpletop in reply to corrie14]

Only the therapeutic range for myco needs the 12 hours. If you've been on myco for 12 years it is unlikely that they'll check your therapeutic range anymore. The rest of the myco tests (full blood count, u&es, liver, ESR and CRP) do not need 12 hours nor a fasting test.

But as you've been suffering with high glucose, I'm surprised they're not considering diabetes for you - strange. Can't you pester the gp a bit more for explanation? We have to be so on the ball ourselves, it's ridiculous.

[kimc in reply to Purpletop]

Hi Purpletop,

Since I diagnosed with lupus, my Rhreumy never ordered an fasting blood test. In yearly physical check up, my family doctor always order a fasting test for all sources.

My concern is, if I choose to fast within myself, would it be more accurate test results everytime regarding my glucose up and down.

[Purpletop in reply to kimc]

Yes, a fasting blood test that includes a glucose measure would be more accurate but to do it yourself is fine as long as the gp orders (and draws sufficient blood for) the glucose levels, so make sure you ask for it at the time of blood draw.

[Purpletop in reply to Purpletop]

I left another message here but it doesn't seem to have gone through.

It appears that my view about fasting blood test is contradicted below by another response. To avoid confusion, just ask your gp to monitor your glucose for the next 3 months by monthly blood tests and ask her whether the tests need to be fasting or not. Hopefully that will show what's happening.

[windless22]

That's a fasting test yes?if is then got to be done morning as you fast 8 hours overnight.

[Bebe76]

If it is not a fasting glucose blood test then you should not fast - this will NOT make it more accurate. It will skew your results, since the random glucose blood test assumes a higher reference baseline (they assume you have eaten something in the past few hours).