Home ferritin testing kits now available at Boots

[Pippins2]

Hi as my post title says ,may be helpful as GP /nurse appointments are now like gold dust in the UK.

[SueJohnson]

Don't buy a cheap one. The Quest one looks good but it doesn't measure TSAT.

[ChrisColumbus]

I'll check that out. BTW while the first online booking I could get for a routine GP appointment was 4 weeks on, after seeing her yesterday I did then get a nurse blood test and a community hospital Xray (neither urgent or for RLS!) for today.

[ChrisColumbus]

The Boots (Chinese made) Ferritin Rapid Test that I've found is cheap at £7.99 but only reports Normal or Abnormal, with 'Normal' being anything over 30 ng/ml. It doesn't appear to give a number as such, or indeed any other results (e.g. TSAT). Is this the test that you've found Pippins2 ?

[SueJohnson in reply to ChrisColumbus]

That's why I said don't get a cheap one. A member of the forum did and had a similar result wasting their money when he couldn't afford it and why looking at them the Quest one seems best and you do send it to a lab.

[ChrisColumbus in reply to SueJohnson]

I can't currently see that the Quest Iron, TIBC & Ferritin Test Panel, (US excluding Alaska, Hawaii and for whatever reason Arizona), is available in the UK.

However there are other suppliers here: e.g. Home Health UK do an Iron Profile Blood Test Kit covering iron, ferritin, transferrin, TIBC and TSAT for £35.29 including postage to client and back to the lab.

(This is not a recommendation as such as I've never used this or any other similar service: I've always been able to get a fasting, morning, full panel iron test through the NHS - yes it can take up to a few weeks to get to see a GP to authorise it, but then it's easy, reliable and free).

[SueJohnson in reply to ChrisColumbus]

google.com/search?client=fi...

[SueJohnson in reply to ChrisColumbus]

That's better than the Quest one as the Quest one doesn't test TSAT and is more expensive. However looking at my search I realized that although I searched for ferritin at Boots, they didn't just give me ones at boots.

[ChrisColumbus in reply to SueJohnson]

Yes, "other tests are available" as they commonly say in product review articles!

[ChrisColumbus]

Superdrug theoretically do a more expensive (£39-£43) Iron and Ferritin Blood Test kit which they post to you and you have to send away to a lab. They say "when you get your results, speak to your GP to get more blood tests done. One of these blood tests is called a ‘full blood count’ or ‘FBC’, which will tell you if you have anaemia".

Unfortunately it's currently reported 'long-term out of stock'. When I tried writing to them about it last year asking for fuller details they failed to reply!

[SueJohnson]

See my reply to Chris