Hi everyone, I am new to this site and wondered if anyone had any tips for extracting blood. I was trying a finger prick method for a prima home test, but found my blood was clotting & blocking the opening of the pipette. After about 40 mins, I used what I had managed to squeeze out- roughly half of what I was supposed to & mixed it with the dilutent anyway- to see what happened. It came back as negative. Is this likely to be accurate?
Thank you
Make sure you have a warm shower and do some star jumps before you start 🌟
Some of us just don't bleed well. But first try these tips.
Making sure you are well hydrated the day BEFORE. Run up and down stairs or star jumps to get circulation going 5-10 mins before.. Hand in bowl of hot water first. Pricking finger at side/base of nail.
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, TT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies. Plus vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12.
Essential to test thyroid antibodies, FT3 and FT4, plus vitamins
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.
All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting.
If on Levothyroxine, don't take in the 24 hours prior to test, and if on T3 don't take in 12 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)
If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's. Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances are common too, especially gluten. So it's important to get tested.
No! and excessive squeezing doesn't help either. But get everything ready to start and warm hands in hot water then move your arm quickly like a windmill and then take take the blood.
Snap Louis Armstrong , I couldn't get enough blood out to fill two vials. Did the jumping, hot water etc... Had one decent finger flow, but the rest as you said just formed clots on the edge. I've still got signs of the finger pricks as black marks on top of my fingers two weeks later, so wasn't being wimpy and making slight holes ( plus am diabetic so regularly draw blood for blood sugar monitoring). I gave up after about 75 mins, fortunately got my junior doctor son to do proper syringe job early next morning. I had asked my pharmacist if they did blood draw but negative, and don't know if any would, else you might have to do it thru GP/ nurse/ health assistant. Did notice on the Medichecks pack itself, presumably tailored for all my blood tests ( Thyroid plus Ultravit, i.e. 11 tests) it recommended veinous blood although when ordered on website self- finger pricking was offered. We are not easy bleeders!
blood tests
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Monitor my health blood test.
Thyroid meds and blood thickness.
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