Iron deficiency test

[Mickeydooley]

Is there anything I should know about carrying out the iron deficiency test? e.g. timings, what I should or shouldn’t do or take? TIA

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Mickeydooley

Iron tests require a 12 hour fast so best done early morning just so that you don't go without food during the day.

No iron supplements or iron rich foods in the 7 days before the test.

And because Biotin can affect any blood test, if you take B Complex or Biotin supplements leave those off for 7 days.

[Mickeydooley in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thankfully I don’t take biotin or iron supplements and haven’t started the b complex yet. Which foods should I avoid? I follow a low carb/Keto diet and tend to eat a good deal of meat, fish and eggs A week without these things would be difficult! Would that not give a false reading in my case?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Mickeydooley]

I would class iron rich foods as liver, liver pate and black pudding. There's more iron in those than there probably would be in a few slices off a joint of beef, for example, or a pork chop. Maybe not have a big fat juicy steak in the couple of days before your test

[Mickeydooley in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for that! Do I have to avoid all alcohol too? 😩

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Mickeydooley]

I don't know about alcohol, I don't drink it, but I can't see why you would need to.

[Mickeydooley in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks that’s good to know. 😂

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Mickeydooley]

Mickeydooley

Have just found this:

Things to avoid

As well as food and drink, there are some other things to avoid when fasting for a blood test. These include:

Alcohol: Alcohol can also affect blood sugar and fat levels, giving inaccurate results to blood tests that require fasting. If a person is being asked to fast before a blood test, they should also refrain from drinking alcohol.

It's news to me but then again I don't drink.

It doesn't say how long to refrain from drinking alcohol though but I'm guessing 24 hours.

[Mickeydooley in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for that SS. X

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi there, wish I'd known that. Head my iron checked last week and the practice didn't mention fasting. It was all within range so I hope that's reliable. Oh well, next time.