Medichecks test

[Mum69]

Hi. Any advice doing the finger prick test for Medichecks? Just requested my third kit! Had it done in the past no problem. I’ve increased drinking water, made sure my hands were warm etc but having to use the 3 lancets and still not getting enough blood. Getting it done as I’ve a consistently high TSH for over a year, with T4 in range and GP says I’m on correct dose! Frustrating when I can’t seem to get this done. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Mum69

I will post my tips below but it seems like you may already be doing what works for me.

One other thing that might make a difference, do you take Vit K2 (you may be taking this if you take D3)? If you do, leave it off for a few days.

* Be well hydrated, drink plenty of water the day before, and before you do the test.

* Some people take a shower before hand, some run up and down the stairs to get blood flowing. Personally, as I can't run up and down the stairs, I circle my arm round, windmill style.

* Have a bowl full of hot water, dip hand in and out, swish around, hand needs to go red. If blood flow stops, you can always swish round in the hot water again.

* Stand up to do the test. Make sure your arm is straight down when collecting the blood. Either use a small step stool to raise yourself well above the work surface, or put the collection tube on a lowish shelf. One member uses an ironing board so she can get the perfect height.

* Prick finger on the side, not the tip. I find that half way between the nail bed and tip is about right, or maybe slightly nearer the nail bed rather than the tip. I use my ring finger, but middle finger is next best for me.

* Do not squeeze your finger to get the blood out, it can damage the blood and it may not be usable

I've recently done 2 tests. The first one there was very little blood coming out which was unusual for me so I used a second finger and between the two I gradually filled the tube. However, when I checked the prick site for the first finger the actual cut was very small and as I've had some of these lancets fail before I put it down to that. When I did the second test this is what I did

* Prick my finger as usual, at the same time try and make a very slight twist with the lancet (the blade retracts very quickly so you have like a nano second to twist the lancet). I'm not talking 90 degrees or anything, just a very slight twist to make the cut just slightly bigger, it doesn't hurt or cause a blood bath! This made a big difference, 11 generous drops of blood filled the tube in less 2 minutes.

If you supplement with Biotin, or a B complex containing it (B7), leave it off for 7 days before doing any blood tests as it can give false results when biotin is used in the testing procedure, and most labs do use it.

Video showing how to do a fingerprick test:

youtube.com/watch?v=w2JzToZ...(Not working as expected?)

[Mum69 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for all the tips. There’s a few there more I can try. I’m not on anything other than Levo either. I remember doing it before and having a little discomfort for a day or 2 afterwards. This time there is very little bruising or discomfort which makes me wonder about the slight twisting tip being an option. Hopefully manage next time. Thanks again.

[Josephineinamachine in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi SeasideSusie why should you not take Vit K for a few days? Also would a small dose of aspirin help? I had to throw away my last home test because only got 2 drops of blood out even with all the hot water for hands and drinking water etc…

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Josephineinamachine]

Josephineinamachine

I'm not saying everyone should, but it might be an idea for those who find blood doesn't flow from a fingerprick for the test.

There are two primary forms of Vit K - Vit K1 and Vit K2.

Vit K1 is the blood clotting form, the one they inject new born babies with which helps prevent a rare bleeding disorder called haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.

Vit K2 is the form that plays a role in the metabolism of calcium - you will see me mention frequently that when taking D3 this increases absorption of calcium from food and K2 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it's needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause calcification of arteries, kidney stones, etc.

There is some confusion over whether K2 can affect blood clotting as well, some articles say it does. So for those who do take K2 and have trouble with blood not flowing for a fingerprick test, it's worth leaving off the K2 for a few days to see if this helps.

[Josephineinamachine in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ah, okay, thank you!

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Apparently, just learnt from another member you can get blood draw at some large Superdrug branches for Medichecks kits

medichecks.com/pages/clinic...

[RoboTh in reply to SlowDragon]

Is it a free service? Can you take blood forms to a hospital too? As on the clinic finder it showed my local hospital

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to RoboTh]

Normally there’s a fee

My nearest is private hospital

Book through Medichecks. Use to be £25 pre pandemic

I have been doing tests at home since then …..I find if I exercise first (15 mins on exercise bike) blood flows very well

Plus hand in hot water first, stand up to test and twist the lancet

[Mum69 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you. I live in the back of beyond unfortunately. Thanks for all the tips though. Hopefully I’ll have better luck next time.

[asiatic]

TED gives me double vision and I find it impossible to catch the blood in the tiny tube supplied. I now pay £30 to have blood drawn at Superdrug ( arranged on line through Medichecks ) Pricey but I think worth it as it is only once a year .