Hi - hoping for some advice or guidance here. I tried to do the MMH finger prick blood test this morning and just cannot get enough blood to fill the yellow vial. Had a hot shower, soaked hands in hot water for five minutes, had a glass of water and mug of hot water beforehand, swung arms around to get the blood flowing, massaged my arm and hand and all I managed to get is like 5 drops of blood before it totally dries up. Used 4 lancets this morning and then decided that enough was enough and I was starting to feel really queasy and lightheaded.
Anyone know how I can get blood taken elsewhere somehow? Or a way to actually be able to use these finger prick things?
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RuthieRuth
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I find it useful to drink lots of water the previous day, so I’m very well hydrated. I also need the ‘vigorous exercise’ moves to get enough blood flow, so feel for you.
It could also be a problem with the lancets not been sharp enough…. You can always ask MMH for another set or request a venous draw kit (to take to a phlebotomist).
Good idea - I had been using my NHS blood test appointment to get them to get a little bit more for me for MMH but then the purple vial is always rejected for some reason. I'll message Monitor My Health and see if there is a different kit they can send
I even tried taking an aspirin to thin my blood and used an elastic band tourniquet round my finger to no avail. My problem was with compromised vision due to TED I had to bend my arm to bring the vial closer which stopped the flow. I now use Medichecks who offer a venous blood draw at Superdrug.
Yes, I wonder if that's what I needed to do - recovering from the flu at the moment though so unable to exert myself at all. Maybe next time I'll try that - thanks!
one test where i drank like a fish the whole day before , and also cycled round the block and back up the hill immediately before doing it , then arm in hot water until it went red, windmill arms to dry it off , then did it standing up ~ arm straight , vial on stool at right height to let blood drip in.
lancet to side of finger, not the end , and gave it a slight twist as it went in to make a bigger hole ,,, or tried to anyway
No problems .. the opposite in fact ~ 'too much' flow , overfilled the tube.
next time , got a bit complacent / lazy.... drank a pint of water at bedtime, went up and down stairs a couple of times but not enough to really get my heart pumping ... did the rest just the same .... 3 drops then flow stopped... another finger ....3 drops then stopped etc etc ..
So i;ve decided 'drink loads the day before AND do some exercise that is significant enough to get my heart really pumping ( plus all the other stuff) seems the only way to go.
and i've had no problems with it since then .
i don't fancy another round of "both hands with holes in and still not enough blood in the tube" ... because as you say , there's only so many times you can pluck up the courage to stab yourself without wanting to call it a day.
It seems like worst part of all this condition ... try to laugh if you can - the things we have to do.
Mum got hers filled on a trip to get NHS blood test and that was OK just normal "tub" from lab..
Not for folate test but thyroid, I gently press the end of the finger to make it swell up a bit and then the lancet makes a bigger hole. + 1 for drinking lots of water. Stand up, Arm swinging, heat and moving around the house.
Folate, if the blood gets any "rough" handling breaks up cells or something and test fails.
Not managed one of these Folate test as I think I end up scrapping droplets into tube.
Medichecks have private blood takers in places like Superdrug but not near to me.
I have just recently done an anaemia test and the first attempt was really bad, like getting blood out of a stone - sample was haemolysed as well, so no use and I had to repeat it.
For the second try, I made sure that I drank lots and lots of water the previous day. On the day of the test, I drank nearly 2 big glasses of water in slow sips over 1 h and I did some exercise to get my circulation going. Then I held my hand under very warm water for about 2 min to warm it.
When I was ready for the test, I was standing up and tied a scarf around the upper arm of the hand where I wanted to take the blood from (to pool the blood a bit, just like when you take a venous blood sample). Then I wiped the ring finger, pricked it hard with a lancet (not on the middle of the pad but just a bit to the left) and wiggled the needle a bit to make a slightly bigger whole.
The blood came out much better this time and it was even going when the vial was full!
I have the opposite problem. The first time I did a fingerprick test the kitchen was like a bloodbath 😂 very abbatoir-like.I now have to do them in the bathroom where it's easier to clean up the splatter 🩸
I also used to have problems. I run on the spot for a bit, swing my arms but the most important thing for me is soaking my hand in very hot water as much as I can stand (really hot!) for 5 mins. This works well for me. Good luck!
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