GRRRRR Blood Test Debacle

[Sparklingsunshine]

I'm so annoyed with my GP. I've not been feeling well for a couple of weeks and have been experiencing shortness of breath. Concerned it was asthma related I saw the out of hours GP who ordered some blood tests, to rule out heart function. I contacted my GP to request the test be put on the system. Unfortunately for some reason the ordered tests werent put on my GP record so I had no idea what was requested.

I managed to get a cancellation appointment for the blood test this morning at short notice. When I got to the blood taking unit they asked me I'd fasted ( bearing in mind the appt was at 11.30) I replied no. I saw they'd ordered the usual raft of tests including thyroid, HB1ac, cholesterol.

I'd taken thyroid meds this morning, plus my vitamin B complex contains biotin. With the non fasting it was totally pointless having them done. My surgery had emailed me to let me know I could book a test but had failed to inform me there were fasting ones included.

I had to decline all but the heart function one, as the others would be inaccurate. Such a waste of my time, the phlebotomist's time. I dont want cholesterol testing anyway, I have no intention of taking statins and have told my GP as much. I tested my thyroid myself last week so I know my current issues are not related to that.

The phlebotomist was apologetic but said they cant strike out the tests. So I bought the offending blood test form home. Its just so annoying.

[waveylines]

Sorry to hear this. At least you found out before she took the blood draw......lol.. Sometimes I've found out afterwards.....and believe me it did cause a stir!! Biotin really messes up thyroid results!! 🙄🙄

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to waveylines]

I think it can affect others as well. There was no way I was going to risk a non prepared thyroid or diabetes test.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to waveylines]

I'm curious if the GP will even notice that the tests weren't done.

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

How annoying, must admit I have a policy of preparing for all bloods in the same way so that in the future I know they are all comparable.... also just in case they are trying to catch me out and mess things up!

[helvella in reply to TiggerMe]

I agree.

Things like fasting, for example, are unclear. There is some evidence that it can affect thyroid tests - but it doesn't seem that strong - i.e. not that much evidence and the impact doesn't appear to be great. But better by far to be consistent so that we are not left wondering if that is the factor which has made a difference...

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to helvella]

It wasnt so much the thyroid one that was the issue, it was the glucose one. That is very definitely affected by fasting. The surgery have been very remiss in not telling me it needed to be a fasting test.

[Judithdalston in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

HbA1c is not a fasting blood test…it measures an average of previous 2-3 months re.red blood cells, so don’t worry.

[waveylines in reply to helvella]

Biotin definately messed up my thyroid blood tests its caused a stir with the Endo I got referred to 18months later! Whole "discussion" of over treatment kicked of because of it. I pointed out that biotin had been at play and all my other tests over years were in range. He conceded this in the end. He looked through what must've been well over 30 thyroud test results all selected and put on his data sheet and then singled that one test out! I did point out to him the one taken two weeks later without biotin which showed ft4 & Ft3 in range.

So yes, fast, no thyroid meds and no biotin for a week before, no matter what they say, they are testing! Lol...

[Caradoc1a]

Very irritating. I had blood test recently for cortisol with no instructions from GP. the phlebotomy receptionist said no way as it needs to be before 9am. Waste of all our time. Plus double taxi fares for me.

[Kowbie]

I know what you mean about drs , they have been pushing me to take statins I told them I didn’t want to take them ,I went to pick meds up a couple. Months ago girl said have you had these before I said what they were statins , I said I don’t take statins so I left them there ,this week daughter in law picked my prescription up when I opened it there were the statins they take away what you need and give you something you don’t want ,maddening

[serenfach in reply to Kowbie]

GP surgeries get paid extra for prescriptions for statins, so it does not matter that you dont want them, dont take them, dont need them. The statins then get dumped as they cannot represcribe to someone else. Total waste of money.

[Kowbie in reply to serenfach]

Your right there no wonder it’s going down the pan

[Sparklingsunshine]

I find UK NHS healthcare little more than paint by numbers. They are strangely keen to see us if they can screen us, jab or tell us we're depressed diabetics with high cholesterol and a touch of asthma. For anything else? Not so much.

[arTistapple in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

Spot on Sparklingsunshine. Sometimes I picture it as an “honourable profession” for the rich and bored, as in old fashioned novels. They have to appear to do something and this is an ok profession to belong to, much admired even. Most importantly it seems to allow them to do absolutely nothing, whilst at the same time appearing to be overworked. How truly noble!

Apologies for the sarcasm. Off course there will be ‘real’ medics out there somewhere.

[1kasug2 in reply to arTistapple]

You’ve put my thoughts into words. 👍🏻👍🏻

[Catseyes235]

Well I’d rather have an NHS offering these things to us pensioners and never had more than 2 text reminders. Any preventative actions are welcome and can save the NHS money in the long run. Hospitals filling up with people who haven’t bothered to have jabs. Having known people who’ve died of bowel cancer and others who’ve been saved by early detection, and people who’ve been hospitalised with shingles I’d say they are doing a good job and don’t resent any excess small payment (if indeed that is true??).

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to Catseyes235]

Actually the data on how much point there is in screening is very open to debate, seems like a no brainer in theory but when you actually look into the numbers of lives saved it is exceedingly small.

And of course you end up with false positives, the stress and anxiety of waiting for screening results and the over aggressive treatment of certain slow growing cancers which would never have ended up causing any issues.

Its certainly far more nuanced and the health gains far less impressive than the NHS would have you believe. Over diagnosis and over treatment can cause as much harm as not enough.

[arTistapple]

There are statistics for illnesses brought on by what you describe. It’s got its own terminology iatrogenic illness. I can’t quite recall here but have seen it quoted many times. I think the statistics are around one third of all deaths. No doubt helvella will have those statistics at his fingertips.

If that figure is remotely accurate, it behoves us all to be vigilant. In the ‘old days’ no information was available to patients at all and doctors were utterly trusted. Definitely not so much now and with good reason (I think).

Recently someone I think who is very perceptive, made the following comment about the NHS to me. “When the NHS came into being, it’s worth and wonder was compared to what went before. In many instances this was absolutely nothing. So no contest.” As it is, many of us are much more educated these days and many different comparisons can be made.

My own recollection of ‘testing’ by the NHS is that individual test results may have been monitored, but not one doctor managed to put the picture together as a ‘whole’. A truly well educated health system would have spotted what was going on decades ago.

Hypothyroidism is truly an holistic diagnosis. The fact that the NHS is not tuned into ‘holism’ is why so many of us suffer so much. We are treated piecemeal even after diagnosis.

We are very much dependant on the state of medical education and training , and even more so on the interest and ability of those practising medicine. Just as in many professions, results depend on the calibre of the people entrusted.

[helvella in reply to arTistapple]

In the 1970s, I read an extensive comparison of UK and US healthcare systems.

One conclusion was that you were more likely to suffer from over-treatment in the USA than from under-treatment in the UK.

Another was that the well-off were incubating their own problems by not treating, for example, tuberculosis in New York. By leaving sufferers untreated, those who could afford treatment increased their own chances of getting infected - in some cases quite substantially. That is, there can be self-interest in ensuring the health of all.

[Emaych61 in reply to arTistapple]

The NHS is not tuned into a holistic approach very largely because of the way doctors are trained and their career progression paths these days. Once upon a time there were very few specialists; there was a much more generalist approach with consultants having “an interest” in a particular area. I had the very great fortune to know someone who had been known as a brilliant generalist, though his particular interest (and the department he was “responsible’” for) was cardiology. Sadly he died some years ago,

There is quite a lot of truth in the saying “the more you specialise, the less you know”; sadly those responsible for the training and development of doctors these days don’t seem to get that. I’m sure there are advantages to having doctors with a specialist knowledge of a particular area of the spine, for example, but it’s only of use when a patient finally gets to see that specialist - quite possibly after months or even years of being referred to one area or another as different departments scratch their heads and admit that they don’t know what’s going on.

We do need specialists, but we also need consultant level generalists as well to deal with those who have complex medical needs or something that is very obscure. They should be the highest paid of the lot: understanding the complexities of how the body works as a whole unit, and how something happening in one area may indicate a problem in another is going to take an extraordinary level of knowledge and understanding.

[arTistapple in reply to Emaych61]

Yes it’s complex but if Vets can do it with non speaking subjects, in my mind doctors should be able to do better. However I don’t fundamentally disagree with anything you have said.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to arTistapple]

I think vets train longer than doctors dont they? Plus they have to cover numerous species,not just humans. And vets are private, not NHS so maybe the clue is there. Everything to do with the NHS is focused on money and them trying to avoid spending any. Maybe we should consult a vet, not a doctor.

[Emaych61 in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

Six years training to qualify sufficiently to practice as a vet, I think, and that includes surgery. I may be wrong with that, though, and I’m happy to be corrected.

Training to be a doctor takes rather longer.