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Fasting Blood Test

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bigheadmike

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
hi guys,

i have just had a telephone call from my Medical Centre trying to book me in for a fasting bloodtest. as a T1 should i be doing this?

Thanks
 
sometimes a fasting blood test is necessary. If you are worried check with your doctor.
 
Ask them what they're trying to achieve by doing the test.

To me, it makes no sense. You probably check your blood sugar every morning which is essentially a fasting test anyway. FBGs are of very little use to a doctor, they're more of use to you in determining whether your basal is in check.

It sounds to me like they've just assumed you're a type 2 with no access to test strips. The only glucose test that a doctor really needs to carry out for a T1 is the HbA1c.
 
that is what i thought deus, i had my HbA1C a few weeks ago, i test myself every morning. i will see the doctor today and find out why he has issued this for me.
 
I think there is one test where they check your cholesterol levels and you need to fast for that. See what it is they want to check.
 
No need to fast for cholesterol blood tests - recommendations changed a few years ago, although some staff apparently haven't read the documents. As others have said, it's possible that you are mis-recorded in GP records as being T2D.
 
i have been diagnosed 2 years, it all recorded due it being a military centre. they have been keeping an eye on me with my HbA1c checks every 3-4 month and my cholesterol checks every 6 months, my cholesterol comes back normal and my HbA1c comes back lower every time, almost normal now.

I think it is just an administrator making mistakes, i was just wondering how i would be able to do it seeing as though if I don't eat every 5 minutes my BG comes down.

the joys of diabetic life.
 
bigheadmike said:
i have been diagnosed 2 years, it all recorded due it being a military centre. they have been keeping an eye on me with my HbA1c checks every 3-4 month and my cholesterol checks every 6 months, my cholesterol comes back normal and my HbA1c comes back lower every time, almost normal now.

I think it is just an administrator making mistakes, i was just wondering how i would be able to do it seeing as though if I don't eat every 5 minutes my BG comes down.

the joys of diabetic life.
Click to expand...

I always refused to do a fasting blood test whilst injecting as always on the low side in the morning.
Blood letting takes place 9 miles from my home so wasn't going to drive with a blood sugar in the 4's.

If you are eating every 5 mins due to going low then you need to sort out your insulin. It sounds as if you are on way to much insulin.
 
Copepod said:
No need to fast for cholesterol blood tests - recommendations changed a few years ago, although some staff apparently haven't read the documents. As others have said, it's possible that you are mis-recorded in GP records as being T2D.
Click to expand...

Interestingly the phlebotomist at our surgery said that even though not strictly necessary fasting tests usually still come out lower and/or with differences in the splits than non fasting (depending on timing of last meal) so they still like to record whether the cholesterol test is fasting or not. I've also heard that it can depend on the chemistry/test type that the lab in question use - though I don't know whether that is old information?
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Interestingly the phlebotomist at our surgery said that even though not strictly necessary fasting tests usually still come out lower and/or with differences in the splits than non fasting (depending on timing of last meal) so they still like to record whether the cholesterol test is fasting or not. I've also heard that it can depend on the chemistry/test type that the lab in question use - though I don't know whether that is old information?
Click to expand...

My GP told me there is no need for a fasting bloodtest for cholesterol, as all that is required was a different calculation to work it out. I was told this a few years back.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
My GP told me there is no need for a fasting bloodtest for cholesterol, as all that is required was a different calculation to work it out. I was told this a few years back.
Click to expand...

You are probably right Sue 🙂 AFAIK it makes less difference to total chol and HDL, but drinking alcohol the day before can skew your trigs, and morning coffee and/or other things can alter splits too I think - I tend to prefer to fast 'just in case' (since I don't have a problem doing so for an early bloods appointment)
 
Being on a pump, I don't have a problem fasting either. Infact I never eat breakfast now. But MDI days were a pain to put things mildly :(
 
So, the conclusion is basically, fast or don't fast, depending on what suits you best, but try to get blood taker to record whether you've fasted or not, amd if they don't record that, then tell the person who tells you your results so they can interpret results more usefully.
 
I thought if they were doing a full lipid panel you should still fast for 14 hours? Only if they just do Tchol/HDL it's non-fasting?
 
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