Can anyone ask for a full blood test ???

[Desprate Dan]

Hi everyone,

Can anyone ask for a full blood test??? i had one a good while a go and the nurse said everything seemed normal but some level was slightly low "Not sure what" she advised me to eat more meat..

So i have changed my diet and make sure i have good dinners with veg and meat..

I was just wondering if i could possibly ask the nurse to take another full blood test..

The last test i had was a fasting test were i couldnt eat for something like 12hrs before and they took about 4-5 lots of blood..

What would one of these blood tests show up??

Would it show up if you had Cancer or any other serious illness??

Dan

[Alisonj]

There is a special test for cancer but if you had cancer your bloodwork would likely be wonky. If she told you to eat more meat you might be slightly anemic so your ferritin or hemoglobin might have been slightly low.
If I am concerned something is wrong I have my doctor order whatever tests I think I need. LOL I just go in and say I need this and this and this tested and he does it.

[Desprate Dan]

Thanks Alison yes it was FERRITIN the nurse mentioned... I wish i dare ask the doctor for tests because sometimes i just feel that something is seriously wrong with me...

What does low Ferritin mean??? and she did mention being slightly anemic what does this mean and is it serious and could it be a sign of something more serious??

Sorry Alison,

Cheers

Dan

[Alisonj]

I have a very low ferritin level and have for about 2 years. The ferritin is like your iron reserves. Under 10 is considered low but it is best to have a level in the 20's. It is not at all dangerous, just can cause symptoms like fatigue and sometimes shortness of breath. When your hemoglobin is low as well, mine is but its because I just had surgery it can cause much the same symptoms. If you are not a big red meat eater or dont eat alot of iron rich foods it can usually cause it, sometimes excessive exercise etc. It is not serious unless your levels are very low. Even a low B12 level can make those counts lower. It would not hurt to have them tested again and if they are low get on an iron supplement. I would suggest taking a Bcomplex vitamin now as they are so valuable for so many things like proper sleep, decrease anxiety and a multitude of other things. Do not take iron if you are unsure of your levels though, just look up iron rich foods and try and consume them, Iron can cause constipation and its no fun if you dont need it
No need to ever say sorry, that is what this forum is for, There is a great website called www.labtestsonline. org I think. If not org then google lab tests online, It explains all the different blood work and what high or low amounts mean. You can also email them with questions and they respond within an hour. It is an amazing resource. I always get copies of my blood work because many a time my doc has said everything was fine and there were high or low numbers so I always recommend getting a copy for your own records.
Hope that helps

[amandaj]

hi being told to eat more meat could be a sign of a deficiency, i was told to change my diet as ive got a vb12 deficiency ,maybe your border line this always worth asking the dr and im sure they would give you another blood test to reassure you, if it is a deficieny there easily treated anyway mine is done with 3 monthly injections

[amandaj]

snap about the vb12 alison we must have typed same time

[charlotte83]

Low iron isn't always a sign of something bad, mine was about 10ish last time I got it checked. the dietician said its quite common because its hard to eat the required 14mg of iron a day (for women, its about 8mg for men) and also you don't actually absorb all that you eat anyway. I'm vegitarian so it is even harder to get the right amount but I take multivits with iron now.
The advice they gave me was to avoid drinking tea when eating something rich in iron because it has something that binds with the iron and stops you absorbing as much of it, and also having vitamin c like drinking orange juice with iron rich foods increases absorbtion. Best foods for iron are red meat, green veg and cos im veggie they told me chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, and to a certain extent oats have quite a bit of iron. Molasses does too but I don't really think many people eat that!

[k9love]

Hi there, yes you can ask for full blood tests, from your doctor tho, I had some health issues recently and was convinced I had cervical cancer, was told by a friend of mine to insist on a certain test(cant remember what its called now) but anyway I plucked up the courage to ask my doc for it and first off he said no I didnt need it so as my friend said I insisted!!! and he did send me for it, all was clear tho and am glad I insisted it now.

[Alisonj]

the test is CA 125.