Self drawing blood

[hollowedzeus]

Okay so im going to be doing private blood tests but i am not going to drive 50 miles to the clinic to get my blood drew. This is the cheapest place by far...

So my choices are a finger prick kit thats sent to me or i get someone 'qualified' to draw blood for me.

Is it something adviced to do myself? (Obviously not, but has anyone had success in doing so?)

I have 23g 1 1/4" needles that i will be using for dosing my serms (oral syringes dont fit).

Any help would be appreciated

[Sh0tsf1red]

I wouldn't do it yourself unless you've had some type of medical training

I was a medic and I remember when we learned how to start IV there was lots of blood on the floor and passed out people

[hollowedzeus]

Im first aid trained if that counts lol

[NACH3]

Im first aid trained if that counts lol

I self bleed.... but if you don't have the proper kit with sterile vials and a vacuum on it... and a must is an anticoagulant so your blood doesn't turn into a big clump of shit lol

[hollowedzeus]

Would asprin do the trick? I believe i was a little niave into thinking i could just jab my vein and remove?

Id be totally down for doing it but if im going to fuck it up perhaps not.

Im a bit wary of finger prick testing getting accurate results. If its juat as reliable i will just do that. Can always poke more holes if theres a lack of blood

[< <Samson> >]

Get some vacutaners < I think that's what they are called

[hollowedzeus]

This? Jeso this is more complicated than i thought.... thought i could just draw the blood out by pulling the plunger back in the needle....
Attachment 169961

[Mooseman33]

Am i the only one reading this saying "what the shit man"

i would or could never draw my own blood. the finger prick is easy but from the vein, cmon man.

make the drive, put some pearl jam on and cruise.

[hollowedzeus]

Are you saying that from a safty point of view or because it sounds insane lol?

Im generally not phased by this sort of thing fortunatly.
.. and i would but i am going to be getting many of these tests over the next while, building up a portfolio of testosterone levels so that i can confront my doctor with concrete evidence of low testosterone .

I am fed up to fuck of being the way i am. Doctors pie me off. Family thing im a hypochondriac and that they're sure 'ill be fine'... even my dad who has never pct'd after 10 years of constant blasting with no knowledge of steroids at all.

I will do whatever it takes to get this sorted.

(Rant over sorry)

[Mooseman33]

both .

safety and it sounds insane to me.

[DHew]

If it is that important to you, do it the right way and just make the drive.

[hollowedzeus]

Okay youve convinced me not to draw myself.

Its an extra £25 aswell as driving for it to be drawn. Would you still recommend it over the finger prick test? Or is it just as reliable?

I emailed the lab that does it and they said its just as reliable but im not so sure...

[DHew]

How could blood from your finger be less reliable than blood from your arm? I'm not being a smart ass, but isn't blood blood?

[hollowedzeus]

No worries. My thoughts are - More chance of error. Perhaps too much skins in the sample, not enough blood being drawn for the testing or the blood is exposes to yhe air for too long?

Not sure myself, please feel free to educate me if its a silly question.

Why wouldnt clinics use fingerprick tests if it was similar also.... seems a bit easier

[Mooseman33]

here is the lesson.

spend the 25$ and drive to get done.

[EDCG19]

Am i the only one reading this saying "what the shit man"

i would or could never draw my own blood. the finger prick is easy but from the vein, cmon man.

make the drive, put some pearl jam on and cruise.

I feel the same way, I get my blood taken out at a place and I like it that way. Drawing at home, with just me in the room isn't something I would want to do. Either way, its quite badass to do it all by yourself if you have the right setup.

[Back In Black]

Zeus, remind me where you live and where you need to go to?

[hollowedzeus]

Central scotland. Call it glasgow for genralisation sake.
I am looking for the cheapest possible hormone test panels. Particularly lh and fsh this time. I am going to be ordering a few over the coming months so doctors will take me seriously.

cant afford to spend £200 every time

Im going to be using medicheck for this to be done but its finger prick, self draw or £25 and a trip to dumfries

[hammerheart]

I self bleed.... but if you don't have the proper kit with sterile vials and a vacuum on it... and a must is an anticoagulant so your blood doesn't turn into a big clump of shit lol

This.

I don't get what the fuss about drawing some ml of blood is about, most nurses are very poor at it anyway. Medical training lol.

[CharlesThe4th]

I'd pass out and die if I did it myself. Took me 45 minutes to build the courage to poke myself with a stick the first time!

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[vbguy]

Heres how to self bleed if you have a high RBC. He's a member here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI9Q...ature=youtu.be

[almostgone]

No worries. My thoughts are - More chance of error. Perhaps too much skins in the sample, not enough blood being drawn for the testing or the blood is exposes to yhe air for too long?

Not sure myself, please feel free to educate me if its a silly question.

Why wouldnt clinics use fingerprick tests if it was similar also.... seems a bit easier

Depending on the test, a fingerprick test isn't as accurate, especially with lipids. I've not heard of an accurate test for hormones that didn't require a greater volume of blood and for that you need heparinized Vacutainers for some tests.
If you were bleeding to lower hematocrit, that's one thing and isn't difficult, but for blood being drawn for labs, it needs to be drawn at a collection center. I'm not sure if they would even allow you to bring it in if you had the proper supplies since the results would be listed as yours, they probably would want to to make sure "your" blood was drawn.

Edit: I would take the drive, Zeus. It takes me about 40 minutes or so one way and my last panels cost me around $330+. Think I had a CBC, CMP w/VLDL, ferritin, Total, free, and bioavailable T, IGF-1 level, SHBG, sensitive E2, and Vitamin D.
It's well worth the time and $$.

[hollowedzeus]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to post.

I guess i will bite the bullet and just go for it and take the drive. Its a straight road the whole way so its not so bad.

Ag, i didnt realise it was so common place to have to travel for blood work.... thought i was getting shafted haha... its just a hormone panel this time but i was a little concerned by the blood volume needed also. Would end up having to slice myself to get the required amount of blood.

Also these blood tests are for my own personal record, not off doctors orders. Ive pretty much been banned from gettinf blood tests at the doctors lol.

Cheers again everyone

[almostgone]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to post.

I guess i will bite the bullet and just go for it and take the drive. Its a straight road the whole way so its not so bad.

Ag, i didnt realise it was so common place to have to travel for blood work.... thought i was getting shafted haha... its just a hormone panel this time but i was a little concerned by the blood volume needed also. Would end up having to slice myself to get the required amount of blood.

Also these blood tests are for my own personal record, not off doctors orders. Ive pretty much been banned from gettinf blood tests at the doctors lol.

Cheers again everyone

Yes sir, when I do labs that I order myself, I have a little bit of a drive. I used to have a local place other than my Dr. draw the blood for the labs I wanted, but they kept goofing it up horribly.
I draw more labs than my Dr. generally orders and also I like to know ahead of time that my values are good before my Dr. orders her lab work.

[hollowedzeus]

Yes sir, when I do labs that I order myself, I have a little bit of a drive. I used to have a local place other than my Dr. draw the blood for the labs I wanted, but they kept goofing it up horribly.
I draw more labs than my Dr. generally orders and also I like to know ahead of time that my values are good before my Dr. orders her lab work.

I love that mentality hah!

I guess its the sensible thing to do making the effort to drive then haha. If you guys arent poking arounf in your veins then maybe i shouldnt be too.

Cheeeeeers!

[DocToxin8]

To draw blood is not a big deal at all.
Very easy for most of us that trains and have visible veins.

The problem is storage of blood.
(Already mentioned by Nach)

When you draw blood at the medic it's filled into a vacuum/low pressure vial that contain anticoagulants like EDTA and stabilizers.

You could try to call the clinic and ask, but my guess is they have no idea how to preserve blood. They just know they need to use vials and that's it.

So most likely you'll have to drive.
You can always fill a 5ml syringe with blood and keep it cold, (just right over freezing) and ask if that's anything they can use, but my guess would be no;
Coagulated and maybe also lysis of cells (they soak up water and burst)

[Sh0tsf1red]

Depending on the test, a fingerprick test isn't as accurate, especially with lipids. I've not heard of an accurate test for hormones that didn't require a greater volume of blood and for that you need heparinized Vacutainers for some tests.
If you were bleeding to lower hematocrit, that's one thing and isn't difficult, but for blood being drawn for labs, it needs to be drawn at a collection center. I'm not sure if they would even allow you to bring it in if you had the proper supplies since the results would be listed as yours, they probably would want to to make sure "your" blood was drawn.

Edit: I would take the drive, Zeus. It takes me about 40 minutes or so one way and my last panels cost me around $330+. Think I had a CBC, CMP w/VLDL, ferritin, Total, free, and bioavailable T, IGF-1 level, SHBG, sensitive E2, and Vitamin D.
It's well worth the time and $$.

Finger test blood sample is oxygenated because it gets exposed to the air. Blood from the vein is less oxygenated because it doesn't get the same exposure. The oxygenation changes lots of things

[NACH3]

This.

I don't get what the fuss about drawing some ml of blood is about, most nurses are very poor at it anyway. Medical training lol.

Most suck - unless on the actual IV team that goes around putting lines in all day - I'd much rather do it myself as well these days!

[hammerheart]

Most suck - unless on the actual IV team that goes around putting lines in all day - I'd much rather do it myself as well these days!

The most damage I had from hospital, ER nurse - a bruise large as a fist that lasted a couple weeks.

[hollowedzeus]

See doc i dont quite have that yet i can see the blue outline of the veins not the raised kind on my forearma but for whatever reason everytime i get blood drawn i have 6 or 7 holes in me.... but then i could nail it first time myself. Perhaps the staff were as others have said, shite.... hmm the congratulation seems like it would be an issue if done myself.

Think i will probably just travel

Also still learning about needles lol. Apparantly 23g are bullshit for measuring cialis. Cant fit through the bloody end of it. Ended up sort of pouring it out of the bottle into the other end of the syringe, making a mess.

[hollowedzeus]

Turns out its a 25 min drive. Result.

Thanks everyone for your responses

[< <Samson> >]

After bleeding yourself out at home, nothing is off the table