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fingerprick hba1c/lipid profile test?

G

grantg

Well-Known Member
Messages
530
Location
scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
needles, bloods sampling
has anyone got any experience with any companies which offer hba1c alongside lipid profile test via fingerprick method?

I'm pretty bad at getting bloods drawn from veins so hoping for a possible alternative other than going back to the same hospital who lost them just last month to be drawn again from veins. hyperventalate pass out, rinse repeat until they get them imo there must be better alternatives for those which have phobia of the above.

on a side note i've submitted foi request to nhs scotland asking if any of the hospitals can offer those tests via that method will post their reply when get incase its of use to anyone who has simular issues with blood drawing.
 
I did use a home HbA1c test during the pandemic lockdown.
I will try to find the details. I imagine they are better developed now some five years later.
 
@grantg

I also participated in some research at local university, that involved them testing my HbA1c. They used a fingerprick test which they put in some sort of pod then in a machine. The result was delivered in 5 minutes. Sorry I didn’t get details, of the equipment.. It was a few years ago.Maybe you could find out from a university near you if they have similar. I am sure such equipment would be useful in medical settings. Wasted on students for their projects.
 
Ryhia said:
A1cNow offers tests just using a finger prick as do Medichecks I think, but I'm not sure any of the online tests would be accepted by the NHS. You would need to check.
Click to expand...

checked already, consultant has stated more accurate than libre2plus estimated a1c which is his suggested alternative option if im not happy with that he is 'happy' to go with the prior result.... taken a few months ago. I'm not keen on just going with an old result especially as treatment has changed significantly from that period of time.

Pipp said:
bhr.co.uk

World’s First Disposable HbA1c System: A1CNow® SELF CHECK for Diabetes

Discover A1CNow® SELF CHECK – the first disposable HbA1c system for diabetes, now in the UK. Easy, accurate, and fast HbA1c results at home in just 5 minutes. Take control of your diabetes today.
bhr.co.uk bhr.co.uk

This was what I used.
Click to expand...
ordered thanks very much.

just need simular thing for lipid profile test now.
 
Pipp said:
@grantg

I also participated in some research at local university, that involved them testing my HbA1c. They used a fingerprick test which they put in some sort of pod then in a machine. The result was delivered in 5 minutes. Sorry I didn’t get details, of the equipment.. It was a few years ago.Maybe you could find out from a university near you if they have similar. I am sure such equipment would be useful in medical settings. Wasted on students for their projects.
Click to expand...
i'll try give a few of the uni's a call in the morning. Local community hospital primary care have refused referral for blood work ever since passed out several times last time they tried to obtain, still waiting on appt 6 months down the line for assistance in helping to overcome the phobia.
 
grantg said:
checked already, consultant has stated more accurate than libre2plus estimated a1c which is his suggested alternative option if im not happy with that he is 'happy' to go with the prior result.... taken a few months ago. I'm not keen on just going with an old result especially as treatment has changed significantly from that period of time.


ordered thanks very much.

just need simular thing for lipid profile test now.
Click to expand...
I'd be interested in a lipid profile test. Please post if you find one.

Boots offered an in-store finger prick A1c test for £19.95, but they've apparently discontinued it.
 
grantg said:
has anyone got any experience with any companies which offer hba1c alongside lipid profile test via fingerprick method?

I'm pretty bad at getting bloods drawn from veins so hoping for a possible alternative other than going back to the same hospital who lost them just last month to be drawn again from veins. hyperventalate pass out, rinse repeat until they get them imo there must be better alternatives for those which have phobia of the above.

on a side note i've submitted foi request to nhs scotland asking if any of the hospitals can offer those tests via that method will post their reply when get incase its of use to anyone who has simular issues with blood drawing.
Click to expand...
My veins are terrible, not a phobia but I bruise like crazy when blood is drawn. But note: you can ask for a baby needle. It's less painful.
 
Rosie9876 said:
My veins are terrible, not a phobia but I bruise like crazy when blood is drawn. But note: you can ask for a baby needle. It's less painful.
Click to expand...
They've used the smallest butterfly each time they've tried. Really useless with it. It's not the needle nor the blood. It's in/out veins for me. Consultant spoke with earlier on today said doesn't understand how I goto pain management clinic get injections in-between discs and don't have issue with that when much smaller gauge needles/butterfly is used for blood draws.

I've found a few companies that appear to offer some lipids.. no experience with them I'll post those tomorrow if none else does. Imo better using something that others have used in past through personal experience
 
Some of our pharmacies offer an over the counter finger prick HbA1c test for a fee. I had one done and it came out lower than my official lab HbA1c I had done the following week. So I found it unsatisfactory. It is better than the Libre predicted A1c which for me is always 0.4-0.6 lower than my official lab results.
 
grantg said:
i'll try give a few of the uni's a call in the morning. Local community hospital primary care have refused referral for blood work ever since passed out several times last time they tried to obtain, still waiting on appt 6 months down the line for assistance in helping to overcome the phobia.
Click to expand...
@grantg Maybe the universities idea was not my best. (Though it was the social sciences department, and I did very well in the cognitive tests) . They are all on summer vacations. Sorry, if I sent you in the wrong direction.

In the meantime. Unable to sleep, and wanting to help before I forget, I thought I would check out the online place I have been using for years to purchase my blood glucose test kit. They have had excellent custom service and value. I notice they now stock these

I haven't tried them, so not sure how accurate they are, but maybe you could review them here if you decide to try them?
 
Curious about that @Pipp

So in the same vein..(sorry)
I too awake & wanting to help

Have to agree about home health, great customer service.

I followed your link then looked on Amazon for reviews.

Always a good place to get an overview of most products, even if due diligence prevails due to fake reviews

A similar trend in all was underreporting levels.

And a warning on expiry dates should be noted

I'm certainly not dismissing iit and may very well be part of the solution for @grantg

Best of luck grant finding a solution .

 
jjraak said:
Curious about that @Pipp

So in the same vein..(sorry)
I too awake & wanting to help

Have to agree about home health, great customer service.

I followed your link then looked on Amazon for reviews.

Always a good place to get an overview of most products, even if due diligence prevails due to fake reviews

A similar trend in all was underreporting levels.

And a warning on expiry dates should be noted

I'm certainly not dismissing iit and may very well be part of the solution for @grantg

Best of luck grant finding a solution .

Click to expand...
Thanks for link. You might consider editing your post the link is just for tge test strips replacement whuch is useful is however would require machine as well https://amzn.eu/d/7OXfWF
 
Melgar said:
Some of our pharmacies offer an over the counter finger prick HbA1c test for a fee. I had one done and it came out lower than my official lab HbA1c I had done the following week. So I found it unsatisfactory. It is better than the Libre predicted A1c which for me is always 0.4-0.6 lower than my official lab results.
Click to expand...
I got a finger prick A1c test at Boots for £19.95. Result was 50 mmol/mol. Very shortly after, I was called in for a full blood test. Result was 53. Impressively close, I thought. But Boots has cancelled this service AFAIK.
 
I guess the expenditure could be worth the risk to mitigate your difficulty with the blood drawing @grantg?

Maybe also some therapy needed to desensitise you from the needle phobia? That phobia must be very restricting.
 
Pipp said:
I guess the expenditure could be worth the risk to mitigate your difficulty with the blood drawing @grantg?

Maybe also some therapy needed to desensitise you from the needle phobia? That phobia must be very restricting.
Click to expand...
I've been waiting over 6 months for an appt. Referral from mid Jan. Closer to 7 months now. No date. No private option available within relatively easy travel distance either otherwise would of went private for that years ago.

Waiting on reply from consultant with lipid profile options I've said I found to see if he'd take from them or not. If have to get draw .. would prefer everything tested that likely require all at same time
 
Pipp said:
@grantg

I also participated in some research at local university, that involved them testing my HbA1c. They used a fingerprick test which they put in some sort of pod then in a machine. The result was delivered in 5 minutes. Sorry I didn’t get details, of the equipment.. It was a few years ago.Maybe you could find out from a university near you if they have similar. I am sure such equipment would be useful in medical settings. Wasted on students for their projects.
Click to expand...
My practice has one of these machines. A1c result in a couple of minutes. Usually OK and very convenient - but can be wildly inaccurate, as evidenced by my last test, which gave an A1c value over 40% higher than the actual lab-confirmed value.
 
KennyA said:
My practice has one of these machines. A1c result in a couple of minutes. Usually OK and very convenient - but can be wildly inaccurate, as evidenced by my last test, which gave an A1c value over 40% higher than the actual lab-confirmed value.
Click to expand...

were the 2 samples done at the same time/day? i know more weight is on the more recently weeks. pretty surprised at 40% higher than lab results.
 
grantg said:
were the 2 samples done at the same time/day? i know more weight is on the more recently weeks. pretty surprised at 40% higher than lab results.
Click to expand...
Yes, the blood draw was around 10 minutes apart, mainly the time taken for the machine to process the first sample and me to object to the result. Both were HbA1c tests, so that isn't a factor. To the credit of the staff, they offered me a lab test immediately.

All tests have "acceptable" failure and inaccuracy rates. I was probably lucky in that the local machine failed so spectacularly: if it had been less wrong, or if I hadn't had a record of five years of normal Hba1cs, it might have been a different matter.
 
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