Blood Too Thick To Measure?

[Zilsniggy]

Hi Antje- yeah sorry I wasn’t describing it well: that’s what happens normally- blood touches end of stick and it ‘sucks’ it up. But when I have this ‘thick’ blood it kind of just sits there on top and isn’t sucked up so I assume it’s too thick to do so.

Are you dropping too much on the stick? Is it a faulty batch of test strips?

 

[Stillfighting]

Hi - I don’t think so.... I’ve tried varying it. I’ve been extra careful. It was fine for a couple of readings, this week, then I had a ‘gloopy’ one again? Weird. Been to doctors who seemed fairly chilled based on a blood test in April where my ‘haematocrit’ (?) level was normal..... He’s also referred me for another round of tests to remeasure etc. So I feel a bit more relieved than I was as I’m being checked up and he was adamant nothing could be wrong as all was ok in April. ( hope he is right!).

 

[brassyblonde900]

My clotting speed varies a lot, and now all my blood tests over the past 2 years show an excess of red blood cells, ie my blood is thicker at those times - no idea why and my docs don't really have any answers, they just change the subject.
It wasn't even noted down when I bled all over the floor after a nurse very carefully removed a cannula from my hand.

I discovered last year that one of my uncles has the same clotting issue, in his case it's marked on his notes so his gets checked before operations!

Fasting, and or eating low carb, makes the kidneys excrete excess water, if you don't supplement with extra sodium, to replace the one lost due to the excess water loss, it has the tendency to make the blood thicker. It also causes potassium deficiency.

 

[RosieLKH]

I had a problem with a tub of 25 test strips. Every other one wouldn't work and came up with an error reading saying it hadn't had enough blood, even when it seemed like a huge blob was on the end of the strip. When I opened new tub, the problem disappeared.