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Private blood tests

Fndwheelie

Well-Known Member
Messages
314
Location
Hampshire, UK.
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
In the UK how does one go about organising private blood tests and what sort of tests would be useful for diabetics? I asked my dr about the cepetitide (?) test but he said I don’t need it. I’ve also seen mentioned here by someone a privately sourced insulin resistance test. Is there any worth in getting them done privately? Should I continue to fight my doctor about having these done? Should I just forget about this and use the NHS tests available to me when the dr permits.
 
I have used Thriva and Medichecks, although I don’t think they do insulin resistance test anymore. I’m sure BUPA or Nuffield would do them if you call or google.
 
Why do you want extra tests? Is there something about your diabetes you find unusual or an unanswered question on how it works.


Assuming your diabetes is 'normal' diabetes:
As a type2 treated by diet, your doctor is right, all the c peptide test will tell you is that you are producing approximately normal amounts of insulin. We knew that already because you are a type2 treated by diet. The insulin resistance test will tell you that you have a small amount of resistance, but we knew that already because you are a type2 treated by diet.

You should be getting the standard range of blood tests at your check up, including HbA1c, cholesterol, mineral levels, infection markers etc. Unless there is something strange going on with your diabetes you don't NEED more, although I'd probably want to know anyway.
 
@Seacrow I tend to find my gp is not very willing to perform tests. I’ve got fibromyalgia and other conditions and every time I go with new or worsening symptoms it gets brushed off as fibromyalgia or something. I was thinking of getting some blood work done privately. Vitamin levels, blood count, thyroid and anything else I can think of to see if I do have a deficiency or something that could be treated rather than just dismissing everything. Or piece of mind that everything is in normal ranges and it is just my other conditions. I was just wondering if it was worthwhile outing any diabetes tests on there that’s not routinely offered.
 
@Fndwheelie I’ve used Medichecks with great success. I’ve always opted to pay extra to have a venous blood draw as the equipment for finger pricking looks pretty heavy duty and I’m not the easiest person to get blood out of! They often have special offers, so worth looking out for those.
 
With all due respect no one “knows” these things unless tested, and is there any such thing as “normal” diabetes?

. Assumptions based on various factors can be made with greater or lesser accuracy case by case. In fact many a LADA was initially diagnosed as type 2 based on assumptions not tests. Many type 2 are actually producing very high levels of insulin as oppposed to normal levels. The resistance test might show mild resistance or quite high resistance. Being diagnosed , by assumption, type 2 actually tells you nothing other than likelihood of ranges should they be tested if those assumptions are correct in the first place.
 

I respectfully disagree, passionately. "We" have absolutely no idea about the OP's insulin profile or anything else.
 

I paid for an IR test with Medichecks.
My surgery were helpful; they agreed for their phlebotomist to do the blood draw and then I sent the package off.

One tip - get the blood drawn at the beginning of the week, so it doesn't get held up in the post over the weekend.

My results showed IR with insulin production at the lower end of normal.
However as I was in ketosis at the time a low level of insulin production is to be expected.

I do wonder what result I might get if I hit the carbohydrates a few hours before the blood draw, just enough to maximise my insulin production.
 
They don’t do this by post anymore. Mine got cancelled over the summer as they were having problems with quality control and the heat. They said at that time they had no plans to reinstate them even after the heat now need to go into their London location and have it done on site.
 
Hmmm........need to co-ordinate with other trips to London, then.
 
For HOMA-IR low insulin is fine so long as it's accompanying low glucose.

My fasting insulin was very low since I'm in deep ketosis all the time, but the fasting glucose was 4.4mmol/L so the resistance value was very low (0.3).
 
Jim Lahey said:
For HOMA-IR low insulin is fine so long as it's accompanying low glucose.

My fasting insulin was very low since I'm in deep ketosis all the time, but the fasting glucose was 4.4mmol/L so the resistance value was very low (0.3).
Click to expand...

What does HOMA-IR really tell us regarding carbohydrate intolerance? If resistance is low, must carbohydrate intolerance be due to weak insulin production?

My HOMA-IR is 0.8 (fasting glucose 4.6, fasting insulin 4.1) - not in ketosis. Below 1.0 is supposedly insulin sensitive but I definitely have spikes if I each too many carbs at once.
 
I use Medichecks for Fasting insulin, HS-CRP, Fructosamine, HbA1c (via 2 different Assays - 3.5% difference), HOM-IR. Got a package in my cupboard and will go to London maybe next month.
 
HOM-IR is a static test and shows the balance between the pancreas and the liver in the fasting state. It does not show how you react to a large intake of carbohydrates and the effect of insulin resistance in the muscles, you need an OGTT for that. Having said that, if I had a fasting glucose of 4.6 and low fasting insulin l wouldn't be worrying, just keep to your diet to avoid any serious spikes.
 

Yes, OK you got me. The (possibly erroneous) assumptions I made were that 1) the OP's diagnosis of type 2 was correct, and 2) there are long term and stable blood glucose levels. Sorry.
 
Sapien said:
What does HOMA-IR really tell us regarding carbohydrate intolerance?
Click to expand...

Not a great deal, I don’t think. It’s only really relevant to the current diet. In my own case though I never intended to eat carbohydrate again in any meaningful quantity, so for me it’s moot.

I imagine I would definitely experience glucose-sparing physiological resistance in the first few days of carbohydrate intake, but in theory after that I could tolerate some carbs. I don’t miss any of the foods though and much prefer my current diet.
 
Seacrow said:
Yes, OK you got me. The (possibly erroneous) assumptions I made were that 1) the OP's diagnosis of type 2 was correct, and 2) there are long term and stable blood glucose levels. Sorry.
Click to expand...

That still doesn’t tell you much about the person’s insulin profiling. Only that they’re currently [probably] not consuming much carbohydrate. They could still have crazy high fasting insulin and pathological resistance, just as they would have done in the years prior to hyperglycaemia and a later diagnosis of diabetes.

Nothing can be assumed. It's perfectly possible to have normal glucose and sky-high insulin simultaneously. In fact this is partly why we're in the mess we're in - because doctors assume normal blood glucose equals no metabolic dysfunction. There is no substitute for insulin testing.
 
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I don't think you can have crazy high fasting (endo) insulin over the long term, the pancreas will get worn out and the person then needs exo insulin - not diet treated.

But yeah, we're all individuals, much as the doctors would like to produce one treatment per classification of diabetes.
 
Depends on definition of long term and also the individual. Some end up worn out quicker, others struggle on for decades first
 
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