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When you get blood work done, how often do you fast before?
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Only when the doctor/lab request that I fast.
I don’t purposely skip breakfast, never ate it as a kid. So if I’m asked I let them know if specific bloodwork is I’ve “fasted.” Rarely is it asked.
fast only when I have to do lipids tests
For me, fasting routine is easy-peezy. A physician uncle in the family, however, would eat nothing for an entire 24-hour day prior to blood work being done. The lengths some people won’t go to to improve their numbers! 🫡 Seems deceptive to me.
I answered “sometimes”. When the order stipulates fasting, I fast. If not, I don’t fast.
Same for me. I asked my doctor not to make me fast unless it is completely necessary. I had a few bad experiences with low blood glucose several times while fasting.
Often, there are no appointments available until well into the afternoon. This is a matter of the lab policy.
My Endo years a go don’t bother. So I checked never. He said it made little difference to A1c or HDL/LDL. I am not saying you shouldn’t, it’s just what I do.
I’m a late eater so almost always fasting when I have labs drawn. Depends on what labs have been ordered. Definitely fasting if a metabolic panel or lipid panel are ordered. Haha occasionally run in for a last minute late non-fasting afternoon lab draw when just an A1c and thyroid panel
when I’ve forgotten that I have an endo appt coming up until the day before reminder call. 🙄
As a nurse and a numbers person, I want to know true test results. I go to Endo every three months. Always does a lipid panel so fasting makes sense. Then I go have a venti cold brew at Starbucks.
I want my lipids to be good at all times of the day, not just fasting. So I now refuse to fast. There is exactly one test I did a few years ago fasting, because it was required by Medicare for them to cover my pump, and that one required fasting: the C-peptide level.
I said ‘sometimes’, but that is related to ‘rarely’. My ‘sometimes’ is closer to ‘almost always.’ I make early appts for fasting and accurate test results.
For blood sugar readings after an overnight fast, my endo can just look at my Dexcom readings so I don’t usually skip breakfast before having my A1c blood test. I do fast however for cholesterol readings as I am not sure how breakfast would affect my cholesterol reading.
All of my Doctors know that I am a Person withT1D Diabetes, using a CGMS. So, they never asked me to fast.
Rarely, only for certain tests. In fact I don’t even remember a recent time when I last had fasting blood work done.
I checked for certain tests, but this translates into almost always because I almost always have a lipid panel, which my medical practice says to fast for. I go to great lengths to schedule my labs for as early in the morning as I can.
I’m on meds that require a 14hr fast
I fast before bloodwork that requires fasting, A1C, cholesterol, etc.
What value does this specific ordeal provide that was not long ago already diagnosed!? Never makes any sense to me
For me, I feel it matters to determine whether you are in control of this disease or it is controlling you. For people who just can’t be bothered, which I have known three personally, it costs everyone.
I only have labs drawn 1-2x a year so I always have lipids drawn with A1c, Thyroid, Kidney levels so I always fast.
I think it depends on your Endo. When I was first diagnosed, my Endo didn’t say to. He says making a T1D fast means possibly going low. The Endo I have now puts on my labs that I need to fast. I eat dinner early the day before and always go early for my test. I just have to be careful not to go low which is sometimes tricky. Medicare makes you have labs every 3 months (before Medicare my Endo let me go 4 months). I like going because I figure if something else shows up, I can get it addressed. I always check my Bilirubin number. A friend of mine had consistently high numbers in that area that no one could explain, and she ended up with pancreatic cancer and died at 52. I pay attention to my numbers.
Lab and doctors say it makes no difference for A1c and for lipids. Lab doesn’t open till 8 am and I arise at 6 am so I would risk hypoglycemia if I fasted.