Labs: Viamins A & E

Hello Everyone! I have a question regarding fasting for Vitamins A & E labwork. The suggested fasting for these is 48 hours prior and even my PCP believes this to be excessive, especially considering my hypoglycemia issues. Anyone manage to get ACCURATE (as possible) results from a 24-hour fast vs. a 48-hour one? Don't get me wrong...I'm at least willing to try the 48-hour fast. But, my PCP wants me to at least ask here before trying it, to see if it is 'worth it' to put myself through this (and a possible hospitalization after) to attempt it. My DH starts graveyard shift ( Tooter) this evening at his new job; but my son does know how to dial 911...though, I do NOT want to put him through that if at all possible...I dunno...any ideas? TIA!! ~~Sherry

I can't answer your question, but I did want to say be careful!!!

Thanks, Hon! ~~Sherry

This is news to me. The only thing I know is that A and Zinc bloods should be kept from the light once drawn. But this is the first I'm hearing about a 48-hour fast prior to. I honestly don't think I could do this anymore. (I have fasted for 10 days straight in years gone by ... and I wonder why my metabolism was shot! ) My sat point for waking hours without food usually is less than 5 hours post-DS. I could barely stand waking at 6am last week and having bloods drawn at 11am! I hope there's a way around it too ... Hang in there, Toots!

Hi Melissa! I have that (light) in my instructions, too. Weird! Thank you, Sweetie! ~~Sherry

I wonder if maybe the instructions have been confused in the pass down of communication... Find out which facility your test will actually be run at. Even though you have it drawn at a hospital, if they do not perform Vitamin testing they may send it out to a reference lab. Most common reference labs are LabCorp, Quest, ARRUP. When I look at the LabCorp and type in vitamin E, it brings up this under instructions for handling: Vitamin A and E Special Instructions Patients must fast a minimum of 8 hours. No foods containing Vitamin A or carotene should be ingested in the previous 48 hours by patients older than 6 months. For those who are younger than 6 months, the period is 24 hours. Specimen Serum, frozen and protected from light If they send to another facility with different criteria, you can specifically request it sent to LabCorp so that you can use their instructions. Our lab sends tests to where ever the doctor wants, all he has to do is write it on the prescrip/order. Michelle (Med Lab Tech)

Hi Michelle, I'm thinking that when my surgeon e-mailed these instructions to me, he *may* have meant 48-hour vitamin/supplement fasting...(?) I dunno...I'm going to have to call for clarification. Thank you SO much for looking this information up for me! ~~Sherry