Can i start taking iron supplements before blood test to confirm anaemia?

[SpanishFly]

I cant get a blood test for another 12 days 😪 but I'm feeling low, shattered, pale lower eyelids etc, tingling hands and feet.
So I really want to start taking Feroglobin or similar NOW. But will that skew the blood test results in 12 days? 😭
I know it could be diabetes etc, but iron is the one I could start to change now, iyswim, but if it will give make my bloods look better than they really are, then I dont want to do that.

I wouldn't.
I think it would affect your results.

don't
but at 12 days. TWELVE days. why would that take so long?

No, don't do it until after the blood test. It will alter the results of the test if you start taking them beforehand.

Personally I'd wait for the test. Not all symptoms of anaemia are anaemia, and even then, not all causes of anaemia are low iron.

Unless you have already had a clearly stated diagnosis, I'd wait.

No I wouldn't but I would ring the GP surgery to ask for a quicker appointment. Can you go to the drop in clinic at the local hospital for the bloods if the GP gives you the form. Are they checking for B12 too OP? I would ring & ask to speak to nurse of GP about how symptomatic you are.

Thanks everyone. 6 days until phone appt with the gp then they said it'll be around a week for blood test appt 😡

As above, you need to wait. I had to stop taking iron for a month before having a blood test to see if I was still anaemic. I was, and was wiped out for several weeks as a result.

I know the correct response would be not to take it but I know how awful I feel when I’m low in iron and b12 (and I feel the same for both) so I’d say take it. I know I feel like I’m dying so I wouldn’t want to feel like that for a second longer.

When you get the results it would be a miracle if they say you’re within the usual parameters, but if they do you can always ask if you’re a little on the low side of normal. And explain that you’re taking whatever and how much if it and how long for.

I think these things usually take longer than 12 days to kick in though so I wouldnt expect to feel any better by appointment day, but at least it will be building up.

Taking too much b12 won’t hurt you as i get injections of that that last months.
Too much iron is bad for you, but as you say, with your symptoms it does sound like that’s the problem. And if it’s not you can stop as soon as you get the results of your tests through.

How about asking for a phonecard from the nurse or nurse practitioner instead? Often they are free compared to the GP.