Can i ask a dermatologist for a blood test?

[ScottishStottie]

I have an outpatient appointment tomorrow for a mole that has grown, so at the hospital in the dermatology department.

Ive had a niggling worry for a while about having really itchy legs all the time (posted about it recently) but think it would sound stupid to go to the gp just to say i have itchy legs. However i mentioned this to my mum and she was concerned, reminded me that my dad has pv (polycythemia vera) which is a rare blood illness, and has itchiness as a symptom. Ive looked it up and although its connected with a gene issue its not thought to be hereditary.

If i asked the dermatologist tomorrow at my nole appointment to do a blood test with this potential pv as my worry, would they do it for the sake of getting the blood test while im there, or are they going to tell me to go back to my gp with it? Is it even worth raising? It seems so minor to take up an appointment for itchy legs 🙈

Hi! I had ongoing significant itching that eventually caused open sores on my body last year. When I went to the dermatologist the first thing they did was a chest x-ray and blood test so imagine they will do the same for you. If not, I would just ask.

I would ask; you have nothing to lose by asking, and they might do it.
Hope all goes well.

Defo discuss it with them. Worst they can say is no!

Thanks, yes im leaning towards asking, the worst that could happen is they give me a funny look and say no.

In my head its relatively easy to do a quick blood test but i have no real idea of the procedure so it may be more involved.

Im pretty sure the mole and the itching are seperate as the mole is on my back and the itching is legs, so dont know if its cheeky to tag the itching onto the appointment?

But a blood test would go a long way to reassuring me about ruling out serious issues so probably worth asking.

My dermatologists ordered blood tests but I had to go and get them done elsewhere anyway so it took the same amount of time

So my appointment went well, she wasnt concerned at all, said that at my age its still normal for moles to grow and that i need to monitor it, and just have a lower threshold for further change before i go back to my gp.

Said that they could cut it out if i really wanted, but she really wasnt concerned and didnt want to cut into the tattoo on my back right next to it if she didnt have to. Told her that although i was aware that might have to happen, that it wouldnt stop me from getting treatment, but she reassured me that it wouldnt stop them either but she genuinely didnt see the need to.

Mentioned about the itchy legs, and when i mentioned that my dad has pv, she seemed interested, but said that as long as the symptoms are mild then to wait and see, but to go back to gp if i was worried. So no offer of a blood test but decent advice i think.