Experiences with Thriva blood test kits: easy to use and cancel?

[AllBranEater]

I was wondering if anyone had tried Thriva? Is the blood collection device easy to use? Is it easy to cancel?

I have. I found it quite hard to get enough blood- had to prick multiple fingers and ended up looking like lady Macbeth. Then afterwards had lots of tiny little bruises where I’d pricked.

I’ve only done a one-off test so don’t know about cancelling.

I’ve used them a few times but my experience hasn’t been great. Twice I’ve failed to get enough blood, first with the old finger-prick test and then with the new push-button draw device you put in your arm. To be fair to them they do send out a replacement kit at no extra charge when this happens, but with the time and faff that goes into doing the test, and any fasting preparation required for it, it’s still a huge PITA.

A bigger issue I had was with my results. I was testing specifically for ferritin as I’d had a very low NHS test months before but once my levels had got over 30 my GP was unwilling to test again. I was still experiencing all the symptoms and wanted to know what level I was at to work out if there was anything else going on, hence the Thriva test. My ferritin result came back as 140, which seemed pretty astonishing. Due to an additional issue a couple of weeks later (perimenopause being quite the journey) I had another NHS test which came back as 53, which seemed much more plausible and in line with my symptoms. I can only assume the Thriva test was waaaaaay out, for whatever reason.

My final gripe with them was when they sent out a test which I thought I’d cancelled on their website (which wasn’t a clear process - apparently ‘cancel all changes’ doesn’t mean the test itself, just any amendments to the range of markers on your subscription!) and they still charged me £15, even though I notified them as soon as I received the dispatch email. I know the kit has a cost but surely if it’s sent back without external or internal tamper-proof boxes being opened this could be refunded. It was the final nail in the coffin of my relationship with them. I think I’d seek out a local private GP in future if the NHS won’t step up.

Thanks all, it sounds like it's not a good idea, I don't bleed enough with fingerpricks, but if the autodraw isn't great either, it's probably not worth it.

The autodraw was very easy for me to use. I am waiting for my results now but extracting the blood was easy.

Just to add a positive take, I've been using them every 6 to 12 months for a few years (anything to avoid going to the GP for recurring deficiencies!)

I've had no problems with the autodraw. I used to struggle to get enough for the finger pricks but think I always managed it. Had one or two tests fail, clotting before they could test etc, and they always send out a replacement kit.

Hard to say too much about accuracy, the trends seem to track, and the one time I had an NHS test within a few days of a thriva one, the ferritin was about 4 pts difference.

The price used to be quite a lot cheaper, but not found any better options since it increased. The reports with them are a little generic, basic supplement advice and telling you to see your own GP if they're out of normal range. If you know what you're tracking and why, I think it's worth it. If you're hoping to diagnose something, I'm not sure if thriva should be your first port of call

Thanks, that's interesting @Makingsenseofitall and @Lellochip . I know what I'm tracking, ferritin and hb1ac - I've had 3 months of iron twice within the past year, so I want to track it in case it's worth me taking it again, and the hb1ac could help me see how my low carb diet is affecting it.

I found the autodraw ok and I am a bit squeamish. For what I was testing it wasn’t really that useful so a bit of a waste of money. But it’s easy to use and as a pp said they’ll send another if you don’t manage it first time.

I had very positive experiences with them, I was testing six monthly to monitor my cholesterol levels and found it very quick and simple. I cancelled about a month ago and it was pretty easy to do in a few clicks.

There seem to be a few discount codes you can probably use floating around if you google for them. I do have a referral link that gives money off but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post in here, and don't want you thinking that's why I'm recommending them lol 😅

I'm fairly sure it does set new orders up as a subscription, but the account settings page is easy - you can change how long between tests if you are wanting to repeat, you can choose the next dispatch date if you want to delay, or there is a cancel button in there - don't have to jump through hoops to cancel it

Thanks all