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Original poster

How the f&@! do I do the antibody test?!

46 replies

Rinoachicken · 19/07/2021 20:24

Got a home antibody test kit from gov. It’s a skin prick test.

Fine

But I’m supposed to get 600mls of blood from a bloody pin prick??!!!

I got like 3 or 4 drops and it’s not even up to the first line on the little bottle??!!!

OP posts:
RobinPenguins · 19/07/2021 20:26

Warm hands, I found index finger best and I massaged the blood down my finger a bit like milking a cow. It was quite a deep prick I thought, much more of a cut than the finger prick tests you have for e.g. blood sugar.

JS87 · 19/07/2021 20:28

It’s definitely not 600ml that you need! I’ve had to do about three fingers to get enough. People suggest exercising first to increase blood flow.

FromageRay · 19/07/2021 20:29

600mls! Is that a typo? That's over a unit of blood 😮

hystericaljellyfish · 19/07/2021 20:29

600ml is more than half a litre!

Itsanothernamechange · 19/07/2021 20:30

Are you sure it's 600ml as that's more than a pint?

Original poster
Rinoachicken · 19/07/2021 20:30

Ok so I guess it’s not 600mls’ the line on the bottle says 600 - but I don’t know what the units are!!

OP posts:
CrouchEndTiger12 · 19/07/2021 20:30

Stand up! Prick your finger on the side so it is not all running into the nail.

CrouchEndTiger12 · 19/07/2021 20:31

600 mls is bigger than a small bottle of coke

Original poster
Rinoachicken · 19/07/2021 20:31

I’ve done two fingers and nearly up to 400 - which is the minimum on the test. One drop missed the bottle and I was like ‘NOOOOOOO!!!!!!’

OP posts:
DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 19/07/2021 20:32

Have you every breastfed/hand expressed? Use the same motion.

AllTheWorldIsGreen · 19/07/2021 20:33

I couldn't stop the blood flowing when I did mine. It was gross. (And curiously satisfying).

Original poster
Rinoachicken · 19/07/2021 20:33

Yep, that’s what I’m doing - like PP said I feel like a cow!!

OP posts:
whatswithtodaytoday · 19/07/2021 20:35

Errrr.... would this be a problem for someone who's a bit iffy about blood? I just got mine through in the post. I can do a finger prick but can't cope with large quantities!

Roses10101 · 19/07/2021 20:35

I did one of these today and have done similar ones in the past and I also find it really hard to fill it up. I had to kept re doing them as if you take to long to take the sample something happens to the blood so I was told twice they couldn’t test it. ( this was a hormone test but same type of test as this one with the finger prick etc)

I had to prick myself with all 3 lancets to get a bigger cut and still only just got over the 400 line couldn’t make it to 600 and didn’t want to risk taking to long and the same happening to this one. Sent it off today but don’t know if it will be enough blood

boysarethebest · 19/07/2021 20:38

I'm really clumsy and always cutting myself when washing up knives etc. I hadn't got round to doing the antibody test and then accidentally cut my finger so seized the opportunity to fill the bottle!

Original poster
Rinoachicken · 19/07/2021 20:41

I did it!!!! Do you think I should put it in the fridge before I post first thing?

OP posts:
Thewholeshackshimmy · 19/07/2021 20:42

I had to do one on Friday but the thought of bleeding myself made me feel faint. Luckily I was due a blood test that day and the nurse kindly took some blood from me in the traditional way and filled the vial for me. She said if I needed to do anything like that she would be happy to do it again.

Yorkshirepudding1987 · 19/07/2021 20:46

Mine wouldn't stop bleeding! I put my hand in a bowl of warm water for a bit first, shok my arm, one prick and filled it instantly. Thought it'd just stop, nope actually had to use the plaster!

Original poster
Rinoachicken · 19/07/2021 20:48

The little plasters won’t stick on my fingers!

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 19/07/2021 20:50

I do them every month for the ONS study. Drink plenty of water beforehand, run your hands under warm water. Wipe away the first spot of blood with an anti bac wipe as it will immediately start to clot.

My mum couldn't do it at all but I seem to bleed a lot, I just kept squeezing it out and filled the tube!

QueenOfCatan · 19/07/2021 20:52

I couldn't get mine to go despite exercise and all the tricks. Though running my hand under hot water worked a charm!

XenoBitch · 19/07/2021 20:52

I want to take one of these tests.
Does the blood have to come from a finger prick? Because I can't do it! This sounds awful but I am a self harmer (not finger tips though!) so can get blood anywhere.
Would that work?

lunar1 · 19/07/2021 20:53

I'm a nurse, I should have been able to do that really efficiently and cleanly. It looked like a massacre had occurred. I had to wipe my finger overs and Over on the curved bit on the tube. It took ages and my hand was covered in blood!🩸🩸🩸

CrumbsThatsQuick · 19/07/2021 20:54

First one for me (ONS) was a blood bath but fuck all went in the tube! Got better t t second time, with the milking motion and not trying to scrape the drip up, rather leaving the tube on table and squeezing/dripping into it. Its 5mls, which is 18 drops apparently?! Everyone is struggling with this according to our collector person.

QueenOfPain · 19/07/2021 20:54

Just follow the instructions, if it needed to go in the fridge it would say so. The leaflet is very specific about using a priority NHS mailbox and days not to post.