Ways to test for anemia?

[claw2]

I have made an appointment with my GP as ds needs to be tested for anemia due to his restricted diet and he is looking extremely pale.

Previously he has had a blood test with numbing cream applied. However, he knows where he is going and what they are going to do and he gets really distressed and has to be held down.

I have asked my GP previously and the hospital and they have said this is the only way.

However I remember the first time ds was tested, it was a pin prick test on his thumb.

Is a full blood test really required to test for anemia?

I will be double checking again when I take him to my GP, but as always MN tend to know things professionals don't, so thought I would ask here also.

Not absolutely ideal but you can arrange prior to the blood test that they spray on some numbing spray literally a few seconds before the needle goes in.

I hate the numbing cream and the whole anxious anticipation it causes, that I just go straight to needle with ds (don't even do numbing spray) as I can tell him what is happening literally a couple of minutes beforehand.

If you tell them how it has to be, they usually give you someone competent too.

I don't know the answer to whether the full blood test is necessary however, sorry.

Hope he is better soon. Poor lad has been through a huge strain.

Even without the numbing cream. We have to go a certain hospital for the blood test, so ds knows exactly why he is going there as soon as we arrive and tries to leg it as soon as we get out of the car. I then have to carry him there, with him struggling to get away from me and then hang onto him and two/three of us hold him down while blood is taken.

He could really do without the added stress at moment. Im wondering whether my GP would just look for the other signs and his history and give him the iron supplement based on it is extremely likely that he is.