The day before a blood draw

[albatross]

Is there a routine to follow the day or two before a blood draw? I have heard that any ejaculation 48 hours prior to a blood draw can raise prolactin significantly but are there other things that you should try to avoid prior to a blood draw? like a heavy workout or a potentially stressful meeting?

These tests are expensive and bad data is of no use at all is it? I noticed my prolactin and hematocrit spiked heavily earlier this year when I was late for a blood draw and had an argument in the parking lot with some idiot and I arrived angry and agitated.

 

[Vince]

The only thing I do before my labs is, fast for 12 hours and I don't work out before my labs. If you're younger then 50 having sex before labs sometimes increases your PSA.

 

[Vince Carter]

Sometimes it could be possible the sex in the that ~24hrs prior could influence a guys PSA or Prolactin numbers. If a guy get's an elevated test it s good advice to ask the sex question and repeat the tests to verify, just in case.

 

[mooseman109]

I fast food for 12-15 hours and no sex for 24 hours. No workout that morning

 

[Deleted member 16042]

I have high PSA, so avoid sex, heavy working out or any activity like bike riding for at least 48 hours prior, I also discontinue multi vitamin and b complex since biotin can interfere with results on many blood tests, and fast >12hrs prior to blood draw. Generally schedule draws at around 8-9:30am.


Hematocrit does not spike spontaneously. It takes time to build up, but dehydration can skew test results. Just be sure to be adequately hydrated, but not inappropriately over hydrated, that's just cheating for the test and can also produce skewed results.

 

[albatross]

Ah, hydration could have been a big factor as well. I noticed that the nurse asked me if I was dehydrated.

 

[cigpk]

I was curious about not sleeping well before a blood draw.

One of my current symptoms of trt (I believe) is inability to get solid sleep. I may get 5-6 hours but I had blood work this morning at 9 am after waking up early around 5 am.

I know bad sleep can be detrimental to testosterone but is it less of a factor when on trt?

 

[madman]

I was curious about not sleeping well before a blood draw.

One of my current symptoms of trt (I believe) is inability to get solid sleep. I may get 5-6 hours but I had blood work this morning at 9 am after waking up early around 5 am.

I know bad sleep can be detrimental to testosterone but is it less of a factor when on trt?

Lack of sleep quantity/quality will have no effect on ones T levels when using exogenous testosterone as the hpta is shutdown.

For the natty it can definitely have a negative impact on ones endogenous T levels!