Can anyone tell me exactly what blood tests need to be done before you can be prescribed Tecfidera? Had them done at hospital originally, but MS Nurse didn’t have the results when I went to my appt with her last week so she couldn’t prescribe. She said she’d get them, but now it is 6 weeks since the tests were done and she hasn’t got back to me, so I presume I have to start again. Getting very stressed by the delay and so am going to ask GP to test me this week - but need to know what for and Nurse hasn’t got back k to me to tell me.
Hi Teal
The problem with your question is that there isn’t a national standard panel of bloods. It will partly depend on your local procedures and partly on your own history and current drug regimen.
The one thing they will definitely want is full blood count. But as for others, it’s debatable. Some areas will want LFTs some will want others.
I’m afraid you’ll have to get the info from the nurse.
Sorry
Sue
Thank you, even though it’s not what I wanted to hear. So as hospital and nurse are in different health authorities, hence her not being able to check online, they might have been the wrong bloods anyway… I am so sick of fighting and pushing and nagging g to get treatment. It’s so inefficient and wastes NHS money as well as I creasing g my likelihood of relapse.
Get on to your Neuro’s secretary and make noise! Insist that your neuro is informed of this situation and “you will await his/her respose”…
I know they are all over stretched and under resourced but, sounds like a very lax attitude to your welfare/emotions from the ms nurse. I had nothing official organised re blood work done here (Ireland) before I started Tec. However, from my research and reading on here, I knew Lymphocites and LFT (liver function) were the very basic. I took myself to my GP and asked for routine screening and checked that this would include these. I explained that they were a base line and what for, regarding Tec. (I effectively have taught my GP about it. They don’t have too many ms-ers and can’t be expected to know everthing about DMDs). I said it would be a regular three month blood check, which she was happy to do.
I began my Tec as prescribed by my Neuro. When I met her again three months later I had the base line bloods and these updated test results to produce. I am fiercely pro active when it comes to my health because I believe nobody is going to take as much care of me as I am! 