Health · Advice & Questions · Oct 16

The blood-test letter says to fast overnight, but I work nights. Which instruction do I follow?

Health

The letter says "fast overnight." My appointment is at 8:30 in the morning, immediately after a warehouse shift, and my usual meal break is at two.

My colleague says overnight must mean the hours I sleep, so I can eat at work and fast after I get home. That sounds convenient, but the blood sample would already have been taken.

I also take a prescribed medicine with food. I have not changed it or started fasting. [MedlinePlus says fasting instructions depend on the test and advises checking medicines with the provider rather than stopping them yourself](https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/fasting-for-a-blood-test/).

I will contact the team that ordered the test. What should I ask so that "overnight" becomes an actual plan for my shift and medicine? A later appointment might cost another bus fare, but guessing could waste the visit altogether.

Discussion

2 community replies

@TheoInTransit

Tell them the appointment time, the hours you work, your usual meal break and the medicine that requires food. Ask whether fasting is required for your exact test, when it should start, and what they want you to do about that medicine.

@maren17

Your colleague has spotted that the letter assumes a daytime routine. The proposed solution still places the fast after the sample, which does not answer the preparation question. You need a clarification of the letter, not a new meaning for morning.

The blood-test letter says to fast overnight, but I work nights. Which instruction do I follow?

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