Approaching Dr. about lead levels

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chris in va

New member
I get bi-annual checkups at the VA hospital and during my 'labs' blood draw at the satellite clinic yesterday, I asked if they could put a note in to also check lead levels.

"Blood?"
No, lead...L-E-A-D.
"No, I can't"
How do I get it checked?
"Discuss that with your doctor"

She was obviously having a less than stellar day.

Now what?
 
F

FrankenMauser

New member
If you don't care what your doctor knows, or what might go in your medical records, just tell them that you have some lead exposure in your hobbies (which you'll have to explain) and ask to have your lead level checked.


If you do care what they know and record, just ask for the test. If they want a reason:
Tell them that you spend some time in a building with lead-based paint...
Or that you eat a lot of donated wild game...
Or that you recently remodeled your home and used Chinese drywall...
Or that there's a radiator repair shop next to your house...
 
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Marco Califo

New member
It also depends on your health insurance company. Kaiser refused to check my lead blood levels. It is not cost effective for them to get involved, and they do not cover certain long-term meds, for example, drugs taken for more than 90 days, that don't cure a condition aren't always covered for the same reason$$$$:eek:.
 
B

Brit

New member
Just before leaving Canada, in 2003, I found I was having a balance problem, needed to lean against the bedroom wall to pull my pants on?

My Company range was an indoor bunker, no kind of air filtration system, just a good fan system, drew the air from behind the target stands. Cold!

I also noted a tiny tinge of blue in my finger nails, yes, I had the onset of Lead Poisoning.

After living in Orlando for a few month's, and with no indoor range visits, just once a year, I had no balance problems, and the blue tinge, gone.

I can not see any Dr.s office refusing your request for a blood test, for lead?
For whatever you think you need it. Good suggestion, all that old paint you had spent days scraping?

Most lead I was told was ingested, not washing your hands, smoking, eating at the range. As I never smoked, and washed hands, and face, I guess it was mostly air born lead vapor. Anyhow long gone.
 
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Snyper

New member
I can not see any Dr.s office refusing your request for a blood test, for lead?
Click to expand...
The Dr's might not refuse to adminster the tests, but your insurance may refuse to pay for them.

Just be prepared to sort that out beforehand, and if you don't want them to know it's gun related, the fishing excuse is as good as any unless the Dr likes to fish and wants to ask you questions to which you may not know the answers ;)
 
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Mike / Tx

New member
Therre are more ways to get lead into your system than simply chewing on it.

There are plenty of industrial solvents like pait thinners and penetrating oils which can carry a lead percentage with them. I simply told mine striaght up, I hunt, shoot, load my own bullets, such and so on. I let him pick the proper box to be checked. Just so happened it was the one for industrial exposure.

I get checked once a year during my general physical. I started casting about 4-5yrs ago and have had it checked since the year before. When I started it was up around a 7 which they said was fine as long as it was under around a 10. Last year, and right up till I went in I had been pouring up about 10 times the amount of bullets and quite a few batches of alloy, and didn't wear anything other than leather gloves while handling hot stuff, my level was a 3, which they said is hardly detectable and in reality averaged well within the norm.

My house has old galvanized water pipes, and my farm house has soldered (the old lead stuff) copper piping which we plan to replace this spring with something plastic. I'm not overly worried about my Dr knowing where it comes from as I am knowing that it isn't building, now if it climbs up to something we should be worried about then I will get him on board with concerns. Right now he is more concerned with me actually coming in to see him, as usually when I DO it is for something that really needs to be fixed.
 
H

hartcreek

Moderator
Just tell them you live in a house that was plumbed in the seventies when the plumbing solder was 60/40. They wont ask you about it again when you request the test. I have mine done every year or so.
 
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Tom Servo

Staff
This is the first I've heard of insurers not wanting to cover it. Once a year, I request a blood panel and have them check for heavy metals. It's never been an issue.

If they won't comply, call one of the CVS or WalMart doc-in-a-box centers and ask how much they charge.
 
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mikld

New member
If you ask a Dr., I'm sure he/she will order it, without a big fabrication or reason (my last test went something like this; "Hi Doc, I'd like a blood test for lead levels. OK be here next Wednesday, Lab day."). The test for lead is more involved than a regular physical type blood panel so a lab tech or phlebotomist won't do one without a Dr's order.
 
C

chris in va

New member
Guess I'm just a bit cautious having to go with the Veterans Administration hospital. It's not like I can get another doctor, you're stuck with the one they assign to you. If she reports my question to the higher ups I'm concerned about repercussions.

"Now tell us again why you want this test? Why are you working around heavy metals? We may have to reevaluate your eligibility requirements..."

Etc.
 
4

454PB

New member
Tell them you crimp split shot onto fishing line.

When I was a kid and knew no better, I carried lead split shot in my mouth, and used my teeth to crimp them. No lead poisoning happened from this.

Fast forward 40 years, I was having some lead based paint removed where I worked, and the lead abatement contractor I hired to do the work failed to follow the proper procedures. When I saw this, I was forced (by OSHA regs) to report it. Myself and the rest of my normal crew had to have blood lead tests. Two of the four of us were bullet casters, and our lead levels were lower that the two that didn't cast......and none were high enough to even consider.
 
B

Brit

New member
My home is 25 plus years of age.

Had to fix two leaks in the floor, one in the garage, one in living room! Spoke to a company who do replacement with PVC.

Had the boss over for tea, an Irishman (My Mother was a Kelly!) Came to an agreement on price. We then had a total re-pipe.

Big increase in water pressure, great job. Seems like certain copper pipes in Florida start with pinhole leaks, then get worse. Now fixed.

Took a $300.00 water bill to alert me. Now $38.00.
 
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burninghXcsoul

New member
Oh the ever awesome VA experience... did you ever deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan? If you did just say you were exposed to burn pits (which I guarantee you were) and you want a blood a analysis for heavy metal exposures. It's what I do....
 
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Whisper 300

New member
If not a fishing hobby you can tell them your wife is into making stained glass and you help out with the leading of the pieces--

My doc had no problem doing test and Cigna paid for testing.
 
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GP100man

New member
Lead has to be in a molecular form to be absorbed into the blood stream.

Following simple precautions will prevent absorbtion.

All the shooters I`ve talked to that had elevated lead levels were indoor shooters.

No detectable lead levels will be absorbed from swallowing a bullet.

Casting fumes are from the fluxing compounds (whatever you use) Lead doesn't give off fumes until it hits like 1200f or so.
 
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Vt.birdhunter

New member
No detectable lead levels will be absorbed from swallowing a bullet.
Click to expand...

Ingesting lead will absolutely leach lead into the blood stream. Stomach acids break it down.
Kids and lead paint....roman civilization...
 
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