Thyroxine before blood tests

[VanessaB]

I know this has been covered quite a bit but I take my thyroxine at night not in the morning do you still miss the dose before your blood tests.

[helvella Administrator]

I do skip my bed-time dose and take it immediately after my blood draw - which I try always to have as early as possible. On this one occasion I do not worry about any interaction with breakfast, etc.

Rod

[VanessaB in reply to helvella]

Thank you Rod I will "Trust and not verify" in this case as this is what I normally do I have taken my tablets the morning before a test before and my Tsh results were 0.012 (0.35-5.5) and when I didn't take them it was 0.5 so it was enough to make a difference between the doctor lowering my dose and not.Luckily he didn't as my ft4 was still quite low. I like most people just want an accurate picture and when you have a doctor that goes on just your Tsh it is important to get it right.

Thanks

Vanessa

[DawnD]

As you have said, this has been mentioned on here before, but I checked directly with the British Thyroid Foundation and they said to take your thyroxine at the same time that you normally do, whether at night or in the morning before the blood test.

[galathea in reply to DawnD]

The bta have said a lot if things, not all of them beneficial to people with hypothyroidism.

It was a former president of the BTF, Proffessor Wheetman, who spoke at the fitness to practice hearing of dr Skinner. He said that taking thyroid hormone before a test would skew the test results. - the transcript of the trial is available, and the statement was on day three or four.

This is the reason for not taking them before a test.

[Zephyrbear in reply to DawnD]

Quite honestly, I would not do anything that was recommended by either the BTA or the BTF! My feeling is that if they say you should do one thing, you should in fact do the entire opposite!!!

[Hidden]

Dawn,

That has been the info I have also been given.

[Lynn27]

For the last 18yrs I take my meds before my blood test the dr needs to know if meds are the correct dose which is why we take the meds in the first place not taking the meds gives a false result

[jaxnbreeze]

If you take your meds. at a different time to normal then surely it is difficult to compare like with like as you are skewing the reading.

[spring13]

Of course you should take your usual medication at the normal time, but I would avoid a blood test in the first 2 hours after a dose as the results may be slightly higher than later in the day.If you don't take your medication before a blood test and the results are different than you would like them to be you cannot blame the type of drug/dose/GP/Endo because you have not provided a true assessment of your thyroid status. So if you take your dose in the evening there will be no problem having a blood test the next day.