what blood tests should I ask my gp to perform? I am not diagnosed yet.

[Sunnigirl63]

I have previously had my t s h and t 4 checked and they are borderline. I have a telephone consultation with my gp on tuesday to ask for more blood tests. Can anyone tell me what other ones I should suggest to her?

[Marz]

...sorry do not know what borderline means - borderline high or low ? Do you have the results and the ranges ?. Could be we will tell you that they are NOT borderline but in need of further investigation.

If you go to the main Thyroid UK Website you will find all the lists of the required tests - how to interpret them - and loads of VERY useful information. Good luck with your phone call....

[alangardner]

hi ya sunny!! , some of the tests your gp HAS to insist on --- to the lab --- as I understand --- are tsh..t4..t3..ferretin..follate...b12..iron ...[ and there are some others ] .....BUT THEY ALL HAVE TO BE INTERPRETED IN CONJUNCTION TOGETHER to get the optimum treatment and diagnosis .....louise at admin can direct you to all tests that need to be done .......hope that this helps ....alan xx

[Sunnigirl63]

Thank you, I will look on the main site.

[lisabax]

Do ask for a print out of your results plus the reference ranges in brackets and post them on this site so someone can comment. Borderline can mean many things!

[Muffy]

Make sure the tests are for (Free) FT4 and (Free) Ft3 and not total T3 and T4.

[Sunnigirl63]

my last results were as follows...

serum free t 4 levels (XaERr) below range 11.9pmol/L (12.0-22.0) below reference range

Serum TSH level (XaELV) above range 4.44mu/L (0.3-4.2) above high reference limit

Total cholesterol level above range 6.3 (2.8-5.0)

Serum HDL cholesterol 1.5(1.2-9999.0)

Serum cholesterol/HDL ratio 4.2

Plasma glucose 5.5mmol/L(3.2-11.0)

These were in mid August 2013.

[Chippysue]

Sunnigirl, Please do no accept borderline, what your GP is doing is waiting for your TSH to rise above 10 which is madness, your low free t4 tells you that you need far more thyroxine(t4) in store. If you lived in Germany or USA then you would be diagnosed as Hypothyroid when your TSH goes above 3. The TSH can fluctuate and is not an accurate test but unfortunately this is what GP's and Endocrinologists go by

So, you need to ask for your thyroid antibodies to be tested along with your B12, ferritin, folate and vitamin D as deficiencies in these can give hypo like symptoms too. Many of us hypo's have deficiencies in these, do tell us the results.

Your GP will also ask for TSH and Free T4 and Free T3, unfortunately another problem that we all find is that the Free T3 is not tested unless an Endocrinologist has requested it.

You haven't mentioned your symptoms? Ideally you will feel better when your TSH is below 1 and your Free T4 is nearer to the top of your range, so 22.

Knowledge is power, read up as much as you can. thyroiduk.org

Sue

thyroiduk.org

[Hidden in reply to Chippysue]

Hi Sue

Good answer and I agree with all of this except TSH levels; 'TSH below 1'. Everyone is different. The TSH test is not a perfect science - as you pointed out - so there is inevitably going to be a lot of variation and below 1 may not suit everyone. I'm very well with a TSH level of 2.11 (taken early morning, I have no other medical issues and convert well; all of these can effect TSH levels). A better statement in my opinion would be 'you should feel better when your TSH is lower'.

Liza

[kiltis in reply to Chippysue]

Yes in Sweden too anything above 3 is hypo. Wish UK would update the range.. Or go by symptoms

[Sunnigirl63]

Thank you everybody! This is really helpful. I will ask my gp on tuesday to add in any of the test to mention that she has not already decided to do. Thank you very much. Hopefully she will agree to do so. I am totally wiped out and exhausted the whole time. My legs feel like jelly and I am sleeping more than usual. I've noticed my hands are looking a bit puffy but that may or may not be connected.

[Hidden]

Good luck. I hope you get answers from the gp and help managing your symptoms.

[Sunnigirl63 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you.