Blood test

[Ali72]

Hi I have been to see my GP and asked if she will send me to see an endo specialist. She was not best pleased and said I needed so more blood tests first. I was armed with lots of info from thyroid uk, she was very dismissive of this information but I have told her I will go privately if she won't send me on nhs, realistically I don't have the funds to go privately but it seemed to put a firework up her ...... and she then began to listen. she thinks I have ME but I believe my condition is thyroid related since my mum, sister and aunt have an under active thyroid.

Please can anyone tell me do I fast for a thyroid it has been a while since I have had one?

Thank you Ali x

[shaws Administrator]

I hope she does a cholesterol check, in that case you need to fast. A higher cholesterol is a clinical symptom but GP may not be aware of any clinical symptoms, but at least you'd be aware.

Normally, you don't need to fast for a check on your thyroid hormones but if on levothyroxine, you don't take it before the blood tests but afterwards. Also the earlier the blood test the higher your TSH is which is what they go by nowadays. I hope she does, vitamin C, iron, ferritin, folate and Vit B12.

[humanbean]

Referring to shaws post above referring to cholesterol - if you do get tested for it and it comes back high your doctor may tell you that you need to take statins. You really should refuse them. Cholesterol is high for many (most?) people when they are hypothyroid. If the hypothyroidism is correctly and adequately treated then the cholesterol level will drop without any other treatment or any other change being required. Many GPs are completely unaware of this, so they try and bully the patient into taking statins. The other problem is that statins are not recommended for anyone with hypothyroidism in the first place. Stand your ground with your GP if you have to, but don't agree to the statins.

[Ali72 in reply to humanbean]

I am not sure if I am being tested for cholesterol as the dr didn't tell me to fast but this is ringing bells because I am pretty sure there was an issue with it before and she said I could sort in out with diet and I should speak with a healthcare assistant.

Trying to diagnose yourself when you feel so poorly is not fair, getting my dr to do anything is like walking in glue! I just don't believe the diagnoses of ME.

Thank you so much for your comments humanbean and shaw xx

[eeng]

No you don't need to fast but you need to have the blood taken as early as possible in the morning if you think you might be hypothyroid because the TSH result the doctors use is highest then (ie most likely to be spotted as abnormal). And if you take any thyroid meds don't take them the day before or on the day of the test, Good Luck