Above is the result of my recent home thyroid test supplied by Blue Horizon Medicals. It is their "Thyroid Profile Advanced home blood test (code – TF2) which
Includes T4, TSH, FT4,FT3, THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES, THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES".
The trouble is I don’t know how to interpret it! Is there anybody in the forum who is more knowledgeable than I who would care to pass an opinion on it? I would be very grateful if somebody could make sense of it for me. I am trying to eliminate the possibility of hypothyroidism with this test which is more comprehensive than the routine NHS test which I understand only measures T3/T4 which I have had in the past.
Kind Regards,
boydell.
Written by
boydell
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Boydell, unfortunately I don't think you can rule out becoming hypothyroid with TSH 3.94 although you are unlikely to get a diagnosis until your TSH is over the NHS range your GP practice uses. Your free thyroxine (FT4) and free T3 (T3) are currently good but if/as they drop your TSH will rise.
Your negative antibodies rule out autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimotoo's) as the cause of your impending hypothyroidism.
Ask your GP to test thyroid function 3/6 months after your last NHS thyroid test and make sure to have the blood draw early in the morning as TSH is highest then.
Thank you so much for your reply, I am grateful for your input. I have read a couple of books on the thyroid and gleaned some information from this forum and others. But I am not familiar with T4, TSH, FT4, FT3 etc levels expressed in figures, what is normal and what is not, which prompted this post.
As a 68 year old male I have suffered from ME/CFS for over a decade now, and as you probably know many of the symptoms are similar to hypothyroidism.
My thinking was that as there is no definitive clinical test to prove one, there is supposedly to prove the other, so I would pursue that line hoping to remove one possibility for good and all. Of course I am aware that as with so many things in life it is not always as simple as that, and the knotty problem of interpretation of the results rears its ugly head! Also, it is here that we run into the way so many GP’s these days seem to ignore the presentation of a potential thyroid patient and bang of a blood test and judge you by just the TSH value alone. Hardly comprehensive or definitive!
From what you say in your reply it, occurs to me that subclinical hypothyroidism comes into the picture in my case. Also, I took my blood sample at 3pm in the afternoon which is not ideal.
Finally, I will just give some details on my own home test which might be useful to other members. I used Blue Horizon Medicals (bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/) Advanced Thyroid blood test (code TF2). They mail a kit to you which comprises a mini vial, three blood lancets, alcohol wipes and full instructions and you post it back in a special business reply envelope. In my case never having used a lancet before I had great difficulty in obtaining enough blood to fill up the vial to the required level and my test failed. They were very good about it and promptly sent me another kit which this time was successful. They turned it round in two days and I received a copy of the print out results by email. I must say BHM where very good to deal with, and although the test wasn’t cheap (£116) I would recommend them.
I am sorry I omitted your name in my reply to your reply re - Thyroid Test Results, boydell. I realised my error too late, and this forum does not seem to have an "edit" mode.
Boydell, no worries about not using my username, most people don't use names but I find it useful as it makes it clearer who one is replying to particularly where there are a number of different posters responding. Underneath your post is a down v arrow next to the Recommend button. Click on the v arrow and the edit button appears. Remember to click Edit response when you have finished editing.
When TSH, FT4 and FT3 results are within the lab reference ranges ie TSH 3.94 (0.27-4.2) this means the result is 'normal'. When the TSH result is above the NHS range or the FT4 and FT3 below range for your area your GP will consider a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. This is a blunt tool and effectively means today your result is within range ie you are euthyroid despite the hypothyroid clinical symptoms you are experiencing but next week your TSH results are over range and you may be diagnosed hypothyroid. It is acknowledged that hypothyroid symptoms may precede abnormal bloods by many years.
I'm glad Blue Horizon were so helpful and accommodating when you had problems with using the lancet.
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I finally have my results!!! What do people think is wrong?
Test Results - Underactive Thyroid
My Thyroid test results
Help with results please
