Blue Horizons Testing

[Jillycee]

Hi, I am planning on taking the thyroid 11 test through Blue Horizons this week and thought that this would be all that I needed, however, they now have a thyroid 12 which includes the Reverse T3. Is it recommended that I should have this also?

Also, I would like to have my liver and kidney function checked. Can anyone recommend which test would be best with Blue Horizons please?

Many thanks

[Clutter]

Jillycee,

I don't think rT3 is essential. If you want Thyroid12 you will have to get a phlebotomist to draw blood.

bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/e...

bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/e...

[Jillycee in reply to Clutter]

Oh ok thanks Clutter. I think I will stick with the Thyroid11 then.

[Hidden in reply to Jillycee]

Just a little thought re the RT3 test, though I appreciate Clutter has much more knowledge than me.

I had a BH Thyroid 11 test done earlier this year and it was very simple to do and posted it Thursday (via Special Delivery ) and got the results next day by email. They do say they give you a report on the results, but the report is a generic one which I believe most people receive. I only knew as I posted the report on another forum and 4 other people popped up saying they'd had the same.

However a short time later, I was reading up more on RT3 and BH say that blood samples are viable for another 7 days after they've received them in case you want other tests done. So I called and asked them could they do RT3 and they said unfortunately not and they explained this was because RT3 has to be done first from the blood sample (can't remember the reasons but they sounded viable), so they couldn't take it from an 'old sample'.

I mentioned that I was interested in getting RT3 and T3 together (although T3 had been on the first test) and they offered a discount against a 2nd test just to do those 2. But as Clutter mentioned that test does have to be a blood draw. However I'm fortunate (well sort of) that I work as an Administrator in a Nursing home and there are 2 nurses there who are qualified to draw blood, so I would be able to get that done probably in exchange for a couple of cakes

I would say if you were really interested in getting your RT3 level go for the BH 12, but if you're looking for the liver and kidney function tests as well perhaps have those instead. Would your GP surgery not be persuaded to do liver and kidney function tests if you can come up with a good reason?

[Jillycee in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Georgina61. As with any tests, I find it really difficult to get my GP to do anything!! She has told me that she won't teat for vitamin d as it is too expensive!! I just thought I would try and do the full range of tests at once from blue horizons once and for all. Also, this way, I'm not made to feel paranoid!!

[SilverAvocado in reply to Hidden]

I've had Blue Horizon commentary on a few different results: high, low, thyroid hormones, vitamins, etc. I've found them generally to be well above average for what you get from a doctor. Of course a lot is generic, they're coming in with zero medical history or discussion of symptoms. Lots of the advice on ThyroidUK is also the same - lots of people have very similar conditions.

But they've told me e. g. that a high B12 result is nothing to worry about. Two or three different consultants got this test result and had no idea how to interpret it. A friend recently had a confusingly high T4, the BH doctor gave a bit of a scrambled interpretation, and guessed that he might have been on a very high dose for a few days. This wasn't true, and it doesn't help my friend find out what's wrong with him. But it's a really puzzling situation, 4 doctors including an Endo have fobbed him off so far. I'm impressed the BH doc took a stab at it.

[Hidden in reply to SilverAvocado]

Thats interesting. I had a sort of confusingly high T4 result recently, but the Endo asked for T3 also which was almost at rock bottom, so it seems I'm probably not converting and probably T4 pooling. This is where GPs go wrong so much in testing mostly TSH only. It doesn't make sense as a result on its own.

[SilverAvocado in reply to Hidden]

I now can't remember what my friends situation was. He had a high out of range T4, and a really high TSH. But I think he also had low T3, so not that confusing, really.

[SilverAvocado in reply to Clutter]

I believe thyroid 12 also has a 3 week plus turnaround time, while the others are a few days.