BH thyroid antibodies blood test and hep b vaccine?

[Salphy]

Hi,

does anyone know how long (or if I do) need to wait before having the BH thyroid +6/+10/+11 after having my 2nd of 3 hep b vaccines on Thursday 15/12/16. The nurse said the vaccine isn't live but she wasn't sure. The aim of the vaccine is so I produce my own antibodies and immunity so I didn't know if it would alter the result of the thyroid antibody test?

I got the results of my thyroid +3 test on Wednesday

TSH 5.03 (0.27-4.2)

Free T4 14.52 (12-22)

Free T3 5.43 (3.1-6.8)

But my GP has said TSH is hardly high and the actual thyroxine in my body is fine so they're clinically insignificant.

Thanks to advice on here I'm going to get my thyroid antibodies checked and possibly Ferratin, Folate, Vit B12 and Vit D.

Does anybody know if there's a difference between the amount of blood required for the thyroid +6, +10 or +11?

I really struggled to fill the vial for the +3 which was one vial with a yellow cap. It said at least to above the printed label and I was about 1mm below. So I think I'd have to do the tests separately if it required more?

Thank you x

[spongecat]

Hi there!

I really cannot give a 100% reply but as far as I know thyroid antibodies are dedicated to thyroid only. If you had a full blood test you might see an elevation of various white blood cells which shows that the vaccine is triggering a responce as they surround and deal with the "intruder". This response is on a slower level which is why boosters are sometimes required.

The fingerprick kits all have the same size microtainers and though they say "please fill to the top of the label"....I failed too ! I went through all three lancets on different fingers and just about managed halfway. (Note to self: I don't think I drank enough water beforehand and I didn't run up and down the stairs a couple of times to get the heart pumping!).

They still managed to do my Thyroid+11 test though.

I have read your other posts and I think your GP is a sadistic bully. You would be well rid of this person and his lack of empathy. People don't have phobias for fun. People can feel really quite ill with a TSH 5.03. with all sorts of bewildering symptoms. It's such a disservice and unkindness to patients holding off until "higher scores" are attained.

I think discovering the levels of your antibodies will be a very good idea as to how to progress on this. Also the nutrient levels are well worth knowing too because if you are deficient you can treat these yourself. If you do have autoimmune thyroiditis then it will be extra ammunition to use in getting treated. Of course everybody on here is ready to offer support and advice too.

Come to think of it, why not email or ring Blue Horizon? They give that option on their "contact" page. I'm sure they will be fine to answer your Hepatitis vaccine question. They may suggest (or you may ask) that you don't do the test until after the Christmas period as the post goes a bit wonky and they may close on some days over the period.

[Salphy in reply to spongecat]

Oh yeah I didn't think about the Christmas post. They were so good with the last one I sent it back the day it was received to get there by 1pm the next day and I had my results by 5pm.

I'll check with them next week thank you. I think this has been in the back of my mind so long that now I have some answers the flood gates have now opened and I'm guilty of wanting all the answers ASAP

This is the answer I was hoping for but also makes me kick myself for not paying for the extra tests on the last sample! I drank a glass of water 1 hour before and needed it during to keep conscious, did star jumps, had a hot bath and soaked my hands in hot water in between lancets and still struggled haha my first attempt was so poor (about 2mm) I didn't see any way I could fill it from three fingers. But was also the one that got me closest to fainting. I had to lie down before the second one.

Is it the same yellow capped tube? It mentioned green and purple ones that need tilting to the side and mixing whilst being filled. My hands were shaking that bad and it took so long to do I don't think I could co-ordinate this! At one point I knocked the tube with my shaking hands and my heart sank because I thought it had been for nothing. I couldn't look thinking my blood was going to be spilt everywhere. Luckily it just tilted in the case it was stood up in x

[spongecat in reply to Salphy]

I genuinely feel for you. Have you got someone to help you? Even if it just means holding the tube steady as I found it a bit awkward propping it up in the holder thingy also kind words and encouragement always help a bit.

I cannot be positive (I'm only going on my old vet nurse experience!) but the coloured caps generally signify if there is a chemical or reagent added to the tube, for example heparin is used to prevent the sample from clotting. All depends on the nature of the lab test.

Here is an example of all the different cap colours and their uses that are used by the Vacutainer system....

bd.com/vacutainer/pdfs/plus...

Of course BH may simply have their own system.

[Salphy in reply to spongecat]

Yes I have my fiance to help me. I wasn't sure I wanted him there as he's not known for being very sympathetic but he was amazing and I couldn't have done it without him. I have a tremor in my hands which ive had for years (dr didn't know why and put it down to anxiety but it gets worse with exercise and other times I'm not anxious) so he held my wrist to keep them still over the tube and milked the blood out. He did the lancets too. He basically did everything I just stood there trying not to pass out 🙈😂

When you had your thyroid+11 what colour was the vial can you remember? X

[spongecat in reply to Salphy]

Now you have put me on the spot! ......yellow? pink? I can't remember. Maybe it was yellow....eek no I don't trust myself on that call. For some reason I don't think it mattered if it clotted because it was quite solidified by the time I had got as much as I could in the tube. Generally if there's a reagent to mix you are asked to invert the tube a few times to mix but there was no request for this on the +11 test. I just bunged the stopper on as soon as it was plain that there were no more drops I could produce.

That's really nice that your fiance took care of you and he stepped up to the mark. As the vows say, "in sickness and in health".

[Salphy in reply to spongecat]

That made me smile thank you.

Haha I think they only do yellow purple and green by the looks of the instructions.

My thyroid +3 was yellow and like you was pretty solid by the time I'd finished I didn't think it would be viable because it wasn't moving.

The purple and green one you have to invert whilst you're filling to stop it going solid. I wouldn't have been able to manage that it was too hard just to keep my hand over the tube when the blood dropped or to stop it running down my finger and wasting it! X

[Salphy in reply to Salphy]

O spoke to blue horizon as o was really worried that it hadn't worked because it clot. They didn't think it would be viable (luckily it was) but she said the yellow tubes have the stabilising agent around the sides. But it didn't need inverting like the green and purple. The green and purple only needed filling half full though, not to the top of the label x

[Salphy]

Had a response from blue horizon medical staff today who said the hep b vaccine won't make a difference if anyone finds themselves in the same situation. I do have to wait until new year due to post and bank holidays though x