Lab Testing Contacts

[Annealise]

New on here - apologies but I still have lots of questions for you helpful folk....

I have read all the helpful info on the several Lab testing places on here. Are any more reliable than others, as I read somewhere that Geneva is 'not spot on'?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Annealise I have done a few tests with Genova - thyroid urine test, adrenal saliva test, candida, iodine, sex hormones. I have had no problems with them and have no reason to believe they were not 'spot on'. I have not done at blood tests with them.

I have done blood tests - fingerprick mainly, plus one home nurse phlebotomy visit - from Blue Horizon, very happy with everything.

I've also done a fingerprick test with Medichecks, again very happy.

[Annealise in reply to SeasideSusie]

What is the difference please in having a urine Thyroid test and bloods?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Annealise]

Annealise The thyroid blood test will show what is in your blood at the very moment the blood is taken.

The urine thyroid test collects urine over 24 hours and will show how much T4 and T3 is actually getting through to your cells during that period. The urine test is not useful for diagnosis though. If a blood test shows you aren't converting T4 to T3 very well, the urine test will confirm it.

[bluebug]

The issue is not with the providers suggested and recommended here, but with the fact that some tests don't test what you think or aren't right for what you want tested.

So if you want to test something in particular it may be worth starting a new thread saying what you want tested and whether a particular test will give you useful information.

For example serum testing of vitamin B12 once you have started supplementing vitamin B12 just shows that you are supplementing that vitamin. It doesn't actually show whether you are absorbing vitamin B12.

[Annealise]

That's interesting and useful - Thanks. What test would you need to have to show you are absorbing B12 please and Vit D?

[humanbean in reply to Annealise]

Some links that you may find useful on the subject of private testing :

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Blue Horizon

The most popular test on this forum is this one - usually done as a finger-prick (microtainer) test which you can do at home, but if you can get someone to take blood for you from a vein in the arm (vacutainer test) then you can order this test as well.

bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/T...

The tests included are : TSH, FT4, FT3, TT4, Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies, Thyroglobulin Antibodies, Ferritin, Folate, Vitamin B12 (NOT ACTIVE B12), C Reactive Protein, Vitamin D (25-OH)

Fingerprick testing : bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/W...

Blood from the arm testing : bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/e...

Paying someone to take blood : bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/e...

Special offers : bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/e...

Medichecks

Does a lot of test packs similar to the ones that BH do - some are fingerprick only, some are blood from the arm. They have a special offer on at the moment for 15% off :

Special offer : thyroiduk.org.uk/medichecks

Test : medichecks.com/thyroid-func...

More info : medichecks.com/how-it-works

Fingerprick testing : medichecks.com/dl/Medicheck...

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If you specifically want to know whether you are improving your B12 level the normal serum test isn't very helpful, although as far as I know it is the only one the NHS does. There is a blood test called the Active B12 test. Both Blue Horizon and Medichecks offer this test, so you could search for that. Some info on the Active B12 test :

biolab.co.uk/docs/vitaminB1...

For vitamin D testing you just need to do an ordinary test (which happens to be included in the links I gave above for both companies).

If you choose to do any of the above tests, once you have your results you should post them in a new post (obscure your personal details if you post a picture of the results) and ask for feedback.