An interesting conversation.

[Kitti1]

After having trouble doing my finger prick private blood test ( my blood is like treacle ! ) a friend agreed to draw the blood for the vacutainer. She - Sara is a practice nurse at a practice less than a mile from mine, both in the same district of Salford. When I requested a t3 at my surgery my doctor told me the labs won't do it. Sara was confused why I was paying for private tests, I explained to include t3, "why not get it done at your doctors" she asked. I explained and she said that's rubbish, the labs will do it. Its just whether your practice will pay for it !

We also discussed the ranges, I told her how my test last year was 0.4 above range for TSH and that my doctor didn't put up my meds. She said but your TSH should be less than 1 when properly medicated ! ! So there are medics out there that know these things and agree with us !

As a side note I have recently changed practices but not to that one 😕. Think I might change again !

This also proves that when your doctor says "oh the labs won't test t3" it probably means "I'm not paying for that out of my budget !"

[Clutter]

Kitti1,

Even when GPs order FT3 some NHS labs won't test FT3 unless TSH is <0.03. They are looking for evidence of hyperthyroidism not low FT3 levels in hypothyroid patients.

Let's hope your friend Sara is able to prescribe for hypothyroid patients

[Kitti1 in reply to Clutter]

I appreciate what your saying. But when I asked my doc he said the labs wouldn't do it. But Sara from a surgery up the road knows the same labs will when requested by the doctor for any purpose

[Clutter in reply to Kitti1]

Kitti1,

Perhaps it depends on the funding agreed between the lab and practice as to what is tested.

[Kitti1 in reply to Clutter]

Perhaps that's it, as Sara did say "he mustn't want to pay" so perhaps ruled that out of his budget ?

[Silver_Fairy]

Agree with Clutter. All through the time I was under the Endo, the labs tested for FT3 (I have Graves). When I came off Carbimazole and went into remission they would only test TSH and FT4, even though my GP repeatedly tried several ways to get the lab to test. She did find a way in the end, by putting Endo's name on the forms.

Even when I was put on Levo the GP had the same problem.

[Saggyuk in reply to Silver_Fairy]

Yes, same experience here, GP has requested many times and I've seen it written on the blood test form so not fibbing lol. The labs refuse. They will only do for my endo

[Kitti1 in reply to Saggyuk]

I know I've read it on here many times that labs won't do it and that's what my doc told me. That's why I was so surprised when she questioned why I was paying privately.