Medichecks - Sample time for TSH and rT3

[amasufindme]

I have had a chat with Medichecks about their medichecks.com/thyroid-func...

I need a home visit to take a venous sample and have asked that the nurse can come at 9am or before to ensure an accurate TSH readings (with no medication taken 24hr and fasting etc.)

Medichecks have said that it doesn't matter what time TSH it taken and that rT3 needs to be taken at 3pm.

This will be my first rT3 testing so I didn't know about the required 3pm time for sampling.

I thought that it was crucial that TSH testing was done before 9am.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this please...

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

amasufindme The first time I had rT3 tested, I wanted TSH, FT4 and FT3 done as well. I was going to do BH's Plus Twelve test. The home phlebotomy nurse couldn't get to me before midday because of the distance she had to travel. As I wanted the TSH to be accurate, I did a fingerprick test (Plus Three) instead so I could do that first thing in the morning, and the rT3 later when the nurse came. BH allowed me to change my tests and sent new kits.

I have recently done the Plus Twelve because I want to check if rT3 is improving. I'm not so bothered about the other thyroid tests this time and the nurse arrived at 11am.

There was no information on either test - the single rT3 or the Plus Twelve, to say that blood needs to be drawn at 3pm for an rT3 test. I've not heard that before at all.

TSH is important to be done early IF you need it to be as high as possible when looking for a diagnosis of Hypothyroidism, want to avoid a reduction in dose of Levo, if you are looking for an increase in Levo, or are monitoring it and then conditions should be the same each time.

[amasufindme in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you Seaside Susie,

Its the first time I have come across doctors saying that TSH can be taken any time and also rT3 at 3pm. I have asked James at Medichecks to confirm this information and get the evidence from the Medichecks doctors.

I have decided to go for the Thyroid Check UltraVit without rT3 for now and use the finger prick method. I will wait until my FT3/FT4 are in the upper ranges and monitor symptoms before I test rT3.

I am still struggling to get my FT4 and FT3 into the upper ranges (see profile for latest results) so I need to be accurate with the TSH testing.

I am anticipating that the CCG/Medicine Management Group derbyshiremedicinesmanageme...

... will soon demand that I start the 3 month clinical trial to prove my clinical need for LT3...so I want to push into the upper ranges asap. I am project managing my very slow and reliably unavailable endo.

Snails have moved faster than my endo!