Interesting results: NHS vs Medichecks tests

[blogsy2]

Hi Everyone,

Rather wasteful, but for complex reasons my dh ended up having NHS and Medichecks blood tests done on the same morning. I thought the results would be very similar, but no. I thought I'd share them because they illustrate the inconsistency of TSH and also the results of limited NHS testing.

The top part of the image is from the NHS test. The GP (who is lovely) asked for TSH and T3. The lab decided not to do T3 as the TSH was in range. They changed it to FT4, but didn't do it. The GP looked at the results and said "normal" (heard this before!) I understand the GP doesn't want to make him more ill by treating if he's not hypo. Meanwhile my husband is failing before my eyes, so what is wrong???

The bottom part of the image is the result from Medichecks. The blood was taken just 45 minutes before the NHS bloods. He had no food / exercise/ anything major happen to him in between. I simply drove him from one hospital to the other. On looking at the Medichecks results, the new consultant (I recommend) said he'll try treatment for hypothyroidism. After months of worry and getting nowhere, we were dancing down the road at the mere hope that something might help! I'm just not sure how the GP is going to react, and how to show him the Medichecks results when he did his own hmm...still - better to be unpopular than ill I reckon.

So I guess this is an encouragement; if you or someone you love are struggling to get a diagnosis, and if you can possibly afford it, get a private full thyroid panel from Blue Horizon, Medichecks etc. It seems scary at first, but it's not that complicated. If you're watching someone you love failing before your eyes, and they're not getting treatment, boss them into it and organise it for them because they probably don't feel up to it themselves.

You book the test online. You pay for it. They send the kit in the post to you, usually next day. You either prick your finger (not good for bigger tests) or you phone your local private hospital and ask when they take bloods. Often you can just turn up with the kit and they do it without an appointment. You may be able to get your surgery to do this bit. Get the blood early in the morning no food. You pop the bloods in the letter box and get the results online. Medichecks does results for many things next day, but you have to wait 14 days for any test with RT3 in it. If using Medichecks, order on Thursdays cos it's cheaper, and look out for special offers. It's just like Aldi! You can do it! Knowledge is power!

Of course there is a risk that you will do the full tests and not find anything amiss with your thyroid, but at least you'll have eliminated something, which should help with finding out why you are ill.

PS I don't have shares in Medichecks, in case you were wondering!

xxx

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Next time I would strongly recommended you do the thyroid plus ultra vitamin test. He may have raised antibodies and low vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 are extremely common

Pleased you got a result - shows why just a TSH is useless test

Interesting the difference in results though and the importance of early morning.

[blogsy2 in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes thanks SlowDragon. He did the full thyroid panel ultravit with RT3, which hasn't come back yet. It shows we're making progress on the B12, D, got his folate in range now, and his ferritin was always okay due to a misspent youth of eating a lot of stake I bet.

[blogsy2 in reply to blogsy2]

And his antibodies are lower than in May, which is good!

[Verity72 in reply to blogsy2]

I would be interested to know his B12 levels. "Low normal", both here and in America, is far too low. Japan doesn't like to see it below 550. My husband was fortunate that a GP in our practice had had a colleague who needed to keep his levels around 800. This helped to get adequate treatment.

[blogsy2 in reply to Verity72]

B12 higher in the range than it was, but the consultant wants it higher.

[diogenes Remembering]

This post says everything about what is wrong with the NHS. A doctor who has seen the patient at firsthand asks for certain thyroid tests. A biochemist who has no knowledge of the patient whatsoever takes it upon themselves to decide what tests to do and not to do. When the proper tests are done, there is a clear indication of an under active thyroid. The GP is intimidated by the biochemist, making a bad judgement for fear of being wrong by going against of all possible big wheels, a consultant chemical pathologist! Who has no knowledge of the patient, I repeat! For gross irresponsibility, one could hardly improve on it.

[blogsy2 in reply to diogenes]

Yes, it feels as if we're living in two parallel universes with the NHS and private results / treatment. How to bring it all together?

[justinhd]

Great post and I am keen to take a similar and pretty comprehensive test with Medichecks. I am aware that the cost doesn’t include the clinicians fees for taking the bloods. Any feedback on these costs would be very helpful. Thanks

[blogsy2]

Hi Justin, if you buy tests from medichecks and probably other suppliers they let you pay for the phlebotomy fees as an extra at a local private hospital. It’s usually about £25. Sometimes you can save slightly by booking direct with the hospital but only £5 or so. Most private hospitals will do it. Some you have to book. Others you can just turn up.