My full thyroid panel test arrived from Thriva today (doesn't test RT3). It's a fingerprick test.
I'm aware that I'll need to fast beforehand and take a blood draw as early as possible but can anyone advise an ideal time please. 5am, 6am or perhaps earlier? Anytime is possible as long as I've fasted for 12 hours previously.
Would greatly appreciate some advice as I'm falling apart but am not taken seriously by my GP. Thank you
What time do you normally get up? Choose a time that you know you can easily repeat in the future when doing follow up tests, it's important to test at the same time each time.
I do mine 8.30-8.40am each time. If I regularly got up earlier I'd probably do it around 7.30am.
There is no normal time I get up as I home educate my child and work from home. We literally get up when we wish. I could take the test at 7.30am but easily earlier than that, too. It wouldnt be difficult for me to commit to a regular time of blood drawing, no matter how early.
I'm curious though at what time would be optimal, when it's stated to do it as early as possible. 3am, 4am - these are doable, too. Or would that be considered nighttime?
TSH is highest around midnight and falls throughout the day. I can't find my link to the graphs posted on here previously unfortunately. However, TSH important if you need it to be high for diagnosis and when looking for an increase in dose of Levo or to avoid a reduction. As it's not possible to get a blood draw at the doctors in the very early hours of the morning, it's advised to book the very earliest appointment they offer. Then for continuity stick as close to that time for future blood draws for comparisons.
So, as you are doing a private test it's basically for your own use, there's no guarantee that your GP will accept it and may want to repeat it. So it might be best to base the time of your private test on the earliest time that you know you can book one at your GP's for comparison. There's not much point doing one in the early hours of the morning at home and getting a much higher TSH if your won't accept that test and then the GP test is done at, say, 9am and the TSH will be a fair bit lower.
This is, I think, the full paper:
academic.oup.com/jcem/artic...
And this the image:
academic.oup.com/view-large...
Thanks Rod. I have a link to your post with the graphs on my PC but was on my tablet at the time I wrote that reply and don't have a link on there. I tried looking through your posts on your profile but couldn't find it.
It is diabolical trying to search for anything among so many posts.
I've already had countless blood tests done at the doctors and it just isn't possible to perform one earlier than 9am. Hence, my results forever being in the 'normal' range (only just, may I add).
So to be honest, I've nothing to lose by taking bloods myself in the early hours and showing the results to the GP as she's refusing to accept there is an issue currently, anyway.
I've just found out there is a drop-in blood centre that starts at 7.30am. It's over 7 miles away unfortunately but if I can get there on public transport at that time in the morning, I'll do it. I imagine I'd have to get there long before though to avoid the long queue.
I'll use this test kit for my own records and take the test at midnight. Then purchase another and use that for the 7.30am blood draw at the hospital.
I'm aware that sugar-free gum can interfere with fasting blood tests. Does anyone know if toothpaste/mouthwash can complicate things in the same way?
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