I have almost every symptom linked with hyperthyroidism however had a basic thyroid test via the nhs last year and was simply told it was fine. I don't really understand all the different types of testing that could be done for hyperthyroidism. I suspect I may have graves as I suffer from a different autoimmune disease also.
What would be my best option to get a thorough testing done without being overly expensive and what specific blood tests do I need to look out for?
I'm just looking for some understanding really and perhaps where to go to? Has anyone had any success with thorough testing within the nhs or is it best going privately and if so where?
Thanks in advance
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Thyroid1892
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I had enough testing done on the NHS for everyone to know I had Graves. I saw the doctor on a Wednesday mor;I got and by the Friday afternoon I was taking carbimazole , had a consultant’s appointment and a date to go back for further blood tests in four weeks time so yes, you can have the tests needed to diagnose Graves done by the NHS.
My problem was finding a doctor who realised I was ill - I saw a different doctor in the same group practice only three months before I was diagnosed who told me ‘I was needing my holiday’! I had similar symptoms then.
It was more difficult to get anyone to test B12, D, ferritin and folates though so I got fed up bothering with that - plus the fact I never had T3 tested on the NHS - so I now buy home fingerprick tests from a private lab. I use Blue Horizons Thyroid 11 but there are other labs you can use.
Always ask for a copy of your blood tests along with their ranges for your records. If you know what your results were back then, post them on here and see what people think.
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.
All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early in morning. This gives highest TSH and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)
If TPO and/or TG antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's
Thanks for this. with regards to the antibody testing - tpo and tg as well as tsi and trab testing. I've had a look at blue horizon thyroid 11 thanks to 'fruitandnutcase' however this only states Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies, Thyroglobulin Antibodies testing. Does thyroid 11 test cover the all the antibody tests needed to potentially diagnose graves or hyperthyroidism? There seems so many different antibody tests and I don't want to order a test and miss something. Or would you say if there is a thyroid problem it will show without every type of test. Thanks.
Do you know what the results (and ranges) were for the tests you had done last year ?
If you are overtly hyperthyroid, a basic test (typically TSH and FT4) usually highlights this. Some health authorities automatically test FT3 if FT4 is above a certain level, others wait for an endo to order FT3, usually with TRAb/TSI antibody tests. Overt hyperthyroidism, where TSH is almost non-existent, and FT3/FT4 above the normal range, is usually referred without question to an endocrinologist, although it may take some time to get an appointment
It is possible to have subclinical hyperthyroidism, which shows with a very low TSH, but thyroid levels within the normal range.
What symptoms have you got ? You can get the tests run privately, and there are people here that know about this, but it would be useful to have your previous results and ranges for comparison.
Just a warning about symptoms-while there are typical symptoms for Graves, confusingly some people with hypOthyroid autoimmune disease can suffer the same symptoms.
My symptoms are really bad mood swings from happy one day to extremely low within hours sometimes. I have an extremely high metabolism stick thin and can't gain any weight, extreme anxiety, random heart palpitations every few days or so, very fine brittle hair which is graying and I'm only 20, breathless easy, sometimes get aching legs, bowel problems and had a small enlargement behind nipple a few months back which cleared up on its own after a few days, sometimes I get random bursts of excitement. I also suffer from an autoimmune disease so thought perhaps my susceptibility to this could mean I have graves?
I'm honestly not sure what tests I had done last year but it just said thyroid but they were mainly testing for vitamins and thyroid was added on so I assume it wasn't thorough. Do you think a good start could be to get another nhs test for FT4 and TSH and ask for results post them on here and then would these two tests always indicate something to which I could then get further testing? Or would sometimes the TSH and FT4 be normal and there still be a problem. Thanks
If ‘thyroid’ was mentioned in relation to your last test, then I would check the results to make sure they didn’t include TSH and FT4 - if they were tested within the last twelve months, and were within range, it’s unlikely you’ll get another NHS test yet, unless your symptoms have changed.
For both overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism, TSH will be very low. I’m pretty sure FT4 will always be high for overt hyperthyroidism that isn’t being treated, although I know that during antithyroid treatment, some of us have FT4 within range while FT3 is still high (can any of the other hypers comment on this ?). Anyway, you’re unlikely to get FT3 tested on the NHS if FT4 is within range, so the NHS tests to push for will be TSH and FT4 - the standard thyroid function tests.
Your symptoms do sound more indicative of hyper than hypo (did you lose the weight quickly, or over time), but there are some hypos who report similar symptoms, and I guess other conditions which would have similar symptoms. The thing is, if the GP says you aren’t hyper (ask for the test results and ranges, and publish them here), you need to be asking what they DO think is causing your symptoms.
Thanks for this clears a lot up. I've always been thin but last year I gained about a stone through a weight program but having returned to a normal diet the weight stayed the same for a while but has since past couple of months dropped back off me. Adding to this I've been experiencing new symptoms past couple of months such as bizarre and heavy mood swings and many others which are different to my other long standing issues. These new symptoms which aren't really associated with my other auto-immune disease is what led me to finding out about thyroid issues. Do you think its possible that a test I had last year could be different now or not? I am curious to get a full thyroid testing done privately but don't want to be wasting money. If the FT4 test indicates it is in range would this suggest there is no potential antibodies issues? Quite confusing.
I'll look to get a copy of my results and post them tomorrow or whenever possible and see if I can get the ranges.
If you’ve got an untreated thyroid condition, the test results could change very quickly.
It is possible to have positive antibodies with normal thyroid results - whether you could find a doctor willing to treat them would be another matter . Generally, they are regarded as potentially indicative of future disease, rather than something that needs treating in their own right.
Hello again, I've got my results however they were from last July. It says TSH level 1.86 with the ranges being 0.40 - 4.50mu/L. My neck area around my adams apple has felt very tender as well past couple of days wouldnt say its massively swollen or anything but its hard to tell with a big adams apple. Do you think my result of 1.86 last year means anything? I really want a full private testing done but am hesitant with the costs in case nothing comes of it.
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