Has anyone found ever for medixhecks to be inaccurate??? I am just wondering as my last medichecks result conflicted with an nhs result that was done the day after.
Medixhecks showed high tsh, high t3, high t4.
Nhs showed high tsh, low t3 and low t4.
I know it’s not ideal to get so many tests but this was a one off! However 2 blood results a day apart show a completely different story.
It has now got me wondering though... is medixhecks always accurate with blood tests? My most recent result shows bizarre results with high tsh and high frees.. I just wonder what an nhs teat might show which would reveal a completely different story.
Thoughts or experiences please? Or might this idea have some merit? Will call dr Monday and ask for another nhs blood test.
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Watching to see what replies you get. There are a lot of potential variables and therefore reasons for them to be different. All I would say is that I did recently have 2 lots of Medichecks blood tests done, a couple of weeks apart, and my results were so different I wondered the same thing.
I’ve got another Medichecks test ready to do this week, but if it’s completely different again (I don’t have Hashimoto’s) I may go back to Blue Horizon for the next one....
my tests were a couple of months apart, but my TSH was the same but FT4 T4 and F3 had dropped quite a lot, also my Vit D had dropped although I was taking same dose of Vit D supplement.
I saw you post and it just got me thinking about the difference in my results.
My B12 seemed too good on my last lot of Medichecks (after being almost bottom of the range just after Christmas on my BH test - and I was sure it would be lower than it was. My ferritin was also much higher than I was expecting. Although that could be inflammation.
Hey ho. Will see what the next lot say. I’m a lot better than I was, but I dipped quite a bit during the changeover from old stock of Nature-Throid to their new stock and not yet quite back on form. But it’s always hard to know whether everything that’s happening is a thyroid issue, or just being generally run down.
You just reminded me about my B12, my situation sounds very similar to yours.
My blood test at G.P. in February was 378 and in April Active B12 at Medichecks was near top of range. I was thinking the blood test was low because I was not taking my supplement for ten days before the test as I had ran out, but now wondering how it could have risen so much for the Active test.
Again like you my ferritin was higher than I thought it would be.
lucylocks The B12 test done by your GP would be Serum B12. Medichecks is Active B12. Two different tests entirely which is why the you have different results.
Stopping b12 supplements 10 days before a test won't normally make difference to your levels as supplements skew your results for a quite a long time. You would probably have to stop supplements for at a few months for it to affect your B12 levels.
thank you for your reply, yes I understand the G.P. test is serum and Medichecks is Active B12 but still could not understand why one was low in range and the other high.
I would have thought if serum was low than the Active would also be low or does it not work like that.
I thought it was strange when mine had dropped to 378 after only ten days without supplementing.
I had an Active B12 test a few years ago and stopped supplementing for two months and it came back at around 65, bottom of the range 25.1. It makes me wonder now what it would have been if I had stopped for four months.
Just a thought. Have you thought about differences in gut absorption over a few months. I had taken high dose Vit D and same levothyroxin dose over many years, but they showed variations that were unexplained except perhaps absorption, as at the same time I took high dose B12 under the tongue and it became well above the range, presumably as not thru gut. Could be change of diet ( holidays/ seasonal), fibre, other vitamins/ minerals also going out of kilter, other illlnesses....
Yes ... went down lots of routes to see if it was any other problems, including a fibromyalgia diagnosis, but now hoping it's the thyroid ... improving vits/ minerals , and adding T3 will help.
I am in similar situation jazzy but have looked at blue horizon recently and it could be I am reading it wrong but their prices have hit the roof for thyroid checks particularly using Spire hospitals for the draw.had thyroid 11 last time with them but price seems astronomic now!
I’ve never used Spire for the blood draw - just done finger prick TSH, FT4 and FT3 testing (for which BH is currently £10 more expensive than Medichecks).
Ordered a BH test while I was on the website. Maybe I’ll wait until it arrives then do them both together on the same day at the same time...
Thanks for mentioning this greygoose and Seasidesue, I've just read the link posted below about how much Biotin supplements can effect lab results, very relevant to thyroid tests. Another thing to remember!
I have little faith in the NHS tests either. I’ve sometimes increased Levo to find that the next test gives a lower result. Welcome to my world! But sorry to hear you’re in this predicament. Adjust according to how you feel....
Are both of these blood draws from needles or is one or both from finger sticks? If one was a finger stick it may not have been a good sample. I have read a earlier post recommending having blood collected in the beginning of the week so that there are not any delays in the lab receiving & performing the tests.
Once a year where I live the city allows us to put out larger unwanted items on the street for removal. Earlier today I saw a company lab truck with the name of the lab I went to last driving down our street & collecting the discards in it! I am certain the company would not approve. Some employees fight rules. Labs will likely have more supervisors onsite during the week. Another reason to time labs so they are run during the business week.
I also had blood tests with medichecks & got results back last week. My active B12 is 177 & the range is between 25.10 & 165. Does anyone know much about this?
Definitely worth following up when it's elevated, in case it's one of the scary reasons. In my case those have been ruled out and it looks most likely that my cells don't utilise it - therefore my body is making more and more, thinking I haven't got any.
I did 3 separate tests recently within weeks if each other. 2 from medi checks and one from the NHS they were all very consistent and what I expected after a dose change. Just my limited experience!
Oh gosh I’m now wondering the same as my tsh had shot up recently when I checked with medichecks.
I did a finger prick test and the blood appeared to clot straight away and was so difficult to get out.
However I did have severe hypothyroid symptoms and the vitamin results it came back with were very similar to my other nhs tests so I don’t know - it could quite easily have been true.
Music1 - this might explain why your results were so different too?
Do you have hashi, if so it is possible you had a flare between tests, it takes a while for the pituitary to react and drop TSH but the surge in FT3/4 being dumped would show up
Apols, thought they were the other way around so that blows that theory out of the water as dont think we can use up the additional hormone from a flare that quickly! The only thing i know of that can drop the frees significantly before TSH reacts is unusual intense exercise but i dont think even that would do it in 24 hours - assuming you didnt go on a spontaneous 50 mile hike between tests.......... 🤣
Had blood tests 2 days ago and got nurse to fill the medichecks vial at the same time as usual. I got NHS results today, as TSH was supressed they checked FT4, which was slightly below range (im on NDT so its always bottom range) so miracle of miracles NHS also did FT3 which was a little lower than my sweet spot but all three were the same as the medichecks including to two decimal points for TSH. The results are not normally identical but have always been very close, so i can only think there must have been some unknown factor to cause your wildly different results
I usually use the blood draw kit from medichecks and ask the nurse to fill it at the same time she fills the NHS tube, they never quible as the needle is already in my arm, it takes an extra ten seconds and they know lab doesnt do FT3. the TSH has always been the same and the FT4 within 1 (when NHS tests it of course). The only time I had a significant variation I had used a fingerprick kit and damaged the blood cells but the results were marked hydrolised sample and there wasnt enough blood left to test the FT3 either.
Some variation is inevitable due to differences in when the samples are actually tested, how they are stored and transported and the fact that labs can use different test machines with different assays. The labs used by Medichecks are also used by the NHS. I dont bother with the doctors assessment as they are usually as TSH fixated as GPs so cant be bothered to wait.
Are you sure you dont take a multi vit or b-complex with any biotin in (b7) as it can badly skew results, especially if one of the machines uses a biotin assay but the other doesnt. Do you use guaranteed next day delivery as it ensures fast turnaround, mine is usually with the lab first thing and the results available by about 2pm so I think its worth the extra.
The Only thing I have looked at which I didn’t stop taking is called mega mag calameze whixh has b bits in but no biotin. I stopped my other b vitamins a week before which do contain biotin. Would that have any affect??
Brilliant idea using the NHS pathology nurse! I'll remember that (if I have to do more tests privately - trying to avoid it). I can't afford the extra to have blood taken from my arm privately, but I know the fingerprick is a less reliable method and affected by inexperience/clumsiness in the way it's done.
Having been type 1 diabetic since childhood I'm very used to both methods, have tested my sugars the fingerprick way since the 1980s but observed dozens if not hundreds of professionals "stabbing" over the years (including fingerpricks done on me rather than by me)... so I know I did ok with the fingerprick kit so far, but it wasn't easy.
With blood sugars, squeezing I think increases the ratio of plasma which "dilutes" the blood and makes results lower than they would be otherwise... I think.
Unless you were taking one of the high strength biotins like a hair and nail supplement a week should be enough to clear it. I am not aware what else can skew tests so cant comment Im afraid.
From memory, a bit of both I think? I warmed my hands under hot water then massages my finger to let the blood drip out. Could that have affected it?
I am just in a bit of a state at the moment. I’ve spent so much money on tests, but nothing seems to reveal a clear picture of how I should be treated!
Have stopped b vits today and will request for another nhs test next week. Hopefully something will show up clearer. All I know is, I’ve slowly got worse & having no good days at all at the moment.
They say you can "gently" massage your finger to encourage blood flow, but squeezing can damage the blood.
I would do what Lynn-2 suggests. Ring Medichecks and explain how different the results are and hopefully they will send you a new kit free of charge. You could then do the test the same day as your NHS one.
I always have a bowl of very hot water, hot as I can stand it, swish hand around (dipping in and out if necessary) and make sure that I am standing on a stool so that my arm is as straight down as possible for the blood to flow into the microtainer helped by gravity. Also, gently scraping my finger against the side of the microtainer can help if flow slows down, I would try that rather than massaging the finger.
That method (warm hands and massaging) sounds perfect. It's better to squeeze, if necessary, higher up (nearer the body) rather than right next to the fingerprick. See my reply further up this page about squeezing.
For most tests (including thyroid hormones) medichecks use the doctors laboratory for testing. As my gp’s an awkward sort I did some digging to check how well regarded the lab is and found it actually handles the lab testing for a lot of nhs hospitals, including a few of my local ones!
All my Medichecks tests have had a reply envelope to County Pathology. I know Blue Horizon use The Doctor's Laboratory, the used to use County Pathology at one time (maybe they still do). But all are accredited labs.
I've used Medichecks recently for testosterone checks etc, they were definitely different than the NHS.
In the past I've used Blue Horizon, they seem more scientific and my gut feel is they use a better lab than Medichecks. Medichecks seem much more commercially focused. They are also a lot cheaper than Blue Horizon.
If you think about the nature of the service these companies offer, what you are paying for sales/admin wages, lab fees and profit. The bulk of the cost of blood tests passed onto the customer will be lab fees and Medichecks/Blue Horizon profit. Assuming the staff salaries and the staff time / work involved arranging the blood tests would be fairly similar across companies, differences in prices between companies must be down to lab fees and profit.
Blue Horizon is unable to match Medichecks on prices, especially on bundles, so unless Medichecks staff work for peanuts, or they don't like making a decent profit, the lower test prices are likely due to lower lab fees. Lower lab fees may indicate Medichecks are using labs that aren't of the same standard as Blue Horizon and certainly not the same as the NHS.
Also, was this a home test kit or attending phlebotomy at Spire/BMI?
Results from finger prick tests are clinically unreliable due to the small size of the sample, risk of contamination of sample during collection and damage to blood cells when squeezing your finger.
Lower lab fees may indicate Medichecks are using labs that aren't of the same standard as Blue Horizon and certainly not the same as the NHS.
I don't think we can say that really.
Sarabr says that most of Medichecks tests use The Doctors Laboratory, my test with Blue Horizon a couple of months ago used The Doctors Laboratory. All my Medichecks tests have used County Pathology and Blue Horizon used to use them (may still do for some tests). So it appears that both companies use the same labs.
The Doctors Laboratory lists NHS Trust hospitals and private hospitals on their customer base. County Pathology say they work with clinics, hospitals and health screening companies. Both give details of their accreditation.
Maybe Medichecks does more tests and has negotiated a better price than Blue Horizon, after all that's business, get the best price you can, discount for bulk.
Medichecks do discounts on some tests every week, their normal prices aren't that different from Blue Horizon, certainly not the thyroid tests anyway.
I have done a NHS test and a fingerprick test on the same day, also done them a day apart, and a month or so apart, each time the results were on a par with each other.
3 tests, done with same dose of thyroid meds:
30.10.17 Blue Hor TSH: <0.01 (0.27-4.2) FT4: 16.8 (12-22) 48% through range
08.11.17 GP TSH: <0.02 (0.35-5.5) FT4: 11.9 (7-17) 49% through range
09.01.18 Medichecks TSH: <0.005 (0.27-4.2) FT4:16.9 (12-22) 49% through range
My NHS blood tests get sent to the NHS labs in the Leeds area
"Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Pathology Services' Clinical Support Unit provides services to the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trusts and to local GPs in West Yorkshire. It is divided into five main departments and each department has its own sub-disciplines and associated laboratories"
Might be true - but it is not super-clear - some NHS labs do offer outside services:
We are a large NHS Pathology Department in Birmingham, UK. • We analyse around 100,000 vitamin D tests a year using LC- MS/MS techniques. We measure both Vitamin D3 and D2 giving a ‘Total Vitamin D’ level. • Our Vitamin D test service to the public has been operating since 2011 and carries a CE mark. • Results are closely aligned to serum results. Ranges for serum and blood spot are comparable
I wonder how long before a lab sets up a service we can buy directly,, rather than using the middleman (businesses such as Medichecks and BH)...? It could perhaps take 20% off the price.
Hi Ady, I did ask The Drs Laboratory about the accuracy of their finger prick tests compared to blood draw. If carried out correctly, they advised they compared very well. I was surprised to read you say they are clinically unreliable. I would imagine quite a few on this forum use these finger prick tests.
I've used finger-prick tests a number of times because of the ease and speed of getting results. At best they serve as a screening indicator and give a ballpark idea, rather than soley relied on to diagnose or rule out a condition / treatment.
As a scientist, I use the term "clinically unreliable" to mean that consistency and repeatability cannot be guaranteed - due to collection method and sample size.
The way I see it is this - if I'm going to invest £70-100 on a blood test, I may as well spend the extra £25-30 to give blood in a sterile, hospital environment, with the guarantee the blood sample is large enough for meaningful lab assays to be performed. Also, the sample will be handled and delivered to the lab in the most timely and secure manner. If a job is worth doing and all that...
This gives me a fighting chance in terms of accessing the best health screening information that is currently accessible through private companies - giving me greater confidence in assessing my health status from the results.
Otherwise, the results quoted only serve to justfiy the company charging us for using their service - rather than meaningfully advance knowledge on our health status. Also, trying to convince a GP to act on private results is a little easier when the blood sample was venous at a reputable private hospital.
I find it a bit worrying that we might be paying for private blood tests that may be inaccurate. Are private labs answerable to anyone? Who governs them?
UKAS inspects and accredits laboratories. Their quality statements should be on website. Most big nhs trusts have their own pathology. They are merging lots of them though. 😢
Must admit, in the past I have queried viability of sample sent forward for testing (blood & urine) with Medichecks. Sample received by Lab following morning after sample drawn, but still not tested 5 days or so later. But was assured it was ok. I agree we all pay out for these private tests and should feel assured are reliably tested. I also found my BH results seem to come through quicker.
..I had a Tsh, free T4 and free T3 checked last week at my GP - I am in Scotland but in line with the rest of the UK it seems our NHS lab will not process T3 requests (they bounced back request from my GP!)..so I had the T4 and TSH checked on the NHS then GP took another tube for my T3 which I paid for..princely sum of £9.51..bargain as far as Im concerned. Apart from the monetary saving, it also means that all 3 of the levels are checked by our NHS lab with none of the concerns lusted above. Just to clarify the bloods were taken from the same draw ie at same time. I simply paid for the T3 test. Wondering if this might be a helpful way forward for others?
Hi Fluffyhat, interesting to hear that. Im in Scotland also. My GPs didnt test my T3, possibly because they knew it would be refused. Did you have to ask for the test, and did your doc offer the private option or did you ask? What part of Scotland are you in?
Hi Om289, I am in Edinburgh so our healthboard is NHS Lothian. All GP practices in Lothian get sent a list with prices from the lab of which tests can be done privately. I know this as I am a Practice Nurse and I happen to know that a revised list was circulated about 2 weeks ago - tho I cant comment what happens outwith NHS Lothian. I am unsure how many patients know about this . Most commonly it is used for tests that pts require but are not necessarily needed for their health in Uk ie a very common one is that we have young folk going of to Camp America lets say..The US wants proof of various vaccines of immunities one if which is varicella ( chicken pox) which we dont routinely immunise for in the Uk - therefore the NHS levy a charge for pts as it a test that is not clinically reqd and its pstient choice to volunteer overseas so the NHS wont fund.
Im having some issues thyroidwise so the tests were reqd. Technically as we all know we should have our T3 tested on NHS routinely but at rhe moment it isnt hence I paid..my prev results had been with medicheck ( they seemed fine) and GP happy to go down this route. That said I think tests need to be clinically indicated even if paying...I have a good relationship with my GP but not everyone is as lucky.
Thank you so much for this information. I'm in Forth Valley, and until I raised the possibility of thyroid issues I also had a great relationship with my GP. I have paid for tests through Medichecks when only THS and T4 were done by lab. I thought he would appreciate this, however I was wrong. So I'm in the position now where even though I'm Vit D deficient, and doc has acknowledged this, they aren't testing me to make sure my supplements are working. It's handy to have this information, in case I might need it. Hope you're doing well x
Its tough I agree having to be our advocate most of the time..Im fortunate that my profession means Im a wee bit more used to navigating the system and working with GPs - who are variable in their experince, humanity and openess to admit when they are stumped.
Im really sorry to hear that your GP used to be more helpful...is there anyone else in the practice that you might be able to forge a helpful relationship with? My experience of working with GPs is that the trick is sometimes to try to get to think that whatever it you would like is their idea..I totally agree that this shouldnt be necessary to have our health treated to high standard but sometimes needs must and just have to "play the game" . I feel that I do have a " collaborative " relationship with mine and we are both open to negotiation. sometimes that helps with GPs. At least we have this grest forum for support and sharing of experiences and knowledge.
Vitamin D..in Lothian the labs will only routinely process one Vit D test per person per yr..Ive made a note of when my yr is up and I will get done then but meantime I do privately in between time as I supplement too. I think the exception to the one test a yr rule wld be if a person like yourself is being treated..you should be restested after you have completed a course if high dose vit D. These are Lothian guidelines.
Thank you so much for all of this information. I do my best to second guess which approach will be most successful, just haven't found It yet 😄. Can't give up though. I have been told that there are things "we just don't get to the bottom of". Unfortunately that answer wont satisfy my employer! Onwards and - Hopefully - upwards
I also am suspicious of the accuracy of Medichecks. I had some tests done a few days apart from some NHS ones and the results were quite different. I spoke to my GP who confirmed that even though the ranges were different, the % up the range should be the same and they were vastly different. Which results do you believe when you are supplementing to get your levels right.
I just got some Medichecks results back and they are dramatically different to a test I did via Thriva in February (TSH has almost tripled, T4 dropped from 120s to 70s, FT3 from 4.95 to 6.8). I’m not on any thyroid treatment.
I emailed both companies because this just seemed strange. Medichecks have just said that the results are correct, end of story. Thriva have been really helpful and are sending me a free retest. Not sure what to think at this stage but as comparison this has been my TSH over the last year:
Mine too!The difference in results was huge when my tests were taken within a week of each other.i had stopped taking Biotin as i read it on here and both tests were taken with blood drawn from the arm.I thought it a bit odd at the time.
I’ve had loads of thyroid tests with medichecks and BH done, many at the same time as NHS tests and they have always been identical (with a few points) of the NHS ones.
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