My Medichecks TSH test is different to my NHS test
I did a Medichecks thyroid test on 28th August and the next day on 29th August I had thyroid tests done at my GP surgery. The TSH result is a bit off. Based on the Medichecks results, I’ve raised my NDT dosage. Did the usual, no meds or biotin etc before both tests. Bit worried now.
Here are the results:-
Medichecks
TSH - 1.61 (0.27-4.20)
FT4 - 10.8 (12-22)
FT3 - 5.17 (3.10-6.80)
NHS
TSH - 0.85 (0.2-4.5)
FT4 - 10 (9-21)
Were the tests taken at the same time of day and fasting? Someone posted a graph on here a few days ago showing the circadian rhythm of TSH - surprising how much it could vary in a few hours.
Hi, they were taken at 0730 and 0900. Thought it must be an error
I have had my own doubts about the Medichecks test since I received the results, and this doubt seems to have been borne out by the results I got from my endo on 23 August.
The blood draw was done on the same day at the same time for Medichecks and Endo at local hospital phlebotomy department on 6 August at 08.53 hrs. (the phlebotomist drew the Medichecks vial first and the hospital vial second)
The numbers vary quite remarkably which, to my mind makes the Medichecks the dubious one as it has me over range on both the FT3 and Ferritin (the latter alarmingly so!) and yet the hospital lab has both those elements within range, and although the ferritin is in the upper part of the range, it is nowhere near to over double the top range!
.........................MEDICHECKS ..................................................HOSPITAL LAB
TSH ..............<0.005mIU/L (0.27-4.20) ............................ <0.01 mU/L (0.30-4.20)
FT4............... 4.86 pmol/L (12.00-22.00) ............................5.4 pmol/L (11.00-23.00)
FT3............... 7.34 pmol/L (3.10-6.80) ............................... 5.8 pmol/L (3.5-6.5)
Ferritin ........317 ug/L (13.00-150.00) ............................... 241ug/L (20-250)
I had a follow-up bloodtest done for my GP on the 23rd August and this confirms the TFT results (done by the same lab, so they are consistent) and having spoken to my GP about the ferritin, she has reassured me that it would have to be a lot higher before any further investigations would need to be done.
I have to admit, I am a little bit annoyed about this because it's not the first time that Medichecks have had their results called into question on this forum and I, for one, cannot afford to keep paying for these private tests, especially if they're not going to be accurate.
I also did these tests simultaneously last year (in June 2017) and the results matched far more consistently, so the anomaly appears to exist only this year...
Zephyrbear
Did you contact Medichecks and give them both sets of results? It would be interesting to hear what they had to say.
I haven't yet, but I guess that would be a sensible move to make next. I shall let you know what they come back with...
Zephyrbear
Yes, please do. It's worrying when we see posts like these.
I can understand the TSH, looking back at my spreadsheet of results it's clear that my GP's surgery lower limit is <0.02, Blue Horizon is <0.01 and Medichecks is <0.005 so BH and Medichecks machines are capable of recording lower levels than my NHS test.
The FT4 range is slightly different, and a slight difference in the result, but with the result being below range I can't work out the minus numbers properly (maths reasonable but not that good).
FT3 is a big puzzle, Ferritin an even bigger puzzle - double the top of range with Medichecks yet in range, albeit near the top, with NHS - that one certainly doesn't make sense.
Well, I've sent them a copy of the above post, so I'll see what they have to say. I'll post their response here once I get it.
FYI: I take 50mcg T3 (in 2 doses of 25mcg/day) and only 25mcg T4 a day, which explains the low FT4 reading and the non-existent TSH level.
Yes, I guessed you were taking a good dose of T3 and little to no T4.
Hopefully you wont have to wait long for a reply from Medichecks.
I have just (finally) received a reply from Medichecks and after asking me to confirm whether I had consumed any food or my meds on the morning of the test, which I hadn't, they wrote back to me offering me another test free of charge (which I received this morning). However, I'm off to the Caribbean for 6 weeks in a couple of weeks time and won't be back until December, after which I shall repeat the test. I'll write more when I get the results from these. I have to do another one for the GP too, which will go through the same labs as the one for my endo that was at such variance with the original test and I'll get that one done at the same time again, so we'll have a new comparison.
I have just chased medicjecks for my own personal case. I will post results as soon as I’m given them! X
Hi angie,
See my old post about conflicting nhs and blue horizon /
Medichecks blood results. Medichecks are investigating this and I have been sent for extensive blood tests (still awaiting the result) to see if I carry an antibody that interferes with their testing. I will be posting on the forum with the results as soon as I receive the reaults!
Dee
X
Hi Dee, do keep me posted. Wonder what antibody interferes with testing?!
I’llbe doing another Medichecks test in a few weeks (GP won’t test FT3) so will see what comes back next time 😩
I haven't had Medichecks and NHS tests done at the same time, but I have had Blue Horizon and Medichecks test done at the same time, and they agreed with each other very closely.
I went to a Spire Hospital for a blood draw to be done. They have a contract with BH. I decided to splash out and get some Medichecks tests done at the same time, some of which were duplicates of the Spire tests.
A needle was stuck in my arm, test tubes for the BH tests were filled, and without replacing the needle the Medichecks tubes were filled as well (I asked nicely). The Spire Hospital I use has a blood testing lab in the basement, and I have been led to believe that some of the tests that were done were done there. I think they farm out some of them elsewhere though. (I'm really not sure about this arrangement though.)
I took the tubes filled for the Medichecks tests away with me and posted them off.
Some of the duplicated tests were absolutely bang on - identical. Even the ones that weren't were not wildly different.
I did a similar experiment several years ago when I compared BH and Genova Diagostics thyroid testing and they matched extremely well too.
There have also been times when I've done NHS and private tests very close together. And in those circumstances the NHS and private are quite markedly different. It is the NHS labs I would have doubts about, not the private companies.
Just received mine and they are accurate in regards to my last test results from my gp surgery in June.
Medichecks results
Medichecks ferritin results and ranges
Interesting results: NHS vs Medichecks tests
FT3 low in range. How do I help GP understand this could be the cause of some of my symptoms?
Fingerprick tests accurate?
