no T3 results

[thyroidnodules]

i have posted on here before about my thyroid journey. to shorten the post, i have now sorted myself with NDT thiroyd and feel a lot better. I eventually told my doctor i wasnt taking the levo (he made no comment as to my reasons) and then seemed uninterested in me after that. i asked if i could have regular blood tests to monitor my dosage and he said yes reluctantly. i did initially get blood tests i.e. tsh, t4 and t3. however last year when i had a blood test the nurse said "you only had one a few months ago" and this time i only got tsh and t4 which were not enough to guage matters as t3 is the active hormone and one i need to pay attention to. due to this attitude i didnt go back for a further blood test or a whole year and again asked for a t3 result. the lab didnt do this again and i only got t4 and tsh.

TSH 0.06 (range 0.2 - 4.5)

T4 10 (range 9 - 21)

the doc has asked me to do a further test in two months, no doubt because my tsh is so low (I understand it will be supressed in any event due to taking Thiroyd). I am thinking of writing a letter to him, explaining my reasons and asking him why i am not getting a T3 test anymore) Any advice? I suppose i will have to pay for my own T3 test and then repost my result. i think it is shocking the attitude of the NHS towards thyroid blood tests and that they have cut out the T3 test

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

thyroidnodules

Many years ago when I saw a private doctor and was on NDT, my GP told me she'd have nothing to do with my thyroid, so no tests at all were done by the surgery whilst I wasn't having my prescription for Levo.

So it would seem that you are lucky that your GP is at least agreeing to test whilst you are self medicating. Even if your GP requests FT3, it's the lab that makes the decision as to whether or not the test is done.

If you do have private tests done, remember that FT3 shouldn't be tested on it's own, it should always be done at the same time as TSH and FT4.

[thyroidnodules in reply to SeasideSusie]

i still think its shocking as what use is it the gp testing if i am not getting t3 tested. i know it is the labs who decide but surely a doctor can ask for it to be done. i dont consider myself lucky as i am a pensioner and cannot afford to have full panels done. i suppose i will just have to continue on and take my chances without blood tests and hope for the best lol

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to thyroidnodules]

Yes, a doctor can ask for the test to be done, but it's still the lab's decision, they can overrule a GP's request if they see fit.

i dont consider myself lucky as i am a pensioner

I do actually, many members who self medicate don't get their tests done by their GP, as with mine they wash their hands of all things thyroid once a patient self medicates.

I'm a pensioner and I self source T3 to add to my prescribed Levo, which my GP doesn't know about. To monitor my levels myself I buy a thyroid monitoring kit from Medichecks when it's on special offer which tests TSh, FT4 and FT3, in fact it's on offer today, normally £39, today it's £29. I will save it and use it at a later date, we have 6 months from ordering to use a Medichecks test.

If you feel stable on your dose of NDT then a once yearly check, as your GP would do, should suffice.

[Quaver in reply to SeasideSusie]

Seaside..... do you still see a private doc 're NDT? X

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Quaver]

I haven't seen a private doctor since 2002. I trialled NDT for a year back then and it wasn't right for me. I started adding T3 to my Levo about 3 years ago.

[Quaver in reply to SeasideSusie]

Ok and are you settled (as best we can be!) now with that mix? X

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Quaver]

Yes, it took a long time and much tweaking of doses to find the right combination but I seem to have found it now.

[MaisieGray]

You not being tested for FT3 is not specific to you, and unlikely to be because of your decision to self-medicate with NDT (although some Drs refuse to do any monitoring in that situation) because it is the experience of many, perhaps even the majority (but not all) of us, even those who are wholly compliant with Levothyroxine. For NHS testing, labs tend to follow the protocol whereby if the TSH result is normal, nothing else is tested; if the TSH is abnormal then FT4 is tested; and unless the FT4 is abnormal, the FT3 won't be tested. Even where the GP requests it, it is often the case that the lab overrules the request so I doubt your letter will have much impact. In a world where amongst the medical professional, TSH testing is considered the gold standard, and where health funding is being stretched beyond breaking, rather than being shocking, it is to be expected that "unecessary" testing isn't carried out, hence why so many of us chose instead, to have more comprehensive testing carried out privately.