Help with blood test results

[livelifetothefull]

I am asking for a friend who has had recent blood tests and high have come back with nothing wrong but she has symptoms of underactive thyroid - tiredness, feeling extreme cold, can’t seem to loose weight. Can anyone help interpret these and suggest if any other tests should have been undertaken. Thank you in advance

[Lalatoot]

Am I correct in thinking that the only thyroid test done was tsh? As you have experience of thyroid issues you will know yourself that that tells us very little and that your friend needs full thyroid panel and vitamins tested. Her tsh is elevated but as it is still well within the range nothing will be done.

[livelifetothefull in reply to Lalatoot]

Hi - yes that was the only thyroid test. What tests are covered under the “full thyroid panel” please?

[Lalatoot in reply to livelifetothefull]

Free t4. If they are lucky or doing a private test free t3 needs done too. Plus B12, folate, ferritin and vitamin D.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

I can't read that even on my large PC monitor.

For a full picture the tests needed are

TSH

FT4

FT3

Thyroid antibodies (Thyroid peroxidase - TPO, and Thyroglobulin - Tg)

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

She may not be able to get them all done with her GP. If not then she should consider private testing and we have recommended labs. Popular tests are:

Medichecks Thyroid Check ULTRAVIT medichecks.com/thyroid-func... You can use code THYROIDUK for a 10% discount on any test not on special offer

or

Blue Horizon Thyroid Check PLUS ELEVEN bluehorizonmedicals.co.uk/t...

Both tests include the full thyroid and vitamin panel. They are basically the same test but with the following small differences:

For the fingerprick test, Blue Horizon requires 1 x microtainer of blood (0.8ml), Medichecks requires 2 x microtainers (total 1.6ml)

Blue Horizon includes Total T4 (can be useful but not essential). Medichecks doesn't include this test.

B12 - Blue Horizon does Serum B12. Medichecks does Active B12.

Serum B12 shows the total B12 in the blood. Active B12 shows what's available to be taken up by the cells. You can have a reasonable level of Serum B12 but a poor level of Active B12. (Personally, I would go for the Active B12 test.)

When doing thyroid tests, we advise:

* Book the first appointment of the morning, or with private tests at home no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. If we are looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, or looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction then we need TSH to be as high as possible.

* Fast overnight - have your evening meal/supper as normal the night before but delay breakfast on the day of the test and drink water only until after the blood draw. Eating may lower TSH, caffeine containing drinks affect TSH.

* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT or T3 then last dose should be 8-12 hours before blood draw. Adjust timing the day before if necessary. This avoids measuring hormone levels at their peak after ingestion of hormone replacement. Take your thyroid meds after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.

* If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7), leave this off for 7 days before any blood test. This is because if Biotin is used in the testing procedure it will give false results (Medichecks definitely use Biotin, they have confirmed this and the amount of time to leave the supplement off).

These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with doctors or phlebotomists.

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

"I can't read that even on my large PC monitor."

I pasted the picture into a word document and fiddled with contrast and brightness but the nearest I can get is that TSH is probably 5. something and range is 0.3-5.something. Can't see any other results.

The note says "TSH is done as the first line test and FT4 is refused if TSH is < 0.5 or >5.0 Mu/L"

It could be "referred" rather than refused, but very unlikely!

Is that correct livelifetothefull ?

[overunbykids in reply to Hidden]

On my phone I can just make it out. TSH is 3.8 (0.3 - 5.8)

[livelifetothefull in reply to overunbykids]

Apologies for the quality of the results but he’s looking at the original TSH is 3.8

[livelifetothefull in reply to Hidden]

Apologies for the quality of the results but the TSH is 3.8. I’m assuming that because it’s 3.8 and within the range they won’t do a lot about it.

[livelifetothefull in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for this reply. Apologies for the quality of the results but I hear what you are saying about the other tests being required