Blood results

[Buckley123]

Does this mean it’s not thyroid

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

You don't have a full thyroid panel there so until you do no accurate comment can be made. Replies to previous posts have mentioned exactly the tests you need.

If you can't get them all done with your GP then consider doing them privately with one of our recommended labs, which is what hundreds of us here do.

For full thyroid/vitamin panel:

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.)

If you have current vitamin results then go for

Medichecks Thyroid Check Plus

or

Blue Horizon Thyroid Check Plus 6

Post full results with reference ranges for comment when you have them.

[Buckley123 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks so much for your reply I understand I was wondering if it could still be possible with these results still but

I have taken your advice and brought a test just now with medichecks for £99

Thanks again xx

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Buckley123]

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 can 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.

If you have ordered the fingerprick version here are some tips that may help:

* Be well hydrated, drink plenty of water the day before, and before you do the test.

* Some people take a shower before hand, some run up and down the stairs to get blood flowing. Personally, as I can't run up and down the stairs, I circle my arm round, windmill style.

* Have a bowl full of hot water, dip hand in and out, swish around, hand needs to go red. If blood flow stops, you can always swish round in the hot water again.

* Stand up to do the test. Make sure your arm is straight down when collecting the blood. Either use a small step stool to raise yourself well above the work surface, or put the collection tube on a lowish shelf. One member uses an ironing board so she can get the perfect height.

* Prick finger on the side, not the tip. I find that half way between the nail bed and tip is about right, or maybe slightly nearer the nail bed rather than the tip. I use my ring finger, but middle finger is next best for me.

* Do not squeeze your finger to get the blood out, it can damage the blood and it may not be usable

I've recently done 2 tests. The first one there was very little blood coming out which was unusual for me so I used a second finger and between the two I gradually filled the tube. However, when I checked the prick site for the first finger the actual cut was very small and as I've had some of these lancets fail before I put it down to that. When I did the second test this is what I did

* Prick my finger as usual, make a very slight twist with the lancet whilst blade is still in the finger. I'm not talking 90 degrees or anything, just a very slight twist to make the cut just slightly bigger, it doesn't hurt or cause a blood bath! This made a big difference, 11 generous drops of blood filled the tube in less 2 minutes.

Medichecks Ts & Cs state

medichecks.com/terms-and-co...

8. SAMPLES AND TEST RESULTS

.7.You must send samples collected in accordance with clauses 8.3 and 8.4 above to the laboratory using the pre-paid envelope provided on the day the sample was taken to ensure that it arrives at the laboratory the following day. Failure to do so may lead to deterioration of your sample which could affect the accuracy of your test results. We do not accept responsibility for results that are compromised due to delays in returning samples or where samples are lost in the post. If you are concerned that your usual postal service will not result in next day delivery, we recommend that you return your sample using a guaranteed next-day service. This will be at your cost.

I always use Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm Next Day. Hand over the counter at the Post Office and get the receipt with the tracking number, this will enable you to get a refund of the fee if they fail to deliver on time.

Best posted Monday-Wednesday, Thursday at the latest if using Special Delivery. If you can't do the test/post back by Thursday then wait until the next Monday.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Not necessarily. Your free T4 is only a third of the way through the range. In most healthy people it is at least half way through the range. What symptoms do you have?

[Buckley123 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Thanks angle of the north

I’ve only just seen your response xx

Everything

Swallowing lump in throat hoarseness

Funny vision I wear prisms which I hear is unusual for my age (29) Muscle twitching jolting pains in my legs brittle hair swollen tongue is it Scollops tongue?

Really dry skin hair dry eyes dry mouth I have pernicious anaemia B12 deficiency I also have polycystic ovary syndrome vitamin di levels always been low low iron low folate.Starting to have problems with my speech and model that word a lot xx

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Buckley123]

I've had prisms since I was 9! Lots of those things sound like B12/folate, so are you getting enough B12 injections for your PA? It does sound like thyroid, especially with PCOS, but you won't get treatment from an NHS GP with those results (but could be central hypothyroidism, which you need a clued-up endo to recognize)

[Buckley123 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Is there such a thing as a clued yo doctor I’m yet to find one 😂

[Buckley123 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

I have got a Medi checks blood test to take tomorrow morning before 9 am to see if I can get a more accurate reading also it’s a full thyroidAntibody test xx