Best Private Testing for Thyroid?

[NotRocketScience]

I'm in the UK. Which is the best company to get full thyroid testing from? Is it best to have vitamin/ mineral deficiencies tested at the same time? What about adrenal fatigue?

TIA!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

ThyroidUK has a few recommended labs listed here:

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/p...

For thyroid tests I use Medichecks and Blue Horizon.

Medichecks have regular thyroid-related special offers on a Thursday which vary from week to week.

Blue Horizon have occasional discounts, currently there is a limited number with code BLUE33 which gives 33% discount and expires at the end of October or before if they've all been used.

If you haven't had vitamins tested recently then it's always a good idea to get those done too.

The following are full thyroid/vitamin panels and can be done by fingerprick or, for an extra charge, by venous blood draw:

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 Total B12. Medichecks does Active B12.

Total 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 Total 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, coffee/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 (both Medichecks and Blue Horizon advise to leave Biotin/B Complex off).

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

For an adrenal test, go for a 24 hour saliva adrenal profile which tests both Cortisol and DHEA (don't test cortisol alone). The companies which do this test are:

Regenerus - thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/r...

I use Regenerus. They email you directly when results are available.

Genova Diagnostics - thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/g...

Genova send results to ThyroidUK who then email the results to you once you have completed the release form on their website.

For both these companies you need to quote ThyroidUK as your "practioner" as they don't deal direct with the general public.

[NotRocketScience in reply to SeasideSusie]

Wow! Thank you so much for this detailed information. Much appreciated!