Timings for thyroid blood test

Hi all

So I have just booked my thyroid blood test through blue horizons. I always ask for the earliest appointment. Closest to 9am.

The nurse said she will try but might be closer to 9.30am. Will this still be ok?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

It will be fine. Timing of blood draw only affects TSH so if anything the extra 30 minutes will probably make a very small difference only to the TSH result, nothing else.

Remember that the last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before the test and if you take NDT or T3 then last dose is 8-12 hours before the test.

B Complex or Biotin, if you take it, should be left off for 7 days before the test.

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for the reply.

I am not on any medication yet.

Still trying to get a diagnosis.

So i'm trying to get my tsh as high as possible.

Hence the earliest appointment time.

So it will still be fine at that time?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Hidden]

9am is better.

See graph of daily rhythms of thyroid hormones and TSH here:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

TSH is the top graph.

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you. That's very helpful. I asked for as close to 9am as possible. I just wondered if a difference of half an hour would make much of a difference.

[Hidden]

My surgery doesnt do tests till the afternoon but the local hospital opens for 8am. Just had a private test this morning. There's always a queue so I got there by 7 and had the test just after 8.

The problem is not being able to have anything except water beforehand. That's not the official practice and we don't mention it but again helps keep TSH up. I once had a go and private test at the same time and the two TSH results with less than 5 minutes between were quite a bit different!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi thanks for the reply.

I've never enquired at the hospital before about private blood testing. It's always been a nurse home visit. No later than 9am normally. Not sure if my gp allows it. I feel a bit cheeky to ask them.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

No, I meant you can buy a private test kit and take it to a hospital, or even have a home visit if you are unable to get there. You don't even have to tell your GP of you don't want to.

Medichecks have an arrangement with local hospitals in many parts of the country.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi

I have already bought the kit. The nurse is booked for the 16th of March.

Mine is through blue horizons not medichecks. Not sure if they have the same arrangements.

I just thought maybe i could have got it elsewhere a bit earlier it might be better

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Sorry, seems I misunderstood

I don't know about Blue Horizon but you could look on the Medichecks site for a hospital near enough to get to that participates in the scheme. medichecks.com/pages/clinic...

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

That's ok. I have had a nurse home visit a few times and it's always been 9am.

Different nurse this time so she says she will try to get as near to 9am as she can.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

"I meant you can buy a private test kit".

There's a choice of options. You can either order a DIY test kit (though I find them difficult to use, even with a friend helping), or you can get a professional blood draw, but this costs extra unless you know a qualified doctor or nurse who will do it for free.

For the professional one you can either go to a hospital who has an arrangement with the test company, or have someone come to the house - though that is likely the most expensive way.