Take levo or not on day of test?

[distractonaught]

Hi all

Spent a bit of money on a Medichecks test and just wanted to double check - for accurate results is it usually advisable to NOT take your usual levo dose on the morning of the test? I'm going to do mine today. Thank you.

[Marz]

Explained in your post/thread of a month ago by SlowDragon 🤔

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Do NOT do test today

[distractonaught in reply to SlowDragon]

Don't worry - I didn't! Actually I had no choice because I was due to have it done at a clinic and they had no staff available. Annoying but I will be sure to get it right next time and I have an actual appointment now

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You need to do test Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday

Otherwise it may arrive at lab to late to process before weekend shutdown

[distractonaught in reply to SlowDragon]

Ooh! Good call. I am now having the blood test on Wednesday 👍

[Lora7again in reply to SlowDragon]

I had to have mine tested on a Friday because it expired the end of January. I had the sample tracked and it arrived on Monday because Medichecks emailed me tell me they had received it. It then only took a couple of days for them to send me my results to my account.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

If taking any supplements that contain biotin (eg vitamin B complex) you need to stop this a week before any blood tests as biotin can falsely affect test results

If testing iron levels, stop iron supplements a week before

Come back with new post once you get results

[distractonaught in reply to SlowDragon]

They can only do afternoon - should I just try not to eat in the AM? It's at 1pm so can prob survive...

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to distractonaught]

Ideally rebook for an early appointment....especially if hoping to get dose levothyroxine increased

TSH varies through the day ....is highest early morning

TSH is lowest at 2pm

[distractonaught in reply to SlowDragon]

I'm not hoping for an increase or any particular outcome, just trying to get some clarity on several things my GP has never really looked into (antibodies mainly, but also unexplained weight loss) and to find out whether my extreme brain fog at the moment is down to thyroid or one of the many other things it could be in my case! (ADHD, hormonal birth control, or something else entirely).

So honestly I just want it to be as accurate as possible.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to distractonaught]

Presumably you are also testing vitamin levels

[distractonaught in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes! I've gone for one of the comprehensive tests that looks at vitamins and antibodies as well as TSH, T4/3 etc.

[Lora7again in reply to distractonaught]

Medichecks gave me the choice of two hospitals one private and the other NHS. I went to the NHS one because it is 15 minutes away from me. I arrived at 8.30 and had my test at 9.15 because the staff were having a coffee. This is true I'm afraid we watched them all troop out of the staff room chatting and laughing while the waiting room was filling up.

[distractonaught in reply to Lora7again]

Hehe, that doesn't sound too bad. This was a private clinic but with only one nurse who was off sick, and no available doctors, so I'm wondering if I should find a friendly NHS clinic nearby that might be able to do it sooner! I don't recall seeing any on the medichecks list.

[Lora7again in reply to distractonaught]

I spoke to them on the phone and asked them which was the nearest hospital so they told me.