Which test?

[geegee888]

Hi,

Due to the current crisis, I need to provide my own blood test results when I see my Endocrinologist.

At last I'm being referred!!!

Which test is best?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

geegee888

For a full picture it would be a good idea to get a full thyroid/vitamin panel done now then everything will be covered. Best bet is to do the same Medichecks ULTRAVIT test that you did before when you posted results here:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Don't forget the advice we always give when doing thyroid tets:

* 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 affects TSH so it's possible that other caffeine containing drinks may also affect TSH.

* When 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 (most labs use Biotin in the assay).

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

As only fingerprick tests, or "arrange your own blood draw" tests are being offered at the moment, you will need to post your sample the same day as you do your test and use a delivery method so that it arrives next day. Standard first class post is severely delayed at the moment, my experience over the last week or so is that both post I have sent and received by first class has taken 5-7 days to arrive.

Check with the post office about the Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day service as the guaranteed times currently have changed - from Royal Mail's website:

Due to increased absence levels, we’ve reviewed our timed guarantees for Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am and 1pm services and will make the following changes. For items posted from Tuesday 31 March 2020 onwards, our guaranteed delivery for Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9.00am the next working day will change to by 12.00pm the next working day*. Our guaranteed delivery for Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1.00pm will change to by 9.00pm the next working day.

[geegee888]

Ok, Thankyou for your reply.

I'll order test kit and wait a couple of weeks and hopefully things might improve.

As I take vit d, do you think I carry on taking that as normal?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to geegee888]

You can continue with Vit D, just take it after the test on the day, not before.

Biotin/B Complex and iron (if testing iron) are the ones to leave off for 7 days before a test.

Keep an eye on Royal Mail's website about delivery, I don't think standard first class post will be back to normal for a very long time, I always use Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day anyway, but keep an eye on whether the times change back for that.

[geegee888 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks again,everything crossed for Endo visit🌻🌻🌻🌻