Results

[Hollren]

Hi all, I have found my last results from January. However it does not seem that everything listed on here has been checked. I’m just wondering if anybody could still maybe help me with the results I’ve got please?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Hollren

What dreadful English.

Your thyroid level shows a TSH of 63 shows a young not getting enough thyroxine few

What on earth is that supposed to be?

TSH: 63

Free Thyroxine: 9.9

Unfortunately no reference ranges so we have no idea if your FT4 is in range at the bottom or below range.

Obviously TSH is extremely high and needs to come down. The aim of a Hypo patient on Levo, generally, is for TSH to be 1 or below with FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their ranges.

Replies on your other thread have spelt out quite clearly what tests you need and it would be in your best interest to do them. As already said, you probably wont get them all done with your GP so if you want details of where to get them done then SlowDragon gave you the information in your other thread.

[Hollren in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi, I know I was very shocked when I seen the letter at first as it looks so rushed. It’s came from newcastle RVI hospital as well I’d expect better. I will have to have a look on the other post and try and get the tests needed.

[Nanaedake in reply to Hollren]

Good plan to get retested. Looks like you're badly under medicated. Did you lose parathyroid glands? Your GP might not able to check parathyroid hormone but can check calcium levels. Most important to check vitamin D.

[Hollren in reply to Nanaedake]

Hi, no I still have my parathyroid glads. I’m not due a re test at the GP until September but with what’s currently going on COVID19 and all I don’t know if I’ll be seen as urgent if I request an earlier test. Thanks for your reply!

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Hollren]

That's too long to wait. Do a private one as suggested and get the full thyroid/vitamin panel.

[Hollren in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes I’m going to have a good look at the different options and get one ordered j can’t wait that long. Just out of curiosity if my T3 was low would I take the same amount of levo I do now with T3 or does it get lowered?

[Hollren in reply to Hollren]

Also I forgot to mention, I’m still waiting to be “checked 6 weeks later by the GP” and it’s been around 11 weeks now.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Hollren]

At the moment, due to delays with post, I would suggest going for the Medichecks ULTRAVIT test. They are currently including a "tracked" return envelope which they say means the sample will arrive in good time. It's best that it's posted on the day of doing the test to arrive next day, and standard first class post is too slow for that at the moment.

Do the test on a Monday or Tuesday so that the sample arrives back at the lab before the weekend and can be tested promptly rather than hanging around for the lab to reopen on the Monday.

Only fingerprick or "arrange your own blood draw" options are available at the moment.

Medichecks video on how to do the test (kit is slightly different now, blood collection is the same):

youtube.com/watch?v=w2JzToZ...(Not working as expected?)

Not everyone finds fingerprick tests easy, I do and these are my tips:

* 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.

If you supplement with Biotin, or a B complex containing it (B7), leave it off for 7 days before doing any blood tests as it can give false results when biotin is used in the testing procedure, and most labs do use it.

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 (most labs use biotin).

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

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Hollren]

Getting vitamin levels tested and supplementing to bring all four vitamins to optimal levels frequently improves conversion of Ft4 to Ft3

Not everyone requires T3 ....but we all need dose of levothyroxine high enough and vitamin levels optimal

[pennyannie]

Hey there again Hollren

Well, it's not a full thyroid panel but enough to show that you are very undermedicated.

When optimally medicated your TSH will be about 1 and your T4 nearer 22.

Good job you came on here, and once with a full thyroid panel you'll receive advice on everything, and be put back together again, just like many others of us, who stand before you.

[Hollren in reply to pennyannie]

Wow that’s crazy I knew something wasn’t right but I didn’t expect that bad. The worst thing is 3 months after my op I went for my blood tests, they said everything was ok. I went a whole year feeling really unwell and it wasn’t until January I got these results back, this means I’ve gone a year feeling unwell. I’m so glad I came on here and got some advice, I’ve been so upset for so long now this has made things seem clear. Thank you

[pennyannie in reply to Hollren]

Hey there Holly,

Well, ok, good, better late than never - ( from one to another ) -

Don't beat yourself up, and maybe ease off on the exercise and stop being so hard on yourself.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Hollren]

So next step is to get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing privately

Make sure to do blood test as early as possible on Monday or Tuesday morning BEFORE eating or drinking anything other than water and BEFORE taking your levothyroxine (assuming you normally take levothyroxine first thing in morning)

Last dose of levothyroxine should be 24 hours before test

Come back with new post once you get results