Private blood tests

[Odinil]

Im about to order a thyroid blood test from either blue horizon or medicheck, blue horizon offer two thyroid blood test, one is gold and the other is platimum, gold is cheaper at 129 pounds, what to people go for and do must people go for the finger prick or go and have blood taken. Medicheck said they can send me to a clinic i think its an additional 30 pounds. Can my gp advise me where to get a private test done.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Odinil

If you use Blue Horizon, go for the Premium Gold, don't bother with the Platinum. The only difference is that reverse T3 is included in the Platinum test and it's really not worth bothering with - it's expensive, takes a lot longer to receive the result and doesn't tell you anything the Gold test shows. If reverse T3 comes back high it doesn't tell you why it's high and there are many, many reasons for high reverse T3 but only one is to do with the thyroid and that is when there is an excess of unconverted T4, but you can actually tell this from looking at FT4 and FT3 results anyway.

The Premium Gold test can be done by fingerprick (or you can arrange venous blood draw if you prefer). There is a discount code on this page for any Premium test:

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

The equivalent Medichecks test which does all the vitamins included in the BH Premium Gold test is called the Thyroid Check Ultravit with Folate but it has to be done by venous blood draw. If you are considering this then check tomorrow to see if they have it on special offer, Medichecks have one thyroid related test at a special price every Thursday.

Some people find fingerprick tests easy (I do) but some find them difficult and arrange phlebotomy. Some use Medichecks, some use Blue Horizon, I use both.

If you decide on the BH fingerprick test and would like some tips, please ask and I will post my useful tips.

[Odinil in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you, i'll call medicheck tomorrow to see what their offer is, just not sure i can prick my own finger, i know it sounds ridicious as its such an easier option.

Thanks again

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Odinil]

You don't need to call them. It's posted on the forum on Thursday morning with a link, use the link and ThyroidUK gets a donation. You can check prices on Medichecks website as the special price will show on there.

Don't confuse the ULTRAVIT test with the ULTRAVIT WITH FOLATE, you need folate testing as well and it's not included with the ULTRAVIT.

[Odinil in reply to SeasideSusie]

Why do you have to have blood taken for the Medicheck ultravit with folate but a choice of finger prick or blood taken with Blue Horizon for same blood test?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Odinil]

Odinil

Medichecks used to include the folate test with the old Ultravit test and it could be done by fingerprick. However, for some reason they were getting a high number of failures on the folate test, possibly because there wasn't enough blood (their microtainer is 0.6ml compared with Blue Horizon's at 0.8ml). So they dropped the folate test from the Ultravit and introduced the ULTRAVIT WITH FOLATE test and made it venous blood draw only which requires more blood than their microtainer does.

Blue Horizon don't seem to have the problem with failure of the folate test with their Premium Gold, possibly because it's a larger microtainer. BH is the one I use when I do a thyroid/vitamin bundle once a year and I always do it by fingerprick and never had a failure.

[Odinil in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks for that, ive put up with 6 years of hospital visits trying to get through to consultants how sensitive i was to thyroxine, so unwell, just got the feeling that i was making a fuss and no one else had reported experiencing the same symptoms as me. I have a rountine hospital appointment on the 4th December, i get my bloods done at the hospital in readiness for the appointment, its only because i joined this forum that i now know that its not a full blood test, if i get my own test done i will take it with me, not sure what response i will get from the consultant especially if it shows anything up, my test will be 4 months old by the time i go, my nhs blood test will be done end of November, the two can still be compared cant they bearing in mind the gap between them.

Hope that makes sense

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Odinil]

Come back with new post once you get results and members can advise on next steps to improve low vitamin levels

We ALWAYS recommend getting FULL thyroid and vitamin testing BEFORE any consultation

Remember to always test as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Only test on Monday or Tuesday morning and post back via tracked 24 hour postal service

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

[Odinil in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you i will do that, im not taking any vitamins so it will be interesting to see what my vitamins result will be.

I have had the occassional vitamin defficiency blood test done by my gp and all came back fine but again probably didnt include the most important ones.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Odinil]

Odinil

No, they can't really be compared if they're not done within a couple of days of each other. A lot can change in 4 months.

One thing that could be established is if you have raised antibodies, that would confirm autoimmune thyroid disease (known to patients as Hashimoto's), and once tested positive that's it, antibodies fluctuate but if you've had a positive test than that it, Hashi's, it doesn't go away.

Also, if you have low nutrient levels you can work on them, or if you have any deficiencies you would discuss them with your GP to get treatment.

[Odinil in reply to SeasideSusie]

Can i still have Hashimoto's disease if my thyroid was removed, i had cancer of the thyroid?

Im going to get blood test done as soon as possible as now i know about the difference between nhs test and private test im desparate to get it done, i will also get another private one done just before my hospital appointment in December, its going to be expensive i know but it will be peace of mind and finally i will get some answers and i know more now then i did which makes me feel more confident when speaking to the hospital consultant.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Odinil]

Odinil

As I don't have Hashi's I haven't studied it so can't answer your question I'm afraid.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Odinil

I forgot to add - your GP is unlikely to know where you can get a private blood test and would probably advise you against it anyway. They often don't like them and wont accept them but if that's the case, and you get some out of range results which clearly show a problem, then there's your cue to suggest your GP arranges the tests himself.