Normal TSH but still got symptoms!

[walkingintheblue]

I'm new here and would appreciate some advice please. As my GP will only carry out the TSH test (my last result was 1.85) would anyone recommend me having a full thyroid panel done as I am suffering from quite a few health issues which I think may be thyroid related. Which private testing companies are the best.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

walkingintheblue

would anyone recommend me having a full thyroid panel done as I am suffering from quite a few health issues which I think may be thyroid related.

Absolutely!

TSH alone is not an indicator of thyroid status. It's not a thyroid hormone, it's a pituitary hormone. The thyroid hormones are FT4 and FT3 and these are what's important and tell us if we are optimally medicated, particularly FT3.

If a member's GP can only get TSH tested, we advise members to do private tests to get the full picture. And if you've not had recent nutrient levels tested then get those done as well - Vit D, B12, Folate and Ferritin.

We have a few recommended labs. If you want the full thyroid/vitamin panel then the following are popular:

Medichecks Thyroid Check ULTRAVIT WITH FOLATE medichecks.com/products/thy...

You can use code THYROIDUK for a 10% discount on any test not on special offer

or

Blue Horizon Thyroid PREMIUM GOLD bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Check this page for discount code thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Both tests include the full thyroid and vitamin panel. They are basically the same test but Medichecks require a venous blood draw and Blue Horizon can be done with a fingerprick test. There are a few small differences:

Blue Horizon requires 1 x microtainer of blood (0.8ml) for the fingerprick test, or you can arrange venous blood draw at extra cost.,

Medichecks is venous blood draw only.

Blue Horizon includes Total T4 (can be useful but not essential). Medichecks doesn't include this test.

B12 - Blue Horizon does Total B12 which measures bound and unbound (active) B12 but doesn't give a separate result for each. Medichecks does Active B12.

Total B12 shows the total B12 in the blood. Active B12 shows what's available to be taken up by the cells. You can have a reasonable level of Total B12 but a poor level of Active B12.

Blue Horizon include magnesium but this is an unreliable test so don't let this sway your decision, it also tests cortisol but that's a random cortisol test and to make any sense of it you'd need to do it fasting before 9am I believe.

I thinkThriva also do the full thyroid/vitamin panel but I can't get my head round their website and they have a very confusing way of showing their results, so I'm personally not interested in them.

If you only want TSH, FT4 and FT3 then MonitorMyHealth is the cheapest and it's done by fingerprick at an NHS lab at Exeter Hospital.

All details under the appropriate pages here:

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

Always advised here, when having thyroid tests:

* Blood draw no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. If looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, an increase in dose of Levo or to avoid a reduction then we need the highest possible TSH

* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the blood draw. This is because eating can lower TSH and coffee can affect TSH.

* Last dose of Levo 24 hours before the test, take that day's dose after the blood draw. This is because if you take your Levo before the blood draw the test will measure the dose just taken and show a false high. If you leave longer than 24 hours the result will show a false low.

* 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 phlebotomists or doctors.

If you decide to go for a fingerprick test and would like some tips on how to do this please ask and I will post what works for me.