Before joining this group I had always took my levo before my blood tests, my GP never told me not to!!! Below are the past 5 years worth of my TSH. My query is if I hadn’t took my daily dose would my TSH have been different? If so would the TSH result have been lower? Sorry if this sounds crazy, I’m asking the question because I’ve struggled for years with symptoms of palpitations, anxiety, fatigue etc all of which 🤞have improved so much since finding this site and following your advice.
July 2015 1.5
Dec 2016 1.8
June 2017 1.0
Dec 2017 1.5
Oct 2018 0.89
May 2019 0.39
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Molly139
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For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
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)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
Thanks Slow Dragon, I’m a bit confused as you say ‘last dose of levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test this gives the highest TSH’ so because I’d took my levo wouldn’t my TSH have been lower had I not took the dose? Vitamin D is high 70s now I’m supplementing and vitamin B12 is good thank you for asking.
“According to the current TSH reference interval, hypothyroidism was not diagnosed in about 50% of the cases in the afternoon.”
“Further analysis demonstrated inadequate compensation of hypothyroidism, which was defined in 45.5% of the morning samples and in 9% of the afternoon samples”
TSH levels showed a statistically significant decline postprandially in comparison to fasting values. This may have clinical implications in the diagnosis and management of hypothyroidism, especially SCH.
What affects TSH level is time of day the test is done (level is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day) and whether or not you have eaten or drunk coffee before the test (eating can lower TSH and coffee affects TSH).
If that’s your TSH taking replacement that’s your TSH. Levothyroxine is absorbed within 2-4 hrs and skipping a dose to make or fake a TSH test is just as problematic because it may disrupt your established regime and give an equally misleading result as a blood sample within 3 hrs of a big levothyroxine dose. 6 hrs after taking a dose should be fine.
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Blood Results and change of Levo dose.
Third blood test for levo
Levo dose battle - blood result help needed!
Timing from taking last dose of levo. to doing blood test.
