Preparing for thyroid tests

[jeanie245]

Hello.

I am going to have my full thyroid test done next week. I understand that I need to be fasting, and not to take Levo for 24 hours prior to the test.

What about liothyronine? Do I need to wait 24 hours ?

Also take vitamin B 6, B 12 and B 1 and iron. Should I stop taking these vitamins 24 hours prior to the test?

I currently take 25 µg of levo and have asked the doctor To increase that amount. I have a lot of hair loss, not in patches or chunks, but strands coming out At an alarming amount. This is not normal. I lose about 20 times more Hair per week than i did a year ago

Also my body temp normally used to be around 97.7, the last several months it is 96.1 to 96. .3.

Thanks for Any replies.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

jeanie245

I understand that I need to be fasting, and not to take Levo for 24 hours prior to the test.

That's correct but you can drink water.

Test should be done as early as possible, preferably no later than 9am.

What about liothyronine? Do I need to wait 24 hours ?

No. Last dose of liothyronine should be 8-12 hours before test, splitting dose and adjusting time the day before if necessary.

Also take vitamin B 6, B 12 and B 1 and iron. Should I stop taking these vitamins 24 hours prior to the test?

You can continue with these but on the day of the test take them after the blood draw.

If Iron is being tested you need to stop iron tablets for 7 days.

If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7) then you need to stop this for 7 days before any blood test.

[userotc in reply to SeasideSusie]

I think I read a few days ago that Nutri Thyroid glandular should be stopped as much as 6-8 weeks before test. If thats so, what effect on the results would you expect if not done?Apologies if you didn't say the above!

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to userotc]

That would be if someone were trying to achieve a "baseline" test. The gaps discussed above are those needed to avoid hitting the peaks which occur between minutes and hours after taking a dose.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to userotc]

As people use NutriThyroid as some form of thyroid medication, and all it contains is thyroid gland and excipients, then you'd treat it the same as any thyroid medication, no need to leave it off. Nobody would leave off their Levo or T3 or NDT for 6-8 weeks before a test. The 6-8 weeks quoted here is the time between a dose change of thyroid meds and retesting, could that be what you've seen?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How much liothyronine are you currently taking

If/when also on T3, make sure to take last third or quarter of daily dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test

Do you normally split T3 dose?

[jeanie245 in reply to SlowDragon]

HelloI take 15mcg of lio and 25 Mcg of unithroid. As follows: I take 5mcg of lio at 1230am and then 10 Mcg Lio with 25 Mcg of unithroid at 2:30 am.

I naturally wake up a lot.

That way I give myself 4 hours with no food or coffee. Then At 630 am I drink coffee and eat cottage cheese and take my B vitamins (1 of B1, 1of B12, And 1 B6. Also taurine, potassium, magnesium. (For heart).

I have never done a split. Would that help? Is it better ? The pills are in 5mcg each

Thanks a bunch.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to jeanie245]

Well we are all different....but many find splitting dose is better

Personally I split as follows

10mcg T3 waking 7am

5mcg T3 at 3pm

5mcg T3 at 11pm along with levothyroxine

5 days a week 125mcg levothyroxine per day

2 days a week 112mcg levothyroxine per day

What are your most recent vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 results

Are you currently taking any vitamin D