Anyone any experience with bupa blood tests?

[jacobite33]

Only me again

Just been on the phone to BUPA in Glasgow in the lovely Costa Del Scotland

Trying to get blood tests done this week and I explained the thyroid issue.Been told I need to email a list of exactly what I want tested then the results go to one of there doctors to assess

Could someone ever so kindly list exactly the A-Z of what I need tested.Even down to the anti-body tests plus include Lupus as close family members have the condition.Was told I was ok with this previously but just need to allay the fears of my family oh and to settle a bet.If it’s clear I’m the winner on that one!

Oh and if anyone knows the average costs that would be a great help also.Would love to get this done very soon as the postal ones are to long of a wait for me with all due respect there!

Cant sing the praises of you fine people enough here but honestly you’s are the bees knees! Or in a cheeky Humorous way the K-9’s pocket purse’s oooops

[humanbean]

Why not use Medichecks or Blue Horizon Medicals or any of the other testing companies mentioned on this forum?

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

As soon as you involve a doctor you probably triple or quadruple the price.

The list of things that we suggest getting tested are :

TSH

Free T4

Free T3

TPO Antibodies

Tg Antibodies

Vitamin B12

Folate

Vitamin D

Ferritin

If money isn't too great an issue and your ferritin (iron stores) is low in range or below range then you might want to get an iron panel done. This is the one usually suggested :

medichecks.com/products/iro...

[jacobite33 in reply to humanbean]

Thank’s humanbean!

That’s just a simple copy and paste on to an email and an index finger tap to send.That’s what I wanted.Took screen shots of a lot of advice to refer back to but that I was nosying in on but when I say a lot I mean a parking lot worth.Ooooft too confusing flipping through that

Would use those you mentioned for the blood but I just want to sit down pull up the sleeve cringe and leave then wait.Too complicated for me at the moment the postal ones

Money is an option if my horses win then it’s not.Joking there.Won’t need to for for the iron panel until I get the results back but I appreciated the link.Unfortunately you have to have a doc review it she told me

Once again thank you!

[humanbean in reply to jacobite33]

There are plenty of people who use those testing companies I linked to who post their results on here and get members to comment.

One of the biggest issues for me with doctor's interpreting basic tests is that doctors believe that "in range = normal".

An example I often use is ferritin (iron stores).

Imagine you have three patients, A, B, and C, and they all get their ferritin tested. The reference range is 13 - 150.

Patient A has a result of 15

Patient B has a result of 85 i.e. roughly mid-range

Patient C has a result of 148

There are many doctors who will say that all these results are normal so they need no attention.

There are some doctors who might suggest that Patient A would benefit from supplementing iron, but the patient might only get a prescription that lasts for a month, or possibly two at the most. In no time flat the patient would be short of iron again once the prescribed supplements ran out.

Which of the patients is likely to feel best? Patient B with the mid-range result

Which patient is likely to feel worst? Patient A with the bottom of range result.

We can tell you these things and how to improve them - but many doctors won't if results are in range or just outside the range.

Good luck.

[jacobite33 in reply to humanbean]

I was going to message you about the health check premium feel like a nuisance though!About to check out there with the thyroid premium platinum as sure i seen cortisol too.That’s asking about Superdrug and all that.At work as well in and got guys chatting in my ear and there’s a few other replies I think to my message and had a phone call.Nothing worse! Bear with me please

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to jacobite33]

jacobite33

About to check out there with the thyroid premium platinum as sure i seen cortisol too.

Don't waste your money or time on the Platinum test. The only difference between that and the Premium Gold test is that it adds Reverse T3 test, and that makes it extremely expensive and you wait 4-6 weeks for the results whereas the Gold test takes a couple of days.

Reverse T3 is not worth testing because there are many reasons for high reverse T3 but only one is to do with thyroid and even then it's not a problem because rT3 doesn't hang around for long if it's thyroid related.

[jacobite33 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Well that’s that solved and the finger test it is......Still need to have a better look later see if the gold offers cortisol

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to jacobite33]

Yes, the Gold includes cortisol, the only difference between Gold and Platinum is the reverse T3 test, everything else is the same.

[jacobite33 in reply to SeasideSusie]

And the little minor price hike......Will stick to the gold.Thought cortisol was a 24 hour test you don’t at home so that’s greatBack on it again now so will order it and should get it Wednesday.Sure I seen SlowDragon put it up better to do and send on a Monday or Tuesday as it might sit over the weekend.Talking about sit but not literally that’s what I will do till Monday

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to jacobite33]

Jacobite33

Thought cortisol was a 24 hour test you don’t at home so that’s great

It's a different test. The Blue Horizon one is a blood test. Make a note of the time you do the test to be able to get the best interpretation of it. The 24 hour one is a saliva test and there are 4 samples. The best saliva test is the one that measures both cortisol and DHEA as that helps in showing stages of adrenal fatigue if present. There are different opinions on which is the better test.

Sure I seen SlowDragon put it up better to do and send on a Monday or Tuesday as it might sit over the weekend.Talking about sit but not literally that’s what I will do till Monday

It's the Easter holiday, there is no post on Monday. Do the test next Tuesday and get it in that day's post, to ensure it gets there ASAP then take it to the Post Office counter and pay for Royal Mail's Special Delivery Next Day by 1pm. The "Tracked 24" return envelope Blue Horizon provide doesn't guarantee to get it there next day, it often takes 2 days.

[jacobite33 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you!Have been trying to put in a discount code thyroiduk10 for Medichecks that’s not getting accepted as I have just realised I am on Bluehorizon.Which has also jumped £30 for shipping.Deep breaths and relax they say.Ooft Scatter brained.Blaring tv’s lost hearing aids and Alzheimer’s that’s my excuse and sticking to it! Bear with me

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to jacobite33]

Blue Horizon discount code

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

TUK30 (for fingerprick test)

Shipping is free.

[jacobite33 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Have it ordered.Thank you for your pathology (big words for me) request first line of the email.I had previously clicked on a Superdrug visit and it was adding that even after clearing the checkout box.It cleared after I clicked proceed and then I was able to change form Superdrug to home delivery.Complicated stuff this this

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

jacobite33

I use Medichecks, Blue Horizon and MonitorMyHealth (basic thyroid test only)home fingerprick tests and have always received results within 24-48 hours as long as you send them by Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day by 1pm and don't request doctor's comments.

My original very comprehensive test back in 2015 was with Blue Horizon but arranged with a Spire hospital for blood draw and they kept the sample for processing, that was the longest ever time, I think it took a good couple of weeks to come back.

No idea about Lupus but if you click on the link to ThyroidUK's private testing page supplied by Humanbean then check each company's list of tests you may be able to find what you need there.

[jacobite33 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks seasideSusie

Added the lupus at the bottom of the page and sent it.Will see what price and info they come up with.In the meantime I will have a peek on the private testing page

Those finger prick tests I just don’t get to be honest and I am not knocking them.Every time I have had tests it’s a syringe or couple of syringes worth of blood drawn.Or maybe I’m just looking for an excuse for a couple of sweetheart stouts after

[jacobite33 in reply to SeasideSusie]

SeasideSusie Forgot to thank you for you help on that last message.So thank you very much for you advice and help! I finally got there

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to jacobite33]

You're welcome

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Medichecks and blue horizon offer these tests with private blood draw at local to you clinic

About £25 extra via medichecks for private blood draw

Slightly more via Blue horizon

Important to get blood test done as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything apart from water....last dose levo 24 hours before test

[jacobite33 in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you slow dragon!

I remember the last part as I have read that good advice being nosy on other posts.Sssssh!

Medichecks are charging £30 blood drawn platinum premium through Superdrug but no doubt there won’t be any around in the not so Sunny today Ayrshire

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to jacobite33]

Go on their website ......see where’s nearest clinic option for you

[jacobite33 in reply to SlowDragon]

Hey SlowDragonCouldn’t find it and I was just about through checkout so just got the finger test and home delivery.I’m assuming the results will be emailed to me so if it’s ok I will pop the results up on a separate post

Thank you your sweet!

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to jacobite33]

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Drink plenty water day before

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

What thyroid hormones are you currently taking

Always test early Monday or Tuesday morning and post back via tracked postal service

All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

[jacobite33 in reply to SlowDragon]

Taking liquid B12 under the tongue for about a month.Along with Vit D spray same time frame.Just started taking 1 ingennus B complex the other day again as when I first tried them,well,about a month ago let’s just say the waterworks went an extremely strange colour.Same now so was and still not sure about them.Might get Tango’d as the advert goes.Probably don’t remember but you told me I was under medicated after I put my blood results up 80% and 40 % through the ranges and probably a poor conversion rate.I was on 100mcg for two days then 75mcg for two days (doctor’s advice) on Teva.The plan was up my dose to just under what I previously was then after 6-8 weeks get blood tests.upped my dose to 100mcg everyday for a week then upped again to 125mcg for 5 days then 100mcg for two days.Done this as I was on 125mcg initially everyday.But I ran out of the 50mcg Teva (as I was taking extra)so I got Accord 100mcg (borrowed) and as those were the ones I used to be on before the change I thought I would just use them with 25mcg Teva.That was about two weeks ago and after six days I felt worse so went back on the Teva 25mcg (X5) for a couple of days waiting on my new prescription and low and behold they gave me 25mcg Teva and 50mcg Accord.Three days I’ve been on the accord again and back to feeling worse.So I haven’t a clue what I should be on but I can place patterns back now with the accord and problems.The anxiety and palpitations jitters visual nausea with movements and so forth was what I was having right in the beginning.Plus they came back again when they gave me 50mcg’s Accord with a repeat prescription around mid October.When I was off them and on Teva my palpitations virtually stopped and the edgy anxiety and trying to marching everywhere eased.Since upped to the 125mcg/100mcg I felt my mood and energy was lifting and I was mixing more until I went on the Accord.This harder than the cryptic worse than Sudoko enigma guy decide to just get my blood tests done ASAP and a different Levothyroxine with a new prescription.So! Perplexing convoluted complicated I’m all rolled in to one at the moment.Now from the heart I deeply apologise but please don’t hit your head of the wall in frustration as I can assure you it’s sore as I have done it through this carry on started! I was going to put all this up on my profile maybe I should have first!

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to jacobite33]

jacobite33

Just started taking 1 ingennus B complex the other day again as when I first tried them,well,about a month ago let’s just say the waterworks went an extremely strange colour.Same now so was and still not sure about them.Might get Tango’d as the advert goes.

B2 - Riboflavin causes bright yellow pee, it's nothing to worry about. Remember to stop B Complex for 7 days before any blood test as it contains Biotin and if Biotin is used in the testing procedure (the private testing companies all use the same lab to process the test and they do use it) it can give false results.

[jacobite33 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Superb seasideSusie! As from today I will stop taking them and will do the test next week.Once again thank you! Your a gem!

[Partner20]

Regarding your question about lupus testing, the starting point for this is an ANA test. This can reveal certain information, such as a possibility of lupus, but to confirm this, other very specific tests have to be done, which are normally available only at a hospital phlebotomy unit at the request of an endo. Also needed to confirm this diagnosis in conjunction with test results are the presence of a number of symptoms. Lupus UK can help with this.

[jacobite33 in reply to Partner20]

Partner20 I really appreciate the reply and advice! Will hold off on that.I asked to be tested for lupus in 2019 as I have a sister that has lived with it for about 30 years.Had to stop driving on Sunday and curl up on the back seat and let her drive and she was chuckling and saying that’s exactly what she used to do.So no idea but time will tell

Stay safe!