So tired.

[Decisions]

Hi. Please could you tell me about blood tests with thyroid UK. After two misdiagnosis over more than twenty five years my husband is unwell. He is taking privately bought metavive 1v. He takes b12 and folate and a range of other vits - selenium, D3, k2, Q10, l-tyrodine, magnesium citrate, ashwaghanda and dhea. We really need help please

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Decisions

ThyroidUK doesn't do blood tests but we do have recommended private labs:

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

If your husband wants to do a test, we advise doing a full thyroid/vitamin panel to give a full picture. Most popular here are

Medichecks ADVANCED THYROID FUNCTION medichecks.com/products/adv...

Check this page for details of any discounts: thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

or

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

Both tests are available in fingerprick or venous blood draw version. With venous blood draw you will need to arrange this and it will cost extra.

Discounts are available and are shown if you click on each testing company in the link I provided above.

You can put the results in a post on the forum (include the reference ranges as well as the results) and members will interpret them and offer suggestions where necessary.

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.

* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT, Metavive or T3 then last dose should be 8-12 hours before blood draw. Adjust timing the day before if necessary. This avoids measuring hormone levels at their peak after ingestion of hormone replacement. Take your thyroid meds after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.

* 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 he wants to do the fingerprick version of the test I can post some tips to hopefully help, please ask if you would like me to do that.

He takes b12 and folate and a range of other vits - selenium, D3, k2, Q10, l-tyrodine, magnesium citrate, ashwaghanda and dhea.

Those supplements should be fine to continue except take them after the test on the day.

Has your husband had an adrenal saliva test to measure cortisol and DHEA?

Does he know that ashwagandha can lower cortisol?

[Decisions in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you so much for your very comprehensive response. Really do appreciate your advice and suggestions. Will discuss the details with my husband. He's very tired and has brain fog at the moment. I'm sorry to see him struggle so much and he's also got bad nerves.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

If taking any supplements that contain biotin, stop these a week before ALL BLOOD TESTS as biotin can falsely affect test results

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 at least annually

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if he has 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 .

Day before test split Metavive into 3 doses roughly 8 hours equal intervals

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

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

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

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Thriva also offer just vitamin testing

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code

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

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

Come back with new post once you get results

[Decisions in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you very much for your response and detailed information. I really appreciate your help. Seaside Susie has also provided advice - I'm so grateful to you both.

[Anthea55]

Do be careful with Metavive. It has made some of us ill and may have been the cause of weird blood test results.

[radd]

Decisions,

You previously advised your husband was medicating NDT. The Metavive he now takes is only a dietary OTC glandular supplement, produced & sold in measured units not subject to the usual licensing laws of prescription meds because they are so small.

Those who claim to achieve wellbeing on Metavive have either supplemented it alongside thyroid hormone replacement meds or whose need for replacement is extremely small. Metavive is like a small boost to encourage other thyroid hormones to function better and is not a replacement med.

You previously advised your husband struggled on NDT. Both elevated thyroid antibodies and/or low iron can make the body very intolerant of NDT or any thyroid hormone replacement, so ensure to test for these along with all the others. Post results complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) for members to comment.

Your husband is taking great sups for encouraging good thyroid function and balancing adrenals, but what's with the DHEA? Has he actually been tested as deficient?.

[Decisions in reply to radd]

Hi. Thank you for your reply - I didn't know that metavive was a supplement! I thought it was the proper med. Do you know how we can buy it? It was a time ago. I think it was nutrimeds.

[radd in reply to Decisions]

Decisions,

You can't buy prescription meds without a prescription in the UK. Members without a prescription who are self-medicating source their supply from abroad. If you repost asking members for their supplier, they will reply by private message.

[LuckyKat]

I would just like to say that I'm fine on Metavive - no problems at all after switching from Thyroid-S. I agree it doesn't suit everyone, but to dismiss it as an effective option is wrong. No it doesn't state its hormone content, but then neither does Thyro Gold and I don't read people complaining about that product. It's not stated so that it can be sold OTC and many of us are very grateful for that.

[radd in reply to LuckyKat]

Luckykat,

No glandulars provide the hormone content, and as some do well on these I agree they should never be dismissed.

However, the confusion comes because some thyroid glandulars are sold as 'food grade NDT’ offering a misleading impression they are identical to NDT where hormones are extracted and the ratios measured & controlled. Given the cheaper price and easier availability of glandulars they can make an attractive alternative but one that doesn’t always fill expectations.

Given the O/P’s husband was previously medicating NDT and now appears hypothyroid on a glandular, I was explaining the difference as many simply don’t know. I self medicate, understand the difficulties and am glad you have found something that is working for you 😊.

[reliablerebel in reply to LuckyKat]

LuckyKat I too am doing well on metavive since the thai thiroyd gave up production. Like everything it does not suit everyone. But it certainly been a lifesaver for me. radd I feel your comment "Those who claim to achieve wellbeing on Metavive have either supplemented it alongside thyroid hormone replacement meds or whose need for replacement is extremely small. Metavive is like a small boost to encourage other thyroid hormones to function better and is not a replacement med" is a generalisation - I have acheieved wellbeing on metavive without other thyroid supplements, and my need for replacement is not small!

[radd in reply to reliablerebel]

reliablerebel,

Yes, generalisations aren't good, and there must be yourself & many other members that thyroid glandulars work very well for long term.

I guess I am wary because of the members we see who are sustained on glandulars for so long before eventually finding it has become inadequate. And because hypo symptoms are so insidious, that eventual realisation can come at great cost. I was nearly there myself this year after medicating out-of-date NDT.

Anyway, pleased it is working for you as is obviously so much easier to obtain than the required prescription meds we are so wrongly denied.