How to test thyroid on NDT

[MrWellness94]

Hello all,

I believe I read on here that people should take it 8 - 12 hours before a blood test. I have tried doing that, however, it is impossible for me to sleep. I toss and turn all night wide awake, most likely due to the t3. Is this the only way I can get accurate thyroid results?

Thanks!

[pennyannie]

Hello Mr Wellness :

Well, to be totally honest NDT was used successfully for over a 100 years to treat hypothyroidism and this was prior to the science of bloods tests, guidelines and ranges, and you simply dosed to the relief of symptoms and if you took a bit too much you simply reduced down your dose, and if you still had symptoms you took a little bit more.

So, if the NDT is prescribed one would hope the medic knows that bloods tests for NDT will not look anything like those of people on T4 only medication.

I am on NDT and after around an 8 hour gap my TSH is suppressed and very low : my T4 is about 25% through the range and my T3 is around 110 % through the range :

if I wait 12 hours my T3 will be around 90% through the range.

As I understand things this is how NDT results look and I'm ok with a low T4 :

In fact since switching from T4 only it's as though my T3 and T4 have swopped % .

The guidelines and ranges were introdced to be used alongside T4 - Levothyroxine - by Big Pharma as the option to NDT.

Can you just take your medication when it makes sense for you and arrange the blood test later in the day ?

Could you consider splitting your NDT the day before if you are not wanting a T3 level too high as to suggest your dose be cut ?

I'm with Graves post RAI and now manage lingering Graves, thyroid eye disease and hypothyroidism and self medicate, so I'm not too concerned about my T3 level being anywhere other than where it needs to be to get me through the day, as best I can.

[MrWellness94 in reply to pennyannie]

Thank you for your response! Everything you mentioned makes sense. I think I'll just arrange my blood to be taken at a later time and take my thyroid meds as usual. Yes I too felt a lot better on NDT than in T4 only. The T3 is a life saver.

[pennyannie in reply to MrWellness94]

I think you maybe just over thought it : we've all been there :

Just be consistent and at a time that makes sense for you :

If the results are for you that's fine - if the results are for a doctor who doesn't know how NDT blood tests " look " and likely to reduce your dose, that's a very different " kettle of fish " .

[Lalatoot]

I arrange my blood tests for 2pm which gives me a decent gap from my 6am dose. TSH is likely to be suppressed on any medication containing T3 so I don't worry about fasting or getting an earlier test.

[MrWellness94 in reply to Lalatoot]

I think I will do the same, don't know why I didn't think of just testing later in the day since its T3. Thanks for your help!

[TSH110]

If you do the same thing each time at least the tests will be comparable. I am the same if I take it at night - hard to sleep. I just miss a dose before doing a blood test as early as I can in the morning, so it’s 24 not 12 hours. All my earlier thyroid blood tests were done at c8:30 am so I like to stick to as close to that time as I can.

I do I tend to go on how I feel mostly. If I feel cold I up the dose, too hot I reduce, but only by a 1/4 grain. I seem about right on 1.5 to 1.75 grains a day.

[MrWellness94 in reply to TSH110]

That makes sense, I often have to change dose depending on the day as well since where I live we can have snow and sun in the same day! I should probably do that too, when I change dose I do it by half's instead of fourths, will do that instead as I still need figuring out.