Private bloodtest recommendations

[Bluesparkle5]

I am on levothyroxine 150mg and experiencing more and more weight gain over last 8 years I also have alot of joint pain and indegestion and various other symptons . I suspect my medication is incorrect and i would like to do some private tests . Could anybody on here recommend me where to go please as i keep being told by gp that my bloods are normal and they just up the levothyroxine .

[Hidden]

Simply taking more levothyroxine when it is becoming obvious that it is the wrong medicine is exactly what happened to me. On reflection it seemed a simple way for the endocrinologist to send me away in the hope I would not come back again.It worked for him - I didn't go back and I never will!

Binning the levothyroxine and buying some NDT DID work and I have now taken full control of my own treatment and feel a great deal better for it.

Although this worked for me it may not work for you, please take advice from others regarding testing for any problems with your blood testing.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for your reply , i have just ordered the blood test from medi checks . I am new to this site and all information , i have just been fobbed off at drs for many years with your bloods are normal when i know that something is wrong . I have not heard of NDT which sounds amazing could you give me more info on this please and many thanks again for your kind helpful reply .

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Bluesparkle5

Details of recommended private labs and discounts available here on ThyroidUK's main website (click on lab names ) :

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

Medichecks and Blue Horizon are the most popular.

Full thyroid and vitamin testing is advised.

MEDICHECKS Advanced Thyroid Function test or BLUE HORIZON Premium Gold test.

When doing thyroid tests we advise:

* Test no later than 9am (gives highest TSH)

* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the test (to avoid anything that may lower TSH)

* Last dose of Levo 24 hours before the test (to avoid a false high FT4)

You are welcome to post your results (including reference ranges) on the forum for interpretation and suggestions. I wouldn't bother with doctor's comments from the lab, it delays results being available and follows the same line of thinking as most GPs, ie they only really consider TSH and ignore the FT4 and FT3 results.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thankyou so much . I have gone on your link and have ordered the advanced medicheck blood test and will follow all your kind advice . Thankyou so much .

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Bluesparkle5]

Bluesparkle5

It's best to get the blood sample back to them ASAP so post the same day as you do the test.

Only post Monday-Wednesday to avoid any undue delay due to postal difficulties and I always use Royal Mail's Special Delivery Guaranteed Next Day by 1pm. It costs a little extra but ensures there is no delay in delivery. If you use this service you have to hand your envelope over the counter and make sure you get the receipt with tracking number on, you can then track this on Royal Mail's website. If it doesn't arrive next day then you can claim the cost of the service back.

If you take any supplements at all, leave off Biotin or B Complex for 3-7 days before the test, and any other supplements take after the test on the day. If you take an iron supplement then leave that off for 7 days.

If you are doing a fingerprick test and would like some tips then please ask and I will post them.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thankyou for your helpful advice i will take note of all . Yes please to info on fingerprick test as this is what i have ordered . Thankyou

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Bluesparkle5]

Tips for fingerprick test

* Be well hydrated, drink plenty of water the day before, and before you do the test.

* Some people take a shower before hand, some run up and down the stairs to get blood flowing. Personally, as I can't run up and down the stairs, I circle my arm round, windmill style.

* Have a bowl full of hot water, dip hand in and out, swish around, hand needs to go red. If blood flow stops, you can always swish round in the hot water again.

* Stand up to do the test. Make sure your arm is straight down when collecting the blood. Either use a small step stool to raise yourself well above the work surface, or put the collection tube on a lowish shelf or use an ironing board to get the perfect height.

* Prick finger on the side, not the tip. I find that half way between the nail bed and tip is about right, or maybe slightly nearer the nail bed rather than the tip. I use my ring finger, but middle finger is next best for me.

* Do not squeeze your finger to get the blood out, it can damage the blood and it may not be usable

I've recently done 2 tests. The first one there was very little blood coming out which was unusual for me so I used a second finger and between the two I gradually filled the tube. However, when I checked the prick site for the first finger the actual cut was very small and as I've had some of these lancets fail before I put it down to that. When I did the second test this is what I did

* Prick my finger as usual, at the same time try and make a very slight twist with the lancet (the blade retracts very quickly so you have like a nano second to twist the lancet). I'm not talking 90 degrees or anything, just a very slight twist to make the cut just slightly bigger, it doesn't hurt or cause a blood bath! This made a big difference, 11 generous drops of blood filled the tube in less 2 minutes.

If you supplement with Biotin, or a B complex containing it (B7), leave it off for 7 days before doing any blood tests as it can give false results when biotin is used in the testing procedure, and most labs do use it.

Sometimes the sample has haemolysed, ie the red cells rupture. This may be due to:

* bacteria (so clean area thoroughly and allow to dry)

* intense exercise (so don't go mad trying to get the blood to flow prior to the test)

* squeezing the finger to get the blood out (you can gently "milk" the finger but don't squeeze)

* shaking the tube vigourously instead of gently inverting it.

Sometimes there's not enough blood in the tube to do all 10 tests so it's important to fill the tube to the line or slightly above.

The Medichecks tube requires 0.6ml of blood, the Blue Horizon tube requires 0.8ml of blood (at least they did last time I used them).

Note that Medichecks normal Ts and Cs state that for fingerprick tests in the event of failure a second test it will be sent out free of charge. However, they make it clear that where the Advanced Thyroid Function Test is concerned this does not apply when the folate test fails:

The retest process above does not apply to the Advanced Thyroid Function Blood Test when the finger-prick sample collection method is used and the failure relates only to folate (i.e. all other markers in the test are reported normally). Please refer to the test product page for details on the refund process should this happen. By ordering a finger-prick kit for this test you agree that a refund will be your only remedy in the event that you do not receive a result for folate only.

I can't find the exact details but I believe the amount of the refund is about £8.

Video showing how to do a fingerprick test:

youtube.com/watch?v=w2JzToZ...(Not working as expected?)

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thankyou for this info

[Hidden in reply to Bluesparkle5]

Natural Desiccated Thyoid from pigs (Porcine). Read up about it on this site or on TPA web site. Much to learn, a great deal more to get annoyed about due to stupidity of so many doctors who unbelievably (pre)tend to believe the misleading, incorrect (LIES!) and malicious information supplied by the BTA, the Endocrine Society, NICE and other "official" medical sources.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou so much to learn , i had no idea about any of this , thankyou for pointing me in the right directions

[Horsey07]

I used Blue Horizon for my private blood tests after being dismissed by my GP. The kit was delivered very promptly, and they kindly sent a free second kit when I couldn’t collect enough blood the first time. The results were emailed back quickly, with comments from a doctor. Blue Horizon offer a 30% discount for Thyroid UK, which is definitely worth having. I’d definitely recommend them, but there is a comprehensive list of other companies as mentioned by Seaside Susie.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to Horsey07]

Thankyou so much for your reply . I have just ordered a blood test through medi checks so hoping i am now on the road to getting some answers .

[Horsey07 in reply to Bluesparkle5]

Fantastic! I hope you took advantage of the special offer on today? Make sure you’re well hydrated and do the test early morning, fasting. The weather is a more sensible temperature now, but don’t try and do it if it’s really hot; I made that mistake and the blood was clotting before it even reached the vial. If you’re anything like me you’ll feel better just knowing that you’re now in control of your health and on the road to getting the answers you need.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to Horsey07]

Thankyou , i received the 10% discount which was helpful i didnt see any other offers , but money well spent if i can at last get to the bottom of this matter , i am so disappointed with the nhs that they dont test all these levels and leave us umwell 😔 . Thankyou i will follow your advice when doing the test . Many thanks .

[Horsey07 in reply to Bluesparkle5]

There’s £11 off of the full thyroid check today. It might be worth you going back to them and pointing that out, it’s clearly advertised on their website. I hope to get the answers you need soon.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to Horsey07]

Ok thankyou

[pennyannie]

Hello Bluesparkle and welcome to the forum :

So, presume your thyroidectomy was because of Graves Disease ?

It is imperative that you are dosed on your T3 and T4 blood test results and not your TSH which in primary care is likely all you get.

Your feedback loop is broken, and the Hypothalamus / Pituitary / Thyroid axis which doctors rely on working, doesn't as you have " lost " your " T " hyroid

A fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you daily with trace elements of T1. T2. and calcitonin plus a measure of T3 at around 10 mcg plus a measure of T4 at around 100 mcg.

T4 - synthetic Levothyroxine is a storage hormone that needs to be converted by your body into T3 which is the active hormone that runs the body and is said to be about 4 times more powerful than T4 with the average person needing to utilise and convert and find around 50 T3 daily just to function.

Your own ability to convert the T4 into T3 can be compromised by low vitamins and minerals, especially those of ferritin , folate, B12 and vitamin D so it is essential to have these tested as well.

When hypothyroid the whole body 's digestion system slows down and extracting key strength nutrients from your food, no matter how well and clean you eat, becomes an additional consideration.

You may well find you will need to supplement vitamins and minerals to optimum yourself, as the NHS ranges take no account of a persons existing health issues and some ranges are too wide to even be sensible.

The thyroid is a major gland responsible for full body synchronisation including your physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual well being, your inner central heating system and your metabolism.

I too have Graves Disease but had RAI thyroid ablation in 2005 and became really unwell around 8 years later and luckily found this forum when researching low ferritin.

First and foremost we need to see a full thyroid blood panel to include your TSH, T3 and T4, inflammation, antibodies and ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D test - commonly referred to as a " thyroid bundle " by some of the private companies who will run this for you if your doctor isn't able to.

If you go into the Thyroid UK website, who are the charity who support this forum you will find " all things thyroid " including details of private companies who can action the relevant blood tests, some even offering a nurse home visit to draw your blood.

Try and arrange the earliest possible appointment, fast overnight, just taking in water, and do not take your T4 - levothyroxine that morning, until after the blood has been drawn.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to pennyannie]

Hi pennyannie thankyou for your very welcome reply , I am not sure if i have Graves disease as new to this infirmation . I had the over active thyroid and had the operation where they removed a part if it and then put me on 50 mg of levothyroxine , this was around 27 years ago , it was ok until about 8-10 years ago where i gave up smoking and left my husband and my thyroid went underactive fir about a year before i had bloods done and they upped my levothyroxine up to 100 mg , since then i have had a steady weight gain that i cant seem to do anything about and have gone up nearly 5 dress sizes which is so depressing m i get swollen ankles and joint pain in my thumbs and hips and lower back as well as other symptons and everytime i complain to dr they say my bloods are normal but have put up my levothyroxine to 150 mg . I feel that my levels are not right and am grateful that a friend showed me this forum and i have now ordered the medi check blood test kit . The info you have given me is very intereseting and i am very grateful for your reply , i didnt know anything about all these levels and the important function of the thyroid . I will do the test and follow your instructions and post my results here in the hope that people like you can shed some light on what is going on with me . Thankyou so much for your time and knowledge .

[pennyannie in reply to Bluesparkle5]

OK then : excellent :

Well done, and just start a new post with the results and ranges so everybody gets a chance to read your results and offer an explanation as to your next best steps back to better health.

It is a bit of a jigsaw but you'll soon find some corner pieces to hold onto and there are always forum members happy to help as we have all been there and why we come back on to help others in similar situations.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to pennyannie]

I will do and thankyou so much .

[pennyannie in reply to Bluesparkle5]

No worries - just stop any vitamins and minerals you maybe taking a week or so in advance of the blood test, and don't take your T4 that morning, fasting overnight, just taking in water, as then we can see exactly what your body is holding onto.

Ideally do the blood test, at the beginning of the week so it doesn't sit too long in the post or laboratory.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to pennyannie]

Ok i will do as you advise thankyou

[pennyannie in reply to Bluesparkle5]

Just keep abreast of all replies :

You are currently with information overload so just go slow, and reread replies, and it will all sink in, even if with suffering from the Infamous " brain fog " that is a common symptom of hypothyroidism.

[Bluesparkle5 in reply to pennyannie]

Yes this is true , i will be re reading and learning about all info , as this is new to me , it seems i have an awful lot to get my head round , i am very grateful to all of you thankyou