Covid delay

[Shenka]

I haven't had my meds checked for ages due to the covid situation. I feel like my legs have no strength and often feel light headed. Do you think this is thyroid related?

[fuchsia-pink]

Could well be. It's important to get our bloods checked regularly - including key nutrients (ferritin, folate, vit D and B12) and most GPs have continued doing this through the pandemic. So give yours a ring and make a booking - early as poss in the morning, certainly before 9am, when TSH is highest, and remember your mask at the GP x

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

There should be no reason for your surgery not to be doing routine appointments now. My surgery restarted my regular blood tests last September, and on Monday I have an appointment for my annual review. As long as your surgery has whatever precautions in place they deem necessary there should be no reason not to offer you an appointment.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Looking at previous posts

You’re still on 125mcg levothyroxine

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

Which brand?

A weekly pill dispenser is extremely helpful to keep track of taking levothyroxine everyday

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis) or if under medicated

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis. Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

In U.K. medics never call it Hashimoto’s, just autoimmune thyroid disease (and they usually ignore the autoimmune aspect)

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 and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

If GP only tests TSH this is completely inadequate

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

List of private testing options

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

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

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