Thyroid Tests

[PrincessAnnie]

Where is the best place to have a full thyroid panel done please?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Welcome to the forum

Are you trying to get diagnosed or looking at monitoring when on replacement thyroid hormones

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)diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

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

On T3 or NDT - day before test split daily dose into 3 smaller doses, spread through the day at approx 8 hour intervals, taking last dose 8-12 hours before test

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

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

If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease). Ord’s is autoimmune without goitre.

About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s.

Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue too. Request coeliac blood test BEFORE considering trial on strictly gluten free diet

Link about thyroid blood tests

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

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

List of hypothyroid symptoms

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...

[PrincessAnnie in reply to SlowDragon]

Thank you for your reply,I’ve already been diagnosed with an under active thyroid due to radio iodine treatment for an over active one.I never feel normal and it’s seriously affecting my life now,with it having a massive impact on my mental health.I’ve just had bloods done again and they’ve came back satisfactory,I did ask for a full thyroid panel to be done but I’ve a feeling it hasn’t,I won’t know until I receive a copy of the results.I had a blood test for coeliac done which came back negative,I’ve seen that people can test negative with the blood test but test positive with a biopsy,so I’m waiting on the results of the biopsy,been waiting since November😤I’m looking into getting a full blood test done myself as I feel I’m getting no where with gps.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to PrincessAnnie]

Thousands upon thousands of U.K. Thyroid patients forced to test privately to make progress

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

Many people find different brands are not interchangeable

What are your most recent thyroid and vitamin results and ranges

Levothyroxine needs OPTIMAL vitamin levels to work well

Test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least annually

Frequently necessary to supplement continuously to maintain optimal vitamin levels

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Always test as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Gluten intolerance very common with Graves’ disease or Hashimoto’s

Always worth trying strictly gluten free diet

[PrincessAnnie in reply to SlowDragon]

I’m taking 75mg one day and 100mg the next and alternating days with this,I always get prescribed the same brand of levothyroxine.I’m waiting on a copy of my latest results so I don’t have a clue what’s been tested and what’s not,I take a vitamin d 2000iu daily,I actually wasn’t aware that you had to take your last dose of levothyroxine 24 hours before the test,I’ve never been told that🤷‍♀️

When I asked a GP about anti body testing I was told that I had quite a few when I was first diagnosed,I’m assuming that was when I was over,so there wasn’t really any point testing them again as I probably do have,some sort,of auto immune disease🤦‍♀️

What kind of response is that,I’ve just to go through life knowing I have,some sort,of auto immune disease,how am I meant to treat what I don’t know🤷‍♀️

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to PrincessAnnie]

GP probably clueless about complexity of autoimmune thyroid disease or relevance of vitamin levels when hypothyroid

NHS England Liothyronine guidelines July 2019 clearly state on page 13 that TSH should be between 0.4-1.5 when OPTIMALLY treated with just Levothyroxine

Note that it says test should be in morning BEFORE taking levothyroxine

Also to test vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin

sps.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploa...

You’re legally entitled to copies of your test results and ranges

[PrincessAnnie in reply to SlowDragon]

One more thing i have to ask in regards to the link you sent me,i am in scotland do you think these guidelines will apply here also?