Endo appointment

[suetatt68]

Hi, I have an Endo appointment at the end of October (my first one) so can you tell me if I will need to have up to date blood test results when I go please? My last ones were in April.

Thanks in advance.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

suetatt68

If you don't have them done just before your appointment then I expect the endo will want them done on the day and the conditions wont be right.

If I were you I'd arrange for my GP surgery to do the test a week or two beforehand so that you have current results to take with you, explain this to your GP if reluctant to do more tests for you. Make sure you do the test as we advise:

* Book the first appointment of the morning, or with private tests at home no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day.

In fact, 9am is the perfect time, see first graph here, it shows TSH is highest around midnight - 4am (when we can't get a blood draw), then lowers, next high is at 9am then lowers before it starts it's climb again about 9pm:

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

If we are looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, or looking for an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction then we need TSH to be as high as possible.

* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the test - have your evening meal/supper as normal the night before but delay breakfast on the day of the test and drink water only until after the blood draw. Certain foods may lower TSH, caffeine containing drinks affect TSH.

* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT 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). See

thyroid.org/patient-thyroid...

biotin use can result in falsely high levels of T4 and T3 and falsely low levels of TSH

These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with phlebotomists or doctors.

[suetatt68 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi, thanks. I need blood tests in October anyway because my cholesterol levels were high in April so I will ask if they will do thyroid tests too.I am very lucky that I have a GP that understands thyroid and that it’s not just TSH that needs testing.

[kittyelen]

April to Oct is a long time a lot could have happened since April

From memory I think the endo dept sent me a blood form in the post before the appointment, have you had a letter yet about the appointment?

I would definitely chase this up and you normally have to have the blood done a week before, if you only have had one test way back in April there's not so much to review. I wouldn't say they could be done on the day as if it's like mine appointments are still over the telephone for endo unless you are lucky and even if it could they wouldn't get results straight away...so no harm in making sure you get the test a week before - actually makes less work for them as they will have the results ready rather than having to review them again so quickly

[suetatt68 in reply to kittyelen]

Thanks, I’ve got a letter from the hospital but it doesn’t mention about blood tests.As I said to Seasidesusie I need blood tests in October for my cholesterol so I will ask for them to be done at the same time.