Urgent bloods advice needed

[bajmon]

Hi all,

I need some advice please. I'm symptomatic with some beech pain, fever just like when my Subacute Thyroiditis started in 2020. My GP great and find an appointment ASAP to examine my neck on Thursday but the only time they had available for bloods was tomorrow 6:30pm

They are so busy that are even doing late evening and weekends so I know she did her best to even find this one without waiting for few weeks.

I know what you're going to say, thyroid tests must be only done on the morning but this time it's simply not possible and urgent.

would you recommend me not take my levo tomorrow morning?

[greygoose]

It's not that thyroid bloods should only be done in the morning, it's that the TSH is highest in the morning, around 9 am. So, if you have a TSH-obsessed doctor, doing them later is likely to end in an unwarranted reduction in dose. However, if your TSH is normally under-range, and your doctor is OK with that, or undestands about the circadian rythme, then it doesn't matter what time you do them. Nor does it matter if you fast. The only reason we say to fast over-night is that eating/drinking some things can also lower the TSH.

But, if you don't want a false high/low FT4, it's best to arrange your last dose of levo so that there is a gap of 24 hours between it and the blood draw. So, if it's not too late to do so, delay your dose of levo today until 6.30 pm.

It's not all B vits that need to be stopped, just the biotin. But, of course, if your source of biotin is a B complex, then you have to stop the lot. I'm afraid I'm not sure about iron.

[bajmon in reply to greygoose]

Thank you. I take my levo early hours whenever I wake up (4-6am) but didn't take one today. No idea what this could cause add I've never had any break. So my last one was already over 24h ago. I also took my lady vits yesterday morning. Now i know I shouldn't take it until 4 h after levo 🙈

I'll do those tests but will make sure GP is aware of the possible issue with results.

[greygoose in reply to bajmon]

But your blood test is tomorrow, isn't it? So, just take your levo at 6.30 pm today, and that'll be good. It doesn't matter what time you take it, as long as it's on an empty stomach, etc.

What are 'lady vits'? Is that some kind of multi-vit? You shouldn't be taking multi-vits at all.

[bajmon in reply to greygoose]

Tests are today at 6:30pm. And gp apt is tomorrow morning.

Sorry, autocorrect; it was meant to be last vits.

[greygoose in reply to bajmon]

lol Oh, that autocorrect!

OK, but it does say in your post above: the only time they had available for bloods was tomorrow 6:30pm, so, I assumed...

Well, your FT4 is going to be a false low, isn't it. It will be a 36 hour gap. And, your TSH will be low due to the time of day. So, unless they actually test your FT3, these labs are going to be pretty worthless. They're not going to tell you much at all.

[bajmon in reply to greygoose]

Sorry, shouldn't post just after waking up lol I posted it last night at first as I was hoping to see replies this morning in case the advice was to take levo in the morning as normal and reschedule tests as no point in taking them at that time.

But I've seen no replies and couldn't find the post anyway but I had the txt saved on my phone. You know, copy paste without reading first, half asleep.

I'll give the surgery a call to see if any early apt is possible. I don't want false results and change of dose which will get everything messed up even more. I have not much hope if it comes to GP knowledge regarding thyroid.

[greygoose in reply to bajmon]

Ah, ok, I see. Well, there is not much point in doing those labs today. It would be better to reschedule.