recent thyroid blood results medichecks - Thyroid UK

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recent thyroid blood results medichecks

lynnwin profile image
25 Replies

Hi please could I have some feed back on my results ? Looks like I need T3 which I really didn’t want to go down that road :(

I felt I needed a increase but if some of the GO’s at my surgery saw these results I would be reduced ..

When I had these done I did have a ear infection and a tummy bug not sure if that would affect them ? Thanks in advance

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lynnwin profile image
lynnwin
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SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Looking at previous posts

You’re coeliac and Hashimoto’s

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested

As coeliac on levothyroxine yes highly likely to need addition of T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine

Are you also on dairy free diet?

Get vitamin levels tested BEFORE booking consultation

Email Thyroid U.K. for list of thyroid specialist endocrinologists and doctors who will prescribe T3 if clinically appropriate 

tukadmin@thyroiduk.org

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply toSlowDragon

Hi slowdragon thank you for the reply 😊 yes I’m coeliac and Hashimotos

No I’m not Dairy free .. My last vitamin D

Was 75 top of range 79 I realise this isn’t enough especially with thyroid problems so will commence taking it again .

My B12 is always well over range no real explanation ? I used to have B12 injections as being coeliac I was deficient.

I take 2 probiotics a day and sometimes B2 as again deficient in B2 .. I never supplement until I’ve had a blood test to check .. Last time my Ferritin was tested 3 years ago it was well over range and I was worried about Haemochromatosis but after a few weeks it did settle .. Thank you for the link of endocrinologists that will prescribe .. I would rather not go along the NDT route as it’s difficult to know exactly what amount you are getting ? I did see Dr Peatfield about 18 years ago and my GP then was happy about NDT as he said when he was a newly qualified GP they prescribed NDT .. I ended up HYPER anyway and was on medication and under the hospital to bring it euthyroid .. but as you know with Hashimotos the TPO antibodies ended up knocking my thyroid out and ended up HYPO ..My previous blood tests NHS were in March 2022

Which were T3 4.4

T4 21.9

TSH 0.04

Many thank xxxxxx

pennyannie profile image
pennyannie

Hello Lynnwin:

Well yes as you can see and obviously know. as you've been there before most doctors would advise a dose reduction which will further compound your health issues.

How are your ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D levels as I'm sure you also know these need to be up and maintained at optimal levels to help keep your core strength strong and solid and help conversion of T4 into T3.

There is another treatment option - Natural Desiccated Thyroid - which contains all the same known hormones as that of the thyroid gland and derived from pig thyroids, dried and ground down into tables referred to as grains.

It is less easily obtained through the NHS , though meant to be available on a " named patient only " basis and back in around 2000 was readily available through your doctor as was T3 - Liothyronine but sadly for thyroid hormone treatment we seem to have gone backwards

Maybe give this option a thought if you haven't done so previously ?

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply topennyannie

Hi thank you for your reply .. I need to start taking vitamin D again as lapsed taking it 😞 my B12 is always way too high no explanation for that other than I had B12 injections as 5 years ago I was deficient due to being a coeliac .. and it stays really high .. my Ferritin was over range too didn’t have my folate done .. I will request these from my GP as I like to see where I am before supplementing ? I was taking B2 as I’m normally deficient of that again due to being a coeliac xxx

pennyannie profile image
pennyannie in reply tolynnwin

Over range ferritin can be because of inflammation which is highly likely as you have Hashimoto's and high inflammation can down regulate conversion of the T4 into T3 :

so a bit of bummer !

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply topennyannie

oh really 🤦‍♀️ thank you .. I didn’t realise that 😞 I will get my bloods retested by the NHS just worried someone other than my own GP looks at them and reduces my dose which has happened before when my GP was on holiday .. luckily when he returned I spoke to him and he changed it back for me 🤦‍♀️ Xxx

pennyannie profile image
pennyannie in reply tolynnwin

Well at least that's good to know - I just got reduced with no discussion and became very unwell and why I now self medicate and mind my own business - it's much less stressful and I feel empowered and so much better :

I 'm just so angry that we are dosed and monitored and not even entitled to the appropriate blood tests on which to make such vital, important decisions about our future health and well being.

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply topennyannie

I know it’s awful the situation for us with our thyroid .. Good for you self medicating . We know how we feel

My GP used to always add FT3 but the lab wouldn’t test it .. I have been working at the hospital as a phlebotomist so when my colleague bled me we wrote on the form please test FT3 and I handed them into the lab and made sure she entered it on the computer and actually got it done ..

i did medichecks as I’ve left the hospital and with in a GP practice still doing phlebotomy.. and the amount of patients I bleed with the same problem getting their FT3 tested it’s done wrong 😡 xxxx

pennyannie profile image
pennyannie in reply tolynnwin

I read around 5 years ago, on here, that it cost around 91 pence to process each blood analysis so it seems a cost cutting exercise and the NHS are saving 2 pounds and trying to guess our health status on just a TSH reading which we know and can see if we have the correct blood test readings, a very unreliable measure of anything.

It could also be that they do not want to acknowledge low T3 and people need more than just T4 monotherapy, especially when hedge funds have increased the price of T3 to the NHS by some 6000% and we would be prescribed it ' for free " !

Though T3 was and is only ever a couple of euro's if you cross the channel to Europe and where in some countries it is sold over the counter and now with the internet you can buy it yourself from trusted sources.

20 odd years ago your doctor had all thyroid hormone treatment options in his tool box to help you stay well and employed - now he has only T4 and the obligatory anti depressants if you overstay the allotted time.

Collectively it seems a given that we are under medicated and I imagine with many middle aged woman choosing to leave the work place or cut down their hours as they feel they can't ' do it ' any longer, and run a house and maybe have the grand children one or two days a week !!

Digger031145 profile image
Digger031145

Possibly do another test when you’ve not got anything wrong with you.

If it comes back similar you may have to re think about adding T3 unless you want to try the NDT route but that’d cost you money . Xx

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply toDigger031145

will do xxx

csj113 profile image
csj113

Can’t comment on your specific results however just to flag that in Jan I had a Medichecks test which came back with a T4 of 28.9. I was alarmed as T3 is fine and I felt fine, I do need a high dose of Levo for my T3 to be adequate but felt that if correct this suggested I was over medicated.

My GP repeated the tests and the NHS one came back as T4 17.6. He says I am def not over medicated.

So a huge variation. Both tests done fasted, 9am etc etc.

I’m currently back and forth with Medichecks as I want a repeat test as I don’t know which one to believe. I felt theirs was oddly high and not in keeping with my history at all.

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply tocsj113

hi thanks for the info .. I’m going to retest .. that’s not very good for there to be such a high discrepancy 😳 .. I don’t feel unwell if anything I thought I needed a increase 🤦‍♀️ if my surgery has done these blood tests and a GP other than my own had seen it they would be reducing me as they can’t seem to get my FT3 tested by the lab .. Hope yours is sorted now ? Xx

csj113 profile image
csj113 in reply tolynnwin

I think with any test if unsure it is best to repeat before making any changes to medication, esp if you have been unwell which can knock results off.

Though in my case not sure which one to repeat!

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply tocsj113

hi again was your sample a venous sample or finger prick test that came back high from Medichecks? Xxx

csj113 profile image
csj113 in reply tolynnwin

Hi, mine was also a venous draw.

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply tocsj113

ahh ok .. tonight if ginger prick test it may have been that ? Yes I’m going to re test before I ask about T3 thank you xxxc

csj113 profile image
csj113 in reply tolynnwin

There shouldn't be any difference in results between different methods of drawing blood.

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply tocsj113

Tell me about it .. I work in pathology but had heard that the finger prick version hadn’t been as accurate?? Xx

csj113 profile image
csj113 in reply tolynnwin

You may be right, there seems to be conflicting evidence. I have a handy anaesthetist at home so always go for the venous option!

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply tocsj113

Great 👍 I’ve tried in the past to do my own with a butterfly not a good idea lol 😆 .. at the practice I work they don’t use vaccutainer so have to ask one of my old colleagues 🤦‍♀️ Xxx

Digger031145 profile image
Digger031145 in reply tocsj113

was your Medichecks a finger prick test or venous blood draw?

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply toDigger031145

mine was venous sample xxx

Digger031145 profile image
Digger031145 in reply tolynnwin

do it should be correct.

But as I mentioned yesterday that having an ear infection could have converted your ft4 into rt3 which would lower Ft3 until your ear infection went xxx

lynnwin profile image
lynnwin in reply toDigger031145

yes I’m going to wait to retest xxxxx

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