blood tests

[Lottyplum]

Hi. Perhaps you could give me a heads up re private blood tests as never had them done before. I’ve read some use an NHS facility or others where just a simple blood draw at home is required. What is the process so I don’t mess up? In 41 years of testing I’ve only ever had 1 T3 test done and that was last year and now understand from posts here that it is the most important . It was 3.9. Nothing said by the GP and had to go through reception to even get that piece of info. Don’t want to use GP for my annual test as the hysteria starts when the TSH returns suppressed. So, all help gratefully received!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Lottyplum

We have a few recommended labs, they are listed here and some give us discounts:

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

Most popular are

Medichecks

Blue Horizon

Both of the above do fingerprick tests for many of their tests, venous blood draw can be arranged at an addition cost.

Monitor My Health is the NHS lab at Exeter hospital and they only do fingerprick tests. There is currently some problem with Monitor My Health where very strange thyroid results are being returned. The problem is being looked into and it might be best to wait a while before using this lab.

Always advised here, when having thyroid tests:

* 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, split dose and 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 3-7 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).

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

Here is a Medichecks video of how to take a sample but I would advise not to "squeeze" the finger as this can damage the blood, best to "milk" the finger if necessary, and don't scrape the side of the tube as this can also damage the blood, if the blood is flowing well enough it should drop into the tube or if not just place blood on the side of the tube but don't scrape it.

[Lottyplum in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you very much. This is just what I needed.