hutch blood test company?

[Lottyplum]

Hello. My medical centre has called me for my annual (rather early) blood test. After all I’ve been through with them I do not wish to be involved so want to have my blood test to cover T3 (which is never included), T4 and TSH. I’m sure I have read that there is one company where you can do it at home with just a draw of blood from the thumb. Is this correct and is this the best way for the test to take place. If a vial of blood is required (as per my usual NHS blood test), how is this carried out? Thank you in advance. I know I need to stop my supplements for about a week and test before 9am. It’s crazy that this is not followed at my medical centre and never mentioned by any GP there!!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Lottyplum

It's not exactly a "blood draw from the thumb". There are home tests which you can do either by fingerprick (fingers used usually are middle and ring finger) or you can pay to have phlebotomy at home or at a clinic but those cost extra.

Most popular companies are Monitor My Health (an NHS lab at Exeter hospital which provides fingerprick only tests for the general public), also Medichecks and Blue Horizon who provide the phlebotomy option if that is your preference.

Details and discount codes here:

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

The vial and amount of blood required is much, much smaller than that taken at your surgery, the total amount needed in the tiny vial is 0.8ml maximum, when you consider that a teaspoon is 5ml you then realise how little is required for the tests.

If you want to do a fingerprick test these are my tips:

* Be well hydrated, drink plenty of water the day before, and before you do the test.

* Some people take a shower before hand, some run up and down the stairs to get blood flowing. Personally, as I can't run up and down the stairs, I circle my arm round, windmill style.

* Have a bowl full of hot water, dip hand in and out, swish around, hand needs to go red. If blood flow stops, you can always swish round in the hot water again.

* Stand up to do the test. Make sure your arm is straight down when collecting the blood. Either use a small step stool to raise yourself well above the work surface, or put the collection tube on a lowish shelf or use an ironing board to get the perfect height.

* Prick finger on the side, not the tip. I find that half way between the nail bed and tip is about right, or maybe slightly nearer the nail bed rather than the tip. Middle finger seems to be best for me, if flow stops I then go on to ring finger.

* Do not squeeze your finger to get the blood out, it can damage the blood and it may not be usable

I've recently done 2 tests. The first one there was very little blood coming out which was unusual for me so I used a second finger and between the two I gradually filled the tube. However, when I checked the prick site for the first finger the actual cut was very small and as I've had some of these lancets fail before I put it down to that. When I did the second test this is what I did

* Prick my finger as usual, at the same time try and make a very slight twist with the lancet (the blade retracts very quickly so you have like a nano second to twist the lancet). I'm not talking 90 degrees or anything, just a very slight twist to make the cut just slightly bigger, it doesn't hurt or cause a blood bath! This made a big difference, 11 generous drops of blood filled the tube in less 2 minutes.

If you supplement with Biotin, or a B complex containing it (B7), leave it off for 7 days before doing any blood tests as it can give false results when biotin is used in the testing procedure, and most labs do use it.

Sometimes the sample has haemolysed, ie the red cells rupture. This may be due to:

* bacteria (so clean area thoroughly and allow to dry)

* intense exercise (so don't go mad trying to get the blood to flow prior to the test)

* squeezing the finger to get the blood out (you can gently "milk" the finger but don't squeeze)

* shaking the tube vigourously instead of gently inverting it.

* sample collection was prolonged

* if there was a long delay between sample collection and analysis

* there is too little blood in the tube and too much coagulant for the amount of blood

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). No need to stop any other supplements but take after the test on the day.

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

Here is a video of how to do a fingerprick test:

youtube.com/watch?v=w2JzToZ...(Not working as expected?)

[Lottyplum in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you very much for such comprehensive instructions! I have lost faith in my medical centre as they just look at the TSH level and as mine is suppressed (I’ve been on Levo for over 40 Yrs since thyroidectomy) and scream I’m over medicated. I tell them it’s been suppressed for about 15 years with no bone issues following a DXA scan to prove it! GP and Endo tried to scare me into submission! So now I want my blood tests to cover T3 which, of course, isn’t standard on the NHS. I am so thankful to Thyroid U.K. for all I have learned in such a short time.💕

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Lottyplum]

Recommended to also get vitamins tested too along with thyroid, once a year

What vitamin supplements are you taking

Remember to stop any supplements that contain biotin 5-7 days before test

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 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 and money off codes

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

Monitor My Health also now offer thyroid and vitamin testing, plus cholesterol and HBA1C for £65 

(Doesn’t include thyroid antibodies) 

monitormyhealth.org.uk/full...

10% off code here 

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

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning. 

[Lottyplum in reply to SlowDragon]

Thankyou. One final question: is it just Blue Horizon where you just use the home testing kit for private blood testing on Monday to Tuesday or does that apply to all of the companies you mention?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Lottyplum]

All of them

Wednesday if you post guaranteed 24 hours delivery

You don’t want kit arriving at lab on weekend

[Lottyplum in reply to SlowDragon]

Thankyou again.

[Lottyplum in reply to SlowDragon]

sorry for delay in replying - so much to take in!

The supplements I take are: Vit D3/K2, Quercitin, zinc, selenium, magnesium, Vit B12/B complex, Vit C, CoQ10, Vit E, cod liver oil (capsule). I have to say I don’t take them all every day. I take the basics of D3/K2, zinc, selenium, magnesium+Vit B12/B complex. The rest I rotate. I have Solgar Beta Glucan Complex, which includes Zinc, selenium, Vit C, Elderberry extract, Copper, Vit D3+Beta Glucans+use this when I’m going out and needing to take my supplements when not at home 4 hrs after my Levo. I try to walk every day 6000-10000 steps. Trying as best as I’m able to be gf. Still trying things out and some things are good and others are awful. Eating out is a bit of a pain but finding restaurants/cafes that have a good selection of gf foods is getting better, esp locally to where I live.

Thanks again for your input and all the info I’m acquiring.

[Chelt16]

Hi, I use Medichecks twice a year to get a full thyroid panel as my GP is not allowed to offer this. I also pay to have my sample taken at the hospital which Medichecks has an agreement with. There is an extra fee of £30 for this. I decided the stress of not knowing what the impact of hashimotos was doing to my system with just TSH number that it's worth paying for the test. I now feel much more able to manage my symptoms and make adjustments to minerals, vitamins etc. Ps there are other UK based testing firms but I've only used Medichecks.

[Lottyplum in reply to Chelt16]

Thankyou for all the helpful hints I have received.