blood tests for t3 &levo: Hi 👋 I usually take... - Thyroid UK

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blood tests for t3 &levo

Racheeeel78 profile image
17 Replies

Hi 👋

I usually take both my 100mcg levo and 10mcg t3 at 6am each morning.

I have a blood test at 9am to test my levels and wondering what time would be best to take them both for for most accurate results

I think t3 should be 8-10 hours before so would that mean taking extra dose at midnight t3?

Thank you for your help!

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Racheeeel78
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17 Replies
jimh111 profile image
jimh111

You could simply bring your dose forward to just before bedtime. Taking T3 three hours before the blood test will give a false result.

Racheeeel78 profile image
Racheeeel78 in reply to jimh111

Hello, thanks for reply!

Would I bring both levo and t3 forward to before bed, would that not be too much levo in 24 hours?

waveylines profile image
waveylines in reply to Racheeeel78

My understanding is you take your levo as normal the previous day but don't take on the morning of the test, take afterwards. I'm not sure what you should do with the T3 but I believe some people split the T3 dose and take 5mcg with the levo day before and the other 5mcg at bedtime. Then don't take the T3 on the morning of your test but take the 10mcg as per normal with your levo after the test. Having said this I take NDT so am no expert on this!!

Am sure someone will correct me if I'm talking rubbish! 🤣

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to waveylines

Waveylines is correct :)

waveylines profile image
waveylines in reply to SeasideSusie

Hurray...!! Thank u SeasideSusie. It's not my bag I know. 😊

Racheeeel78 profile image
Racheeeel78 in reply to waveylines

Thank you so much 😊

TasJSA profile image
TasJSA in reply to waveylines

That’s logical in the bigger picture. Taking T3 artificially before a T3 blood test will of course give a false reading. I have a fasting blood test on the morning of 24th August for TSH, T3 & T4 to establish my natural levels so I plan not to take my tablets the night before in order to give an authentic test reading at what would be my normal levels without the meds.

Does that make sense?

TasJSA profile image
TasJSA in reply to TasJSA

Having seen TattyBogle’s comment, I’ll delay taking that dose and take it after the blood test. Thanks TattyBogle! 👏

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to TasJSA

in case you haven't found it TasJSA

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

TasJSA profile image
TasJSA in reply to tattybogle

Thank you. Very helpful. 👍

jimh111 profile image
jimh111 in reply to Racheeeel78

You can take the levo after the blood test or the night before. It will make about five percent difference either way as we store a lot of T4 in our blood.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle

This may help you understand the issues involved : healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

bringing the levo dose forward to bedtime the night before would not do you any harm , but it wouldn't give the recommended 24hrs gap for levo ... so it would be better to take levo the morning before as usual .. then on day of test delay taking that days levo dose until after test.

(taking the dose the night before and only leaving about 12hr gap would mean that fT4 result was relatively higher than any previous results where you have left a 24 hr gap)

For the T3 test . you want an 8-12 hr gap from last dose .. easiest way to do this is split previous days dose , take half in a.m. as usual and take the remaining half 9pm - midnight . and delay the following mornings dose until after the test .

Hide the boxes after last dose the day before so you don't accidentally take Levo/T3 on autopilot on morning of test .

Racheeeel78 profile image
Racheeeel78 in reply to tattybogle

Brilliant thank you!

Will deffo hide as it’s the first thing I do when alarm goes off in morning 😊

Racheeeel78 profile image
Racheeeel78 in reply to tattybogle

I made a huge error and didn’t split my dose of t3 and I have blood test at 8:30. I took my t3 at 10am today- full 10mcg. Should I take 5mcg extra before bed for the 10 hour gap?

TL19 profile image
TL19

totally agree with Tattybogle.

Hashiboy profile image
Hashiboy

Hi Racheeeel78 i just just leave my regular 8am T3 and T4 meds until straight after the morning blood draw. I try to get as early a test as possible. That's based on my endos advice. I Don't think stacking the dose the night before will give very typical results so might end up making you look over medicated.

Racheeeel78 profile image
Racheeeel78

I made a huge error and didn’t split my dose of t3 and I have blood test at 8:30. I took my t3 at 10am today- full 10mcg. Should I take 5mcg extra before bed for the 10 hour gap?

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