Help with results please!

[Benjipuss]

Morning! I would appreciate advice please. Due to another health issue I happened to be at the Drs and was offered a blood test to check thyroid levels. Without thinking , I agreed . However, I had had my thyroxine before appointment . My question is how will this have affected my results? I had TSH, t4 and t3 tested and won’t be tested again till September . Many thanks !

[greygoose]

What time of day was the blood draw?

How long was the gap between the last dose of levo and the blood draw?

Taking your levo the morning of the blood draw will give you a false 'high', but impossible to say exactly how falsely high.

But the time of day will affect the TSH - as possibly will having breakfast first. The nearer you get to midday, the lower the TSH. And as that's about all they look at, that tends to be important - although the TSH itself isn't.

The only thing that won't be affected by either of these variables is the FT3. So, you will have an accurate FT3.

[Benjipuss in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for your valued reply. My blood was taken just before 11am, and I think I’d had my levo between 7/8 am. I’d not had anything to eat beforehand. It was my lowest TSH to date, my T3 was identical and T4 was the highest it’s been !

[greygoose in reply to Benjipuss]

So, your TSH was coming up to its lowest point of the day. Your serum FT4 was pretty much at its peak. But there was no effect on the FT3. I do hope your GP doesn't want to reduce your dose! Because they know nothing about the importance of timing.

[Benjipuss in reply to greygoose]

Thanks for explanation, I am trying to understand as much as possible but it’s not always easy to retain everything . My Dr texted and I am allowed one reply so I did mention that my results would have been skewed. Am hoping I may be offered another blood test!

[greygoose in reply to Benjipuss]

Thing is, did you say why they may have been skewed? Because telling a doctor that you took your levo too close to the blood draw and the blood draw was at the wrong time of day, will get you a right-royle fob-off! They don't believe any of that makes any difference - after all, they're not scientists, just doctors with no sense of logic! Best thing to tell them is that you forgot to stop your massive dose of biotin that you take for hair loss. They know about that! lol

[Benjipuss in reply to greygoose]

Haha! I’m really hoping I don’t suffer from hair loss ! Dr and phlebotomist do know I like to be tested before nine and have never queried so I think they might understand or maybe have come across someone else that also insist on it! Thanks for reminder as I’ve not been taking supplements for a while . Am I ok just taking folate on its own as my B12 is extremely high but folate is near the bottom of range ?

[greygoose in reply to Benjipuss]

Well, your B12 is probably high because your folate is low. Try taking some methyfolate for a while and see what happens.

[Benjipuss in reply to greygoose]

I have metabolics Methyltetrahydrofolate. Assume same as above. And read have be careful if not taking with other b vits? I shall only take a small and not a mega dose and let it increase slowly .

[greygoose in reply to Benjipuss]

No, it's not the same thing. Although I couldn't tell you what the difference is. Try taking a small dose for a while and then retest. Or, just get yourself a B complex to take with it.

[Benjipuss in reply to greygoose]

I’m reluctant to take a complex till I’m retested as I was in the 700’s for B12. Please can you tell me what is the relationship between B12 and folate as you have said in earlier post that folate is low because b12 is high?

[greygoose in reply to Benjipuss]

The two work together so need to be kept balanced. If the folate is low, the B12 will rise because it's not being used. when you raise the folate, the B12 should go down.

But 700 is not that high for B12, it's just the way the ranges are arbitarily decided on that makes it look like it's high.

[Benjipuss in reply to greygoose]

Thank you! Please could you tell me should I be ok taking folate on its own for a month or so just to raise it then get both tested ?

[greygoose in reply to Benjipuss]

Should be ok, yes.