Blood Testing Protocol: I take 60mg (1 grain) of... - Thyroid UK

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Blood Testing Protocol

FancyPants54 profile image
6 Replies

I take 60mg (1 grain) of Armour Thyroid at 8am with either 37.5 or 50mg of Levo. I take 50mcg Levo 3 days a week. I take a further 60mg of Armour Thyroid at 5pm.

I want to do a blood test that will show me (not a doctor) what my common levels are during the day. I'm not trying to preserve a dose or get an increase. I want to know what I'm like for a big part of the day. Because right now something is not right and I don't know if it's too much or too little.

Any suggestions as to the best protocol to find out if I need an increase or a bit of a decrease? Normally I take my bloods 13-15 hours after my second dose of Armour, timed so that I'm drawing the blood around 8.15am.

I am so sad and tired and miserable. But I've had my beta blocker doubled to reduce my fast AF recently and so I can't just wallop my thyroid meds up as it always increases my heart rate.

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FancyPants54
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6 Replies
Regenallotment profile image
RegenallotmentAmbassador

The ideal with blood test and dose timing is to aim for consistency, so I’d suggest keep doing the same as you were before , as this gives you something to compare to.

If you wanted to try a new technique/protocol you would need to start and then repeat to know more. So less helpful short term. 🌱

FancyPants54 profile image
FancyPants54 in reply toRegenallotment

Good thinking. That makes a lot of sense. I think I just need to assume my FT3 results will be a bit on the low side to what's actually going on.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

I would test at as previously ….around 8am before taking morning dose Levo and NDT

Are you also testing vitamin levels

What vitamin supplements are you taking

Which beta blocker are you taking

FancyPants54 profile image
FancyPants54 in reply toSlowDragon

I'm not doing vitamins this time. I do those twice a year for my private endo visit. This is an interim test of thyroid only. I take Nebivolol beta blocker.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle

Hiya fancypants , sorry to hear you're having a tough time .

this is how i would think about it , however it's a bit erm ...unconventional :

if you wanted to get an idea of the peak levels that fT4 and fT3 briefly get to in the blood , i'd test about 3 hrs after morning dose NDT and 50 levo.. ie. 11am ish. (but remember this would show TSH toward it's lowest,

if you wanted to know the lowest that fT4 and fT3 are ever getting , you'd test as you currently do .

if you wanted to get an idea of mid/ average level for fT4 / fT3 , i'd take morning NDT + levo and test maybe 3pm - 4pm (before pm dose) ~ and as above , TSH would still be around it's lowest

if you wanted to see an "8 .30 am TSH" with "mid / average fT4 /fT3 levels" on same test ~ you'd have to take a grain of NDT and some levo about midnight and test 8.30am .

FancyPants54 profile image
FancyPants54 in reply totattybogle

Different. And food for thought. I will review this in the morning as it's bedtime now.

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