Complete list of blood tests for t3 only

[Tbird0063]

Hello everyone, I am new to t3 only and would appreciate a list of labs to request from my doctor. I'm taking 75mcg. before bed. What is the protocol prior to testing and what are the important labs for someone without a thyroid. I do have a hypothalamus/pituitary dysfunction as well (if there are any tests for that)Thanks for any and all help

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

hi sorry to see you haven’t had a reply in a few hours. I wrote a long response and my battery on my phone died and I lost it. 🤦🏽‍♀️

First question is why do you want the GP to test? Is your T3 only sourced via NHS? If not I’d test privately as GP may not understand what you are taking.

Protocol, fasting early morning (8-9am) with previous day dose split so you take half 8ish hours before the test. Take next dose after test as normal.

Avoid Biotin in supplements for 3-5 days (messes with the testing equipment).

What to test, well TSH is going to be suppressed by T3 only so pointless. But that’s the NHS standard test for thyroid.

FT4 will be low due to T3 only too. FT3 will be useful but may not be Ava’s doesn’t show up what you are absorbing and you mention pituitary etc. I’m copying greygoose DippyDame who are T3 only experts and will correct me.

You may want to know TPO or TgAb antibodies if you haven’t already had those although you may know if that’s not necessary based on your history.

You may want B12, D, folate, ferritin, iron panel, zinc, selenium.

You may want coeliac, pernicious anaemia, h pylori if relevant to you.

[greygoose in reply to Regenallotment]

I haven't had a blood test since 2014. They're so difficult to get I thought, why bother. And doctor I might see is going to freak out at my high FT3 and my non-existant TSH/FT4, anyway, and I just can't be doing with that. And, no private tests here in France. So, I dose by symptoms. I know my body well enough by now.

I do have a hypothalamus/pituitary dysfunction as well (if there are any tests for that)

If you already know you have a hypothalamus/pituitary dysfunction (I presume you mean Central Hypo) why do you want tests for them? There is a hypothalamus test but it's not a blood test and I believe it's rarely done. And I think you'll find that testing other pituitary hormones can only be done by an endo, not a GP. Although you could ask for an early morning serum cortisol test but that would be of limited use. (Not that cortisol is a pituitary hormone but the adrenals need the stimulus of the pituitary hormone ATCH in order to produce it.) But apart from that, I can't think of anything. Sorry.