How many hours before blood test I should stop taking NDT.

I totally did forget how many hours before blood tests I should stop my NDT.

One endocrinologist forced me to do my TSH, free T3 and T4 levels two hours after I took erfa.I totally regret this test but I was too weak and sick to say to this endo. that I cannot have tests done just two hours after ndt. ...

I know that result will be falsified and I know my gp will dwell on it saying that I do not need tests for another month or two because I had some done by endocrinologist not long time ago.

He will also refuse to accept that NDT would affect this blood test results. Moreover I expect that hospital labs used by my surgery will send me a note that they won't perform another test as I already had one.

Impossible to win..

[Hidden]

Hi Edysia Just noticed from your first blog that you say you we're offered treatment of 50mcg levothyroxine as a trial did you ever try it at all?I know you said you were unsure and worried about taking it-but that's just a natural response to taking any new medication for anything.Most people are a bit wary but are prepared if they feel bad enough,to go with it and see if there's improvement or not.Just a few weeks is enough time to get an idea if it is beneficial to you.It is very easy to look in too much detail at first, half of the stuff you are concerned about may never happen but if you haven't taken the levo yet and tried that regime,you likely be stuck where you are for a long time yet.if you haven't tried it,please do so for say 6/8 weeks (I know it's slow and we all want a quick fix) you will surely be better fixed to know how you are then you may surprise yourself and be feeling much improved on it given time

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Cupid. I tried Levothyroxine only for two days and I stopped as I had really strong stomach upset. It might have been lactose which is a part of levothyroxine. However I read so many bad things about levothyroxine that I decided to se dr S and get prescription for ERFa Thyroid ( natural dessicated thyroid). I am on it for 3.5 weeks, 1 grain for the last few days and don't feel to good.

I am wondering why are you mentioning levothyroxine ? Does it work for you ?

E xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Early days for me with levo so will have to wait a few weeks yet to see.dont feel too bad after first month but have had a few odd things but will put up with them to see if overall it is beneficial.i just feel its worth giving it a fair trial for 6/8 weeks before I either stay with it or ditch it if not working right,but if I don't give it a fair try iwon't ever know.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I probably do same on erfa. My studies are ruined so I will spend time on trying things. I will try to get to at least 2 grains or 2 and a half to see if things are going to change. I don't know how am i going to manage so many weeks but nothing else left as experimenting.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

By the way- did you have any feeling that I should try levothyroxine ? You just came up with this and I believe in gut feelings/ intuition. Xx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Not really Edysia it just seemed a logical thing to start and persevere with but now you on ndt perhaps just to stick at it and give it time to do its job might be the answer.I know believe me that it seems so very very slow and the bad patches on the way don't help but until its given a chance to fully work I don't think there any other way of proving or disproving that it will eventually work fine for you.try to persevere with it and who knows in a little while it may make you feel better enough to start to address the other problems if they still exist then,they may reduce a great deal anyway by then. Hope so and good luck

[brimstone]

I have been on levothyroxine for 6 years without any side effects the secret I have found is to take an hour before breakfast with a glass of water the same time every day eating too soon after taking the medication can interfere with the absortion the throxine especially milk and coffee and cereals containing maize.. I have a boiled egg for breakfast and I am fine

[Hidden in reply to brimstone]

Thank you brimstone. I was trying to find out something else.

thank you for sharing anyway. xx

[shaws]

If you take meds in the morning and are having a blood test, you should take the dose after the blood test.

If you take meds at night, miss out the evening's dose till the following day.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Thank you Shaws. I take meds twice a day. around 12 pm and then around 8pm. If I had to take blood test following morning then I would postpone the morning dose until the blood is taken, but what about skipping previous night dose?

[shaws in reply to Hidden]

Don't take the evening dose.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Ok

[Heloise]

Edysia, I don't think you owe blind obedience to these doctors who may be keeping you ill.

When I first began with T4 many years ago, I did notice an improvement and took it for six years. I did not know about NDT at the time. I never, ever felt GOOD again but I managed. Then I pursued for Armour and did better but not great. Perhaps being on T4 for so long caused that. I was able to lose a little weight. Now I have a lot of reverse T3 so haven't decided which way to go as yet.

[Hidden in reply to Heloise]

I don't owe blind obiedience to doctors. I am left to deal with it by myself. However somebody has to give me prescription and what's most important somebody need to do my blood tests. I have no money to pay for private tests. I have exhausted my financial resources.

[Hidden in reply to Heloise]

How did you test your reverse t3 Heloise?

[Heloise in reply to Hidden]

I know, Edysia, it's really unbelievable that in these modern times that this can befall people with such a common disease. The reverse T3 test was done by LabCorp and it took two vials for me to have the T3, RT3, T4, TSH, B12, 25 OHD test for vitamin D, folate, and creatin kinase (to see if I had muscle damage). My insurance covered these as I had had very few done before. I don't know if they would cover any future tests except for vitamin D since I was showing a deficiency. I thought Genova Diagnostics would do some of these tests without a prescription but I asked about the saliva test for cortisol and it asked for a doctor's order in spite of the fact I was going to pay for it myself. Can you go to a lab and just ask for the blood draw and pay out of pocket.

Are you going to stick with the Erfa? I really prefer it but had some Armour so I went back on it and last time I checked a Canadian Pharmacy could no longer supply Erfa. Can you get it through NHS?

[Hidden in reply to Heloise]

I cannot get it through NHS, not in my surgery or hospital anyway. I am not sure if I will continue with Erfa. Month nearly gone and I am getting worse.

I cannot pay for private test, I have no money, I used it to pay dr S. and to pay for private prescriptions, I am on benefits and have no other sources of income.

I guess LabCorp does not operate in UK.

[Heloise in reply to Hidden]

So unfair but you know my cynical view, Edysia. Well, I think you must be on SOMETHING, right? You're probably feeling poorly because your own TSH is slowing due to the supplement of thyroid extract so you have to find the increase that works for you. Whether it be synthetic or natural you need, you have to bring up your level of T3 to keep you going. I don't know how long it takes for reverse T3 to start piling on, maybe it wouldn't be for a long time and at least you will have some thyroid in the meantime.

I know you are mourning the loss of your goal (the study you were pursuing). Try to ease into a different mindset about your life...something practical under these new circumstances. Dreadful request I know but I know deep down you are not giving up. You have way too many talents and brains to waste away because of these obstinate so-called professionals.

[Hidden in reply to Heloise]

I gave up on studies already Heloise. I feel that this is going to be long - life battle. Here I have to re-define myself again. My illness is my new identity, whether I like it or not. All dreams are destroyed but there is nothing I can do about it. Xx

[RedApple in reply to Hidden]

Your illness is only your current identity Edysia. Your body is broken right now, and you need to give it time to heal. Once the healing is in progress, things can improve and you can begin to shake off the 'illness' identity and find the Edysia identity again.

I and many others here understand about broken dreams. But life does not always go as we wish, regardless of who we are. I sometimes use this phrase as a sig at the end of my emails:

'Life is what happens when we had something else planned'.

I think it's adapted from John Lennon's words:

'Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.'

That seems to describe what happened to you, and to me too.

I have several times had to 'start afresh', and make a new way of life for various reasons. The life I lead now is not at all what I had planned a few years ago. I cannot do things now that I used to do, but that is in part because whilst on the road to recovery from thyroid collapse, I developed another health condition that places even more limitations on what I can do.

But, I am so relieved that things are not worse. I am thankful that my brain and some of my artistic talents eventually came back. So I make sure that every day, I use them as best I can. I can't use them in the way I had planned to, so I found a different way instead.