RE: 24 hour thyroid urine tests - Are they valid?

[Guest guest]

The NHS blood tests only measure the amount of thyroid hormone

in your blood. The 24 hour urine test shows the amount of hormone in your

cells. The NHS do not recognise the 24 hour urine tests done by laboratories

outside the NHS and therefore know nothing about them. The are very valid and

much preferred to the blood test results.

Why are the NHS using blood results ONLY - why do they treat

hypothyroidism with levothyroxine ONLY - why don't they recognise the

connection between low adrenal reserve and hypothyroidism - why, why, why - we

are trying to find out Enkai. If it is your doctor who is saying the 24 hour

urine test has no validity, perhaps you would like to show him the followiong studies

and research :

Luv - Sheila

24-hour urine thyroid Hormones

1.

Fraser WD, Biggart E, O’Reilly D St J, Gray H W, McKillop

JH, Thomson JA. Are biochemical tests of thyroid function of any value in

monitoring patients receiving thyroxine replacement? Br Med J. 1986, 293:

808-10

2.

Chan V, Landon J. Urinary thyroxine excretion as index of

thyroid function. Lancet. 1972, (Jan 1) 7740: 4-6

3.

Tal E , Sulman FG. Urinary thyroxine. Lancet. 1972, 1291

4.

Chan V, Besser GM, Landon J, Ekins RP. Urinary triiodothyronine

excretion as index of thyroid function.  Lancet 1972, (Aug 5) 253-256

5.

Chan V, Besser GM, Landon J. Effects of oestrogen on urinary

thyroxine excretion. Br Med J. 1972, 4: 699-701

6.

Rastogi GK, Sawhney, Sinha, , Devi. Serum and urinary

levels of thyroid hormones in normal pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 1974, 2: 176-80

7.

Rogowski P,Siersbaek-Nielsen K, Mölholm Hansen J. Urinary

excretion of thyroxine in different thyroid states.  Acta Endocrinol (Kopenh).

1978, 87: 525-34

8.

Kolendorf K, Broch Môller B, Rogowski P. The

influence of chronic renal failure on serum and urinary thyroid hormone levels.

Acta

Endocrinol (Kopenh). 1978, 89: 80-8

9.

Ali Afrasiaki M, Dabir Vaziri N, Grant Gwinup, Mays M, Barton

CH, Ness RL,Valenta LJ. Thyroid function in the nephrotic syndrome. Ann Int

Med. 1979, 90, 335-8

10.

Aizawa T, Yamada T, Tawata M, Shimizu T, Furuta S, Kiyosawa K,

Yakata M. Thyroid hormone metabolism in patients with liver cirrhosis, as

judged by urnary excretion of triiodothyronine. J Am Geriatrics Soc.

1980;28(11):485-91

11.

Yoshida K, Sakurada T, Kaise K, Saito S, Yoshinaga K.

Measurement of triiodothyronine in urine. Tohoku J Exp Med.

1980;132(4):389-95

12.

Lopresti JS, Warren DW, Kaptein EM, Croxson MS, Nicoloff JT. Urinary

immunoprecipitation method for estimation of thyroxine to triiodothyronine

conversion in altered thyroid states. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1982;55(

4):666-70

13.

 Yoshida K, Sakurada T, Kaise K, Yamamoto M, Saito S, Yoshinaga

K. Thyroid stimulation test with urinary T3 concentration as an index of

thyroid response. Tohuku J Exp Med. 1983;139(3):271-7

14.

Mirralles- JM, Mories-Alvarez MT, Reglero-Chillon A, Lanao

JM, Corrales- JJ, -Diez LC. Urinary kinetics of triiodothyronine

and their modification with age. Horm Metab Res. 1985;17(7):366-9

15.

Orden I, Pie, Juste, Marsella, Blasco. Thyroxine in

unextracted urine. Acta Endocrinol (Kopenh). 1987;114:503-8

16.

Faber J, Siersbaek-Nielsen K, Kirkegaard C. Renal handling of

thyroxine, 3,5,3’- and 3,3’,5’-triiodothyronine,

3,3’-diiodothyronine in man. Acta Endocrinol (Kopenh). 1987;115:144-

17.

Orden I, Pie J, Juste MG, Giner A, Gomez ME, Escanero JF. Urinary

triiodothyronine excretion. Rev Espan Fisiol. 1988;44 (2):179-84

18.

Hertoghe J. The usefulness of evaluating the urinary excretion

of triiodothyronine and thyroxine in the urines of 24 hours for diagnosis of

thyroid dysfunction and follow-up of thyroid treatment.  Conference in Antwerp,

Belgium, March 1975

19.

Baisier WV, Hertoghe J,Eeckhaut W. Thyroid insufficiency. Is TSH

the only diagnostic tool? J Nutr Env Med. 2000; 10: 105-13

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thyroxine the only valuale drug? J Nutr Env Med. 2001;11:159-166

21.

Hertoghe T. The efficacy of diagnosing borderline and overt

hypothyroidism with the laboratory assessment of triiodothyronine and thyroxine

excretion in the urines of 24 hours.  A comparison with plasma thyroid tests.

Optimal hormone therapy in the aging adult.  Basic and advanced seminar, San

Francisco, February, 2000

Hi everyone

I had a 24 hour urine test done which shows abnormally low levels of T3 (out of

range) and

low (but within range) T4. On the same day I had a blood test which shows

within range FT3

and FT4 and a TSH of only 3. My doctor (an 'alternative' endo) is likely to

treat me with these

results but I feel a bit unsure whether these tests can be trusted or not.

I am just wondering if anyone knows whether these 24 hour urine tests are

actually valid? Are

they backed up by the science and if so why aren't they used more in the UK?

Many thanks

Enkai

[Guest guest]

Hi Enkai

I had the 24hr thyroid urine test done last year. My results were the

same as yours. My T3 was under range and my T4 was on the low side but

within range.

I took the results to my GP who just looked blank. I gave a copy of

the results to the endo I saw earlier this year. He said the tests

were not valid and he called Dr P 'unorthodox'. The endo said I did

not have a thyroid problem. I am in the process of complaining about

him.

However, the 24hr urine test was proof that all my symptoms were not

due to my age or in my head. I still have a look at the test results

every now and then just to remind myself and as an incentive to keep on

fighting to get a NHS diagnosis.

I am now on 1 grain of Armour and half a 5mg tab of T3 - which I would

not be able to tolerate if I did not have a thyroid problem.

Perhaps they do not acknowledge the urine test because it is contrary

to what they have been taught in med school - and they don't have the

inteligence or the vision to look outside the box.

B