Re: Any ideas how I can make my blood test results look normal for the GP?

[Guest guest]

Hello Alice - obviously, no matter what you do (apart from

stopping your thyroid hormone replacement for several weeks) your TSH is going

to remain suppressed because when taking any form of T3, there is no need for

the pituitary gland to secrete any thyroid stimulating hormone as it recognises

there is sufficient circulating thyroid hormone. You can however, influence the

free T4 and free T3 result (always assuming that the laboratory will test for

these) by stopping your thyroid hormone replacement for a couple of days before

you have the blood drawn. We always recommend our members not to take any

thyroid hormone replacement on the morning the blood is drawn for thyroid

function tests and to take it immediately afterwards, but in your particular

case, it seems you don't need a result that will give a high free T3 reading.

As T3 peaks in the blood between 2 to 4 hours after taking it, should you have

taken the hormone that morning, the result will probably be crazily high,

scaring the breeches off your poor doctor who will immediately demand you decrease

your thyroid hormone drastically - and you will suffer the consequences.

Seriously though, if this was me, what I personally

would do is to try and bluff my way out of it and 'blind' him with science.

Tell him that you too have been worried about the results of

your previous tests so decided to do a bit of research to find if there was any

possibility that the results on this particular occasion could have been

" flawed " and that amazingly, you found that yes, thyroid

function blood test results can be influenced by many

factors, any of which should be taken into consideration when results are not

returned as expected, e.g.

·

Labelling errors

·

Bacterial contamination

·

Yeast/Fungal contamination

·

Clotting

·

Sampling errors

·

Sample preparation errors

·

Sample storage errors

·

Thermal cycling

·

Antithyroid antibodies (any)

·

Antibodies from any other cause

·

Presence of specific ‘toxins’ in the blood

·

Presence of pharmaceutical drugs (interferences) within the

blood

·

The method of analysis being carried out eg radio-immune assay

(RIA)

·

‘Systematic’ errors in analytical equipment or

methodology

·

Composite errors <> pre-analysis (not mentioned above)

·

MCT8 mutations

Apparently, none of these types of error are ever shown as being

part of the reference range, but they all add to the unquantifiable

‘unreliability’ of the final number that appears on a lab report;

stated to be within/outside a reference range.

Suggest therefore, that you are given a full thyroid function

test again to check this out. You can tell him if you wish that you are a

member of a Thyroid Support Group and have found other members have had a

similar experience, but when retested, everything was found to be fine.

I do, however, always recommend that members try to talk to

their doctor about their need for self treating with T3, whether synthetic or

natural and ask him/her to monitor them. I know this can be tricky with some

doctors who refuse to acknowledge that the active thyroid hormone T3 is what keeps

us alive and kicking, but please do consider this.

Let us know if the above works.

Luv - Sheila

Sounds weird but I need some help to try and get this correct for my records,

otherwise I feel it will go against me for future employment, should I need to

fill in a health questionnaire (most jobs)

I inadvertently ended up taking to higher dose of T3 & t4, don't worry I

have seen Dr P and am okay now (NB it was not an overdose). I also saw the Gp

around that time and he has said he wants to see me as the blood test results

do not seem right,at the time I had heart palpitations. Obviously it will look

like I am taking too higher dose of thyoid meds, even on the lower dose I am

taking now: 3 Nutri Thyroid, x1 25 mcg of t3. I am still telling the Doc I am

on thyroxine 100 mcg, as I do not want the hassle of telling him otherwise.

Any ideas what I can do to make my test results look normal? I do not want to

end up feeling I am being discriminated against because of this condition? I do

not want to stay in the same job forever and most jobs ask for a health

questionnnaire to be filled in.

I was thinking about stopping the thyriod meds for a few days before seeing the

GP and then the results make look a little more normal, but I do not know how

much more normal?

Please help. You can PM me if you like.

Ali xxx

[Guest guest]

Alice,

On Medical questionnaires it is suffice to say you have underactive thyroid

which is treated with replacement hormones.

The general line which the docs would have us believe is that the condition is

simple to treat, merely by taking T4. So that's the line I always took when

filling in Job apps.

x

>

> Sounds weird but I need some help to try and get this correct for my

> records, otherwise I feel it will go against me for future employment,

> should I need to fill in a health questionnaire (most jobs)

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sheila,

Thank you that is quite helpful. I was wondering how many different things could

influence the test results, and it seems that they are many and varied,

certainly not an eaxact science, one could say. I suppose I could always say

that I feel okay now so do not want to rock the boat by making any changes ( If

he suggests that I reduce the dose, I would not be taking his advice anyway)

I know when I started the job I am doing now I had to make a phonecall to the

compnay that conducted the medical questionnaire and that were only interested

as to whether there had been a change in my dose of thyroxine medication within

the last six months.

Love Ali xxx

>

> Hello Alice - obviously, no matter what you do (apart from stopping your

> thyroid hormone replacement for several weeks) your TSH is going to remain

> suppressed because when taking any form of T3, there is no need for the

> pituitary gland to secrete any thyroid stimulating hormone as it recognises

> there is sufficient circulating thyroid hormone.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thank you for your reply. If only it were really as simple as Docs have us

believe! I think in the last medical occupational questionnaire, when I had to

call the company that conducted it they were only interested in whether I had a

change of dose in my thyroxine within the last six months. So I may say to the

Doc. that I feel okay now, so no change is required, as I do not want to rock

the boat and risk feeling too tired.

Take care,

Love Ali xxx

>

>

> Alice,

>

> On Medical questionnaires it is suffice to say you have underactive thyroid

which is treated with replacement hormones.

>

> The general line which the docs would have us believe is that the condition is

simple to treat, merely by taking T4. So that's the line I always took when

filling in Job apps.

>

> x

[Guest guest]

Dear Ali

I would not worry too much about the condition when filling in application forms

for jobs, I always name the condition and then put

kept under control with medication.

You should be fine with that.

Luv Stephie

I do not want to stay in the same job forever and most jobs ask for a health

questionnnaire to be filled in.

>

> I> Please help. You can PM me if you like.

>

> Ali xxx

>