Guest guest Posted November 9, 2002 Report Share Posted November 9, 2002 Phil, It's good to hear that the antibiotic treatment for Lyme is bringing improvement for you. I checked several references about blood testing for coagulation, and none of them mention anything about taking samples at a particular time of day, or fasting beforehand, or anything else like that, so I don't think it matters. Rich > Hi everyone. I have been active on the list for a while.;can't keep up with the emails so I occassionally view messages at the website. I hope many of you are seeing improvement. Am still on antibiotic therapy for lyme disease and am improving. MyCFS doc has changed my diagnosis to lyme disease which my lyme doctor had been treating me for since last year. > Anyway I do have a question. I will be having some blood work done to evaluate coagulation issues;my HEMEX test last year indicated antibiotics trigger it. I don't want to have another HEMEX done so am having some other test like D-dimer and PTT done along with new cytokine studies. Does anyone know if it matters what time of the day blood tests are done to assure improved accuracy? > Thanks > Phil > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 13, 2002 Report Share Posted November 13, 2002 Phil, It's good to hear that the antibiotic treatment for Lyme is bringing improvement for you. I checked several references about blood testing for coagulation, including a new hematology book that specifically discusses testing for hypercoagulation, and none of them mention anything about taking samples at a particular time of day, or fasting beforehand, or anything else like that, so I don't think it matters. Rich > Hi everyone. I have been active on the list for a while.;can't keep up with the emails so I occassionally view messages at the website. I hope many of you are seeing improvement. Am still on antibiotic therapy for lyme disease and am improving. MyCFS doc has changed my diagnosis to lyme disease which my lyme doctor had been treating me for since last year. > Anyway I do have a question. I will be having some blood work done to evaluate coagulation issues;my HEMEX test last year indicated antibiotics trigger it. I don't want to have another HEMEX done so am having some other test like D-dimer and PTT done along with new cytokine and immune system studies. Does anyone know if it matters what time of the day blood tests are done to assure improved accuracy? > Thanks > Phil > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 5, 2002 Report Share Posted December 5, 2002 Phil, I responded to your earlier post on this subject. See message number 49577. Rich > I tried to send this last month and either my brain fog prevents from seeing and any response or my message was bounced. So I'm trying again. > I have not been active on the list for a while.;can't keep up with the emails so I occassionally view messages at the website. I hope many of you are seeing improvement. Am still on antibiotic therapy for lyme disease and am improving. MyCFS doc has changed my diagnosis to lyme disease which my lyme doctor had been treating me for since last year. > Anyway I do have a question. I will be having some blood work done to evaluate coagulation issues;my HEMEX test last year indicated antibiotics trigger it. I don't want to have another HEMEX done so am having some other test like D-dimer and PTT done along with new cytokine and immune system studies. Does anyone know if it matters what time of the day blood tests are done to assure improved accuracy? In other words I'm looking for the worst results. > Thanks > Phil > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2002 Report Share Posted December 16, 2002 > Bob My doctor rotates the antibiotics depending upon my response and his opinion as to which is the most appropriate.I've been on Suprax, dorx, zithromax,bactrim and biaxin. Two months ago when my responding to the treatment seemed to plateau, he place me on the " atomic bomb " flagyl as he figured the spirochetes were encapsulated. I have to say I get my money's worth with flagyl. Never have I had such die off. For flora I am using Natren " Trinity " ,Primal Defense(12/day) and Inuflora(a prebiotic). Still I have had a problem with yeast. My natural practitioner is helping me with that. Am gettin rife treatments for that and I am getting blessed relief. Phil >> > Phil, glad to hear you are improving. What antibiotics are you on and what dosage? Are you taking anything to replace the flora? I don't know the answer to your question about what is the best time for the blood test. > > Bob > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2002 Report Share Posted December 18, 2002 Phil, who's your doctor and where are you? Am always interested in locating docs who will treat this way. Does he do PCR mycoplasma testing and/or blood/nasal cultures with sensitivies (to antibiotics?). penny > > > Bob > My doctor rotates the antibiotics depending upon my response and his > opinion as to which is the most appropriate.I've been on Suprax, > dorx, zithromax,bactrim and biaxin. Two months ago when my responding > to the treatment seemed to plateau, he place me on the " atomic bomb " > flagyl as he figured the spirochetes were encapsulated. I have to say > I get my money's worth with flagyl. Never have I had such die off. > For flora I am using Natren " Trinity " ,Primal Defense(12/day) and > Inuflora(a prebiotic). Still I have had a problem with yeast. My > natural practitioner is helping me with that. Am gettin rife > treatments for that and I am getting blessed relief. > Phil > >> > > Phil, glad to hear you are improving. What antibiotics are you on > and what dosage? Are you taking anything to replace the flora? I > don't know the answer to your question about what is the best time > for the blood test. > > > > Bob > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 In a message dated 12/06/2006 14:18:29 GMT Daylight Time, ash_bz@... writes: Does anyone know the contact number for the lab in Beford?? thanks >>>We have one listed on the TA site under Labs and testing on the LINKS page TreatingAutism.com Mandi x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 In a message dated 12/06/2006 14:18:29 GMT Daylight Time, ash_bz@... writes: Does anyone know the contact number for the lab in Beford?? thanks >>>We have one listed on the TA site under Labs and testing on the LINKS page TreatingAutism.com Mandi x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 In a message dated 12/06/2006 14:18:29 GMT Daylight Time, ash_bz@... writes: Does anyone know the contact number for the lab in Beford?? thanks >>>We have one listed on the TA site under Labs and testing on the LINKS page TreatingAutism.com Mandi x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 It's on their website www.mullhaven.co.uk. It's where we go for testing. Good people. Saj ________________________________ From: Autism Treatment on behalf of ash_bz Sent: Mon 12/06/2006 13:37 Autism Treatment Subject: Blood testing Hi folks--does anyone know the telephone number for the blood testing lab in Bedford ?? we could have them done at the Breakspere but Bedford is closer for us, TIA DISCLAIMER No information contained in this post is to be construed as medical advice. If you need medical advice, please seek it from a suitably qualified practitioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 It's on their website www.mullhaven.co.uk. It's where we go for testing. Good people. Saj ________________________________ From: Autism Treatment on behalf of ash_bz Sent: Mon 12/06/2006 13:37 Autism Treatment Subject: Blood testing Hi folks--does anyone know the telephone number for the blood testing lab in Bedford ?? we could have them done at the Breakspere but Bedford is closer for us, TIA DISCLAIMER No information contained in this post is to be construed as medical advice. If you need medical advice, please seek it from a suitably qualified practitioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 It's on their website www.mullhaven.co.uk. It's where we go for testing. Good people. Saj ________________________________ From: Autism Treatment on behalf of ash_bz Sent: Mon 12/06/2006 13:37 Autism Treatment Subject: Blood testing Hi folks--does anyone know the telephone number for the blood testing lab in Bedford ?? we could have them done at the Breakspere but Bedford is closer for us, TIA DISCLAIMER No information contained in this post is to be construed as medical advice. If you need medical advice, please seek it from a suitably qualified practitioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 Thanks Saj----I have misplaced your number and just got your works number DAve today. Give me a call when your free 328 8966---thanks Baz. > > It's on their website www.mullhaven.co.uk. It's where we go for testing. Good people. > > Saj > > ________________________________ > > From: Autism Treatment on behalf of ash_bz > Sent: Mon 12/06/2006 13:37 > Autism Treatment > Subject: Blood testing > > > > Hi folks--does anyone know the telephone number for the blood testing > lab in Bedford ?? we could have them done at the Breakspere but > Bedford is closer for us, TIA > > > > > > > DISCLAIMER > No information contained in this post is to be construed as medical advice. If you need medical advice, please seek it from a suitably qualified practitioner. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 12, 2006 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 Thanks Saj----I have misplaced your number and just got your works number DAve today. Give me a call when your free 328 8966---thanks Baz. > > It's on their website www.mullhaven.co.uk. It's where we go for testing. Good people. > > Saj > > ________________________________ > > From: Autism Treatment on behalf of ash_bz > Sent: Mon 12/06/2006 13:37 > Autism Treatment > Subject: Blood testing > > > > Hi folks--does anyone know the telephone number for the blood testing > lab in Bedford ?? we could have them done at the Breakspere but > Bedford is closer for us, TIA > > > > > > > DISCLAIMER > No information contained in this post is to be construed as medical advice. If you need medical advice, please seek it from a suitably qualified practitioner. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 I keep track of all my blood work and I should say there would be no reason for me to get extra blood work if I wasn't adapting my life style, eating habits, supplements, drugs, exercise to some degree with the results. I change behaviors regularly as I get results and gain more information as new studies come out or I discover older ones. As to there being a web site, I'm not one to submit personal information to web sites so I would never use one to input such an extensive set of personal data. Some blood work I've done out of curiosity and no doctor of several I was with at the time had a clue about what any aspects of the results meant; for example, an amino acid profile. Other tests that can be more commonly used (and typically are not used much) such as the VAP test to look at actual measurements of cholesterol subfractions (LDL peak size, HDL2, HDL3, etc.) are not easily interpreted by doctors. In any case, most doctors only scan the blood work to see if there is a flagged " High " or " Low " and otherwise ignore the results. I personally check blood work information for what would be " optimum " and evaluate my position within the lab reference range and work if necessary to move those results more towards the optimum arena. Steve alistair tweed wrote: > > > Dear Dudescholar / Steve, > > Excellent work on your initiative on managing your health in such a > proactive way! > > A question - what do you do with the results? Do you compare them to > last year's records and look at what has changed and then modify your > behaviour appropriately? > > The reason I am interested, is that I like you, I get a comprehensive > health check including a full blood panel done once a year but have > nowhere to store them. I have set up a web site at > http://aging-management.com/ <http://aging-management.com/> with my > brother, Dr. Tweed and I am thinking of putting together a > system that you could enter your blood test details and it would analyse > the data and provide feedback from my brother. You could store your > results, year on year and it could be a tool from which you could > proactively manage your health by monitoring the biomarkers of aging. > > Would something like this be of interest to you? > > Best Regards, > > Alistair > > http://aging-management.com/ <http://aging-management.com/> - Optimising > Health for Longevity > > Re: Re: pH acidosis > > Blood work, DHEAe blood work to be more specific. I often order blood > work from the Life Extension Foundation (LEF, www.lef.org) . The labs > used are always the same labs used when my doctors order blood work. > > The LEF has an annual sale on blood work that just ended. There is a > male suite of blood test that includes DHEAe, T, Free T, Estrdiol, PSA, > CRP, Homocysteine, Cholesterol, Trigs, CBC, CMP, Uric acid, and a few > others that costs for members 299 but during the sale is 199 USD. If > your doctor order them and you didn't have insurance, you would be > looking at well over $1000. > > Even without the sale, one can order tests individually at a discount. > I usually get the CBC/CMP/Uric/ Cholesterol/ Trigs lab work every few > months and cost is $35 or so. When I didn't have insurances and still > often when I do, I order this simple test and bring it into my general > doctor or cardiologist which eliminates most needs for a follow up > visit. When I didn't have insurance, it was much much much MUCH cheaper > to order labs myself rather than use a doctor's order. LEF has already > negotiated discounted pricing and there are other web sites where one > can order many other tests also at discounted pricing, some deals are > even a lot better than LEF's prices. > > http://directlabs. com/ > http://www.lef. org/newshop/ cgi-shop/ showCategory. cgi?catid= 23000 > http://www.labsafe. com/lab-tests/ > > Steve > > Jim wrote: > > > > > > Hi Steve: > > > > What do you use to measure your DHEA levels? > > > > Regards, Jim > > > > > I find the amount of 200 mg/day of DHEA interesting. I currently take > > > 100 mg/day with the ultimate goal of getting my levels up to high > > > normal, but this only brings it up to about 25% into the normal range, > > > not even mid way. > > > > > > Apricot85 wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > That's interesting. I'm glad you found something that helped. It > makes > > > > sense that an adrenal hormone would help support your adrenal. > Have you > > > > found anything else that helps your adrenal? Is your thyroid OK? > > > > > > > > Kirk McLoren wrote: > > > > > > > > > > I only have 1 adrenal and suffered from debilitating fatigue. > > > > > 200mG of DHEA a day changed my life. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 20, 2008 Report Share Posted June 20, 2008 Thanks for your answer, Steve. It's good to see that you assess and use the data to adjust your lifestyle to optimise your health, IMO this is the way to go. Some people store this info and use it for historical reference if a problem occurs later in their lives, which is useful too. Regarding your comment " ...I'm not one to submit personal information to web sites... " I appreciate and understand your wish to protect what is highly personal information and vigorously support your right to do so. Many people feel the same way as you and have similar concerns as we move toward a society where more and more personal info is kept on record and it is a very real stumbling block to any plan to store and automate the analysis of these health tests. However, personally, I think that the risks involved are worth the rewards. There are almost no randomised controlled trials involving supplements and there never will be because supplements cannot be patented and there will never be a payoff for the expense of running the 'gold standard' of evidence-based medicine to remove bias and spurious causality, let alone the marketting hype that surrounds some supplements. If I look at the rewards that a system that stored health results and supplement regimes in the same system could offer, I see these as being able to offer the individual excellent quality analysis and interpretation of the results along with constructive advice on health optimisation from doctors and health professionals. It would also act as a repository for historical data and as the record built up year on year, it could be graphed and would be used to effectively recognise and monitor areas of concern. Imagine if 10,000 people used it for 10 years. It would have the statistical power to show even small effects of lifestyle changes and everyone would benefit from the increased understanding of the effects of supplements and lifestyle interventions on health and the biomarkers of aging. Obviously, this is a pretty large and ambitious project but this is where it could go. The downsides. I would be keen to hear what you feel these are. Personally, I see these as the risk of the information being used against the individual. I don't quite see how someone knowing my cholesterol or triglyceride levels is going to be used against me apart from being spammed with adverts for drugs. Seeing as most of us are already buried in emails offering us cheap Viagra, penis enlargers, and offers from a very generous man who wants me to help him launder money if I will only give him my bank account details, I don't know if I would be significantly worse off. Our current security arrangements are that everything that involves any personal information is encrypted by a Geotrust SSL (a padlock and https:// will appear in your browser window). We don't store financial details of any kind, we don't advertise on our site and we don't spam. I am still feeling reluctant to write my first newsletter but feel I should as we have recently have received notification of acceptance for HONcode accreditation (http://www.hon.ch/). This is only awarded to those sites considered to have rigorously researched their subject material with demonstrable scientific integrity and allows us to join the ranks of other high quality providers of medical information (http://www.hon.ch/cgi-bin/HONcode/sample.pl?major). This is a prestigious feather in our cap and we are now proudly displaying the HONcode badge on our site, but even so, I am still feeling reluctant to mail our members about it. I wish I were better at marketting... Anyway, I would be really interested to hear your views on this, Steve, and also from anyone else who has anything they would like to add. Just for your information and reference, there is an excellent set of questionnaires at http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/ that does not store any information. There is also http://www.realage.com/ who offer a less credible, but quite fun system, but they do store your details and they do pepper you with emails if you let them. IMO, the first could provide an even more useful service if the results were stored and analysed... Thanks once again and Best Regards, Alistair http://aging-management.com/ - Optimising Health for Longevity Re: Re: pH acidosis > > Blood work, DHEAe blood work to be more specific. I often order blood > work from the Life Extension Foundation (LEF, www.lef.org) . The labs > used are always the same labs used when my doctors order blood work. > > The LEF has an annual sale on blood work that just ended. There is a > male suite of blood test that includes DHEAe, T, Free T, Estrdiol, PSA, > CRP, Homocysteine, Cholesterol, Trigs, CBC, CMP, Uric acid, and a few > others that costs for members 299 but during the sale is 199 USD. If > your doctor order them and you didn't have insurance, you would be > looking at well over $1000. > > Even without the sale, one can order tests individually at a discount. > I usually get the CBC/CMP/Uric/ Cholesterol/ Trigs lab work every few > months and cost is $35 or so. When I didn't have insurances and still > often when I do, I order this simple test and bring it into my general > doctor or cardiologist which eliminates most needs for a follow up > visit. When I didn't have insurance, it was much much much MUCH cheaper > to order labs myself rather than use a doctor's order. LEF has already > negotiated discounted pricing and there are other web sites where one > can order many other tests also at discounted pricing, some deals are > even a lot better than LEF's prices. > > http://directlabs. com/ > http://www.lef. org/newshop/ cgi-shop/ showCategory. cgi?catid= 23000 > http://www.labsafe. com/lab-tests/ > > Steve > > Jim wrote: > > > > > > Hi Steve: > > > > What do you use to measure your DHEA levels? > > > > Regards, Jim > > > > > I find the amount of 200 mg/day of DHEA interesting. I currently take > > > 100 mg/day with the ultimate goal of getting my levels up to high > > > normal, but this only brings it up to about 25% into the normal range, > > > not even mid way. > > > > > > Apricot85 wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > That's interesting. I'm glad you found something that helped. It > makes > > > > sense that an adrenal hormone would help support your adrenal. > Have you > > > > found anything else that helps your adrenal? Is your thyroid OK? > > > > > > > > Kirk McLoren wrote: > > > > > > > > > > I only have 1 adrenal and suffered from debilitating fatigue. > > > > > 200mG of DHEA a day changed my life. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 alistair tweed wrote: > > > Thanks for your answer, Steve. > > It's good to see that you assess and use the data to adjust your > lifestyle to optimise your health, IMO this is the way to go. Some > people store this info and use it for historical reference if a problem > occurs later in their lives, which is useful too. > > Regarding your comment " ...I'm not one to submit personal information to > web sites... " I appreciate and understand your wish to protect what is > highly personal information and vigorously support your right to do so. > Many people feel the same way as you and have similar concerns as we > move toward a society where more and more personal info is kept on > record and it is a very real stumbling block to any plan to store and > automate the analysis of these health tests. There are reasons to provide alias and/or pseudo names to different web sites and ways to create and maintain multiple email address which funnel back to you easily. > However, personally, I think that the risks involved are worth the rewards. > There are almost no randomised controlled trials involving supplements > and there never will be because supplements cannot be patented and there > will never be a payoff for the expense of running the 'gold standard' of > evidence-based medicine to remove bias and spurious causality, let alone > the marketting hype that surrounds some supplements. I disagree. There are lots of studies involving supplements. What we don't get are larger studies with an N of 1000+ sponsored by parma companies. Research is still ongoing in supplements with some countries doing a lot more government related work - Europe and the USA for example. > If I look at the rewards that a system that stored health results and > supplement regimes in the same system could offer, I see these as being > able to offer the individual excellent quality analysis and > interpretation of the results along with constructive advice on health > optimisation from doctors and health professionals. Except that each health philosophy will have different sets of recommendations pushing high fat, or low fat, or high proteine, or low proteine, or supplements with a few animal studies or only supplements with extensive human studies. There is no posibility for a one-size-fits-all for anyone who wants to take their own health into their own hands. " Trust " in any authority, be a doctor, a web site, the surgeon general, etc., is not a safe or healthy bet > It would also act as > a repository for historical data and as the record built up year on > year, it could be graphed and would be used to effectively recognise and > monitor areas of concern. Imagine if 10,000 people used it for 10 years. > It would have the statistical power to show even small effects of > lifestyle changes and everyone would benefit from the increased > understanding of the effects of supplements and lifestyle interventions > on health and the biomarkers of aging. Obviously, this is a pretty large > and ambitious project but this is where it could go. This can be done with a software program too that never transmits the personal information outside of your computer or only keeps it on the back end servers in encrypted format, an encryption that takes place on the users computers so that only the user will ever have access to the data. The would preclude any generalized analysis of the collective data. Options for complete personal privacy are required. I would prefer an " open source " web project where people with more knowledge and paranoia that I could contribute to the security and privacy issues. > The downsides. I would be keen to hear what you feel these are. > Personally, I see these as the risk of the information being used > against the individual. I don't quite see how someone knowing my > cholesterol or triglyceride levels is going to be used against me apart > from being spammed with adverts for drugs. Seeing as most of us are > already buried in emails offering us cheap Viagra, penis enlargers, and > offers from a very generous man who wants me to help him launder money > if I will only give him my bank account details, I don't know if I would > be significantly worse off. Employers can use health related data to deny employment and/or fire employees. > Our current security arrangements are that everything that involves any > personal information is encrypted by a Geotrust SSL (a padlock and > https:// will appear in your browser window). We don't store financial If you are using SSL, versions of it have been compromised already in the past but it takes a lot of computing power. SSL only encrypts the connection between the server and the client. It does nothing for the server side of things where security always gets compromised when it involves multiple clients, either by pure hacking or data walking off site or backup solutions being hacked, etc. > details of any kind, we don't advertise on our site and we don't spam. I > am still feeling reluctant to write my first newsletter but feel I > should as we have recently have received notification of acceptance for > HONcode accreditation (http://www.hon.ch/ <http://www.hon.ch/>). This is > only awarded to those sites considered to have rigorously researched > their subject material with demonstrable scientific integrity and allows > us to join the > ranks of other high quality providers of medical information > (http://www.hon.ch/cgi-bin/HONcode/sample.pl?major > <http://www.hon.ch/cgi-bin/HONcode/sample.pl?major>). This is a > prestigious feather in our cap and we are now proudly displaying > the HONcode badge on our site, but even so, I am still feeling reluctant > to mail our members about it. I wish I were better at marketting... In business, every downside can be turned into a marketing opportunity. Marketing is what sells. > Anyway, I would be really interested to hear your views on this, Steve, > and also from anyone else who has anything they would like to add. > > Just for your information and reference, there is an excellent set of > questionnaires at http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/ > <http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/> that does not store any > information. There is also http://www.realage.com/ > <http://www.realage.com/> who offer a less credible, but quite fun > system, but they do store your details and they do pepper you with > emails if you let them. IMO, the first could provide an even more useful > service if the results were stored and analysed... > > Thanks once again and Best Regards, > > Alistair Just because I'm not a fan doesn't mean that others won't be. -- Steve - dudescholar4@... Take World's Smallest Political Quiz at http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html " If a thousand old beliefs were ruined on our march to truth we must still march on. " --Stopford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 5, 2008 Report Share Posted November 5, 2008 Hi Mandy, the tests are different for natural and synthetic so I am not sure why this is a problem. My take on it is there methods are not able to test for natural substances, only synthetic. also each of us have our own set point, so what is right for some will not be for the rest of us. if we all worn the same size shoe , but we don`t , hope this helps sorry I am not very good at explaining things. regards angel.someone will be able to explain better, where are you sheila.lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 Hello Everyone, Advice needed please anybody. When I rang my surgery for a repeat prescription on Friday, I was told that there was a message left for me to arrange a blood test. Should I not take my 'stuff' (too many to list) on the day of the test or should I stop taking it earlier - so it is out of my system - and if so how long before the test do I stop taking it? It is a shame that I need a test at this point in my treatment. I spoke to Dr P last Wednesday and he suggested that I should increase my intake of T3 - lo and behold - I have actually felt warm for the first time in that I can ever remember! I don't want to shout it from the rooftops because it's only early days yet but the effect was immediate from the first day that I doubled my dose of T3. I have been told that I have colour in my cheeks (so unusual) and asked if I am feeling well - and, for a change, the answer has been YES! I am reluctant to have to stop taking my 'goodies' just to have a blood test but if I don't stop taking them I am afraid that my blood test results will reflect my current (if short lived) 'wellness' and my T4 and T3 prescriptions will be reduced. (I have ordered Cytomel from internet to make up the shortfall in my prescription - persuading the GP to increase my T3 will be impossible. I have already tried that.) I have felt so happy for the last few days that I daren't even admit it to anyone just in case it all evaporates and I wake up and it has all been a dream. That all said, it has made me feel greedy for more! I wonder about trying an even bigger dose!? I wish that there was no need for blood tests - but I don't think GPs ever think about treating symptoms instead of hard facts. Love and much appreciation for support and help Giddy Annie X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 > > Hi Annie, > Don't take thyroid meds on the day of the test until after > blood has been drawn. > Thanks Glad to know that I don't have to stop taking meds for such a long period. Giddy Annie (who is feeling better but don't tell anyone in case it wears off!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 Hi Giddy Annie - am I correct in assuming that you are talking about a full thyroid function test. If so, then you must not take your thyroid hormone replacement for at least 24 hours before the blood draw - longer if possible. You can get a flawed reading otherwise. The reason we recommend you stop for at least 24 hours is that after you have taken T3, the T3 'spikes' in your system and would show your Free T3 is being extremely high, in which case, your doctor would immediately believe you were now going hyPERthyroid and tell you to decrease your dose immediately. Your Free T4 will also probably be at the top of the reference range, scaring him even more, and your TSH might well be completely suppressed, really scaring the poor old doc now. You can take your T3 with you and as soon as the blood has been drawn, take your dose. I am delighted that the extra T3 is working so well, but because you have increased it to almost double, be prepared to stop it for 24 hours if you suddenly start to get an adverse reaction such as palpitations, sweating, dizziness and generally feeling spaced out. When you start taking it again (the next morning will be fine because it has such a short half life) then start with a little less and build it up gradually. If you don't get such feelings at all, then yes, there may still be a titration or two left for you to try. Just be aware of the overdose reactions though, and follow the guidance of Dr P. Well done, I really am pleased. luv - Sheila I have already tried that.) I have felt so happy for the last few days that I daren't even admit it to anyone just in case it all evaporates and I wake up and it has all been a dream. That all said, it has made me feel greedy for more! I wonder about trying an even bigger dose!? I wish that there was no need for blood tests - but I don't think GPs ever think about treating symptoms instead of hard facts. Love and much appreciation for support and help Giddy Annie X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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