Re: So what should I do about when to take meds before labs???

[Guest guest]

Hi Theresa,

Please take your meds since your blood draw is in the afternoon – it’s not worth your feeling stressed about it.

In April of this year I was able to actually post results 24 hours apart from blood I had drawn — both my endo and primary doc requested Thryoid panels so I did not argue with that!

They went to the exact same lab here in town, one day apart.

One day I TOOK BOTH my T3 and T4 and on the other day I took NO thyroid meds.

Here are my blood results — as you can see, the difference was really only in my TF4, and was not substantial enough to make a doctor do a med change so it gives an accurate reading of how you are doing ON your meds, and not WITHOUT them — that wouldn’t be very good to tip the scales the other way and get an increase if you don’t need it!

Anyway, again, here are my results, tried and true showing blood work 24 hours apart with and without taking my thyroid meds. The most important part of your health is your overall well being and if you don’t feel good not taking a dose for 12 hours, please take it-- no doctor asks you to forego your thyroid meds anyway — it’s really a personal choice.

4/27, NO MEDS:

TSH: .41 range: .40-5.50

T3F: 285 range: 230-420

T4F: 1.1 range .8-1.8

4/28, took ALL MEDS, both T3 and T4 prior

TSH: .35 (L) range: .40-5.50

T3F: 295 range: 230-420

T4F: 1.5 range: .8-1.8

I hope this helps put your mind at ease some.

Sue

[Guest guest]

there are 3 tests.

1. which is considered to be the best is the spit test where you

spit into a new sterile tube and this is done 4 times throughout the

day.

2. 24 hour urine test (which I had done).

3. a blood draw type of thing something like a blood glucose test.

I think that said that 8 hours would be ok so maybe just set

the alarm for 8 hours before the time that you think that the blood

will be drawn.

i.e. appointment is 1.30 usually 30mins late and then the exam and

off to the nurse another 15 mins. We are now at 2.15 p.m. for the

draw so if you set the alarm for 6 a.m. pop the pill and go back to

sleep until time to get up. Hope this helps.

Dawn

> > >

> > > I posted earlier today about question relating to seeing my

Endo

> > > tomorrow. I am still waiting to hear back from some of you. My

> > other

> > > question is if I remember right that I was told not to take

any

> of

> > my

> > > Armour before I have Labs taken. Is this right? I also do not

> > see the

> > > doctor until about twelve thirty and by the time they call me

> back

> > and

> > > see the doctor then take the labes it will be about one thirty

or

> > later

> > > before the labs taken. Is that alright to go without any

Armour

> > for so

> > > long? By the afternoon I am usually on my second dose of

Armour.

> > I

> > > breatk it up during day. Thanks in advance for your help and

> > advice.

> > > Look forward to hearing from some of you.

> > >

> > >

> > > Theresa

> > >

> > My understanding is no meds 4 hours before blood draw..so if you

> are

> > getting blood drawn in the morning yuo take your morning dose

after

> > labs, if you are getting your blood drawn in the afternoon then

you

> > take your morning dose as normal.. considering you multidose I

> would

> > take the morning dose, making sure it is at least 4 hours beofre

> > your appointment and then bring your Armour with you and take

your

> > afternoon dose after the blood draw.

> >

> > Kats3boys

> > Theresa:

> > I guess I'm the one guy here in the othe camp. I think you

> should forgoe the thryoid pills until AFTER your blood test. If

you

> don't wait you could run the danger or falsley elevated levels

which

> would make your doc would think means you need LESS hormone. I

always

> wait till after the blood draw...even if I don't go until noon.

> Really...I've never felt a difference and I'm in no danger of a

doc

> taking my pills away. I just like to have the MOST accurate

numbers

> in hand so I can chart things for myself.

> > Just my little two cents..

> > ~E:)

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ~EG Connecticut T-T 2 years ago - 60 mcg Synthetic/97.5mg

> Armour

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > ---------------------------------

> > Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously

low

> rates.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Theresa wrote: I appreciate everyones advice but am not sure what to do. I am just afraid of not feeling well if I wait over twelve hours to take my first dose of the day. I usually take a dose in the evening sometime after eleven or midnight. I want to do what will be best for my results to come out accurate. I also would like to know what other test would be good to try to ask the doctor to run besides the ones everyone have already told me. I know Ihave problems with my adrenals and am wondering what is the best test to

be run for that.Thank you all for your advice and help. -Theresa Theresa: I have never not felt well from waiting to take my meds for twelve hours. Maybe I'm fortunate...but I think I would have to wait at least 24 hours before I felt a difference...so I don't think you have to worry, but its really your call. There are a lot of things "thyroid" that are like that unfortunately. There are rules...and then are variations depending on the situation. Having said that...IT would really be BEST for you to get a blood sheet from you doc and ask him if he can check off all the tests that need to be done so you just go get the blood draw first thing in the A.M. before your pills. If you can't do it during the week...SATURAY mornings are good. This way you have dead on balls accuracy. This is gonna be good to do in the

future too. MOST docs know nothing of how the accuracy of the tests are falsley elevated when patients take their pills too close to draw. MAYBE you can wise the guy up??? Also, if you can ask about the cortisol testing that would be great. THERE is free cortisol as well as Am cortisol and PMm cortisol to be taken at like 8pm. I had to get my done at the hosptital since the Quest lab isn't open at 8 pm. The other tests would include DHEA. NOW doctors do not like to run these...because they think its a Red Herring and would rather not waste their time looking at results that aren't going to be extreme like Cushings or s. They think they can diagnose that just by just looking at you. They have no concept that one could just have compimised adrenal function. I got laughed out of the room when I asked....so be prepared. I fought with two doctors over this and there are

still VERY sore feelings left on my end regarding this subject. Grrrrrr. If you are taking birth control pills....you should get a SHBG test done and find get all the testoterone tests run too. NO sense in being weak with out knowing why... Good luck! ~E:) The_Thyroid_Support_Group , E Gillespie wrote:>> > > kats3boys wrote: > >> > I posted earlier today about question relating to seeing my Endo > >

tomorrow. I am still waiting to hear back from some of you. My > other > > question is if I remember right that I was told not to take any of > my > > Armour before I have Labs taken. Is this right? I also do not > see the > > doctor until about twelve thirty and by the time they call me back > and > > see the doctor then take the labes it will be about one thirty or > later > > before the labs taken. Is that alright to go without any Armour > for so > > long? By the afternoon I am usually on my second dose of Armour. > I > > breatk it up during day. Thanks in advance for your help and > advice. > > Look forward to hearing from some of you.> > > > > > Theresa> >> My understanding is no meds 4 hours before blood draw..so if you are > getting blood drawn in the morning yuo

take your morning dose after > labs, if you are getting your blood drawn in the afternoon then you > take your morning dose as normal.. considering you multidose I would > take the morning dose, making sure it is at least 4 hours beofre > your appointment and then bring your Armour with you and take your > afternoon dose after the blood draw.> > Kats3boys> Theresa:> I guess I'm the one guy here in the othe camp. I think you should forgoe the thryoid pills until AFTER your blood test. If you don't wait you could run the danger or falsley elevated levels which would make your doc would think means you need LESS hormone. I always wait till after the blood draw...even if I don't go until noon. Really...I've never felt a difference and I'm in no danger of a doc taking my pills away. I just like to have the MOST accurate numbers in hand so I can chart things for myself. > Just

my little two cents..> ~E:) > > > > > > > > > > ~EG Connecticut T-T 2 years ago - 60 mcg Synthetic/97.5mg Armour > > > > > > ---------------------------------> Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously low rates.> ~EG Connecticut T-T 2 years ago - 60 mcg Synthetic/97.5mg Armour

Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2¢/min or less.

[Guest guest]

Theresa: What are you taking....synthetic or Natural? Synthetic t3? This would make a VAST difference. ~E:) ~EG Connecticut T-T 2 years ago - 60 mcg Synthetic/97.5mg Armour

Sneak preview the all-new Yahoo.com. It's not radically different. Just radically better.

[Guest guest]

Hi Ya,

You would think so but if you look at my results I will post again here, you will see it made NO difference at all, ok, well 5 pts but nothing note-worthy.

It was AWESOME I got to ‘put the tests to the test’ and settle this question, at least from I see in the blood work.

Sue

4/27, NO MEDS:

TSH: .41   range: .40-5.50

T3F: 285  range: 230-420

T4F: 1.1  range .8-1.8

4/28, took ALL MEDS, both T3 and T4 prior

TSH: .35 (L)     range: .40-5.50

T3F: 295          range: 230-420

T4F: 1.5      range: .8-1.8

Theresa:

What are you taking....synthetic or Natural? Synthetic t3? This would make a VAST difference.

~E:)

[Guest guest]

Theresa:

What are you taking....synthetic or Natural? Synthetic t3? This would make a VAST difference.

~E:)

---------------------------

Hi Ya,

You would think so but if you look at my results I will post again here, you will see it made NO difference at all, ok, well 5 pts but nothing note-worthy.

It was AWESOME I got to ‘put the tests to the test’ and settle this question, at least from I see in the blood work.

Sue

4/27, NO MEDS:

TSH: .41   range: .40-5.50

T3F: 285  range: 230-420

T4F: 1.1  range .8-1.8

4/28, took ALL MEDS, both T3 and T4 prior

TSH: .35 (L)     range: .40-5.50

T3F: 295          range: 230-420

T4F: 1.5      range: .8-1.8

[Guest guest]

I agree that Theresa would be smart to take her meds if it’s 4 hours before...there’s really no reason to get tested with a skipped dose.

I firmly believe they are testing how you do with the meds, not without.

Again, just my observation/conclusion.

Sue

Sue:

Thanks for the re-post. It so VERY interesting. I do think there are times..with certain people the difference is insignificant...for whatever the reason. One thing I am sure of...is people who take ARMOUR in particular need to be more careful with the timing of the pills and labs. The t3 is really absorable and SO strong and fast acting that it can really skew the labs. Some people taking Armour are taking 4 grains and that could be poppint 36 mcgs of t3 all at once first thing in the morning ...greatly effecting the labs:)

Sue, you reminded me of this because I was trying to remember what 's taking. I thought she was taking Synthetic and if she is...I'd think the four hours would be of less consequence than if she were taking the Armour...and she might be okay to just go ahead as planned and not worry about it.

[Guest guest]

> will see it made NO difference at all, ok, well 5 pts but nothing

> note-worthy.

> T4F: 1.1  range .8-1.8

> T4F: 1.5      range: .8-1.8

There is a difference in 4 points with a free T4 that only has 10

points to be in normal range..

Your first blood work no meds says you need an increase.. your second

set says depending on symptoms you may need an increase or not..

When this was originally posted someone posted a link regarding T4 and

peaking between 1 -1 1/2 hours in the blood after taking meds as the

blood test could not distinquish between what was going out and what

was coming in.. it also had the 4 hour rule which made sense to me..

Kats3boys

[Guest guest]

I am on Armour. I am also not on any birth control pills.

Thank you for all your help.

Theresa

>

> Theresa:

>

> What are you taking....synthetic or Natural? Synthetic t3? This

would make a VAST difference.

>

> ~E:)

>

>

>

> ~EG Connecticut T-T 2 years ago - 60 mcg Synthetic/97.5mg

Armour

>

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Sneak preview the all-new Yahoo.com. It's not radically different.

Just radically better.

>