The morning of your labs do you take your thyroid medication after the blood draw?

[Wtps]

I think I read on here awhile back that you should not take your thyroid medication before you have blood work for retesting TSH etc. My appointment is coming up and it's in the morning I was thinking of not taking my thyroid medication that morning until after the blood has been drawn(my med will still be on time because my appointment is early) Are you supposed to not take your thyroid med before a blood draw? And if so why hasn't my Dr. told me not to take it before a blood draw?(this will only be my second blood draw since my diagnosis)

[stella5349]

No problem Wtps - we know what you are thinking.

Doctors are not bashed and certainly no one is contesting you were doing that at all.

But reality wiith thyroid is - it is NOT the priority topic with many doctors. They have little training for many in this - but it truely is a very - very big problem/

It frustration for most when this disease hits us. I mean is surely is not within public awareness like beast cancer and diabeties... so its very hard to get the whole scoop sometimes for so many.

Keep reading and learning - its the best thing you can do.

[Wtps]

Thanks everyone. There were a bunch of things I wasn't aware of like making the appointments around the same time. I kind of did that pre diagnosis but now I will always try to get the same appointment times for rechecks.

Also when I said why don't the docs tell you this I meant no disrespect. I wanted to see if there was a particular reason as to why some do tell you not to take it and why some don't. I thought it might have to do with your diagnosis. Like if your newly hypo they might tell you to take your meds to get the best retest results or tell you not to to be more accurate in the results. No disrespect whatsoever and I do realize that Dr.'s are people. I'm new to all this so I have many questions! I've been doing reading online and looking at books to get at the bookstore on hypo but to be honest I'd rather ask questions to those in the same boat. :)

[stella5349]

Both LM and Dawn bring up valid points. Consistancy is important. I do not take my thyroid meds prior to testing - but I try to test exactly the same way everytime I go - i.e. - times are the same.

I think it may be a benefit for people only on synthetic T4 medication to probably stay consistant with their medication. Patients that take a desiccated may benefit holding off - doing the lab as early as possible - and then taking their medication.

That's what I do since I am on desiccated thyroid. I wait until after the draw.

[dawnangela]

I take my meds before, but i do and will do this always, so its consistency, stick with what you do , if you dont take them then stick with that for each blood test, if you do then stick with this..This is thyroxine i am on tho..

[Super_sally888]

I take my meds right after I have the labs.  I take a t3/t4 med and definitely it would affect my levels.

[LazyMoose]

Your levels are higher after your meds, so this will show on the lab test, if taken after meds.  The important thing is to try to get labs at close to the same time of day, every time, for greatest comparable accuracy.

Why dont docs tell you this? -Doctors are just people. Some are very detailed in everyday life and some are just the opposite.

[TamraW]

Some doctors don't ask you to wait for your thyroid meds. My endo tells me to skip my meds if I draw in the morning. Then, I take my meds right after bloodwork. I bring a bottle of water and my meds with me.

Every endo is different. I do believe my endo is in the know when it comes to thyroid disease, unlike all the others I had seen before him, so I trust his opinion.

:) Tamra