Do you skip your thyroid meds on lab days?

[TamraW]

I went for my labwork today. Hopefully, I will get my meds raised because I still feel hypo.

My endo's nurse told me not to take my Synthroid before my lab this morning. I thought that was weird, but I took my Synthroid after labwork.

The lab tech said that I would not get an accurate reading.  Should it make that big of a difference since I have been consistend with my Synthroid for the past three months?

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
:) Tamra

[Smilerdeb]

Endos tell you nothing usually...only when the Bill is due! lol

Opps soz..joking with you lol xxx

[goolarra]

Some doctors recommend not taking T4 meds before bloodwork, others say to take them.  The really important thing is to be CONSISTENT...either always take them before labs or never take them before labs.  It's also important to have blood drawn at approximately the same time of day each time you have labwork since there are some circadian variations.

I think it's best to take meds or not according to what the doctor ORDERING the tests tells you to do.  That way, in addition to being consistent with yourself, you are giving him lab work consistent with what he is used to seeing with other patients...we don't want to confuse him either.

Since T4 takes time to build  (and therefore also to leave) in your system, skipping your T4 meds until a few hours later than usual is not going to affect your levels appreciably.  T3 meds are a different story and should not be taken before labs.

[Nat_16]

My endo never told me anything about meds on lab days.....it was only the day before the last lot of labs I with my dad to an appt with a dr (not a endo!! ) and he said for me to not to take the T4 till afterwards....

Why didnt my endo say this - is it still debatable whether it should be taken or not or did my endo not tell me something important and could all my previous blood work be not 100% reliable???  

[brbjck]

i recently had to have a cardiac procedure, which turned out great and blood work was done at the hospital and my unsymphathetic primary care got a copy of the lab.  i had a tsh of .64 and free t4 of .97. and i am on 75mcg and i am finally feeling normallllll and finallyn after 6 months of trying am losing weight! now the doc is saying he wants a blood test because he thinks i should decrease back to 50 mcg, which i felt absolutely crappy on and tired as hell. he doesn't treat symptoms, just numbers.  i also have a endo who bumped me to 75mcg from 50, and she will retest in 3 months to make sure i stay in the 1.7 tsh range, arghhhhhhhhhh...my cardiologist agrees i need to be on the higher dose, but tells me to have the endo discuss it with the primary. im so upset...i feel so good on 75mcg, have expressed so to the primary.
now the bases of my inquiry...can i skip 1 day before the lab and the morning of the lab and will this change my lab so it looks "better" to my primary? its a damn shame we have to fight and struggle with these drs, to agree!!!!

[6hashi]

I take it right after the blood test !!

[stella5349]

yes... yes and YES - I skip prior to testing.