Just found out that my excellent ENDO of 4 yrs left her post at the hospital to work for Mass General in pituitary dept. So..I'll be back to square one w/finding a good, aggressive endo. Will be getting my blood drawn by my PC next week and would like a quick list of tests that I should request (so as to get some advice here, and be prepared w/referral to new endo). My list currently includes TSH, FT3, FT4, total T3 and total t4.

My appt is at 11am for blood draw; should I take my levoxyl at 6am? Should I fast?

thanks! will post results once I hear of them

Yikes!

Two thoughts spring to mind. Can you call your old Endo and ask for a referral to a new one?

And the other thought is: http://thyroid.about.com/cs/doctors/a/topdocs.htm
Referrals from other patients!

I'm not sure about your question whether to fast or not or take your meds. I think it would depend upon whether they're checking to see if your baseline thyroid function is ok -- in which case you wouldn't take the meds.

Since you're taking T4 which is slow acting; I don't think it'll make a big difference to your test. That stuff takes like a week to get half of it out of your system.

Those tests look good, but the ones I was particularly interested in for myself was my FT3 and FT4 since my TSH was in the "normal" range yet I felt like poop warmed over.

Do NOT take your meds before your draw - they will definitely effect your FT4 reading. T4 in pills enters the body as FREE T4 so it will artifically elevate your levels, and as a consequence lower your TSH, because your TSH responds primarily to FT4 levels.

Wait a minimum 8 hours after taking your meds to get your blood drawn.

And be aware if you get your TSH drawn later in the morning it will be lower because it falls rapidly. Earlier is better for TSH.

You do not have to fast