Thyroid test?

[kikisparks]

My first ivf cycle got cancelled due to covid (egg collection would have been about now) so I’m in the same boat as a lot of people. I’m trying to get ideas if there’s anything else I can do to maximise chances once the clinic opens again.

I’m in normal BMI range, don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol at all, don’t drink much caffeine, try to get at least 5 fruit and veg a day, drink lots of water, eat nuts every day, and take folate, coq10, fertility multi vit, DHA and EPA and alpha lipoid acid. I’m also not stressed just now except the stress of infertility and when I’m in a lot of pain from endometriosis. I was listening to a podcast on infertility and it suggested optimise BMI, don’t smoke, reduce alcohol, take vitamins but also get a thyroid test. They said you can ask your GP for this.

I don’t have any major symptoms of thyroid disorder (I’m a bit tired but who isn’t) can I really just rock up to my gp (after lockdown is over obviously, I know this isn’t urgent) and ask for a thyroid test? Has anyone done this without having symptoms of thyroid disorder?

@kikisparks you can certainly try - for fertility purposes levels are best under 2 (although normal NHS range for day to day life is anything up to 4). You could explain you are having fertility treatment and the clinic would like it under 2. Alternatively the clinic I'm with charges about £40 for a thyroid blood test

Thanks @wesstywoo The (NHS) clinic I’m with haven’t said anything about it. I guess like you say I’ll just have to try and see what happens.

i had mine tested as part of the clinics blood tests private before we started and was 2.7 and then anthoer test showed it to over 3, the clinic said it wasnt high in the terms of the guidelines but they would want it lower. But then they didnt give any guidelines on it or offer to do anything about it either apart from paying for an antibody test to see if i had that

Mine was 2.8 and they put me on low dose levothyroxine to bring it down

GP will def do this. Just say clinic has asked for it as part of fertility screen. Infertility is a reason to check thyroid.

You don't need a Face to face appointment even just ask over the phone.

Whatever you do when you cal for the result ask for the number or a print out of the result.

(Long term thyroid issues and infertility here and many a doctor would say my level was fine when it wasn't for fertility treatment)

Thanks very much @hoping2018 I will definitely do this! I don’t want to put extra pressure on them just now but once lockdown is relaxed I’ll phone up.

Not sure if it's the case with everyone, but I have to get blood tests for mine about every 8 weeks because it fluctuates so much. By the time my prescription came in after a test that read 7.8, I'd already been tested again and my levels had risen to 14.6, so we had to scramble and quickly alter my prescription again. I'm now on a very high dose and don't see it coming down any time soon.