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Thyroid function
testing in London
A blood test and a GP who will actually go through the numbers with you, rather than a result labelled normal and nothing else.
Told your thyroid is “normal” but you still feel awful
This is the commonest reason people book. Exhausted, cold all the time, putting on weight without changing anything, hair thinning, brain not working properly. A test comes back inside the reference range, the matter is closed, and nothing is explained.
A reference range is a population statistic, not a verdict on you. It describes where most people sit. Being at the very edge of it is not the same as being well, and a result that is normal for the population may not be normal for you.
That is really what you are paying for here: not the blood test, which is straightforward, but unhurried time with a GP who will look at the numbers alongside your symptoms and say what they think. Sometimes the answer is that your thyroid genuinely is fine and the problem is elsewhere, which is worth knowing too.
What happens
A sample, a result, and a conversation
The £89 consultation covers the appointment. Three panels: £80 for TSH and free T4, £149 adding free T3, £210 adding thyroid antibodies.
The appointment
At our Nine Elms clinic.
The result
Explained rather than emailed.
Symptoms
What sends people for a thyroid test
Persistent exhaustion
Tired in a way that sleep does not fix, and has been going on for months rather than weeks.
Weight that will not shift
Or weight lost without trying, which points the other way and matters just as much.
Feeling cold, or feeling hot
Underactive and overactive thyroids pull in opposite directions. Both are worth testing for.
Hair, skin and nails
Thinning hair, dry skin, brittle nails. Rarely the only sign, but often the one that finally prompts a visit.
Mood and concentration
Low mood, anxiety, or the sense that your thinking has slowed. Frequently put down to stress first.
Periods and fertility
Thyroid problems affect cycles and fertility. Antibody testing matters here in particular, and is worth discussing if you are trying to conceive.
Thyroid symptoms overlap heavily with iron deficiency, vitamin D deficiency and low B12. It is common to test more than one thing at the same appointment rather than working through them one at a time.
Questions
Things people ask us
Do I need to fast before a thyroid test?
No. A thyroid function test does not require fasting and can be done at any time of day. If you take thyroid medication already, mention it at the appointment, because when you last took a dose can affect how the result should be read.
Which thyroid panel do I need?
There are three, and it is worth ignoring the numbering. The laboratory names them in an order that has nothing to do with size. The £80 panel covers TSH and free T4 and answers the question for most people. The £149 panel adds free T3, which helps where symptoms persist despite a normal TSH. The £210 panel adds thyroid antibodies, and that is the one that tells you whether an autoimmune process is behind it. The GP will say which fits rather than defaulting to the largest.
My NHS test was normal. Why test again?
Because a result inside the reference range and a satisfactory explanation are not the same thing. We will look at where in the range you sit, alongside your symptoms and any earlier results, and give you a proper view rather than a single word.
Can I do this by video?
The consultation can be by video, which is a sensible way to work out what is worth testing. The blood sample has to be taken in person. Many people do the consultation remotely and then come in briefly for the sample.
Related
Often tested at the same time
Get the result explained, not just reported
A blood test, and a GP who will tell you what it actually means.