Thyroid Test Kit

Please prepare to test first thing in the morning. Be sure to drink plenty of water before testing! Being well hydrated will help increase blood flow and improve the testing experience. 

*Note: Do not test on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Holiday. Your sample must be picked up, dropped at a dropbox location or brought to FedEx on the same day you test. 

The thyroid is a small, butterfly shaped endocrine gland located in your neck that produces three hormones: Thyroxine (T4), Triiodothyronine (T3) and Calcitonin.  These hormones are secreted into the blood, and two of them, T3 and T4, directly impact your metabolism.  How?  These hormones regulate how quickly your body’s cells work.  If your thyroid secretes too much T4 and T3, your cells will become charged and start working faster than normal – this is called Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid.  If your thyroid secretes too little of the hormones, your cells will slow.  This condition is called Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid.

So how does this over or under production of T4/T3 impact your metabolism?  T3 and T4 control your heart rate, body temperature and, as it relates to metabolism, they also regulate how quickly your intestines process foods and how fast calories are burned.  The condition of under-production of T3 and T4, commonly referred to as Hypothyroidism, can make it impossible to lose weight if not treated. While scientists don’t fully understand why an underactive thyroid causes weight gain or prevents weight loss, they suspect it’s due to:

• Slow metabolism
• Lack of energy that leads to less activity
• Changes in how your body processes, stores and burns off fat and glucose
• Fluid retention

Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid stops producing enough T3 and/or T4 and metabolic function becomes impaired.  The most common causes of hypothyroidism are autoimmune failure (Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis) and surgical removal or destruction of the thyroid gland which occurs when a goiter is removed or to treat thyroid cancer.

Signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) include:

• Fatigue
• Sleepiness
• Mood swings
• Forgetfulness
• Weight gain
• Depression/irritability
• Muscle cramping and aching
• Weakness
• Decreased perspiration
• Changes in blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Swelling in legs
• Blurred vision
• Cold intolerance
• Hoarse voice
• Heavy menses
• Coarse, dry hair and skin
• Hair loss (on head and/or body)
• Constipation

MLD’s Thyroid At Home test results will provide detailed information regarding your TSH, T3 and T4  levels.  Our easy to navigate patient dashboard will tell you if your thyroid levels are low, normal or high. 

Interpreting thyroid blood test results:

Comparing TSH with T4 values can provide you and your healthcare provider with a picture of a possible thyroid issue.  For example:

• Normal TSH + normal T4 = normal thyroid function
• Low TSH + high T4 = hyperthyroidism/overactive thyroid
• High TSH + low T4 = hypothyroidism/underactive thyroid
• Low TSH + low T4 = low thyroid function due to another problem, such as pituitary gland dysfunction

Your results can be easily shared with your healthcare provider, and in fact, we encourage you to share your data in order to obtain the treatment you might need.  Contact us for a network of healthcare providers that specialize in treating hormone deficiencies.