Can menstruation affect the results of a thyroid blood test?
Should you wait until your period is over before having a blood test to check your thyroid health?
“The research that has been done to date does not find a change in the levels when done with or without a menstrual cycle,” says Marcelle Pick, MSN, OB/GYN, NP, in private practice and co-founder of Women to Women Health Center, and author of the book, “Is It Me or My Hormones?”
Even if you’re cramping, bloated and feel miserable during your period or have a bad case of PMS, feel free to have your blood drawn for a thyroid test if that has been already scheduled.
Just make sure that you’re plenty hydrated so that it’s easier for the technician to “find” a vein from which to draw the blood.
Marcelle Pick holds a BS in nursing from the University of New Hampshire School of Nursing and her MS in nursing from Boston College-Harvard Medical School. She is certified as an OBGYN nurse practitioner. Visit “Is It Me or My Hormones.”
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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