Is there a medical laboratory in Bangkok that will do blood work directly?

[BigOm19]

Specifically, thyroid function and Epstein-Barr Virus.

... And is there a physician who will interpret results in a pinch without pushing a certain agenda (selling drugs).

Thank you in advance.

Edited March 18, 2016 by BigOm19

[BigOm19]

Plus, a thyroid antibody test.

[steven100]

you need to go to the hospital ..... maybe Bumangrad ....

[BigOm19]

Prompt response from Bria Lab in Lad Prao 110.

The tests marked in red are the ones I'm interested in as my old school endocrinologist at Bangkok Christian Hospital looked like she was about to have an aneurysm and bluntly refused to discuss alternatives to radioactive iodine "treatment" for hyperthyroidism. I would just like to narrow down what kind of hyperthyroidism I have to know what I'm dealing with. Eighty percent of hyperthyroidism is caused by Grave's Disease, an autoimmune disease, and not specifically a thyroid condition.

I know it is a serious condition that can be life-threatening so I still need a conventional MD to work with me in case of any emergency.

Bria Lab:

Good morning, Thank you for interested our service. we have service about thyroid hormone.

T3 150

T4 150

Free T3 400

Free T4 150

TSH 200

Thyroperoxidase (anti-TPO) 300

Thyroglobulin Ab 350

For all thyroid hormone turn around time 1 day You get result next tomorrow.

We open 7 day a week 08.00 am to 4.00 pm. and you don't need appointment.

Bria Lab is on Ladprao Road Soi 110 (Small soi is Sonthiwattana 3).The address is 6, Sonthiwattana 3, Ladprao 110, Plubpla Sub-district, Wang Thonglang District, Bangkok, 10310.You can see a map in this linkhttp://www.brianet.com/en/map-and-contact/ or in this file below.

Kind Regards,

Sirawan Khotchakhong

(Medical Technologist at BRIA LAB Co, Ltd.)

13:39 (22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา)

[Bender]

i guess you can go to any hospital, public and private, and they can do it on the spot. You dont need to see the doctor to make a blood test.

But i advice you to have a follow up with an endocrinologist, only them can understand your medical report and make a proper diagnostic.

The blood test for tsh, t4 should cost a lot less than 1,000 baht.

I know Bria Lab, as i was living nearby. But i have some doubt about them...

I advice you strongly to avoid the private hospital XXXX on phetburi road soi 47, i got a very bad, but very bad experience with them. In less than 3 days there, i got the visit from the neurologist to the endocrinologist. A real scam. (one day i will start a new thread about this hospital)

A good medication for hyperthyroid is neomercazole, not avalaible in thailand but you can buy it in neighboring country. In thailand they sell tapazole. But with tapazole you will get strong side effect.

And a last world, the best treatment to heal, you will get it back home. In thailand you can't trust the medical result and the doctors, they are just here to make money!

The chance of healing are NOT high, so you need to do your best now. A good follow up, a good medication, a lot of rest and a stress less life!

Edited March 21, 2016 by Bender

[BigOm19]

Thank you for sharing. Know that it is appreciated. Thank you for the heads up on neomercazole. Will look into that.

I’ve been on methimazole for over a month and Inderal since last week and already feeling the side effects (hair loss, feeling cold, sleeplessness, greying hair - from the hyperthyroidism).

I’m waiting for several herbal supplements to come in the post (bugleweed, motherwort, lemon balm and hawthorn). Bugleweed, specifically, is the one that is known to lower T4 levels. The others are natural beta blockers. I’m hopeful I will go into remission – that is the objective.

Radioactive Iodine is NOT an option for me because it will cause hypothyroidism. If any endocrinologist has actually lived with Hashimoto’s - I’ve been at close quarters to this very debilitating condition over many years through a close family friend who is chronically obese and fatigued along with other issues, I’ve never known her to be WELL, I only know she was a ravishing creature from old photos, I can imagine she was full of life before because occasionally I still see a glimmer of it, just - they would not consider it a viable alternative. It is only “easier to manage” from a doctor’s point of view when they might see a patient once or twice a year over 15 minutes to keep doling out drugs. Of course that’s “easier to manage”.

I spent 11 days in the Udon Thani branch of Bangkok Hospital last month for emergency surgery for an unrelated problem. The billing department were like vultures. Much more to that story but I will only get angry again telling it.

I went with Bangkok Christian Hospital because it falls in between the top-rated government hospitals like Ramathibothi and the so-called “international” hospitals. Being English-speaking, however, is not an indicator of Western attitudes towards medicine where patients are accepted as equal partners in their own health care.

I don’t speak Thai so it is easier to navigate a place like BCH.

Ideally, I would love an endocrinologist who is open to naturopathic therapies but so far, none has materialized. I already have an endocrinologist in BCH, keeping her as I will still need to be on meds so I don’t die from heart failure, until my T3/T4 levels go down (which I know will NOT happen with the current meds) and a more enlightened endocrinologist being comes along. In the event of a medical emergency, I would need to go to A&E, not pop herbs. I understand this very well.

Edited March 21, 2016 by BigOm19

[Bender]

I read your last post, and realize how much i am lucky, i don't have to deal anymore with thai hospitals. A couple of years ago i found myself in your shoes, and the few days i spent at the hospital, was a total joke. The doctors were more interested to extract as much as they can. After 3 days, and a 100K bills... i give up and walked away!

Actually methimazole is the molecule, tapazole is the drug name. For neomercazole, the molecule is carbimazole.

You have few others anti-thyroid molecule. If you have strong side effect with one, its adviced to change to another molecule.

When i started my treatment, i was under methimazole(tapazole). And that was awful time.

Back home, i switched to carbimazole(neomercazole) and that was fine.

There are 3 ways, to heal improve deal with basedow-graves: iode 131, surgery or medication.

iode 131 or surgery are quite similar, it will remove partially or completely your thyroid. And then indeed you might become hypothyroid/hashimoto for the rest of your life. Thai doctors pushed for iode 131, because its a good money maker for them. I dont want it also!

For the medication, you have 2 way:

either you just take an anti-thyroid drug alone (slowdown method)

either you use an anti-thyroid drug + thyroid hormone drug (block and replace method)
You have some chance to heal, that why you need a lot of rest, a proper medication, a follow up.

Usually after less than 3 months your tsh/t3/t4 level will come back to normality! And you will take you medication up to 18 months, it will give time to your thyroid to rest! (Some people have been taking anti-thyroid drug for years and they feel quite well)

IMHO the herbals are of no utilities, carbimazole do perfectly the job! You might need some calcium if you suffer from osteoporosis.

Ideally, I would love an endocrinologist who is open to naturopathic therapies but so far, none has materialized. I already have an endocrinologist in BCH, keeping her as I will still need to be on meds so I don’t die from heart failure, until my T3/T4 levels go down (which I know will NOT happen with the current meds) and a more enlightened endocrinologist being comes along. In the event of a medical emergency, I would need to go to A&E, not pop herbs. I understand this very well.

In my case, i am pretty convince, thats a good rest is the long term solution! A positive attitude, optimism, the power of the mind will help you.

Because its a common misunderstanding, the medication are not here to heal your thyroid. The medication are here to balance the hyper activity of your thyroid. Sadly there a no miracle cure. Only time can heal.

Usually it take 6 weeks to 3 months to bring your tsh and t3/t4 to a normal level, and carbimazole do perfectly the job!

Honestly i dont know about natural treatment, but you can not afford to waste time. Everyday without a real medication, your body will deteriorate more...

I have few questions:

How long have you been treated for hyperthyroid?

Who made the diagnostic?

Did you make an anti-tpo, echography, scintigraphy tests?

At the begin, did you suffer from weight loss, hypertension, sweating, quick heart beat?

Somehow, i wonder if you have been properly diagnosed!

And last i advice you this forum about thryroid disease, http://patient.info/forums/discuss/over-active-thyroid-several-weeks-on-337080

there you have hundreds of people who share their experience and their hope.

I feel for your condition, there is a real chance to heal, hope and gathering knowledge is essential!