Hi bsharro. The thyroid uptake measures the amount of a protein in your blood that binds with thyroid hormone during the metabolism process. This blood test is used for a mathematical calculation, but is a confusing value on its own.
See my 12/31/01 post on our Information Archive for an explanation of some blood tests plus a link to another more comprehensive explanation:
<A HREF="http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/Forum118/HTML/000005.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/Forum118/HTML/000005.html</A>
From what I can find on other websites, beta-blocker drugs are sometimes used as an initial, short-term treatment for hyperthyroid patients. These drugs don't block the production of thyroid hormone, but they may control or decrease some of the hyper symptoms, such as rapid heart rate, trembling, anxiety, and the high amount of heat one's body produces with this condition. When the patient's symptoms are resolved, the doctor usually stops the beta-blocker meds. For long-term hyperthyroidism, other drugs are usually recommended. There was no specific mention of Ziac on these sites.
One website said "beta-blockers may mask certain clinical signs of thyroid disease and interfere with thyroid-function tests," but this seems a bit unclear to me. Perhaps one of our medical professionals can explain if the Ziac can change your blood test results.
You mentioned that your tests were normal, but how are you feeling? If you want, post your test results (and the lab's normal ranges), tell us your symptoms, and let us know if you have any questions.
