Interested in lab work but have no idea what I’m doing

[cloratheshadow]

What do people usually get tested for? The number of testing options is overwhelming, and I can’t tell whether I should run a huge panel or just a small one. What’s on your list, and where do you get it done?

And is there any way to have blood drawn at a physical location?

Right now I’m using Tirz and plan to add Reta to the stack soon, but every time I consider stacking anything else I keep changing my mind. My thinking is that I first need to know where all my levels stand, then I can make a decision, and later check what shifted after a few months.

Also, how much time passes before results come back?

 

[FartfulCodger]

I’ll be following this discussion closely. What I’m after is an affordable, reliable option that checks hormones, cholesterol, liver function, and other general health markers. From what I’ve gathered, tests using only a few drops of blood aren’t reliable. I don’t want a "subscription" or a pitch for treatment.

If a specific company has worked well for you, I’d appreciate hearing about it. Function Health has been getting some favorable mentions.

 

[CNCCurrency]

cloratheshadow said:

What do people usually get tested for? The number of testing options is overwhelming, and I can’t tell whether I should run a huge panel or just a small one. What’s on your list, and where do you get it done?

And is there any way to have blood drawn at a physical location?

Right now I’m using Tirz and plan to add Reta to the stack soon, but every time I consider stacking anything else I keep changing my mind. My thinking is that I first need to know where all my levels stand, then I can make a decision, and later check what shifted after a few months.

Also, how much time passes before results come back?

I don't know how it works in California, but over in Arizona, you can walk into just about any lab and ask for whatever blood test you'd like, and the prices are fairly reasonable.

 

[sfkid]

Given that you brought up GLP compounds, I’m guessing your aim is weight loss along with tracking the biomarkers tied to it.

My suggestion would be that these are likely all you need.

HbA1c

Fasting Insulin

CBC

Lipid panel

 

[Turbo-Farmer]

cloratheshadow said:

What do people usually get tested for? The number of testing options is overwhelming, and I can’t tell whether I should run a huge panel or just a small one. What’s on your list, and where do you get it done?

And is there any way to have blood drawn at a physical location?

Right now I’m using Tirz and plan to add Reta to the stack soon, but every time I consider stacking anything else I keep changing my mind. My thinking is that I first need to know where all my levels stand, then I can make a decision, and later check what shifted after a few months.

Also, how much time passes before results come back?

Look up

“Does anybody get bloodwork done often?”

That will turn up plenty of useful material

 

[cloratheshadow]

Turbo-Farmer said:

cloratheshadow said:

What do people usually get tested for? The number of testing options is overwhelming, and I can’t tell whether I should run a huge panel or just a small one. What’s on your list, and where do you get it done?

And is there any way to have blood drawn at a physical location?

Right now I’m using Tirz and plan to add Reta to the stack soon, but every time I consider stacking anything else I keep changing my mind. My thinking is that I first need to know where all my levels stand, then I can make a decision, and later check what shifted after a few months.

Also, how much time passes before results come back?

Look up

“Does anybody get bloodwork done often?”

That will turn up plenty of useful material

A wide range of results has crossed my path, and much of it strikes me as unneeded. What I’m after is the fundamental set. Still, I appreciate the assistance.

 

[cloratheshadow]

sfkid said:

Given that you brought up GLP compounds, I’m guessing your aim is weight loss along with tracking the biomarkers tied to it.

My suggestion would be that these are likely all you need.

HbA1c

Fasting Insulin

CBC

Lipid panel

I appreciate the info! My goal isn’t to order everything under the sun — I just want to focus on the ones that actually matter.

 

[Turbo-Farmer]

What you need for the basics really comes down to

cloratheshadow said:

Turbo-Farmer said:

cloratheshadow said:

What do people usually get tested for? The number of testing options is overwhelming, and I can’t tell whether I should run a huge panel or just a small one. What’s on your list, and where do you get it done?

And is there any way to have blood drawn at a physical location?

Right now I’m using Tirz and plan to add Reta to the stack soon, but every time I consider stacking anything else I keep changing my mind. My thinking is that I first need to know where all my levels stand, then I can make a decision, and later check what shifted after a few months.

Also, how much time passes before results come back?

Look up

“Does anybody get bloodwork done often?”

That will turn up plenty of useful material

A wide range of results has crossed my path, and much of it strikes me as unneeded. What I’m after is the fundamental set. Still, I appreciate the assistance.

the basics depend on whatever goal you're chasing.

For me, weight loss is the aim, so I keep a scale around. I'm also working on turning my insulin resistance around; for that reason I track: a1c, fasting glucose, and fasting insulin.

I work out my,

HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance), and in my case that's the most dependable marker for my metabolic health.

 

[5byfive]

We're currently in a golden era for this. Plenty of companies are battling it out for customers of their comprehensive testing offerings, burning through venture capital and taking a loss on each test in an attempt to dominate the market (much like Uber, Door Dash, and others once did). Back in Decmeber, I purchased a very thorough pannel from Vitals Vault for $200, though there are likely around half a dozen other businesses offering the same thing. Just do a Google search and the ads will flood in.

 

[Vriende]

Turbo-Farmer said:

cloratheshadow said:

What do people usually get tested for? The number of testing options is overwhelming, and I can’t tell whether I should run a huge panel or just a small one. What’s on your list, and where do you get it done?

And is there any way to have blood drawn at a physical location?

Right now I’m using Tirz and plan to add Reta to the stack soon, but every time I consider stacking anything else I keep changing my mind. My thinking is that I first need to know where all my levels stand, then I can make a decision, and later check what shifted after a few months.

Also, how much time passes before results come back?

Look up

“Does anybody get bloodwork done often?”

That will turn up plenty of useful material

cloratheshadow said:

Turbo-Farmer said:

cloratheshadow said:

What do people usually get tested for? The number of testing options is overwhelming, and I can’t tell whether I should run a huge panel or just a small one. What’s on your list, and where do you get it done?

And is there any way to have blood drawn at a physical location?

Right now I’m using Tirz and plan to add Reta to the stack soon, but every time I consider stacking anything else I keep changing my mind. My thinking is that I first need to know where all my levels stand, then I can make a decision, and later check what shifted after a few months.

Also, how much time passes before results come back?

Look up

“Does anybody get bloodwork done often?”

That will turn up plenty of useful material

A wide range of results has crossed my path, and much of it strikes me as unneeded. What I’m after is the fundamental set. Still, I appreciate the assistance.

TurboFarmer had in mind a thread posted here not long ago -- /community-link/thread/12941/

That thread is packed with useful material, among it a spreadsheet comparing lab prices that Calm Logic shared.

 

[jordekorn]

In California, Labcorp lets you purchase whichever tests you'd like directly, without needing a doctor.

 

[Gt3294a]

cloratheshadow said:


Thank you for this! I don’t want to get a ton of them just because I want the important ones

Click to expand...

Getting a complete hormone panel plus a thyroid check done at least one time is probably worthwhile. Having a baseline from 5 years ago, for instance, could be useful to compare against. For a modest charge, lab corp comes to my home in the morning, which works really well for me. When my values seem slightly abnormal, I go through lab corp rather than my usual physician. My usual physician tends to be difficult about this kind of thing. Beyond that, some physicians focus their practice largely on people into bodyhacking, or whatever term you prefer. Once a year I speak with a doctor remotely about my blood work. She devotes more than 30 minutes to going over my labs, hearing me talk through ideas, offering suggestions (including on vitamin dosing), and so on. Getting a second opinion is valuable (mine starts with my own view, then...). These days the cost is quite low. Best of luck.

 

[Rtrain]

FartfulCodger said:

I’ll be following this discussion closely. What I’m after is an affordable, reliable option that checks hormones, cholesterol, liver function, and other general health markers. From what I’ve gathered, tests using only a few drops of blood aren’t reliable. I don’t want a "subscription" or a pitch for treatment.

If a specific company has worked well for you, I’d appreciate hearing about it. Function Health has been getting some favorable mentions.

I rang up my physician and asked him to order a full blood panel through the lab. All the results were normal. He mentioned that at some point he'll likely reduce the dosage of my blood pressure medication.

 

[Lovedog100]

FartfulCodger said:

I’ll be following this discussion closely. What I’m after is an affordable, reliable option that checks hormones, cholesterol, liver function, and other general health markers. From what I’ve gathered, tests using only a few drops of blood aren’t reliable. I don’t want a "subscription" or a pitch for treatment.

If a specific company has worked well for you, I’d appreciate hearing about it. Function Health has been getting some favorable mentions.

What about searching on google for "Blood testing near me"? Where I am in Thailand, locating blood testing spots is pretty straightforward. The same goes for California. Most of the time, a doctor refers you there. That said, you can show up with your own list of tests and request them directly. Some of the responses might sound dumb since this isn't their usual routine. If the front desk won't help, ask for the manager.

 

[FartfulCodger]

Lovedog100 said:

FartfulCodger said:

I’ll be following this discussion closely. What I’m after is an affordable, reliable option that checks hormones, cholesterol, liver function, and other general health markers. From what I’ve gathered, tests using only a few drops of blood aren’t reliable. I don’t want a "subscription" or a pitch for treatment.

If a specific company has worked well for you, I’d appreciate hearing about it. Function Health has been getting some favorable mentions.

What about searching on google for "Blood testing near me"? Where I am in Thailand, locating blood testing spots is pretty straightforward. The same goes for California. Most of the time, a doctor refers you there. That said, you can show up with your own list of tests and request them directly. Some of the responses might sound dumb since this isn't their usual routine. If the front desk won't help, ask for the manager.

Yep, I went through all of that already. The search results are endless, and figuring out who offers the best value is tough when you're looking at 200 separate tests—some sold on their own, others grouped into various tiers. It's a lot to take in. What I'd really like is to hear from someone on this forum who managed to get a fairly complete panel without paying too much.

A few other threads here have helped me start to sort things out. If only I could hop on a plane to Thailand—I'm fairly confident the prices would be lower over there!

 

[Lovedog100]

FartfulCodger said:

Lovedog100 said:

FartfulCodger said:

I’ll be following this discussion closely. What I’m after is an affordable, reliable option that checks hormones, cholesterol, liver function, and other general health markers. From what I’ve gathered, tests using only a few drops of blood aren’t reliable. I don’t want a "subscription" or a pitch for treatment.

If a specific company has worked well for you, I’d appreciate hearing about it. Function Health has been getting some favorable mentions.

What about searching on google for "Blood testing near me"? Where I am in Thailand, locating blood testing spots is pretty straightforward. The same goes for California. Most of the time, a doctor refers you there. That said, you can show up with your own list of tests and request them directly. Some of the responses might sound dumb since this isn't their usual routine. If the front desk won't help, ask for the manager.

Yep, I went through all of that already. The search results are endless, and figuring out who offers the best value is tough when you're looking at 200 separate tests—some sold on their own, others grouped into various tiers. It's a lot to take in. What I'd really like is to hear from someone on this forum who managed to get a fairly complete panel without paying too much.

A few other threads here have helped me start to sort things out. If only I could hop on a plane to Thailand—I'm fairly confident the prices would be lower over there!

Bundled pricing makes those packages a sensible entry point. I'm not sure what your age or weight situation is, but the ones I pay attention to are aimed at diabetics, pre-diabetics, and older folks. If someone is heavy enough to be considering this path, chances are they're already diabetic or prediabetic. On top of that, I tack on whatever else I'm curious about — testosterone, vitamin D, B12, that sort of thing. Which extras I pick shifts based on whatever protocol I'm running at the time and whatever has me worried.

Grabbing a package and paying cash is a decent way to begin, then you can figure out where you stand. That gives you a reference point for tracking shifts later on. The more you pick up along the way, the more you can request additional items be added to your panel when something concerns you.

 

[msyntakz]

Someone on here — woundcarping, if I recall correctly — pointed me toward Fitomics. The forum has a thread about it here. To try it out, I opted into the $30 month-to-month plan, though you don't have to. My order was the Male Hormone Panel plus an HbA1c; I applied code BCOOPER (which I came across online) to get 7% off when checking out, and the total came to $186 bucks. Labcorp handled the testing. I noticed Quest is offered as well.

I'm aware they've got a GLP-1 panel as an option too. A screenshot of it is below:

Still, my goal was a hormone baseline, so I spent the extra.

Turnaround times? I had my draw done this morning around 10:30am ET, and my CBC, CMP and Lipid profile are already visible (greatly improved!), while the rest haven't come in yet. Based on what I've searched, hormone tests can take up to a few days, but we shall see.

All in all, it was pretty straightforward. Ordering through first results took roughly 12-14 hours, I believe? Naturally, your mileage may vary. For me, it was worth it.

 

[CathyGoesFar]

The provider I go through runs these panels:

• Total Cholesterol
  
• LDL Cholesterol
  
• HDL Cholesterol
  
• Triglycerides
  
• VLDL Cholesterol
  
• Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)
  
• Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)]
  
• Glucose
  
• Hemoglobin A1C

• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)
  
• C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

• Homocysteine

• Total Testosterone
  
• Free Testosterone
  
• Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
  
• Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S)
  
• Estradiol
  
• Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
  
• Free T4
  
• Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)

• Vitamin D
  
  It costs me $70 each month, and labs are drawn every quarter. What bothers me is the tie-in to a fairly well-known "motivational speaker" who constantly pushes an endless stream of programs, events, books, audio programs, and so on that you supposedly "need" once you're pulled into his offerings. A clinician visit comes with it. These are actual MDs, NPs, and similar. They do pitch their own supplement brand (naturally), though in my experience it was only brought up very briefly.
  
  The hormone testing has been invaluable since doctors seem strangely resistant to ever actually testing them.