Which Labs Do You Use?

[Memo85]

Which bloodwork labs are you getting done? For tracking your stack? I recently had labs run for test, estrogen, and so on…

What does your stack look like, and which labs would you suggest alongside your protocol?

Thanks

 

[bk0004]

Tirz: 7.5mg each week.

GHK-CU: 1.5mg every day.

A range of vitamins and supplements.

So really nothing extreme.

With that being said, every 6 months I go through the fairly routine panel: CBC, glucose, insulin and A1C, thyroid panel, liver function panel, kidney function panel.

A1C is down 1.5%. Thyroid levels are getting better too.

As I look further into gynaecological health/supplements, I've been thinking about adding Estradiol, Progesterone, and Cortisol tests into the mix, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[Neurogroot]

I finally went ahead and placed a really big order. The standard panel, along with prostate markers, testosterone, igf-1, assorted nutrients, minerals and electrolytes… progesterone, prolactin, high sens CRP, 6 different thyroid tests, renal function…. There’s additional stuff too, but it’s slipped my mind. They filled a ton of vials and I still need to return in a few days for the remainder.

I’m wondering, if you ordered without going through a physician, did the person drawing your blood ask you anything strange? I almost get the sense she suspected I was up to something sketchy.

 

[DustAndDignity]

My choices hinge on the compounds in play, yet my mindset is to track the underlying mechanism rather than copy a template without thinking.

These are the panels I keep an eye on myself:

• CBC

• CMP (liver/kidney markers)

• Lipid panel

• Fasting glucose + A1C

• Testosterone (total + free)

• Estradiol (sensitive assay)

• SHBG

• IGF-1 + Z-score if running GH secretagogues/tesamorelin

• Thyroid panel occasionally (TSH, Free T3/T4)

• CRP occasionally for inflammation

When someone is using GLP-1s, GH peptides, test, etc., baseline labs carry far more weight in my view than arguments over internet protocols. Without them, it is guesswork and anecdote-chasing.

For me, watching favorable trends across time beats trying to drag every marker into whatever an influencer calls "optimal."

One more thing I would suggest: draw labs before beginning anything, then repeat testing after changes, rather than piling on 5 compounds simultaneously and losing track of what is responsible. Especially id your running GH peptides.

 

[Memo85]

DustAndDignity said:

My choices hinge on the compounds in play, yet my mindset is to track the underlying mechanism rather than copy a template without thinking.

These are the panels I keep an eye on myself:

• CBC

• CMP (liver/kidney markers)

• Lipid panel

• Fasting glucose + A1C

• Testosterone (total + free)

• Estradiol (sensitive assay)

• SHBG

• IGF-1 + Z-score if running GH secretagogues/tesamorelin

• Thyroid panel occasionally (TSH, Free T3/T4)

• CRP occasionally for inflammation

When someone is using GLP-1s, GH peptides, test, etc., baseline labs carry far more weight in my view than arguments over internet protocols. Without them, it is guesswork and anecdote-chasing.

For me, watching favorable trends across time beats trying to drag every marker into whatever an influencer calls "optimal."

One more thing I would suggest: draw labs before beginning anything, then repeat testing after changes, rather than piling on 5 compounds simultaneously and losing track of what is responsible. Especially id your running GH peptides.

Regarding igf-1, what sort of shifts, if any, did you notice prior to versus following the protocol? Would you be willing to share your stack that impacts GH peptides. I'll be paying out of pocket for additional blood work (no physician involved). Recently I already had a cbc, comp, A1c, test, shbg, tsp, free completed. By the way, excellent information. Thank you.

 

[bk0004]

Neurogroot said:

I finally went ahead and placed a really big order. The standard panel, along with prostate markers, testosterone, igf-1, assorted nutrients, minerals and electrolytes… progesterone, prolactin, high sens CRP, 6 different thyroid tests, renal function…. There’s additional stuff too, but it’s slipped my mind. They filled a ton of vials and I still need to return in a few days for the remainder.

I’m wondering, if you ordered without going through a physician, did the person drawing your blood ask you anything strange? I almost get the sense she suspected I was up to something sketchy.

When I get blood drawn, the phlebotomists have sometimes remarked on the volume, though I suspect it's just small talk to pass the time.

I've never attempted to obtain labs without a doctor's order. Fortunately, my physician is excellent and will order nearly any test I request. For most of my asks, she figures there's no downside .

 

[DustAndDignity]

Memo85 said:

DustAndDignity said:

My choices hinge on the compounds in play, yet my mindset is to track the underlying mechanism rather than copy a template without thinking.

These are the panels I keep an eye on myself:

• CBC

• CMP (liver/kidney markers)

• Lipid panel

• Fasting glucose + A1C

• Testosterone (total + free)

• Estradiol (sensitive assay)

• SHBG

• IGF-1 + Z-score if running GH secretagogues/tesamorelin

• Thyroid panel occasionally (TSH, Free T3/T4)

• CRP occasionally for inflammation

When someone is using GLP-1s, GH peptides, test, etc., baseline labs carry far more weight in my view than arguments over internet protocols. Without them, it is guesswork and anecdote-chasing.

For me, watching favorable trends across time beats trying to drag every marker into whatever an influencer calls "optimal."

One more thing I would suggest: draw labs before beginning anything, then repeat testing after changes, rather than piling on 5 compounds simultaneously and losing track of what is responsible. Especially id your running GH peptides.

Regarding igf-1, what sort of shifts, if any, did you notice prior to versus following the protocol? Would you be willing to share your stack that impacts GH peptides. I'll be paying out of pocket for additional blood work (no physician involved). Recently I already had a cbc, comp, A1c, test, shbg, tsp, free completed. By the way, excellent information. Thank you.

I only used Tesa, without any IPA. The first dose was 1mg daily, and after 1 month I moved up to 1.5mg. By about week 10 or 11, I increased it further to 2mgs.

On January 15th, my IGF-1 was 165 at the start, with a z-score of .1. I had my labs done again on March 16th. My IGF-1 had risen to 401, with a z-score of 2.5.

Right away I went back to 1mg daily, taken 2-3 hours after dinner. I'll get tested again in June to check where my IGF stands.

 

[Neurogroot]

bk0004 said:

Neurogroot said:

I finally went ahead and placed a really big order. The standard panel, along with prostate markers, testosterone, igf-1, assorted nutrients, minerals and electrolytes… progesterone, prolactin, high sens CRP, 6 different thyroid tests, renal function…. There’s additional stuff too, but it’s slipped my mind. They filled a ton of vials and I still need to return in a few days for the remainder.

I’m wondering, if you ordered without going through a physician, did the person drawing your blood ask you anything strange? I almost get the sense she suspected I was up to something sketchy.

When I get blood drawn, the phlebotomists have sometimes remarked on the volume, though I suspect it's just small talk to pass the time.

I've never attempted to obtain labs without a doctor's order. Fortunately, my physician is excellent and will order nearly any test I request. For most of my asks, she figures there's no downside .

Honestly, the lack of a doctor's order made things worse. What stings more is that I went in assuming a blood draw gives you one complete picture. They only collected about half the tubes and told me the rest would happen Monday. I stayed too quiet and never pushed back on my own behalf. Why split it up at all? Even at the high end that's 270 mL of blood, while donating is 500 mL. It seems to me I should either have everything drawn in one sitting or get a lower price for what was taken today. Am I out of line for thinking that? This is the first time I've gone through any of this with bloodwork.

 

[sfkid]

Neurogroot said:

bk0004 said:

Neurogroot said:

I finally went ahead and placed a really big order. The standard panel, along with prostate markers, testosterone, igf-1, assorted nutrients, minerals and electrolytes… progesterone, prolactin, high sens CRP, 6 different thyroid tests, renal function…. There’s additional stuff too, but it’s slipped my mind. They filled a ton of vials and I still need to return in a few days for the remainder.

I’m wondering, if you ordered without going through a physician, did the person drawing your blood ask you anything strange? I almost get the sense she suspected I was up to something sketchy.

When I get blood drawn, the phlebotomists have sometimes remarked on the volume, though I suspect it's just small talk to pass the time.

I've never attempted to obtain labs without a doctor's order. Fortunately, my physician is excellent and will order nearly any test I request. For most of my asks, she figures there's no downside .

Honestly, the lack of a doctor's order made things worse. What stings more is that I went in assuming a blood draw gives you one complete picture. They only collected about half the tubes and told me the rest would happen Monday. I stayed too quiet and never pushed back on my own behalf. Why split it up at all? Even at the high end that's 270 mL of blood, while donating is 500 mL. It seems to me I should either have everything drawn in one sitting or get a lower price for what was taken today. Am I out of line for thinking that? This is the first time I've gone through any of this with bloodwork.

In 2026, getting your labs done doesn't require a physician.

It's incredibly simple nowadays.

I'm not sure who you went with, but www.goodlabs.com is extremely affordable and lets you fully customize everything, so I run them every 10 to 12 weeks.

 

[woundcarping]

Neurogroot said:

bk0004 said:

Neurogroot said:

I finally went ahead and placed a really big order. The standard panel, along with prostate markers, testosterone, igf-1, assorted nutrients, minerals and electrolytes… progesterone, prolactin, high sens CRP, 6 different thyroid tests, renal function…. There’s additional stuff too, but it’s slipped my mind. They filled a ton of vials and I still need to return in a few days for the remainder.

I’m wondering, if you ordered without going through a physician, did the person drawing your blood ask you anything strange? I almost get the sense she suspected I was up to something sketchy.

When I get blood drawn, the phlebotomists have sometimes remarked on the volume, though I suspect it's just small talk to pass the time.

I've never attempted to obtain labs without a doctor's order. Fortunately, my physician is excellent and will order nearly any test I request. For most of my asks, she figures there's no downside .

Honestly, the lack of a doctor's order made things worse. What stings more is that I went in assuming a blood draw gives you one complete picture. They only collected about half the tubes and told me the rest would happen Monday. I stayed too quiet and never pushed back on my own behalf. Why split it up at all? Even at the high end that's 270 mL of blood, while donating is 500 mL. It seems to me I should either have everything drawn in one sitting or get a lower price for what was taken today. Am I out of line for thinking that? This is the first time I've gone through any of this with bloodwork.

What was the reason they only ran part of them?

Were you billed for everything at once, or is it being split across 2 payments?

Since I'm on a Fitomics membership, the draw fees/order fees are covered by it and don't cost me anything (normally Fitomics charges $20/requisition to cover that). There was a draw, then I decided I wanted additional tests, so I came back for 2 tests.

Back in March I had 40 tests/panels done, 13 vials, and everything went fine.

 

[Neurogroot]

sfkid said:

Neurogroot said:

bk0004 said:

Neurogroot said:

I finally went ahead and placed a really big order. The standard panel, along with prostate markers, testosterone, igf-1, assorted nutrients, minerals and electrolytes… progesterone, prolactin, high sens CRP, 6 different thyroid tests, renal function…. There’s additional stuff too, but it’s slipped my mind. They filled a ton of vials and I still need to return in a few days for the remainder.

I’m wondering, if you ordered without going through a physician, did the person drawing your blood ask you anything strange? I almost get the sense she suspected I was up to something sketchy.

When I get blood drawn, the phlebotomists have sometimes remarked on the volume, though I suspect it's just small talk to pass the time.

I've never attempted to obtain labs without a doctor's order. Fortunately, my physician is excellent and will order nearly any test I request. For most of my asks, she figures there's no downside .

Honestly, the lack of a doctor's order made things worse. What stings more is that I went in assuming a blood draw gives you one complete picture. They only collected about half the tubes and told me the rest would happen Monday. I stayed too quiet and never pushed back on my own behalf. Why split it up at all? Even at the high end that's 270 mL of blood, while donating is 500 mL. It seems to me I should either have everything drawn in one sitting or get a lower price for what was taken today. Am I out of line for thinking that? This is the first time I've gone through any of this with bloodwork.

In 2026, getting your labs done doesn't require a physician.

It's incredibly simple nowadays.

I'm not sure who you went with, but www.goodlabs.com is extremely affordable and lets you fully customize everything, so I run them every 10 to 12 weeks.

Curious - I went through GoodLabs and had the draw done at Quest Diagnostic. A package arrived, extras included. I posted the itemised listing from my invoice. All in it ran $423 (self pay).

Hormone / Endocrine

• Thyroid Panel

• T4 (Thyroxine), Total

• T3 Total

• PSA Total+% Free

• Prolactin

• Progesterone, Total, LC/MS

• Men's Hormone Panel

• Insulin-Like Growth Factor I

• Estradiol

• Dihydrotestosterone

• Cortisol, Total, LC/MS

• ACTH, Plasma

Metabolic / Blood Sugar

• Insulin

• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)

• Fructosamine

• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)

• C-Peptide

Heart / Cardiovascular / Lipids

• Lipid Panel

• Homocysteine

• High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)

• Apolipoprotein B

• Apolipoprotein A-1

Liver & Kidney Health

• Uric Acid

• Renal Function Panel

• Hepatic Function Panel

• Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)

Inflammation / Immune

• Sedimentation Rate-Westergren (ESR)

• Rheumatoid Factor

• Fibrinogen

Blood (Hematology)

• Complete Blood Count (CBC) with Differential/Platelet

Enzymes / Organ & Muscle Function

• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LD) (Tissue damage)

• Creatine Kinase (CK), Total (Muscle/Heart)

• Lipase (Pancreas)

• Amylase (Pancreas)

Nutritional / Minerals

• Transferrin (Iron transport)

• Selenium, Serum or Plasma

• Nutrient Panel

 

[sfkid]

Neurogroot said:

sfkid said:

Neurogroot said:

bk0004 said:

Neurogroot said:

I finally went ahead and placed a really big order. The standard panel, along with prostate markers, testosterone, igf-1, assorted nutrients, minerals and electrolytes… progesterone, prolactin, high sens CRP, 6 different thyroid tests, renal function…. There’s additional stuff too, but it’s slipped my mind. They filled a ton of vials and I still need to return in a few days for the remainder.

I’m wondering, if you ordered without going through a physician, did the person drawing your blood ask you anything strange? I almost get the sense she suspected I was up to something sketchy.

When I get blood drawn, the phlebotomists have sometimes remarked on the volume, though I suspect it's just small talk to pass the time.

I've never attempted to obtain labs without a doctor's order. Fortunately, my physician is excellent and will order nearly any test I request. For most of my asks, she figures there's no downside .

Honestly, the lack of a doctor's order made things worse. What stings more is that I went in assuming a blood draw gives you one complete picture. They only collected about half the tubes and told me the rest would happen Monday. I stayed too quiet and never pushed back on my own behalf. Why split it up at all? Even at the high end that's 270 mL of blood, while donating is 500 mL. It seems to me I should either have everything drawn in one sitting or get a lower price for what was taken today. Am I out of line for thinking that? This is the first time I've gone through any of this with bloodwork.

In 2026, getting your labs done doesn't require a physician.

It's incredibly simple nowadays.

I'm not sure who you went with, but www.goodlabs.com is extremely affordable and lets you fully customize everything, so I run them every 10 to 12 weeks.

Curious - I went through GoodLabs and had the draw done at Quest Diagnostic. A package arrived, extras included. I posted the itemised listing from my invoice. All in it ran $423 (self pay).

Hormone / Endocrine

• Thyroid Panel

• T4 (Thyroxine), Total

• T3 Total

• PSA Total+% Free

• Prolactin

• Progesterone, Total, LC/MS

• Men's Hormone Panel

• Insulin-Like Growth Factor I

• Estradiol

• Dihydrotestosterone

• Cortisol, Total, LC/MS

• ACTH, Plasma

Metabolic / Blood Sugar

• Insulin

• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)

• Fructosamine

• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)

• C-Peptide

Heart / Cardiovascular / Lipids

• Lipid Panel

• Homocysteine

• High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)

• Apolipoprotein B

• Apolipoprotein A-1

Liver & Kidney Health

• Uric Acid

• Renal Function Panel

• Hepatic Function Panel

• Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)

Inflammation / Immune

• Sedimentation Rate-Westergren (ESR)

• Rheumatoid Factor

• Fibrinogen

Blood (Hematology)

• Complete Blood Count (CBC) with Differential/Platelet

Enzymes / Organ & Muscle Function

• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LD) (Tissue damage)

• Creatine Kinase (CK), Total (Muscle/Heart)

• Lipase (Pancreas)

• Amylase (Pancreas)

Nutritional / Minerals

• Transferrin (Iron transport)

• Selenium, Serum or Plasma

• Nutrient Panel

Dude, that's basically the "diagnose me" bundle .

The catch: without running it again later, you can't see a pattern. One-off values rarely tell you much.

 

[Neurogroot]

sfkid said:

Neurogroot said:

sfkid said:

Neurogroot said:

bk0004 said:

Neurogroot said:

I finally went ahead and placed a really big order. The standard panel, along with prostate markers, testosterone, igf-1, assorted nutrients, minerals and electrolytes… progesterone, prolactin, high sens CRP, 6 different thyroid tests, renal function…. There’s additional stuff too, but it’s slipped my mind. They filled a ton of vials and I still need to return in a few days for the remainder.

I’m wondering, if you ordered without going through a physician, did the person drawing your blood ask you anything strange? I almost get the sense she suspected I was up to something sketchy.

When I get blood drawn, the phlebotomists have sometimes remarked on the volume, though I suspect it's just small talk to pass the time.

I've never attempted to obtain labs without a doctor's order. Fortunately, my physician is excellent and will order nearly any test I request. For most of my asks, she figures there's no downside .

Honestly, the lack of a doctor's order made things worse. What stings more is that I went in assuming a blood draw gives you one complete picture. They only collected about half the tubes and told me the rest would happen Monday. I stayed too quiet and never pushed back on my own behalf. Why split it up at all? Even at the high end that's 270 mL of blood, while donating is 500 mL. It seems to me I should either have everything drawn in one sitting or get a lower price for what was taken today. Am I out of line for thinking that? This is the first time I've gone through any of this with bloodwork.

In 2026, getting your labs done doesn't require a physician.

It's incredibly simple nowadays.

I'm not sure who you went with, but www.goodlabs.com is extremely affordable and lets you fully customize everything, so I run them every 10 to 12 weeks.

Curious - I went through GoodLabs and had the draw done at Quest Diagnostic. A package arrived, extras included. I posted the itemised listing from my invoice. All in it ran $423 (self pay).

Hormone / Endocrine

• Thyroid Panel

• T4 (Thyroxine), Total

• T3 Total

• PSA Total+% Free

• Prolactin

• Progesterone, Total, LC/MS

• Men's Hormone Panel

• Insulin-Like Growth Factor I

• Estradiol

• Dihydrotestosterone

• Cortisol, Total, LC/MS

• ACTH, Plasma

Metabolic / Blood Sugar

• Insulin

• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)

• Fructosamine

• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)

• C-Peptide

Heart / Cardiovascular / Lipids

• Lipid Panel

• Homocysteine

• High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)

• Apolipoprotein B

• Apolipoprotein A-1

Liver & Kidney Health

• Uric Acid

• Renal Function Panel

• Hepatic Function Panel

• Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)

Inflammation / Immune

• Sedimentation Rate-Westergren (ESR)

• Rheumatoid Factor

• Fibrinogen

Blood (Hematology)

• Complete Blood Count (CBC) with Differential/Platelet

Enzymes / Organ & Muscle Function

• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LD) (Tissue damage)

• Creatine Kinase (CK), Total (Muscle/Heart)

• Lipase (Pancreas)

• Amylase (Pancreas)

Nutritional / Minerals

• Transferrin (Iron transport)

• Selenium, Serum or Plasma

• Nutrient Panel

Dude, that's basically the "diagnose me" bundle .

The catch: without running it again later, you can't see a pattern. One-off values rarely tell you much.

Initially I went with the “started with basic tests + igf and testosterone” panel. After that, it hit me that I’m 40. Prostate worries have been creeping in. My thyroid has me a little on edge. Then I started thinking about the toll on my liver from when I was 50 lbs heavier. Before long, the list had grown a lot.

 

[Memo85]

Neurogroot said:

sfkid said:

Neurogroot said:

bk0004 said:

Neurogroot said:

I finally went ahead and placed a really big order. The standard panel, along with prostate markers, testosterone, igf-1, assorted nutrients, minerals and electrolytes… progesterone, prolactin, high sens CRP, 6 different thyroid tests, renal function…. There’s additional stuff too, but it’s slipped my mind. They filled a ton of vials and I still need to return in a few days for the remainder.

I’m wondering, if you ordered without going through a physician, did the person drawing your blood ask you anything strange? I almost get the sense she suspected I was up to something sketchy.

When I get blood drawn, the phlebotomists have sometimes remarked on the volume, though I suspect it's just small talk to pass the time.

I've never attempted to obtain labs without a doctor's order. Fortunately, my physician is excellent and will order nearly any test I request. For most of my asks, she figures there's no downside .

Honestly, the lack of a doctor's order made things worse. What stings more is that I went in assuming a blood draw gives you one complete picture. They only collected about half the tubes and told me the rest would happen Monday. I stayed too quiet and never pushed back on my own behalf. Why split it up at all? Even at the high end that's 270 mL of blood, while donating is 500 mL. It seems to me I should either have everything drawn in one sitting or get a lower price for what was taken today. Am I out of line for thinking that? This is the first time I've gone through any of this with bloodwork.

In 2026, getting your labs done doesn't require a physician.

It's incredibly simple nowadays.

I'm not sure who you went with, but www.goodlabs.com is extremely affordable and lets you fully customize everything, so I run them every 10 to 12 weeks.

Curious - I went through GoodLabs and had the draw done at Quest Diagnostic. A package arrived, extras included. I posted the itemised listing from my invoice. All in it ran $423 (self pay).

Hormone / Endocrine

• Thyroid Panel

• T4 (Thyroxine), Total

• T3 Total

• PSA Total+% Free

• Prolactin

• Progesterone, Total, LC/MS

• Men's Hormone Panel

• Insulin-Like Growth Factor I

• Estradiol

• Dihydrotestosterone

• Cortisol, Total, LC/MS

• ACTH, Plasma

Metabolic / Blood Sugar

• Insulin

• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)

• Fructosamine

• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)

• C-Peptide

Heart / Cardiovascular / Lipids

• Lipid Panel

• Homocysteine

• High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)

• Apolipoprotein B

• Apolipoprotein A-1

Liver & Kidney Health

• Uric Acid

• Renal Function Panel

• Hepatic Function Panel

• Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)

Inflammation / Immune

• Sedimentation Rate-Westergren (ESR)

• Rheumatoid Factor

• Fibrinogen

Blood (Hematology)

• Complete Blood Count (CBC) with Differential/Platelet

Enzymes / Organ & Muscle Function

• Lactate Dehydrogenase (LD) (Tissue damage)

• Creatine Kinase (CK), Total (Muscle/Heart)

• Lipase (Pancreas)

• Amylase (Pancreas)

Nutritional / Minerals

• Transferrin (Iron transport)

• Selenium, Serum or Plasma

• Nutrient Panel

That price seems fair. You could have gpt interpret the results and so on… I wouldn’t object to paying that amount two times per year to get a picture of what’s going on, in addition to my annual blood test.