Direct Labs - My Experience

[shackleford]

Hello,

I ordered blood work for the first time recently and wanted to share my experience. It seems all the avenues for ordering blood work exclude residents of NY, NJ, RI, or MD. Being a resident of MD, this concerned me. I decided to try Direct Labs anyway. I ordered the test using my legit home address and took the requisition to an out of state office. I showed up without an appointment, and was out in about a half hour. Results took about a week. No ID check, no questions other than "did you fast", no hard times over my MD address on the requisition. Overall, a success.

Hopefully this is good news for some of you in those more restrictive states.

Russ

 

[Dr JIM]

Hello,

I ordered blood work for the first time recently and wanted to share my experience. It seems all the avenues for ordering blood work exclude residents of NY, NJ, RI, or MD. Being a resident of MD, this concerned me. I decided to try Direct Labs anyway. I ordered the test using my legit home address and took the requisition to an out of state office. I showed up without an appointment, and was out in about a half hour. Results took about a week. No ID check, no questions other than "did you fast", no hard times over my MD address on the requisition. Overall, a success.

Hopefully this is good news for some of you in those more restrictive states.

Russ

How prophetic many of the states with more permissive drug decriminalization views restrict access to, or testing of, relatively benign substances such as PEDs.

Unfortunately, I suspect PEDs will miss their future decriminalization list completely.

 

[shackleford]

How prophetic many of the states with more permissive drug decriminalization views restrict access to, or testing of, relatively benign substances such as PEDs.

Unfortunately, I suspect PEDs will miss their future decriminalization list completely.

Dr Jim,

It is ironic. And I believe you are correct, unfortunately. At the risk of this turning into a political rant, I will say this:
We all have a right to know what is going on within our own bodies. This is our health. The fact that I need a "permission slip" from a doctor just to have a lab analyze my own bodily fluid is asinine.

End Rant.
Russ

 

[Test_Subject]

Dr Jim,

It is ironic. And I believe you are correct, unfortunately. At the risk of this turning into a political rant, I will say this:
We all have a right to know what is going on within our own bodies. This is our health. The fact that I need a "permission slip" from a doctor just to have a lab analyze my own bodily fluid is asinine.

End Rant.
Russ

I'm Canadian, but my province is the same way.

I get not being able to have blood work done just because I request it through the single payer system, but if I'm footing the bill, who the fuck is the government to tell me that I can't value my health?

 

[shackleford]

I'm Canadian, but my province is the same way.

I get not being able to have blood work done just because I request it through the single payer system, but if I'm footing the bill, who the fuck is the government to tell me that I can't value my health?

I'm sorry to hear you share the same struggle. Are you able to find a work around similar to mine?

I agree with your sentiment. I disagree with the rules, but unfortunately there is not much I can do about them. It is my hope that sharing my experience will encourage those who would forego blood work to avoid any problems to pursue the blood work anyway.

 

[Test_Subject]

I'm sorry to hear you share the same struggle. Are you able to find a work around similar to mine?

I agree with your sentiment. I disagree with the rules, but unfortunately there is not much I can do about them. It is my hope that sharing my experience will encourage those who would forego blood work to avoid any problems to pursue the blood work anyway.

Luckily my Dr. is pretty on-board

 

[maxx the dogg]

Hello,

I ordered blood work for the first time recently and wanted to share my experience. It seems all the avenues for ordering blood work exclude residents of NY, NJ, RI, or MD. Being a resident of MD, this concerned me. I decided to try Direct Labs anyway. I ordered the test using my legit home address and took the requisition to an out of state office. I showed up without an appointment, and was out in about a half hour. Results took about a week. No ID check, no questions other than "did you fast", no hard times over my MD address on the requisition. Overall, a success.

Hopefully this is good news for some of you in those more restrictive states.

Russ

I just did this in my state but unfortunately the only two labs I had a choice of using only measure total T up to 1500 so if you are higher all you get as a result is >1500. Was your lab the same?

 

[shackleford]

I just did this in my state but unfortunately the only two labs I had a choice of using only measure total T up to 1500 so if you are higher all you get as a result is >1500. Was your lab the same?

My results for total testosterone read slightly over 1500.

I went to Quest for the blood draw. After doing some research, I found the measurement range to be 1.0 to 2,000 ng/dL. This is the reference:
Quest Diagnostics: Test Directory
click "view guide", then scroll approximately half way down. The measurement range is listed under the section labeled "method". Hope that helps.

*edited for clarity*

 

[maxx the dogg]

Yah, I used Quest too. When you order the test it has a msg at the bottom saying "Please note: Any result in excess of 1500 will be reported as >1500"
I wonder if they do that to discourage 'guys like us' :^ /

 

[shackleford]

I don't remember reading that; I must not have read the fine print haha.
My total testosterone was 1596, so it does give results above 1500.
Did your results say >1500 or are you still shopping around for a lab?

 

[shackleford]

From direct labs' website:

Usually, Testosterone tests only list the specific number if the results are within the reference ranges. This test gives a specific number even if the number is above or below the reference range. (Test Detail)

So that sounds promising. It seems to conflict with the information from the quest website though.

I don't know if quest or direct labs does the actual analysis. I thought direct labs just creates the requisition and quest performs the analysis.

 

[maxx the dogg]

I had my blood drawn already at Quest. I just checked and it looks like it was just the test I ordered (Testosterone Free and Total Testosterone) that has the 1500 cap. Any other of the Hormone Blood Panels, the TRT Blood Panel or if I'd just ordered the Total Testosterone test I would have gotten the real total...crap. Oh well I can go back for just $36 and get the Total only test.

 

[CompoundLifts31]

Someone being unable to check on the health of their own body doesn't seem right to me. I mean, what's the big deal?

 

[Hydro]

For md you can also use ulta labs which I found to be more customizable

 

[shackleford]

For md you can also use ulta labs which I found to be more customizable

Awesome, thank you for the suggestion. I'll have to check them out.