Essential blood tests

[DB_636]

Just curious what everybody thinks are absolutely essential blood tests. Of course there's testosterone (free&total), E2, CBC, cmp, lipids, but are prolactin and shbg truly essential? Having just left my TRT clinic, I lost the advantage of getting all my blood tests for $50 so I'm forced to take the ultalabs route and of course trying to save money. What's everybody think?

 

[caution]

Just curious what everybody thinks are absolutely essential blood tests. Of course there's testosterone (free&total), E2, CBC, cmp, lipids, but are prolactin and shbg truly essential? Having just left my TRT clinic, I lost the advantage of getting all my blood tests for $50 so I'm forced to take the ultalabs route and of course trying to save money. What's everybody think?

It all depends what all compounds you are going to be running. Seems like you've got the right idea of blood tests that need to be checked. SHBG is a protein that binds onto your sex hormones. If your shbg is high, it binds onto those hormones and it doesn't allow the body to use them for anything else. When it is low it frees up your sex hormones and your body can use them in a different way because they are not binded by SHBG. Prolactin plays a role in gynecomastia. If this is high you can get permanent breast tissue formation, and get lactating nipples. Especially when running compounds that are 19 nor. Other compounds do this as well but you need to research each compound individually before hopping on it. Essentially you want to do a blood test before a cycle, 6 weeks into a cycle, and at the end of the cycle, and before you hop on again. Time on = time off cycle. PCT while off. If you blast and cruise, before you blast, 6 weeks into blast, at end of blast, and before you hop on blast again. No PCT needed. You will need an AI to manage your e2 if it gets too high. There are lots a variables that go on hand what certain blood test are needed.

 

[T&H]

It all depends what all compounds you are going to be running. Seems like you've got the right idea of blood tests that need to be checked. SHBG is a protein that binds onto your sex hormones. If your shbg is high, it binds onto those hormones and it doesn't allow the body to be use them for anything else. When it is low it frees up your sex hormones and your body can use them in a different way because they are not binded by SHBG. Prolactin plays a role in gynecomastia. If this is high you can get permanent breast tissue formation, and get lactating nipples. Especially when running compounds that are 19 nor. Other compounds do this as well but you need to research each compound individually before hopping on it. Essentially you want to do a blood test before a cycle, 6 weeks into a cycle, and at the end of the cycle, and before you hop on again. Time on = time off cycle. PCT while off. If you blast and cruise, before you blast, 6 weeks into blast, at end of blast, and before you hop on blast again. No PCT needed. You will need an AI to manage your e2 if it gets too high. There are lots a variables that go on hand what certain blood test are needed needed.

I've gotten shbg a few times, always low but due to what I'm running. I've never checked prolactin but I've never run a 19nor nor felt a need to ever check.

I get routine cbc, lipids, cmp, etc thru general doctor twice a year. I pay for total testosterone and E2 a few times a year through ulta.

 

[Rido]

To me....
Base labs are CBC, cmp lipids testosterone. Sens Estradiol


If you run hgh
igf1(is good to have baseline)

19nors. Tren deca(unsure about trest)
Prolactin(I would think if it's high dose), upgrade to ultrasensitive e2

Dhb
baseline and on blast CRP

I do like thyroid panel
Occasional cystatin c