Bloodwork & Metrics
Lab results and biomarkers.
Recommended labs for peptide users (community-maintained)
Pinning this so we stop answering 'which labs should I pull' in 40 different threads. This is a living list — reply with additions/corrections and I'll fold them in. Tier 1 — pull before ANY cycle, r
How often are people actually retesting?
Genuine logistics question — how often do you pull labs during a cycle? Every 4 weeks feels expensive, every 12 weeks feels too spaced out.
Fasting insulin and HOMA-IR on CJC/Ipa
4 months of CJC-NoDAC 100mcg + Ipa 300mcg, 5x/week. Tracking fasting insulin monthly. - Month 0: insulin 4.8, glucose 86, HOMA-IR 1.02 - Month 1: insulin 5.2, glucose 88, HOMA-IR 1.13 - Month 2: insu
Testosterone didn't budge on tesamorelin — expected?
12 weeks of tesamorelin 2mg/day. Pulled labs week 0 and week 12. - IGF-1: 198 -> 278 ng/mL (nice) - Fasting glucose: 88 -> 95 (ok-ish) - Visceral fat per DEXA: -14% (great) - Total T: 612 -> 621 ng/d
HbA1c ticked up mid-cycle on BPC-157?? (probably nothing, still)
8 weeks into BPC-157 (250mcg bid, subQ). Pulled a routine CMP + a1c because I do quarterly labs. - a1c baseline: 5.1% - a1c week 8: 5.4% That's inside the assay's test-retest window, I know. But BPC
Which labs should I actually pull before my first cycle?
Feeling overwhelmed by the pinned list. First-ever peptide cycle (BPC-157 for a nagging shoulder, nothing wild). Do I really need the full Tier 1 panel, or is there a minimum?
Budget labs — what's the minimum viable panel?
Cash-pay, no insurance angle here. What's the absolute cheapest sensible panel for someone on GLP-1s?
SHBG crashed on tirz — is that a problem?
Baseline SHBG was 42 nmol/L. After 14 weeks on tirz 10mg/week, -28 lbs, SHBG is 24. Total T unchanged (684 -> 702). Free T is higher now of course (lower SHBG + same total). Feel fine. Is the crashe
Ferritin dropped during a long BPC cycle — coincidence?
Pulled a random CBC mid-cycle. Ferritin went 142 -> 87 ng/mL over 10 weeks on BPC-157. Hgb/Hct unchanged. No heavy periods (male), no GI bleeding, not donating blood. Iron panel otherwise fine. Train
Am I reading this cortisol wrong?
AM fasted cortisol came back 22.4 mcg/dL. Lab ref 4.3-22.4. So literally at the top of the range. I'm running ipamorelin 300mcg bid for 10 weeks. No sleep issues, no anxiety spikes. But 22.4 right at
Pre/post GH stack labs — IGF-1 jumped from 210 to 340, thoughts?
Running CJC-1295 no-DAC 100mcg + Ipamorelin 200mcg, 5x/week, AM empty stomach. 9 weeks in. Labs (LabCorp, same facility both draws, fasted, ~8am): Baseline: - IGF-1: 214 ng/mL (ref 83-233 for my age
GGT worth pulling or overkill?
I've seen a few people mention GGT alongside ALT/AST. My standard panel doesn't include it and the add-on is ~$15. Worth it for a general peptide user?
TSH moving on cutting cycle — context: down 18 lbs in 10 weeks
Not sure if this is a peptide question, a caloric deficit question, or both, so posting here. On tirz 5mg/week, 10 weeks in, down 18 lbs. Pulled thyroid labs. Baseline: - TSH: 1.8 mIU/L - Free T4: 1
Insulin and glucose on GH secretagogue stack (fasted AM values)
Tracking weekly fasting glucose + insulin on a CJC-NoDAC/Ipa/tesa stack (100mcg/200mcg/1mg). 10 weeks in. Same meter (Contour Next), same lab for insulin (Quest), draws Tuesday AM fasted 12h, same res
ApoB on semaglutide — drop is real, here's the chart
I pulled ApoB every 4 weeks on a 24-week sema course. Starting dose 0.25mg, titrated to 1.0mg over 8 weeks, held 1.0mg for the rest. 41F, 5'6", baseline 189lb. ApoB (mg/dL) timeline, all same lab (Qu
Liver enzymes during a long TB-500 cycle
Quick anecdote and looking for confirmation. 16 weeks of TB-500 (2.5mg loading x4 weeks, 2mg/wk maintenance). Pulled LFTs at baseline, week 8, week 16. - AST: 22 -> 27 -> 26 U/L - ALT: 24 -> 32 -> 30
Homocysteine + B vitamins question for GLP-1 users
Quick question for the lab crowd. Pulled homocysteine for first time after 6 months on tirz (7.5mg), result was 14.2 umol/L. Lab ref range says <11.4. My B12 was 412 pg/mL (in range 200-1100). Folate
IGFBP-3 — do I really need to pull it every time?
Running GH secretagogues and pulling IGF-1 quarterly. IGFBP-3 adds ~$25 each time. Is it adding real information or can I skip it?
DEXA scan after 12 weeks of tesa — body comp results
Not bloodwork per se but the body comp side of the conversation usually lives here. 12 weeks tesamorelin 2mg/day. Same DEXA machine, same tech, morning fasted both scans. Baseline: - Total mass: 198
Cystatin C vs creatinine for tracking kidney on peptides
I keep seeing Cystatin C mentioned as better than serum creatinine for kidney tracking during peptide cycles. Can someone walk through when each is better and which cases creatinine is actively mislea
hs-CRP baseline and after 8 weeks of BPC — chart inside
Did a little self-experiment because I was curious if BPC-157 actually moves inflammatory markers systemically or only locally. Protocol: BPC-157 250mcg subQ peri-umbilical, 2x/day, 56 days. No other
Prolactin bump on hexarelin — anyone else?
I know this is a known side effect but curious about the real-world magnitude. Hexarelin 100mcg 2x/day for 4 weeks (yes I know that's a short window, the prolactin is part of why). - Prolactin basel