First Time Doing Lab Tests, Which Are Imporant Once?

jet9

Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2018
Messages
611
Guys hi,

I am self employed and don't have insurance so will be paying for tests. I will use discountedlabs and wonder what tests to order.

I see several options:
1 Testosterone + Thyroid ($119.40)
TESTOSTERONE Total and Free (Regular) | Discounted Labs
THYROID Panel (TSH + Free T3 + Free T4) | Discounted Labs

2 Testosterone, Thyroid and Estradiol Panel ($208.95)
Testosterone, Thyroid and Estradiol Panel

3 Testosterone + LH + FSH Panel ($88.20) (not sure how important these ones are)
Testosterone + LH + FSH Panel | Discounted Labs

Please advise, thank you!
 

mmb82

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
111
I would say it depends on your list of symptoms. For example, why are you focused solely on getting hormone panels? What are expecting/looking to find based on your symptoms?
Aside from taking a look at your hormone levels, are you getting any of standard blood tests like a CBC, CMP, Lipid panel, etc?

In my opinion, looking at hormone levels can be helpful, but only if you have a bigger picture of what is going on. Knowing more on your nutritional status, such as what your daily diet looks like, and your symptoms, you could just be deficient or abundant in some vitamins and minerals that are lowering or raising desired or undesired hormones. By looking at the hormones first, you'll know where you may be lacking hormonally, but it gives no insight into the cause, which may be too much stress, nutritional insufficiency, etc.

In summary, more information about yourself (symptoms, lifestyle, and diet in particular) might help other forum members guide you.
 
OP
J

jet9

Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2018
Messages
611
Aside from taking a look at your hormone levels, are you getting any of standard blood tests like a CBC, CMP, Lipid panel, etc?

In my opinion, looking at hormone levels can be helpful, but only if you have a bigger picture of what is going on. Knowing more on your nutritional status, such as what your daily diet looks like, and your symptoms, you could just be deficient or abundant in some vitamins and minerals that are lowering or raising desired or undesired hormones. By looking at the hormones first, you'll know where you may be lacking hormonally, but it gives no insight into the cause, which may be too much stress, nutritional insufficiency, etc.

In summary, more information about yourself (symptoms, lifestyle, and diet in particular) might help other forum members guide you.
mmb82, thank you for your reply,

Lifestyle
6:30 wake and exercise(15-20 min) - hiit heavy bag and kettlebells
12pm if weather is good 30-50 min of sun
in between most of the time working on computer(alternate standing and setting desk)

Diet
breakfast(8am) lamp, beef marrow, 3-7 cooked apples, salt
lunch(1pm) lamp, beef marrow, 3-7 cooked apples, salt
dinner(6pm) (3 cooked apples, romaine, honey) OR (potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant, fish)
As you can see sometimes i have starch, sometimes not. Before i was not able to go starch free cause i couldn't sleep without starch(fruits don't cut it), but if i have honey at dinner than i can sleep even without starch. So last week out of experiment i went totally starch is free and was feeling good.

Issues
Nothing really, i am feeling good, often great. But as self employed looking for ways to make mental energy more consistent cause often i can have bad days.

Thank you for pointing out about CBC, CMP, Lipid panel. I did not know they existed.
So i guess i can order one for these than:
Panel: CBC, CMP, TT, FT, Lipids, Prolactin, and SHBG
Pre- TRT MALE Hormone / Wellness Panel
Complete Hormone & Wellness Panel for MEN
 

mmb82

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
111
Diet
breakfast(8am) lamp, beef marrow, 3-7 cooked apples, salt
lunch(1pm) lamp, beef marrow, 3-7 cooked apples, salt
dinner(6pm) (3 cooked apples, romaine, honey) OR (potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant, fish)

When doctors do a yearly round of blood tests, typically they order a CBC, CMP, TSH, and lipid panel, so at minimum, that may be the most general blood tests you can do. If you don't have any outstanding symptoms, I think getting the minimal/cheapest test should be fine.

Is that your diet every day by the way? In general, I would try to get some more variety, as probably 50%+ of your food intake seems to be cooked apples. Are you using any supplements? Are you tracking calories to ensure you are eating enough or do you just eat until satisfied without paying much attention to calorie counting? If you are more interested in tracking your daily micronutrient and/or calorie intake, you can create an account with Cronometer (free) and log your food. It may give you insight into what you may be missing from your diet in terms of vitamins and minerals.

Based on your daily diet, I would imagine you may lack energy or mental focus due to a lack of B vitamins in the diet. Your most B-vitamin-heavy meal of the day is dinner, probably when you are winding down from work and don't need as much mental focus. I would swap out some of the beef marrow with whole eggs or some kind of food that has more protein and B-vitamins in it. For example, move your dinner meal with fish (or meat if you are not opposed to eating meat) to lunch or take a B-multi maybe around 10 am or 2 pm if that helps.

Can you attribute lack of mental focus to sleep inconsistencies by any chance? Do you have trouble falling or staying asleep?
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom