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Help with bloodwork

18 replies8 peopleJun 18, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

how to order an IGF-1 test and related panels while using HGH and peptides

The original poster struggles to locate an IGF-1 test through standard lab ordering despite using multiple growth-hormone agents and wants a full list of other common panels as well. Replies stress that the Z-score matters more than the raw IGF-1 number for judging GH status. Several users note that stacking multiple GH secretagogues is likely redundant and that subjective feelings are a weak substitute for regular bloodwork. Access remains difficult in rural areas even when a lab draw site is only a short drive away.

What this discussion establishesStill open

exact method for ordering the desired tests without relying on a physician who is unfamiliar with them

Nothing here is advice.

18 replies · 8 people
WryHarbour76archiveopening postJun 18

Everyone keeps urging me to check my IGF-1 value yet I cannot work out how to schedule the blood draw. At 54 I use HGH along with Tesamorelin, Testosterone and Ipamorelin and others stress that this marker must be watched. My regular physician admitted she had never encountered the test which only deepened my confusion. The lab facility open to me shows no trace of it no matter how many sections or lists I scan. Somehow obtaining research peptides through other channels felt simpler than lining up proper bloodwork. Can anyone explain where to locate the IGF-1 order and whether the same facility also runs CBC, full metabolic check, cholesterol profile, A1c, fasting insulin, total and free testosterone, estradiol, ApoB, nutrient screen, thyroid panel and CRP? I am tired of guessing my numbers and want to stop.

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AmberCompass48archiveJun 18

Jesus! That is a lot of GH peptides, how do you feel?

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WryHarbour76archiveJun 18
↳ replying to @AmberCompass48

I'm doing awesome right now! 🙂 Yet I'm curious whether lab results back that up. Though I'm no savior figure I still like striding across frozen surfaces during winter angling and exploring underground spots.

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ClearBeacon24archiveJun 18
↳ replying to @WryHarbour76 (opening post)

Why run HGH, tesamorelin, and ipamorelin all at once? The HGH should dominate and the other two just add cost.

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PatientCompass47archiveJun 18

Sometimes the result appears listed with a Z-score and that number is really the more important one. It shows how far the IGF-1 level sits from the average for your age and sex. Values between -2.0 and +2.0 are considered normal. Below -2.0 may point to growth-hormone deficiency while above +2.0 may indicate excess or overtreatment.

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WryHarbour76archiveJun 18
↳ replying to @ClearBeacon24

I am hearing that and I trust the advice. The tesamorelin and ipamorelin were used in separate cycles and I am now tapering the ipamorelin as I add HGH. Still I have no idea what my levels actually are. Feeling good is a poor way to judge what is happening inside. My goal is regular testing so I can track numbers and results properly.

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WryHarbour76archiveJun 18

I am on the Maine coast with none of those nearby but they look like a solid operation.

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WryHarbour76archiveJun 18

That service looks promising because it advertises IGF-1 in packages and uses the same lab network. I wonder why the main lab site does not list it directly.

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WryHarbour76archiveJun 18

When I locate a workable option I will follow the full list of recommendations. Nothing appears convenient near my rural spot though. I printed the suggestions anyway.

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PlainKettle39archiveJun 18
↳ replying to @WryHarbour76

It shows up in the add-ons after you pick a main panel.

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WryHarbour76archiveJun 18

Awesome, thanks!

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GreyAlder46archiveJun 18

Mine came back at 135 yesterday. It is in range but that is all I know. I have thought about trying a growth-hormone secretagogue but have not decided yet.

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LevelThistle44archiveJun 18
↳ replying to @GreyAlder46

Did you receive a Z-score? It is difficult to judge the raw IGF-1 number without that comparison.

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GreyAlder46archiveJun 18
↳ replying to @LevelThistle44

I do not think so and need to check the report again. This was mainly a metabolic and hormone panel with IGF-1 added on request. I was focused on other results at the time.

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GreyAlder46archiveJun 18
↳ replying to @LevelThistle44

0.3

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LevelThistle44archiveJun 18
↳ replying to @GreyAlder46

Positive I assume. The usual range is plus or minus 2 so that places you right around the population average.

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WryHarbour76archiveJun 19

Thanks, I checked and they are not available in my area. That was a good lead though. I am leaning toward the service that uses the main lab network since the draw site is only an hour and a half away.

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PlainKettle27archiveJun 19
↳ replying to @WryHarbour76

Sorry that will not work for you. Hope something else comes through. It is nice to order exactly the tests you want instead of whatever a doctor orders for everyone.

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GreyAlder46archiveJun 19
↳ replying to @LevelThistle44

Yes that is how I read it as well. Thanks.

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