curious

[caira1074]

how do you all afford all the bloodwork you reccomend. what about someone with no insurance wow must have good insurance or good jobs, and my dr wont even run that much, if there is somewhere else i can get this done i would appreciate it so much my dr will only do it every 3 months and that was me talking him into it he wanted it every 6months plus it is ecpensive

[Times Roman]

good question. There are inexpensive online services that will write you a scrip you can take with you to get the blood work done. For me, I'm tracking bloodwork about three times a year, through my Kaiser doc. With Kaiser, it is a really tough sell, and you better do your homework before you go talking to your doctor.

[dosXX]

You can find several online services available where you can also view your labs results. It's easy, really affordable, and it's legit. And the best part is you can customize your own lab test.

[forrest_and_trees]

I'm in the same boat as you. No insurance and paying out of pocket. I've been using the online labs for a while now and frankly, I prefer it to going through my doc.

To start, its *way* cheaper. They usually have bundled packages at a fraction of the cost of what you'd pay if you had them done individually, like you normally do with your doctor. On top of that, they are as convenient as it gets. You don't even need a script from your doc. You just go online to their site, choose the tests you want done, pay with a credit card and they e-mail you a confidential form that you print and take to one of their dozens of local labs; where they draw the blood and send it in for you. In a few days you get an email to a secure site were you download a PDF form with your results. Then you can either print and take it to your doc or email it and you've got a copy for your records; which is more than you usually get from most docs. I pay $149 for a complete work up which contains the following:

-Lipid Profile
-Complete Blood Count w/ Differential
-Estradiol
-Insulin Growth Factor (IGF-1)
-Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
-Testosterone (Free), Serum With Total
-Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)
-Thyroid Profile

The site I use is call Private MD Labs but there are others. They even use the same testing facilities used by most insurance companies. When I get my results back, it comes from LabCorp, just like my doctor prescribed tests. They also always have some sort of 15% discount available if you look around so it's really more like $138.

It doesn't get much easier than that. You don't have to do the complete workups either. If that's still expensive for you, you can do individual tests. E2 or Total Test usually runs about $45 each.

[caira1074]

thanks for the advice guys very helpful

[tdog273]

For those that have been on HRT. Have you done more ttraditional self administered cycles such as the ones recommended on this site? I am wondering about the benefits of utilizing HRT and going about a doctor prescribed therapy versus just doing your own testing as you mention above and do one of the cycles recommended for the novices? I am trying to figure out which will give me the best return on my investment. Obviously Pharm quality grade for the HRT route, but the costs are significantly higher.

Has anyone done both options, and if so, what are your recommendations?

Thanks

[zaggahamma]

op, good question some cant afford it(me) i havent had bloodwork in 3 years...i just stay on a low dose of test hoping not to get estrogen related sides.....

tdog...you can get a 10ml vial of test with the right rx from most pharmacies for a hundo or less which would last 5 months if you only did 100mg a week which i believe would equal what the average male produces naturally(after the ester-70mg) if you doubled that dose you would of course get 2 1/2 months

this is the dose i recommend

the only thing that can make the costs significantly higher is adding growth hormone to your protocol

[caira1074]

good info jpkman it is the way to go if you can get the script, i dont think guys realize how affordable it is if the just get the right script plus you know its legit

[zaggahamma]

good info jpkman it is the way to go if you can get the script, i dont think guys realize how affordable it is if the just get the right script plus you know its legit

yup thats the nicest part picking right up from the front of your grocery store...you get your basket, go get your tilapia, yams, shavin cream, testosterone , and oreos(cheat day only)...all in one shopping....any syringes with that today, sir?

[tdog273]

I definitely like the idea of pharm grade versus UGL products. It seems like most of tthe HRT sites I have cheecked out have an initial cost of about $400 for labwork. The labwork is required every 3 months, and then the cost of product on top of that. I would be okay with paying more for pharm grade product and having it doctor prescribed.

I guess tthe real key is having your GP prescribe the product and getting them to buy off on the staying in the upper 1/3 range of test levels. 100 mgs seems low compared to the recommended novice cycles on this site.

Most of the novice cycles recommend 500mgs per week?

[Vettester]

Like mentioned, you can get away with this stuff relatively cheap by going through places like privatemdlabs.com, or other online BW labs. It's a pretty important tool in the initial stages of start-up on TRT, so take a close look at your budget see if something can't work to make it feasible.

[zaggahamma]

I definitely like the idea of pharm grade versus UGL products. It seems like most of tthe HRT sites I have cheecked out have an initial cost of about $400 for labwork. The labwork is required every 3 months, and then the cost of product on top of that. I would be okay with paying more for pharm grade product and having it doctor prescribed.

I guess tthe real key is having your GP prescribe the product and getting them to buy off on the staying in the upper 1/3 range of test levels. 100 mgs seems low compared to the recommended novice cycles on this site.

Most of the novice cycles recommend 500mgs per week?

this is not the cycle forum ....

yes...if you are lucky enough to find the right GP/family doctor/or at least only 1 endo there after you can get test and stay on once you've been scripted its easy BUT if you have the money the clinics are better for less runarounds...ONLY drawback r those damn COMPOUNDED rx's

[zaggahamma]

...........

[tdog273]

I went to some of the recmmended sites for HRT and found some local docs. For those of you who have gone this route, did you question the doc before you signed up on what their thought process was ideal T levels for you before you signed up?

To me after getting thhe knowledge on the desired levels from this forum, that would be a crucial question to know if they are thinking along the same levels you are trying to achieve before the cost of bloodwork.

Don't even know how to approach this with a GP. Just moved back to Denver after 20 years in Dallas and don't even have a GP picked out yet.

Would like your thoughts on questioning the HRT doc before signing up.

[tdog273]

One other quick question, which forum would be the right one to ask about comparing the cycles. I thought it would be this one since it included HRT, but obviously not. Would it be the Q&A?

Thanks, still trying to learn all the correct places to post.

[zaggahamma]

I went to some of the recmmended sites for HRT and found some local docs. For those of you who have gone this route, did you question the doc before you signed up on what their thought process was ideal T levels for you before you signed up?

To me after getting thhe knowledge on the desired levels from this forum, that would be a crucial question to know if they are thinking along the same levels you are trying to achieve before the cost of bloodwork.

Don't even know how to approach this with a GP. Just moved back to Denver after 20 years in Dallas and don't even have a GP picked out yet.

Would like your thoughts on questioning the HRT doc before signing up.

if its a anti aging clinic you dont have to tip toe around what you want..money talks if youre over 30( at least)..

a GP ..."doc....i've been doin some research and my symptoms are dot dot dot dot dot (google low test or whatever) (you probably already know/experiencing them)...i'd like to have my blood work including hormones checked" ...

but like you said...YES..some of us have questioned nurses on phones, office managers on whether they prescribe test injectibles, etc. DEFINATELY a good idea before you waste an office visit copay on a few quacks...hee hee...love sayin that

[tdog273]

One other quick question, which forum would be the right one to ask about comparing the cycles. I thought it would be this one since it included HRT, but obviously not. Would it be the Q&A?

Thanks, still trying to learn all the correct places to post.

[zaggahamma]

some members on hrt will run cycles yes but usually you will get a better critique the cycles forum..lemme go see the exact name to help you find better

[zaggahamma]

very first forum at top when you go to forums home..."anabolic steroid questions"

[forrest_and_trees]

One other quick question, which forum would be the right one to ask about comparing the cycles. I thought it would be this one since it included HRT, but obviously not. Would it be the Q&A?

Thanks, still trying to learn all the correct places to post.

FYI- If you're getting TRT/HRT due to Low T, then there really is no cycling. It's a lifetime commitment.