Which compounds show up at testosterone on a standard labcorp (or similar) bloodwork?
I tried searching through the forum history but I couldn't find a clear answer - sorry if this is a repetitive topic to you all!
Currently a TRT patient via an endocrinologist, and I get standard bloodwork done every 6 months with him. I also quite enjoy self-management and certainly exceed TRT dosages with several compounds, in between those appointments ;-) If I were to admit what I'm taking, he would cut me off as a patient (and it might even lead to insurance issues down the road). So, I do my best to discontinue their use in advance of my bloodwork. But sometimes, it really sucks to do so, as it shortens a cycle just as I'm starting to really see gains (equipoise, for example).
Does anyone know which compounds will show up as higher testosterone levels on those standard clinical panels? For example, I have heard from multiple sources that nandrolone will show up as testosterone, but primobolan will not. What about equipoise, masteron, and several of the common orals?
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Certain testosterone derivatives will cause some cross detection with standard level testing. I know compounds like nandrolone will show up as testosterone. Possibly tren as well. Tren will definitely cause a false high reading on E2 levels as well. Most of these hormones are very similar to test so high sensitivity testing is required to differentiate between them.
Now does lapcorp employ high sensitivity testing for a standard HRT panel? Idk. I wouldn’t bet on it. But you have 6 months between your blood tests, that’s plenty of time to run a cycle and finish up and let you body come back down to baseline. I only get 3 months between mine. 6 would be awesome.
Ask your endo to run Total and Free Testosterone, LC/MS. This is very specific and should only pull Testosterone levels impacted by exogenous Testosterone.
This is the best way to get a good reading, but for insurance covered panels they usually won't want to run a sensitive assay since it costs more.
I don't know about the others, but I know equipoise won't. Although, it may skew some readings for you e2, especially if they don't do a sensitive assay.
Right - SHBG, estrogen, etc might all look off.
My doc only runs total and free testosterone, so I know I have to pull back on the nandrolone, for example
EQ won't show? That's fantastic, it takes so long for that one to really pay off.. thank you.
So the 2 i have heard of specifically is Tren showing up as E2 on nonsensitive tests, as well as whatever bold converts to showing is non sensitive E2. For example you could be running 500 test 500 EQ and your actual sensitive E2 would be something like 20 but on nonsensitive E2 tests it would show up as 100+
Yeah EQ will spike your estrone(E1). On a non-sensitive assay they'll lump together and read really high even if your E2 is actually tanked. Looks like that's not a problem in thorny's case but good to know especially when you are trying to check your E2 on an EQ cycle.
Yeah man apparently I'm super sensitive to EQs AI quality, I was on 400 test 100 EQ and my E2 was sitting at 14...I could tell I felt pretty off but that explains it. My mood was so flat, and I was always stressed as hell. Dropped the eq for now and started popping Dbol and I'm feeling way better.
Damn that's crazy. Always interesting how different people respond. I'm a heavy aromatizer, and my E2 will be in good range with my test just slightly higher than my EQ. Even at a 1:1 my E2 will be around 15, which I feel pretty normal at, but 30-40 feels best.
Yeah I'm learning that I am a low aromatizer. I think at 14 I felt fairly ok, but I'm guessing it was on its way down. I had just bumped my test up from 250 to 400, and added in the EQ. I got bloods and was feeling pretty good, but after another week at that dose I started to feel off and after 10 days my bloods finally came back showing the 14 E2. If I had to guess I was probably down to 10 or less. For reference I was at 30 E2 3 months prior. And had spent about a month on the 400 test 100eq. So it probably was just slowly working it's way down as the EQ kicked in.
You're all going to shun me, but I don't know my E2 levels while on cycle. (I get liver/kidney/lipid panels all done at the end of every cycle). I would never advise someone else to not get their full bloodwork, but it's just what I've gotten away with... I've always just run with the "if the nips feel spicy, up the primo or, if really needed, take an AI" attitude. I rarely need to do this, as I've found over many cycles my sweet spot and ratios for test / primo / deca.
This time, I gave EQ a try instead of primo, but with a sprinkling of mast. Started at 300, felt E2 symptoms, bumped it to 600 waited another month, still felt them, so I'm at 900 now. Feeling great, lifts keep going up, no nipple sensitivity, not crying at Disney movies. Appetite is monstrous. Endurance is endless. Running SLU alongside it, somehow still seeing abs...
My anecdotal understanding is EQ is generally run at higher doses, so this made sense to me, and I've been quite happy with it.
I'd say better to get E2 checked than not but I also can feel my E2 quite a bit. If I start getting spicy nips I know E2 is running a bit high, and if I start to feel very mentally flat and "gray" so to speak it's getting too low. I try to always confirm with bloods but I think it's important to be able to feel your E2 since you can't always drop everything and get bloods in a days notice if something starts to feels off. Plus it takes a week to get the results back.
Fairly certain the routine bloods are "nonsensitive", but either way, as estrogen isn't normally run by my endo, sounds like EQ is safe to maintain (although I'll still have to drop the EQ dose as I can't run 200 test for TRT and my current 900 EQ haha).