Getting ready for your Blood Draw. All the rules in one thread.

[FeelingLost]

I tried a google search and looked thru all the stickies in the forum but did not really find the answers I was looking for.

Over the last year of reading here in EM I have noticed several guys posting about taking creatine will jack up your Creatinine, Serum. Working out at the gym and even sex/masterbation will throw numbrs off. Taking Iron supplements is also bad, Iodine can mess up thyroid numbers, the list seems to go on and on.

No where can I find a list of supplement/ peptides/ hormones/ SARMS that would skew a blood test.

So it looks like to really get honest numbers one need to stop all supplements, workouts and sex. Did I miss anything?
Now the question is how long before the blood draw do we need to stop these things. I am sure it is not one number of days for everything.

I've got a big 6 month blood test coming up the end of July and I am doing everything i mentioned above.
I think I need to abstain from all of it except my TRT protocol.
The question is 1 week 2 weeks a month?

 

[Nashtide]

I tried a google search and looked thru all the stickies in the forum but did not really find the answers I was looking for.

Over the last year of reading here in EM I have noticed several guys posting about taking creatine will jack up your Creatinine, Serum. Working out at the gym and even sex/masterbation will throw numbrs off. Taking Iron supplements is also bad, Iodine can mess up thyroid numbers, the list seems to go on and on.

No where can I find a list of supplement/ peptides/ hormones/ SARMS that would skew a blood test.

So it looks like to really get honest numbers one need to stop all supplements, workouts and sex. Did I miss anything?
Now the question is how long before the blood draw do we need to stop these things. I am sure it is not one number of days for everything.

I've got a big 6 month blood test coming up the end of July and I am doing everything i mentioned above.
I think I need to abstain from all of it except my TRT protocol.
The question is 1 week 2 weeks a month?

Don't you want your labs to reflect where you are now? Why stop all the supps and other things to fool the blood work? Seems to me it would be like stopping your blood pressure meds for a few days before having your blood pressure checked.

 

[FeelingLost]

Don't you want your labs to reflect where you are now? Why stop all the supps and other things to fool the blood work? Seems to me it would be like stopping your blood pressure meds for a few days before having your blood pressure checked.

You bring up a good point. I don't know the correct answer.
If I am taking a supplement and it skews my blood test to the point it effect my doctors view that could be very bad.

 

[Nashtide]

You bring up a good point. I don't know the correct answer.
If I am taking a supplement and it skews my blood test to the point it effect my doctors view that could be very bad.

I suppose that's true, but I think it's important to know whether the Vit D or dhea you're taking is doing the job.

 

[Deleted member 16042]

Biotin: https://www.excelmale.com/forum/showthread.php?12114&p=83082#post83082

 

[Vince Carter]

Always fast, water only ~10hrs prior
Always have your labs ~8am
Always have your labs at the same lab (like Quest); repeat ability and comparability
PSA - avoid sex/orgasm, bicycle seats ~24-48hrs
CBC - no prep that I follow besides fasting
CMP - Gym/weights/muscle mass/high protein diet will influence a false positive on Creatine (Kidneys) and AST/ALT (Liver)...I suggest 72hrs off gym/whey/etc etc prior too

 

[ratbag]

Your not supposed to take any Biotin at all before labs... even Vitamin B complex can have 100mcg Biotin. According to Labcorp's warning you should not take Biotin in any form for 72 hours before getting labs.

https://www.labcorp.com/sites/default/files/L18298-0218-1.pdf
https://www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/safety/alertsandnotices/ucm586505.htm
http://clinchem.aaccjnls.org/content/63/2/619
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/news/20171129/fda-warns-biotin-can-distort-lab-tests

 

[MarkM]

L-Arginine can have an impact on prolactin levels.......https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10739497


CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the L -arginine-nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway is involved in the regulation of prolactin secretion by decidual tissue.

 

[Vince]

The only thing I do before Labs is fast for 12 hr.s and inject after labs. I keep it simple and for me it works.

 

[Nashtide]

The only thing I do before Labs is fast for 12 hr.s and inject after labs. I keep it simple and for me it works.

I don't even fast unless I'm pulling glucose and chems.

 

[FeelingLost]

The only thing I do before Labs is fast for 12 hr.s and inject after labs. I keep it simple and for me it works.

Vince why would you think simple would equate to accurate? With all the supplements you take plus your NO stack. How do you know some of your numbers aren't badly skewed? Just because they are in range? On your last blood test your thyroids were all over the place yet you have been steady on your thyroid meds and T protocol.

I can see why some meds like DHEA needs to be taken because you want to see if you are supplementing to a therapeutic lvl but it is pretty clear other here are saying some vitamins, hormones, minerals will clearly mess up the blood tests.

 

[Vince]

Vince why would you think simple would equate to accurate? With all the supplements you take plus your NO stack. How do you know some of your numbers aren't badly skewed? Just because they are in range? On your last blood test your thyroids were all over the place yet you have been steady on your thyroid meds and T protocol.

I can see why some meds like DHEA needs to be taken because you want to see if you are supplementing to a therapeutic lvl but it is pretty clear other here are saying some vitamins, hormones, minerals will clearly mess up the blood tests.

My thyroid and my testosterone are two completely different things. I feel I am completely dialed in with my trt, I have work to do on my thyroid of course. The best part is I'm feeling good.

 

[canaleshome]

Wouldn't you want to know if taking some supp is screwing up or helping something else? I can understand wanting to get your particular natural threshold, but if you are taking something continuously (daily or weekly), wouldn't you want to see the impact it's having on you? If it's something you think you should stop for blood work, then why take it to begin with?

 

[Roguejim]

Always fast, water only ~10hrs prior
Always have your labs ~8am
Always have your labs at the same lab (like Quest); repeat ability and comparability
PSA - avoid sex/orgasm, bicycle seats ~24-48hrs
CBC - no prep that I follow besides fasting
CMP - Gym/weights/muscle mass/high protein diet will influence a false positive on Creatine (Kidneys) and AST/ALT (Liver)...I suggest 72hrs off gym/whey/etc etc prior too

Why "always fast"? You fast regardless of what test is being done?
Why avoid orgasm and bicycle seats 24-48 hours prior to PSA test? Any data on this? Thanks.

 

[FeelingLost]

Wouldn't you want to know if taking some supp is screwing up or helping something else? I can understand wanting to get your particular natural threshold, but if you are taking something continuously (daily or weekly), wouldn't you want to see the impact it's having on you? If it's something you think you should stop for blood work, then why take it to begin with?

I though I explained that in my first post.
One example is: several guys posting taking creatine will jack up your Creatinine, Serum. If your creatinine is too high your doc might STOP your TRT.

I do understand if your doc says take DHEA then yes continue taking it to see if you are at a therapeutic level. BUT many supplements will jackup your blood tests and that could cause your doc to change your protocol when you don't really need a change. I'm just trying to make a list of things you should not do or take that will skew your blood test and possibly fake your doctor out.

 

[Roguejim]

A quick Google search got this: http://www.berkeleywellness.com/self-care/sexual-health/article/sex-psa

 

[FeelingLost]

Thank you Jim,

Not just sex: Some drugs used to treat an enlarged prostate can lower a PSA reading. If you are taking finasteride (Proscar or Propecia, the latter used to treat hair loss) or dutasteride (Avodart), remind your doctor before having a PSA test so this can be taken into consideration in the interpretation of the results.

 

[Roguejim]

Funny, I've never had a Dr tell me any of this prior to a PSA test.

 

[FeelingLost]

Funny, I've never had a Dr tell me any of this prior to a PSA test.

I can see why medical malpractice insurance is so expensive. The incompetence, the lack of details is unbelieveable.
As an aerospace engineer for 35 years if we did our job the way they do theirs we would have never reached the moon.