Help needed with setting up labs
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Hey all, I live in a semi-rural area and don't have a Quest Diagnostics close to me which is what many of these discount lab services seem to use are their draw site. I'm a total noob to getting labs not ordered by my doc, is there some flexibility built into this process?
I DO have an Express Labs location though, is anyone aware of a lab service that can run lipo/hormone/IGF-1 that uses them?
@SwollStreetBets
I had mine done through Rhythm Health, everything is done by mail: They send you a little stick on sucker thing that draw the blood into a little vial [it's painless], Fed Ex picks it up at your door, labs are available online a few days after.
There is another company that does it this way as well if you look. -
@SwollStreetBets
I had mine done through Rhythm Health, everything is done by mail: They send you a little stick on sucker thing that draw the blood into a little vial [it's painless], Fed Ex picks it up at your door, labs are available online a few days after.
There is another company that does it this way as well if you look. -
@SwollStreetBets
I had mine done through Rhythm Health, everything is done by mail: They send you a little stick on sucker thing that draw the blood into a little vial [it's painless], Fed Ex picks it up at your door, labs are available online a few days after.
There is another company that does it this way as well if you look.@SwollStreetBets
I had mine done through Rhythm Health, everything is done by mail: They send you a little stick on sucker thing that draw the blood into a little vial [it's painless], Fed Ex picks it up at your door, labs are available online a few days after.
There is another company that does it this way as well if you look.Those are more prone to error and are not as accurate as doing them in person.
A.I. analysis below
Finger-prick/capillary kits (small vial you mail back) are more prone to error — hemolysis, insufficient sample volume, temperature exposure in transit, and clotting can all skew results, especially for hormone-sensitive markers. Venous draws are more reliable.
Analyte stability matters — some hormones and metabolites (e.g., cortisol, certain protein-bound hormones) degrade faster than others if a sample sits in transit for a day or two before processing.
If you're only doing labs 2 or so times/year, a 1 hour drive isn't that bad.
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@Stan-Douglas Rhythm would do IGF-1?
@JtCjEfF
No, they do not to IGF-1 as part of their testing. -
@SwollStreetBets
I had mine done through Rhythm Health, everything is done by mail: They send you a little stick on sucker thing that draw the blood into a little vial [it's painless], Fed Ex picks it up at your door, labs are available online a few days after.
There is another company that does it this way as well if you look.Those are more prone to error and are not as accurate as doing them in person.
A.I. analysis below
Finger-prick/capillary kits (small vial you mail back) are more prone to error — hemolysis, insufficient sample volume, temperature exposure in transit, and clotting can all skew results, especially for hormone-sensitive markers. Venous draws are more reliable.
Analyte stability matters — some hormones and metabolites (e.g., cortisol, certain protein-bound hormones) degrade faster than others if a sample sits in transit for a day or two before processing.
If you're only doing labs 2 or so times/year, a 1 hour drive isn't that bad.
@Neil-McCauley dont get me started on pin prick tests lol I had a PSA elevation nightmare due in part to one of those. In person labs showed picture perfect levels.
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@SwollStreetBets
I had mine done through Rhythm Health, everything is done by mail: They send you a little stick on sucker thing that draw the blood into a little vial [it's painless], Fed Ex picks it up at your door, labs are available online a few days after.
There is another company that does it this way as well if you look.Those are more prone to error and are not as accurate as doing them in person.
A.I. analysis below
Finger-prick/capillary kits (small vial you mail back) are more prone to error — hemolysis, insufficient sample volume, temperature exposure in transit, and clotting can all skew results, especially for hormone-sensitive markers. Venous draws are more reliable.
Analyte stability matters — some hormones and metabolites (e.g., cortisol, certain protein-bound hormones) degrade faster than others if a sample sits in transit for a day or two before processing.
If you're only doing labs 2 or so times/year, a 1 hour drive isn't that bad.
If you're only doing labs 2 or so times/year, a 1 hour drive isn't that bad.
That's the conclusion I think I'm coming to, I have to drive at least an hour to go anywhere as it is, not the end of the world.
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siphox health mail in lab at home
SiPhox Health
$50 off
At-home bloodworkSkip the lab visit. SiPhox mails a kit, you collect a few drops at home, and get a full biomarker panel back. Monthly or quarterly, with optional add-on panels. From $99/mo — about $50 less than telehealth or a direct lab draw.
From $99/mo
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Code
BILLO807325 -
@SwollStreetBets
I had mine done through Rhythm Health, everything is done by mail: They send you a little stick on sucker thing that draw the blood into a little vial [it's painless], Fed Ex picks it up at your door, labs are available online a few days after.
There is another company that does it this way as well if you look.@Stan-Douglas I use Rythm monthly and I love it! Very useful for TRT and diet lipids however, they do not offer IGF-1. I have to get it thru a standing lab. Also, Rythm just added H&H that is extremely important in higher TRT but it has 50% of the time failed due to hemolysis that’s very common in this type of test and delay in getting it ran in lab.
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I switched to FunctionHealth this month, they DO do Igf-1 but it costs $200 extra and you have to drive to once of their locations to get like 12 vials drawn.
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I used https://dirtcheaplabs.com/ last time. Cheapest pricing I could find and everything went smooth and fast. Options for both Quest and LabCorp.
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I used https://dirtcheaplabs.com/ last time. Cheapest pricing I could find and everything went smooth and fast. Options for both Quest and LabCorp.
@denti Dirt Cheap Labs appears to be closed according to a message on their site.
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I switched to FunctionHealth this month, they DO do Igf-1 but it costs $200 extra and you have to drive to once of their locations to get like 12 vials drawn.
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Life Extension regularly has sales on their labs (fulfilled at Labcore or Quest).
Especially good savings if you want to do annual full panels and more obscure tests. -
I used https://dirtcheaplabs.com/ last time. Cheapest pricing I could find and everything went smooth and fast. Options for both Quest and LabCorp.
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Life Extension regularly has sales on their labs (fulfilled at Labcore or Quest).
Especially good savings if you want to do annual full panels and more obscure tests.@ed1 said:
Life Extension regularly has sales on their labs (fulfilled at Labcore or Quest).
Especially good savings if you want to do annual full panels and more obscure tests.I think they are Quest only now. Used them for many years (more than 10 for sure) as I have a Labcorp close by. I had to use Quest this year after they changed labs to Quest only. Quest is a bit of a haul from me. Probably my one and only time, as I see there are a lot of options now for online Labcorp.
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@denti Dirt Cheap Labs appears to be closed according to a message on their site.
@BoxerLover That’s a bummer. They were the cheapest last time I went for it. Will have to find a new one now.
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@BoxerLover That’s a bummer. They were the cheapest last time I went for it. Will have to find a new one now.
This post is deleted! -
@Stan-Douglas I do function health as well for most of my blood tests, but since I have to go to quest anyway, I found walk-in labs to be much cheaper for IGF-1. I think I paid $70.
I do function health as well for most of my blood tests
They have an extensive Medical History questionnaire. More thorough than anything a doctor has asked.
"Does your bowel movement float?"
Well, I never had to close the lid real fast but...
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