Which of these bloods tests are a waste...?

[Katomack]

Which of the following bloods tests are a waste for a pre-TRT test?

Total testosterone
Bioavailable testosterone
Free testosterone
SHBG
DHT
E2
LH
FSH
Prolactin
Cortisol

CBC
-HB
-PCV
-RCC
-WBC
-WBC & diff
-MCH
-MCHC
-MCV
-RDW
-Platelet count

Thyroid Panel
-TSH
-Total T3
-Free T3
-Total T4
-Free T4

CMP
General
-Glucose
-Calcium
Liver
-ALP
-ALT (SGBT)
-AST (SGOT)
-Total bilirubin
-Direct bilirubin
-Indirect bilirubin
Kidney
-Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
-Creatinine
Electrolytes
-Potassium
-Sodium
-CO2, bicarbonate
-Chloride
Proteins
-Albumin
-Total protein

Lipid panel
-Cholesterol
-Total cholesterol
-HDL
-LDL
-VLDL

I know the more the merrier but considering I'm paying for this out of my own pocket...it adds up to a pretty penny.

I did a free testosterone test recently and results came back very low...cant remember where i put the print out but it was below the lab ranges, and we all know how low that already is. I wasnt surprised though as ive got about %90 of low T symptoms so I'm now considering TRT.

I've been doing a lot of research and read up on the subject quite extensively here and elsewhere. My main concern right now is the above. Insurance won't be covering my quest so if some things are not necessary, id rather spend the money elsewhere, like on the testosterone.

So basically, just looking for your expertise on which of the above tests are not required for a pre-TRT blood work. Thanks!

 

[Megatron28]

Get the Hormone Panel for Females at Buy Lab Tests Online | Private MD Labs. Costs about $55.

 

[Katomack]

Get the Hormone Panel for Females at Buy Lab Tests Online | Private MD Labs. Costs about $55.

They dont have my location. Im not in the US

 

[Katomack]

Wow! Didnt expect this to be such a difficult question

 

[PrinceDianabol]

Depends what you're looking for mate. None of those tests are a 'waste.'

If your just looking to diagnose/check hypogonadism, all you realistically need is: LH, FSH, TT, Free T, E2, SHGB, & Prolactin. Most docs will want to confirm with repeated tests and if that's the case you could drop the others and just do LH, FSH, TT, E2 the first time round and the others later.

 

[PrinceDianabol]

Thyroid panel is always great to look at too, especially if you have T problems. CBC, CMP & Lipids are great to check up on too for general health.

 

[Megatron28]

They dont have my location. Im not in the US

You can request the labs listed in the panel though.

 

[Mprtz]

It's a good list with no obvious candidates to throw out. Lots of guys have learned that you can never go back and get a baseline, so it's rarely a mistake to get a complete picture of your pre-TRT values.

Cortisol, Prolactin and DHT if you want to save some money. DHT tends to be pricy I think.

If you have no concerns about your thyroid you might skip that.

 

[Katomack]

Thanks for the input guys...I'm just trying to figure out which tests on the list are not effected by testosterone.