posted by slow_healer_sam 15d ago

What bloodwork actually helps track igf-1 response and rule out ct disorder

Been running a cjc/ipa blend for about a month now, pinning morning and night fasted. Got baseline igf-1 with a z-score before starting and it was low, ng/dl was in the 80s if I remember right. Retest is tomorrow. Curious what else is actually worth checking alongside igf-1 to see if the secretagogues are doing anything, and separately, I've had connective tissue issues most of my life. Tested negative for the major named disorders already through genetic testing but I check a lot of the softer boxes. Anyone know what bloodwork or panels actually point toward an underlying ct issue versus just being unlucky with tendons my whole life? Trying not to waste money on random tests that don't tell me anything.

Still here. Still slow.

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tendon_tinkerAustin, TX9 points15d ago

I've been tracking igf-1 for about 18 months on and off different runs. Big thing I learned the hard way: same lab every time or your z-score comparisons are garbage, different assays calibrate differently. I do baseline, 4 week, 8 week, then quarterly after that. CJC/Ipa half life is short enough that timing relative to your last pin matters too, I test morning before my dose.

Measure it or it did not happen.

PharmD_NadiaPhoenix, AZ9 points15d ago

Seconding the same-lab point. IGF-1 assays are not standardized across companies the way something like a CBC is, so a z-score from one service compared to another service six weeks later is basically noise. If cost is the concern I'd rather see you spend on consistency than chasing a cheaper one-off test that muddies your trend line.

If the vial looks cloudy, the answer is no.

LabRatLouisBoston, MA7 points15d ago

Also worth remembering IGF-1 has diurnal variation and is sensitive to recent food intake, illness, even sleep the night before. One draw in the 80s tells you very little on its own. What matters is the trend across identical conditions. People treat a single number like a verdict when it's really one dot on a curve.

Preclinical is not a promise.

Dr_Rehab_RayCleveland, OH8 points15d ago

On the connective tissue side, if you've already ruled out the major named syndromes genetically, the next useful thing isn't more blood work, it's a hypermobility screen. Beighton score, joint range checks, skin texture and scarring history. That plus your injury pattern over the years is what actually gets you a useful referral to genetics or rheum if you want to keep chasing it. Blood panels don't really pick up structural collagen issues, imaging and clinical exam do most of that work.

Load is the drug with the best data.

slow_healer_samBoise, ID7 points15d ago

That's fair, I guess I was hoping there was some marker that would just confirm it. I do score high on Beighton stuff, always have, double jointed elbows and thumbs since I was a kid. Should I still get basic stuff like CRP or thyroid checked or is that a waste given nothing points that direction yet?

Still here. Still slow.

CoachTerrellAtlanta, GA6 points15d ago

Worth saying out loud, none of this bloodwork changes your rehab math. If you're hypermobile you need tendon stiffness work and joint stability training regardless of what igf-1 does. Get that dialed in alongside whatever you're tracking, the labs won't do the loading for you.

You cannot inject your way out of a bad program.

mito_mikeBoulder, CO6 points15d ago

Not the ct disorder side but on the general panel question, when I started paying attention to recovery markers I added a basic metabolic panel and thyroid alongside whatever peptide specific stuff I was tracking. Cheap, tells you if something else is dragging your recovery down before you blame it all on tendons or igf-1.

Watts do not lie. Neither do lactate strips.